Now, there are episodes on this list that the main plot would make sense without, but they’re relatively few and are there mainly because while the plot doesn’t require them, the arcs of the characters do. Episodes that are pure comedy, while jewels in their own right, don’t make the cut. Hence, this is a list of the episodes you absolutely need to see. For my money, any dedicated Sailor Moon fan should watch every episode at least once, but maybe not on their first run-through. For those who don’t know, the manga and anime were more or less produced concurrently. By the time the animators were ready to get to work on a second season, Naoko Takeuchi hadn’t finished the Black Moon arc of the manga, so the anime team came up with a short arc that has absolutely nothing to do with the manga and serves little purpose beyond undoing the closure from the end of the first season and buying the animators a little time. It has very few lasting consequences to the mythology as a whole and, aside from an aesthetic tie-in in the first movie, doesn’t really matter… and I. Don’t. Care. However it came into being, and for whatever reasons, The Makai Tree arc is now part of this franchise and has some really good episodes and themes, so even though the arc itself is the literal definition of filler, something created to pad out the story and buy time, some episodes are really good, and the beginning of the Black Moon arc doesn’t make much sense without it, so we’re going to cover it. Starting with… There was much laid on the shoulders of this premiere, given that last season’s finale had so much closure, but it managed to do it all. It brought Usagi back into the fold and managed to reference all the other girls, if only for one shot, without shoehorning in reintroductions for all of them. Even Mamoru got a brief scene. As premieres go, it gave us what we needed and spared us any moments that would slow the story down, while effectively introducing and establishing a new enemy. Seeing that they’ll always be senshi, memories or no, Luna restores their memories and powers, and the Sailor Senshi are back in the game. True, it was rather contrived to have all four girls be called down for that audition (which makes no sense at all) just so they could be reawakened simultaneously, but it did serve to get the team back together without much ado.
EPISODE 49. For Whom is the White Rose? The Moonlight Knight Appears
Mako-chan’s friend Shinozaki gets caught in the crossfire when the latest Cardian strikes, and our girl donates her own blood to help save his life. She reveals to the others just how deep their bond runs, which makes it all the more surprising that it’s completely platonic, leading Usagi to question whether or not a boy and girl can really be just friends. Meanwhile, while Mamoru is still without his memories and his alter-ego, Tuxedo Mask, is nowhere to be found, a mysterious new masked stranger appears, bearing white roses. Just who is the Moonlight Knight? This ep is a must-see not just for its excellent story, but for our first and only look at Mako-chan’s now infamous senpai (sadly, via silent flashback only).
EPISODE 51. A New Transformation: Usagi’s Power-Up
It’s spring in Tokyo, which means it’s time for Hanami, the cherry blossom festival. While the Juuban Junior High kids, along with Rei and Minako, head to the park for some cherry blossom goodness under the supervision of Hot Mess Haruna, Ail and An set loose possibly the coolest Cardian in the deck, who manages to shatter Usagi’s brooch. A brief but profound communion with her past life mama returns to Silver Crystal to Usagi’s possession, transforming and upgrading her brooch. She also get as new scepter to replace to Moon Stick, and she uses it to kick some Cardian ass!
EPISODE 57. After-School Trouble: Usagi Is a Target
Usagi gets a run of the mill detention, but has some company for once in Natsumi, who’s pretty much running on empty. She decides to use this opportunity to siphon Usagi’s energy, but gets distracted by a rogue Cardian who is completely batshit and funny as hell. Also, while it’s not Haruna’s final appearance, it’s the final time she’s featured prominently, and the Sailor Moon writers sends her off in style. Up to this point, Haruna’s underlying immaturity, romantic desperation, and all around train wreck personality have been a running gag, but here we finally get an episode that hinges on it. This rogue nature of the Cardian is also a hint that something very wrong is going on with The Makai Tree.
EPISODE 59. True Love Awakens: The Makai Tree’s Secret
Usagi and Mamoru become Ail and An’s prisoners atop the Juuban Odyssey building, but the Makai Tree ain’t getting any happier. Ail and An’s jealousy and selfishness finally results in the Tree getting too pissed to deal with it anymore, and it finally speaks. Yes. It speaks. Only just now… for some reason. The true origins of the tree are revealed, and Ail and An realize they’ve been going about things all wrong. Sailor Moon purges the Makai Tree of all the negative energy it’s absorbed over the years, and Ail and An leave Earth with the sapling to start over. The Moonlight Knight finally reveals himself to be Mamoru’s unsconscious will to protect Sailor Moon, his existence no longer necessary now that Mamoru has regained his memories. At last, Usagi and Mamoru finally get together… for now. Love her or hate her, Chibi-Usa is a major part of this mythology, and skipping her first appearance also means skipping a fun, odd episode. At this point we really know our characters, they know each other, and all the pieces are in place. It’s the perfect time for some x-factor to pop in and turn everything upside down.
EPISODE 61. Usagi Devastated: Mamoru Declares a Break-Up
Mamoru starts acting really aloof and distant, and while those qualities are part of what made Usagi dig Tuxedo Mask in the first place, getting promptly dumped by her boyfriend without an explanation is not one of them. Mamoru makes a good point that their choices shouldn’t be dictated by their past lives, but it’s really just a way of pushing Usagi away for her own good, a trope I hate but is nonetheless narratively effective.
EPISODE 62. A Guardian’s Friendship: Goodbye, Ami
Ami is offered an amazing scholastic opportunity to study abroad, and while the girls don’t want to see her go, they do their best to be supportive. Ami comes close to leaving but doesn’t, and makes a U-turn just in time to save the others with her new power up. Also, the other girls get new licensed merchandise… er, powered up items. Come on, we all knew Ami wasn’t going anywhere, but it was a great question to ask. What about these girls’ dreams, their ambitions? Is there room for such things so long as they carry this responsibility? And Ami has more real world potential than any of them, so it was perfect for her to be the one whom the writers chose to address this question.
EPISODE 64. In Search of the Silver Crystal: Chibi-Usa’s Secret
When a thunderstorm scares an already lonely and on edge Chibi-Usa to the point of panic, she uses the key around her neck to summon a portal back to where she came from… or at least fail in the attempt. But she altered the laws of physics just enough to screw with gravity and draw the attention of the Black Moon. It’s in this episode we finally get some decent hints as to where Chibi-Usa is from: the future. We also get the sense that the Luna-P might just be more than a mere toy. And if nothing else, how many episodes of any show do you get where half of it is spent with the entire principal cast stuck in zero-gravity? We also finally get a view, though not a revealing one, of “Puu”, the person Chibi-Usa is communicating with through Luna-P. This episode packs some serious punch.
EPISODE 70. Battle of the Flames of Love: Mars vs. Koan
It turns out that not only is Rubeus aware that Koan has a big ol’ yen for him, he’s totally using it to manipulate her. When she “fails” him and is rejected, she goes ape shit, thinking she has nothing left to lose. What a game changer! First of all, it shows how much Rei has developed as a character. Considering she’s the most hot-tempered and stubborn of the Sailors, showing the kind of patience and empathy that she does here signifies tremendous growth.
EPISODE 71. For Friendship: Ami vs. Berthier
Berthier insinuates herself into a chess competition and of course comes up against Ami. Of course, in light of Koan’s recent defection, Berthier also carries the added pressure of punishing her sister on Rubeus’ behalf. This season’s Mercury episodes have been consistently good, and this one is no exception. Ami-chan is at her best when she’s using her head to outsmart her opponents, and what better shorthand is there for that in the world of fiction than chess? Was it an inspired choice? Not particularly, but the execution is fantastic. We also get to see no time wasted in dealing with the consequences of Koan’s choice, namely that it’s starting to slowly tear her family apart. Damn. What?!? If nothing else, it’s worth it to see all four sisters going into business together, selling their own line of cosmetics. Lord only know where they got the start-up money, but who cares?
EPISODE 73. A UFO Appears: The Sailor Guardians Abducted
Now aware that Usagi is Sailor Moon, Chibi-Usa yoinks her brooch to bring the Silver Crystal back with her to the future. However, she exposes herself to some real danger, and Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus get abducted protecting her. Riding on the momentum of the previous episode, we get Chibi-Usa asking some fair questions about Usagi’s worthiness to be Sailor Moon. This one is a must-see.
EPISODE 74. Defeat Rubeus: The Battle in Space
Sailor Moon and Chibi-Usa allow themselves to be taken up into Rubeus’ UFO in order to rescue the others. Chibi-Usa manages for the first time to not only cease being a liability, but actually displays courage and resilience as she works in tandem with Sailor Moon to save the others, hinting at her role in later seasons. This episode is also one of the rare occasions on which we get to see special attacks outside of stock footage.
EPISODE 75. The Mysterious New Guardian: Sailor Pluto Appears
When Chibi-Usa falls into a deep sleep, Usagi and the others are clueless as to how they might help her until they get a clue… from Puu. The mysterious figure who has been communicating with Chibi-Usa through Luna-P is none other than Sailor Pluto, Guardian of the Door of Time. Pluto informs the Senshi that they must enter Chibi-Usa’s subconscious to save her. In addition to the first appearance of Pluto, this is also the first we see of Saphir, Prince Demande’s younger brother. Though, honestly, the debut of Sailor Pluto is reason enough to watch this one. It had been about forty episode since the introduction of Sailor Venus, and were long overdue for some fresh blood added to the Sailor Team. Not to mention that this opened the door to there being a Sailor for the outer planets as well, which would form the bedrock of the following season. In addition, Usagi confronting Mamoru and insisting that what she does or doesn’t risk is her choice, one that he doesn’t get to make for her, is fantastic. Though one could easily dismiss it as the recklessness of a lovestruck teenager, it’s actually an incredibly feminist statement: a man doesn’t get to decide what’s best for any woman, even the woman he loves. And best of all, Mamoru accepts it, drops the bullshit, and they get back together, ending one of the most excruciatingly pointless subplots in the entire series.
EPISODE 82. Journey to the Future: Battle in the Space-Time Corridor
The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask journey with Chibi-Usa to the Space-Time Door where Sailor Pluto, in her first in-person appearance, nearly flattens them all before realizing who they are. She sends them through the Space-Time Corridor so that they may enter the 30th Century, but the road is far more perilous than they anticipated. This journey could have easily been skipped by having the characters pass directly into the future through the gate, but the show is better for not doing so.
EPISODE 83. The Shocking Future: Demande’s Dark Ambition
Our heroes arrive in the 30th Century to find it completely decimated by war. They are greeted upon their arrival by a holographic projection of King Endymion, Mamoru’s own future self, who turns out to be the one who sent Mamoru all those gnarly visions. Meanwhile, Demande, now aware that the Senshi are now in the future, abducts Sailor Moon and gets all rapey with her, stopped in the nick of time by Tuxedo Mask. This episode confirms what we all knew by this point: that Usagi will become the queen of Crystal Tokyo (and ostensibly the world), take Mamoru to husband, and have a child with him: Chibi-Usa. It’s a solid episode, and if you can get past the fact that King Endymion’s rationale for all the shit he put Usagi and Mamoru through makes absolutely no logical sense whatsoever, it’s a very satisfying watch. An intensely psychological episode, we see a lot of focus on the characters’ motivations and interpersonal issues. Not only do we get a look inside Chibi-Usa’s head, we get to see some of the dynamics of the Black Moon Clan. Also, Esmeraude becomes a giant fucking dragon. Who saw that shit coming? Trust me, you don’t want to miss that. Black Lady is going to be around for the rest of the season, and this is one hell of a debut.
EPISODE 86. Saphir Dies: Wiseman’s Trap
Saphir decides that enough is enough and finally digs into what Wiseman’s up to. Fearing for his life when he’s discovered, he flees to the past, seeking refuge with the only other Black Moon turncoats in history, the Spectre Sisters. He even appeals to his brother’s better judgment, but Wiseman murders him before he can succeed. For a swan song, this one was great. It really humanized both Saphir and Demande, plus it had the added bonus of bringing the four sisters back, and we finally learn why Rubeus never had much of a hold on Petz. She was in love with Saphir all along, and only makes it known to him in time to lose him.
EPISODE 87. Believing in Love and the Future: Usagi’s Decision
The Sailor Senshi finally take the fight to Demande, who corners Sailor Moon and tries to mind-rape her AGAIN (seriously, dude?), but she resists his influence this time and convinces him that you can’t force people’s love. He seems to be won over, but Wiseman promptly kills him, proving he’s been pulling the strings the whole time. He is, in reality, Death Phantom. This episode is a fairly solid Part 1. It does the job right, but the best bit by far is the opening scene where Naru all but tells Usagi that she knows she’s Sailor Moon, has pretty much known for a while, and can play along with the whole secret identity schtick if it’s what Usagi needs. It’s the most depth we’ve gotten out of Naru since Nephrite’s death, and it’s a scene so powerful that the fact that it’s never really followed up on in any of Naru’s subsequent appearances is a real shame. It’s the freaking finale. How do you skip the finale? Seriously, though, it’s a good capper to the season. It resolves all the dangling plot threads (except of course Naru-chan knowing who the Senshi are), has some powerful emotional moments, and one hell of a knock-down slugfest final battle… to a fucking bad-ass J-Pop song. Because that’s how we do it here. This is Sailor Moon, bitch!
Honorable Mentions
EPISODE 53. Usagi and Mamoru’s Babysitting Mayhem
When a Cardian attacks a daycare center, and one of the babies’ moms is hospitalized, Mamoru offers to look after the child. Usagi nudges her way into “joint custody” in order to get a little closer to Mamoru, but An/Natsumi has plans of her own. Unfortunately for her, she’s not so good with babies. This episode would be worth it for no other reason than to see a baby piss in An’s face twice, but it also does offer us the sillier side of Mamoru as well as some foreshadowing of his way with children, which will definitely come into play later. And that should complete anyone’s abridged viewing of Sailor Moon R. Next time, we’ll be going over the Essential Viewing Guide to Sailor Moon S, or given how consistently good that season is, the Non-Essential Veiwing Guide.
