This week on Hulu‘s new episodes of Sailor Moon SuperS we get my favourite episodes of the season. Many consider Sailor Moon SuperS to be fairly weak as Sailor Moon seasons go, with a heavy focus on Chibiusa and episodes which don’t contribute much to the overall story. Episodes 148 and 149 are an exception to this. If you’ve for whatever reason skipped all of Sailor Moon SuperS up to now you can safely just start watching here and not miss much. Let me catch you up! There’s a horse named Pegasus that has been talking with Chibiusa which the bad guys are looking for. The girls now have little things on their shoulders which don’t do anything. These three gloriously dressed guys are pick up artists and villains. Okay you’re all caught up.
Episode 148, Shadow of Evil: the Trio’s Last Chance, is the first in a sort of two parter. In this episode Fish Eye targets Mamoru but things don’t quite go as they have in other episodes. The usual formula has one of the Amazon Trio target someone and then, without any real emotional connection, try to pick them up an then take a peak at their Mirror of Dreams. Fish Eye, like Neil Strauss when he met Lisa Leveridge, has actual feelings for Mamoru and this sets him on a path of self realization. When he really makes a go at Mamoru he is rejected and Mamoru gives as a reason that he doesn’t have any dream. Fish Eye then realizes that while they’ve been looking for Pegasus in all of these people’s dreams, they didn’t have any of their own! He attempts to summon a Mirror of Dreams from Tiger’s Eye and then sees what he feared, that they don’t actually have any! Fish Eye is upset and has a peak at Mamoru’s Mirror of Dreams, which leads Sailor Moon to show up and save the day. Defeated emotionally, he sits crying on a bench and Usagi comes to his side to help him out, showing Sailor Moon’s true strength.
Episode 149, Mirrors of Dreams: the Amazon’s Last Stage, is the last we’ll see of the Amazon Trio. Fish Eye is heartbroken from Mamoru’s rejection, but Usagi is being compassionate towards him. While the Usagi we usually see in the series, even in the last episode, is one of extreme jealousy, here she presents a very different side. She has pity for Fish Eye who she knows doesn’t have a chance with Mamoru. While having this really awkward sleepover type situation with Usagi, he overhears Chibiusa talking with Pegasus and realizes that he has been hiding in her dreams all along. Hawk’s Eye targets Usagi and there is just no dressing up this episode’s attempted seduction. He walks in and just snaps his fingers to make her mirror appear. Does he not try for anyone under the age of majority? This makes us wonder why these guys have even bothered with the whole romance charade for the past 20 episodes. It’s obvious that it’s completely unnecessary! In the ensuing battle Usagi’s Mirror of Dreams is destroyed, which is sort of like having her soul destroyed, and then Hawk’s Eye is killed. Fish Eye and Tiger’s Eye finally have a change of heart and know that they need to save Usagi and Chibiusa, who Fish Eye kidnapped, to stop the monster and get their revenge. And they do, sacrificing their own lives in the process. Next it is revealed what the Amazon Trio really are. Hawk’s Eye is a hawk, Tiger’s Eye is a tiger and Fish Eye is a fish. A Mirror of Dreams is like a soul and these three don’t appear to have any. The insinuation would be that animals don’t actually have souls. Bad news for Luna, Artemis and Diana! Surely they could be exempt from this but what of other animals in the series such as Rhett Butler or the Chanelas? They must not have souls either.
The Amazon Trio have truly redeemed themselves in their final moments. This is like the story of Pinocchio trying to become a real boy. Pegasus rewards them by giving them Dream Mirrors of their own, and then takes them with him to Elysion. Are they actually alive at this point or do they simply have their souls brought into the afterlife? Regardless of the details they are not seen again, but it seems that they are finally at peace.
Throughout both of these episodes we see a shadowy outline of the Amazoness Quartet. We will be seeing them more in the next half of the season as they are the villains to replace the Amazon Trio.
I was such a fan of these episodes that I managed to pick up a couple of cels from episode 148. Have a look at those below.
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I enjoyed these episodes and I feel they’re a bit underrated in terms of final battle episodes for bad guys in the anime. I remember being disappointed we never got to see the Amazon Trio return again as good guys, especially since the ending of episode 149 seemed to strongly imply they would return again one day. I think it would have made for an interesting plot development if the Amazon Trio came back as good guys and used their powers to help the Sailor Soldiers fight the Dead Moon Circus.
First off, Sailor Moon Super S has shown popularity in Japan and it was a great season and it was campy and kind of cute.
From what I understand, Chibiusa is way more popular in Japan than she is elsewhere, which would explain why SuperS is pretty well-liked by them. I personally like her a lot in the manga, but not that much in the anime.
My biggest problem with SuperS is how much it deviates from the manga story. Actually, that’s my biggest problem with the original anime in its entirety.
Fish Eye was questioning their mission at the beginning of these episodes, right? Or is that only in the Cloverway dub?
I remember that the last episode of the Amazon Trio had been really hard and heartbreaking for the kid I was then. I used to like these guys, and even if they finally get a “good ending” by going to Elysion with Pegasus, I had been frustrated because I knew they would never be back in the anime.
The first Sailor Moon anime was very strong into making some villains’ deaths very heartbreaking and tragic… See Nephrite and Zoisite, see Princes Saphir and Diamond, see the Amazon Trio… I remember how the deaths of all these guys had let me helpless. Especially Nephrite’s, Saphir’s and Diamond’s ones. These guys were in fact not simply and absolutely evil. They had benevolent and altruistic feelings hidden deep inside them (yes, I dare to include Zoisite, even if he could only love Kunzite), but it was already too late when they could realized it. Finally, a redemption, but for what, if it’s to die just after ???
Back in those times, Sailor Moon was very powerful into showing how complex were the relationships between human beings. SM was funny and tragic at the same time :”) . This anime learnt me of lot of things about life.
Which is one way I must admit it is superior to the manga and Crystal. The deaths of the villains are no more touching than the Monster of Days in the old anime.
Saphir’s death still gets me every time and is still my favorite from the classic series.
SuperS left a lot of loose threads, the Amazon Trio and Quartet were both implied to return one day, but with Stars being the final season and so wrapped up with the Three Lights, they didn’t have a chance to return even in mention.
I completely agree with, when you say that the old anime was superior to the manga or to Crystal concerning some villains’ deaths, and I like your words : “The deaths of the villains are no more touching than the Monster of Days in the old anime.”
Yeah, Saphir’s death was heartbreaking in the old anime… And the way Petz understands that he has just passed away… It still gives me chill when I think of it in the present.
But to me, Nephrite’s death – like thousands of fans in the world I guess – remains the most beautiful, the most tragic of them all… I was not even 10 years old and I had no one to tell my shock, my revolt, my anger and my sorrow… yeah, seems a bit exagerated but it’s completely true. This is how I really felt at that very moment.
I always theorized that Pure Heart crystals were the soul, Dream Mirrors were the mind, and Starseeds were the body, especially if you consider what happens when they’re removed or shown.
Pure Hearts: the victim sort of goes into a zombie-like state. Minako and Unazuki obviously proved that they can move around, but they seem completely soulless.
Dream Mirrors: They’re conscious and cognizant, but dreams are a product of brain activity during sleep, and looking into a Dream Mirror means looking into the victim’s mind.
Starseeds: Their bodies vanish. They just vanish. The Starseed is the only one they can’t exist without because it’s their physical form.
That’s just how I’ve always seen it. I’m sure someone’s going to yell at me that I’m wrong, but I wanted to share anyway.
I forgot to add that Dream Mirrors being the mind would totally make sense as far as their being animals go, because while animals may dream, they’re not self-aware like humans are (at least not as far as hawks, tigers and fish go), which is something that requires a sentient mind.
Wow!! I never caught on to that!! Its seriusly some intresting ideas you got there and it do make sense in quiet a bit of ways O_o thanks for letting me know.
Interesting sason with a good level