Sailor Moon SuperS Episode 04 - Capture the Pegasus! The Amazon's Trap

Good grief, we're up to the fourth episode now. I'm not entirely certain why I feel this is a noteworthy thing, but I guess it has a lot to do with the fact that I've managed to be a lot more consistent as of late, and from the way things are looking, I have the potential to be even more consistent in the near future.

I'll be starting a new work schedule soon that will see me only working three days a week. Sure it makes for long days to get my 40, but you gotta admit, it is a pretty sweet deal when you think about having four days off every single week.

I am super looking forward to filling those days with things that don't involve me watching something terrible.

So am I calling Sailor Moon SuperS terrible? Well, maybe. It managed to eat up a good portion of my good will towards it so far, so if this episode doesn't do any better than previous ones, I think we're in for a slow decline for the next thirty-odd episodes in the season.

Today's episode has Naru worried about some dude talking about catching a horse. Who may or may not be hitting on her? Cue intro.

So, my immediate thought is, are we really going to just pretend that whole thing with Nephrite way back in season 1? I kind of hope not because that was actually a kind of touching and endearing thing. Also, for f***'s sake can she never just like someone (who isn't Umino) and not pay the price for it in some way? Hell, even her stint with Umino got her hurt on a couple of occasions!

Oh and by the way we're just jumping right into a title slide this week, with no build-up. Wow, that's new.

Anyways, it's a bright and wonderful day in the Cirque de Soleil.

EVERYTHING IS BRIGHT AND HAPPY AND WONDERFUL.

A train passes in front, and we get treated to the wonderful freak show stock footage, with a few new additions with some jugglers. But as always we get to the meeting stock footage, and it's time for some old bag to yell at people.

I dunno, do you see three people standing in front of you?

He or she gets all pissy that they keep f***ing shit up royally, due to their incompetence. Hawks Eye comes up with the balls to say, 'yo, dude, seriously slow your roll and give us a chance to actually work? This is some hard shit we're up against.' He goes on to say that they've basically just be f***ing around so far, but if all three of them got their shit together and worked together maybe they could accomplish something for a change.

He gets told to make sure he's not just spouting shit, and we move on to the next stock footage scene. You know. The bar one.

I'm really not sure why I keep taking screen captures.
After all, it's not like they're ever going to change.

If you've seen the last three episodes, you know exactly how this is going to play out. One of them will pick a target, they'll laugh at how it's a girl who is just someone's type, they'll maybe talk about how someone else's tastes are shit, and then agree to let one person handle this.

Today's target is of course Naru, who according to Hawks Eye is 'plain looking, but undoubtedly pure of heart'. Also, Tigers Eye is getting seriously sloshed.

Even Fish Eye is going "damn I can't drink like that!"

The animation quality for this season has f***ing tanked at this point. The reason they throw this in is to save on the time they spend doing other stuff. Or maybe they downsized, which seems an unusual choice for such a popular show. Every time a character talks, the camera is up close, the background is minimal at best, and they show us as little as possible of the area because they don't have time to be drawing things for some reason.

Anyway Tigers Eye tells Hawks Eye that if they don't manage to catch the damn horse this time, Hawks Eye best have a damn good speech to give Zirconia.

But don't worry, Hawks Eye? He's got a plan. So get to work tiger man, we got shit to do and we're drinking on the clock.

Cut to Naru getting ice cream, and looking confused as perspective has clearly taken the day off.

This hurts my head to look at. How big is this f***ing sidewalk anyways?

Turns out she's waiting for Umino who is late, and Tigers Eye takes a moment to examine his gorgeous self.

"Oh me, stop being so handsome and turning me on. No, you stop!"

Oh right, he's supposed to go assault some little girl. Who keeps complaining that Umino isn't around. But he walks up to her, and he calls her beautiful and says what an honor is is to talk to her, and he's all like "aww yuss, all miiiiiine."

Okay. Not gonna lie, this has me laughing.

He then immediately lays hands upon her, and her reaction changes.

"Mother f***er did you just TOUCH ME?!"

She completely ignores him, however, because oh look, there's Umino.

That's Umino. He's somehow gotten shorter.

Then Naru walks off telling Umino to buy her ice cream, and Tigers Eye is legit angry.

I'm sorry is this still Sailor Moon because it feels like I am
suddenly watching a completely different show.

Cut back to the bar where the other two literally spit out their drinks and laugh their asses clean off. Because for some reason we really needed to save on our animation budget, so we decided to head back into the bar for a bit instead of moving the plot forward.

Tigers Eye is all ready to put in his two weeks, not wanting to believe that his charms could ever be matched by anybody, and that there's no way in hell Pegasus could be hiding in Naru's dreams. Not a chance in hell.

But Hawks Eye mentions that even if she's not carrying their target, they can still use the girl. Then... Fish Eye talks with Hawks Eye's voice...? Which is just weird, and nobody else seems to notice. So what is this plan of yours? Well, they head out into the tent, and he shows off his brilliant plan.

Some assembly required.

He tells them that this cage is specially designed for a specific purpose. See, since Pegasus doesn't have a material body, this cage is designed to 'run negative energy through material'. I guess he's saying that it would force him to become material... or something?

Ah, no. Actually it creates a temporal space which allows the creature to be trapped within. Which makes slightly more sense. And since that dude seems to be showing up an awful lot, well it's a lot easier to bait him into coming out to help those girls fight.

Thank god at least ONE of the villains is competent this time around.

So now they have their new plan: Use Naru as bait to convince Pegasus to come out so they can nab him.

Speaking of Naru, she's getting books on nursing or whatever while Tigers Eye considers his new approach.

I will admit, I love how narcissistic and self-absorbed he is.

Now she's walking along past some construction site, and she comes across Tigers Eye again. Not that she remembers him of course, because why would she pay any attention to him at all?

He tries not to take it personally, but Naru of course takes the totally wrong message away from this.

Oh come on.

He winds up crying and stuff, and Naru decides that even though she doesn't remember him at all, boy is he sort of handsome and all that. Then he reels, makes with the hammiest of acts, and proceeds to give us the absolute worst 'suddenly sick' act ever.

The. Worst.

This amazes her and he gives her to worst f***ing sob story ever, makes with the fake coughing, and then she goes to help him back up as he lays it on as thick as possible.

He asks her to be his girlfriend, in his last three months of life, and I'm sure that won't dredge up any terrible memories at all.

Yep, totally not going to be suffering any PTSD from this.

Naru having been put on the spot decides, it's time for a commercial break! So we break for messages from our sponsors.

After that? Well then, we see Naru runs off to the shrine to talk to all of her pals about this really strange f***ing dude who came onto her in the middle of the street.

Not to mention incredibly unrealistic.

So who is this dude? Naru has no idea but he seems legit. And also she totes didn't tell him that she's already taken. So what do with Umino? "It's only for three months" he told her.

Yeah. Right. Because that makes sense.

No, you shut up you, you clearly have no idea how any of
this works. Also, HOW OLD ARE YOU AGAIN?!?!

At least Usagi manages to bust in with a "do you know what the hell you're even on about?" while Rei asks Naru if she really knows what she's doing here.

Holy shit actual good advice from Sailor Moon. Circle the day
in red on the calendar, this is one to remember!

I think this is maybe the second time someone has made a comment about love that actually made f***ing sense in this show. Anyways Naru says that she totally couldn't say no, the cats listen to more bickering, and Naru runs off to go home because she has terrible friends. Ami at least picks up that something seems off, and so everyone goes running off while the cats decide, eh, maybe we oughta look into this a bit from a cat perspective.

So now Naru watches the road from a pedestrian bridge, and wonders what she should say to Umino. Who just happens to come along, and she decides, eff it, let's have a chat. So they stand around, and Umino cries while she tells him she has no clue how to handle this.

And you also completely ignore how insane she is to even
consider this for someone she just met. Whose story is
completely unverified. Yeah. She's a keeper alright.

Umino tells her to go be by his side and runs off crying about how he's going to climb a mountain or something. The other girls watch on as Usagi talks to Naru, and Mina mentions she's worried about Umino. Meanwhile, a child is once again left to wander the late-night streets of Tokyo by herself. Which is a terrible f***ing idea.

Also, Mog Mog? OH GOD. THE FOOD IS MOOGLES.

Also, she winds up making the stupidest mistake imaginable.

How the f**k do you... why would you even...

After counting the milkshakes he's drank so far (totalling 15), she feels a bit queasy.

I hate you and everything you stand for.

Anyways now we're in a park where Tigers Eye literall shows up in a bright flash of light with the sound of screeching tires.

... no, I couldn't make that up if I tried. That's just the sort of insanity that is beyond even me. He doesn't drive up in a car. There is no car. It just looks like one and then bam suddenly he is there.

What the f**k.

I literally cannot even right now. I just can't.

Then Naru starts to feel bad about this whole thing, and she says she wants to talk to him, and he toys with her hair and she's like 'okay seriously dude, look, I really like this other guy.'

But he doesn't care about that at all. Why would he, after all? He's the most amazing thing in the world.

Somehow I doubt fun is something you actually care about.

Then he goes in to get close to her, she slams him down to the ground and tells him to go away. But he figures, eh, screw it. Time to pull out the whip and do a thing because evil villain and we're running out of time for the episode.

Considering she keeps talking about some other dude that isn't
you, I seriously doubt that this is something that ever crossed her mind.

He transforms, she gets upset, and he's all 'okay show me your dreams'. Then Luna is like 'aw shit' and runs off, Naru gets chained to a board, and her heart dream mirror thing comes out.

Meanwhile, Chibi-usa and Usagi talk about milkshakes Umino, when Luna busts in, says 'things occurring!' and the run off to save the day. Time to transform!

Yeah, you knew we weren't done with the stock footage yet. The staggering amounts in this show is bordering on egregious amounts by this point.

Anyways, Tigers Eye roots around in Naru's dreams, and finds out that Pegasus isn't hiding in there. Then he gets mad because her dreams are actually pretty awesome.

I dunno that seems like a pretty subjective thing when you think about it.

But Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon are around now, and they're ready to do that thing for love and justice so on and so forth. They will punish you and all that good stuff.

Time to summon the Remless and get this party started!

*sigh* At least it fits the circus theme.

Our heroines clap as she appears because jugglers I guess. Then she makes the heroes juggle, and it turns out she's a pretty dangerous juggler with molotov cocktails and stuff, and Chibi Moon remembers, oh yeah,  should call up Pegasus, so she does that and rings the bell she got last episode. Which summons not just a Pegasus, but also a legitimate laugh from me.

Okay. This? This is pretty goddamn funny.

Yeah. That's the enemy clapping at the appearance of something else, while the other two sneak away. That shit is hilarious.

So the Moons hide behind Naru, and prepare to free her but then the trap is set, and they find themselves in a cage. Also, oh no, dat Pegasus bro. He comes in to help the girls, and stumbles right into the cage. The portal thingy is activated, and passes right through because, y'know, no physical form, zero f***s given. He flies right off again, and Tigers Eye now has no idea what the hell to do.

So... did they seriously not have an actual plan for capturing Pegasus? Does... does Zirconia not understand the nature of this creature? I'm suddenly confused because it seemed a lot like they had an actual plan and now they're just kind of going 'well f**k.'

Tigers Eye breaks teh cage, and tells his monster to deal with the girls, so now she gets with the knife juggling. Or would, but then she gets a nice little rose bouquet in her head, and likes it.

Y'know, I for one approve of this over the top goofiness. There
is no way that I should, but I can't help it. It fits really well.

Also, yay Tuxedo Mask blah blah words nobody cares.

Dude is straight up losing his SHIT.

Also Sailor Moon do that thing so we can end the episode. Cue stock footage for final attack. KALEIDESCOOOOOOOPES.

Sorry monster who got about thirty seconds of screen time, you were upstaged by all of the stock footage this episode. Tigers Eye leaves, Naru wakes up and sees Pegasus fly off, and Tuxedo Mask is like 'the hell is even going on'.

Now Naru just forgets that she was just saved by Sailor Moon (after all it happens all the damn time), and visits a now-sick Umino in bed because bro had a dozen too many milkshakes.

And of course to help him get better, she brought him his favorite milkshake.

*sigh*

End episode.

So, where are we at? On the one hand, I'm glad they're starting to innovate, but I can't help but get the feeling that our enemies this time around have less direction than usual, which is not a good sign. It looks as though they're starting to slide into a pattern, and that is not promising. Not to mention about a quarter of any given episode is filled with stock footage, which does not bode well because so far the art seems worse than in previous seasons.

On the other hand, there does seem to be a little more animation here and there, but it's hardly enough to justify the hastily constructed mess they've put together.

I'd say right now, the show is treading water, but given how strong its opening was, that is not a good thing to say about a show by episode four.