[DreamSword]

Act 21

It's nice to see Lita and Amy get a one-on-one episode for once.

...Even if Amy isn't exactly in her right state of mind, and doesn't seem to have the same mental fortitude as Serena.

Sure, Lita might be the main character of this one, but it was a nice change of pace all the same, and having both Amy and Motoki play the primary supporting roles made for some nice character highlighting that we don't usually see.

And really, that's what makes the whole episode work? It's very smooth, straight-forward ride where the viewer spends alot of the time in Lita's' head, which in turn makes it very clear as to why she thinks as she does and determines what course of action she decides to take.

Sure, there's small sprinklings of Serena and Raye here and there, but it's only where really necessary, and as such this marks the first episode outside of arguably the one where she's being turned into a monster that Serena really doesn't have much to do with the screen time involved. It's all Lita and the love she has for her friends.

So yeah, I rather liked this one over the previous few, and the cliffhanger definitely has me intrigued as to where the "Dark Amy" Arc is headed.

[Androzani84]

So here we are, at the most well known part of the show, arguably. Even if it is basically the Black/Wicked Lady storyline from R.

You can also see from the Dark Power transformation that the effects team really upped their game compared to the early ones, which looked fairly plastic for 2003 CGI.

[Mesnick]

Oh, yes, Dark Ami is definitely a very memorable image! Moreover, it's executed very well and stylishly. While preserving the key features of her Sailor Senshi image, plus elements of Black Swan, taking into account the ballet vibe inherent to this show.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

So here we are, at the most well known part of the show, arguably. Even if it is basically the Black/Wicked Lady storyline from R.

Yeah, that was definitely the vibes I was getting when the entire thing went down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

Oh, yes, Dark Ami is definitely a very memorable image! Moreover, it's executed very well and stylishly. While preserving the key features of her Sailor Senshi image, plus elements of Black Swan, taking into account the ballet vibe inherent to this show.

Oh yeah, the design itself is a great one.

[DreamSword]

Act 22

Sometimes we need to be reminded of our priorities in life.

I really loved the general tone and atmosphere of this episode. There's a big feeling of both loneliness and horror that permeates every aspect of the story.

Because it's not just the stuff going on with Amy specifically, despite how simple it'd be to have that be the only center point of it all. Even the monster of the week, the schism between the Dark Generals, and that cliffhanger at the end all embody these general feelings, which makes this episode really stand out.

Arguably even more than that though, I really appreciated how this episode talked about how easy it is to take your friends for granted, and it's good to check yourself every now and again.

It's the sort of harsh life lesson that many in real life realize far too late, and given how well PGSM has handled friendship tropes and the showcasing of them in action, I was rather happy to see it tackle a general consequence faced by people who assume that something so precious is simply automatic. Friendships require effort; especially if you want them to last.

The "Dark Amy" arc could've easily ended with this episode, given the climax, and while I could see some viewers being disappointed in how it's still going, I'm instead of the camp of being very interested in how exactly things are going to play out from here. Because many scenes in this episode have promised many more layers being added to the story of the show as a whole, and how that all is going to balanced has me very intrigued.

[DreamSword]

Act 23

I hated this episode. In its entirety.

There, that's it. That's all there is to this review. Infact, I dare say you've wasted your time in reading this post.

...

...

...

What? Still here? You for some reason want further details? Why? I'm sure everyone who isn't me will love this episode just fine, given it's an excuse to exercise a set of tropes I personally can't stand.

Because you know what this episode is at the end of the day? One of the writers writing down "Let's make Raye an idol so we can sell CDs!" and nothing else beyond that. You cannot convince me that this episode serves any sort of significant meaning.

Now, given the end of this episode, some might make the claim that it's all some elaborate way of getting Raye to trust her allies, but uh, that entire arc has already been done. Serena? They bonded over their mothers. Lita? Bonded over their shared status as outcasts. And Raye and Amy have always gotten along and trusted each other's' judgment.

You could skip this entire episode and the only two things you'd miss are Sailor Mars getting a power up and Mina just being the most unpleasant person in the entire show. I absolutely hated how not only did they up Mina's' jerkish traits in order to make Raye do something she'd never do in character, but then turned around and tried to manipulate the audience by danging sick children infront of the screen. That doesn't make me sad, it infuriates me!

Oh, and Mina has cancer I guess. After this episode though? I honestly don't care. The show would be better off without her.

Absolutely trash character writing, coming from a writer of whom I typically feel writes characters very well. Complete, total, utter disappointment and an absolute waste of my time.

Fuck this episode. Skip it.