[DreamSword]

Act 17

This time, we get two one-on-one connections!

As Lita tries to help Serena with the latter's' feelings towards Darien, Raye runs into Mina, with Mina's' identity as Sailor Venus exposed.

The two plots get an equal amount of screen time, which is just great to see right off the bat, but I was also equally invested in both. Even with the idea that the Serena story is "done" here while Mina's' continues into next episode.

And keep in mind, I'm not typically one for romantic melodrama, but I've really grown to like these versions of Serena, Lita, and Darien as characters, so seeing Serena finally come to terms with her feelings, even if not in the most ideal of circumstances, was a journey I was into.

Meanwhile, it's funny how despite arguably being the most anti-social of the group, Raye has had the most heart to hearts with the other characters, and now she's paired up with Mina, who's arguably even more distant than Raye is. It makes for an interesting scenario where now Raye has to be the "softer" one of the two, thus showing how far she's come as a character.

Given the subject matter of some of these episodes, and especially with the increased focus on romance, I'm thinking that fans of Kamen Rider Kiva might also like this show? Just a little bit? Some of the monster aesthetics have certainly been in that same wheelhouse, that's for sure.