M&M DreamWorks: Sailor Moon Crystal Spotlight: Act 16 Recap!

Ami shines in Episode 16 of Sailor Moon Crystal. After a long time we can finally say that the creators finally are creative in a positive sense.

Here I was getting all ready for another immersion in mediocrity. Ever since the inglorious finish (and again thanks for that) of the Shitennou arc, deviation from the manga was near to nonexistent. I had been calling it a 1.1:1 adaption last time. But then came Act 16. Totally out of the blue the creators finally show why they are actually paid for making an anime and not just animating a manga (which is a big difference).

Technical Performance

Well, THAT hasn't changed but I think we gave up on that like some ten episodes or so ago, so let's rather not dwell on it too long. Practically no strides have been made, Moon Princess Halation is still the worst attack animation in all of Sailor Moon history... if I need to explain why, then please don't talk to me. The opening is still as unchanged as before. There was enough said about this already, yet the fact that Sailor Moon still remains with her old Moon Stick TWICE in it, is just plain affronting. Enough about this, let's get to the good bits.

Character and Practical Performance

I simply cannot divide these two categories, honestly, so I'll merge them here. This is a character episode. And for once it feels like one. Where hardly anything considering character development happened with Rei, the team of Sailor Moon Crystal this time actually dared and changed almost a good third or so of the original manga chapter, plus some minor adjustments. Yet – and this is marking a small miracle – this time the changes actually work in this episode's favor.

The original manga chapter never had the chess match and all, along with all the little flashbacks and Ami's conflicting emotions since it went straight to the battle. Here, however, a serious effort was made to dive into Ami's loneliness issues. As a daughter of a doctor, a father who pretty much abandoned them in a sense and a long time without any real friends, Berthier digs right into these wounds and insecurities. But all it takes is one sacrilegious cheering (during a chess match!) from Usagi to remind her of what she has now and that not all her memories are bad. In a way, I was very much reminded of the old anime version of this confrontation and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Ami really shines here and the clear focus the episode takes on the actually starring character is a stark contrast to last episode.

Of course, nothing is ever without a drawback when it comes to Sailor Moon Crystal. Writing in content that did not exist in the original chapters means getting rid of other content that might not be so necessary. So far Sailor Moon Crystal has shown an outrageous aptitude with failing that hurdle almost every time it was attempted and it isn't entirely without its problems this time either. What is lost are mostly scenes with side characters, mainly Kotono and Asanuma, Motoki too. Originally the Senshi went around speaking to people about Rei's kidnapping. Motoki had a comment about the secret base, which honestly could have been fitted in I think since he seems to become as much a victim of cut scenes as other minor characters now. Oh well, for once I can live with the tradeoff. Neither Motoki nor Kotono really play any lasting role down the line and if we get a solid character episode this way, I won't complain about it. Within the confines of limited space, pressing two arcs into one two-coeur season is allowing, this is better than some alternatives.

The only thing that is a little problematic are the scenes with Mamoru and Asanuma. In these a little more insight is given on Mamoru's latent powers. These small hints are rare enough and carefully build up to revealing some of his own abilities a little further down the line. That these are missing here is concerning but perhaps, they will find their place in a later episode.

The rest of the episode was also nicely adapted. The tension between Usagi and Chibiusa is getting more pronounced. I've always liked how this arc was handling the situation. Chibiusa came to the past to find the invincible Sailor Moon and sees her losing her friends to the very enemy she came to seek help against. The same situation is after all also making Usagi emotionally short-tempered with the only foreign element she can project her helplessness at. The execution of the Black Moon Arc in the old anime is one of the main problems I can name when it comes to the Mamoru hate among certain factions of the Sailor Moon fan community. The manga handled this far better and so far, Sailor Moon Crystal has been able to carry over that aspect well enough.

One other thing though... I know this is also Takeuchi's fault but I continue to be amazed by poor Artemis' near constant absence from the screen. Luna has the scene with Mamoru and Chibiusa and even some before the opening... Artemis has one line or so off-screen and is shown just barely once from the back. I repeat myself. Just because the original neglected him, is no reason to just repeat these mistakes.

Conclusion

For once I was actually looking forward to typing this instead of seeing it more and more like a chore each time. Small miracles seem to still be possible within Sailor Moon Crystal as this episode marks a very rare occasion where a lot of the content was adjusted from the manga and actually managed to come out pleasing. While the tradeoff comes at the price of at least one important series of scenes and the reappearance of some minor characters, the excellent extension (or actually execution) of the chess match to delve into Ami's past and present psyche more than makes up for it. I think this is the first episode since the "Serenity" one that I actually really enjoyed again. Whereas Episode 15 did almost everything wrong when it came to its minor changes, this episode gambled big and it paid out well enough.

Is this a little too late? Most likely. Was it enjoyable? For once, yes. A solid: Yes.

Score: 4/5