OSMSSR: Episode 129 - Super Transformations Again! Pegasus' Power

Goodbye to Kaito Kumon, Yoko Minato, Ryouma Sengoku, Lock Dealer Sid, and everyone else who died brutally in Kamen Rider Gaim. May you all rest in peace in tokusatsu heaven.

The episode begins with stock footage from Zirconia's circus, with everyone discussing how Tiger's Eye screwed up big time last episode, and that Zirconia is probably upset. In other words, stuff we knew already. As Zirconia calls upon the Amazon Trio again, she mentions that apparently the opportunity to capture Pegasus arises every several hundred years. It's never explained why, of course; we just have to accept that Pegasus doesn't feel like existing for several hundred years at a time.

The guys who created this written language probably had their hands broken that day.

At the circus bar, the Tiger's Eye is upset because of everyone making fun of him for his failure. Hawk's Eye claims he failed because he goes after his personal preferences, which makes no sense because Hawk's Eye and Fisheye aren't any better when it comes to not going after targets they find attractive. Anyway, this pointless and mostly boring banter comes to a close with a new target for Tiger's Eye. Specifically, it's Reika Nishimura, Motoki's girfriend.

This is all publicity, as their relationship is completely professional.

Meanwhile, the Inner Senshi are all at the site of where last episode's conflict took place, looking for clues about Pegasus (or rather, standing around, not moving a muscle except for their mouths). While doing so, Usagi once again asks Chibiusa if she knows anything, prompting yet another flashback to Pegasus telling her to keep their meeting a secret. This is getting more tiring than my jokes. Suddenly, Chibiusa hears a neighing sound, and follows it. Turns out that it is Reika attempting to jump a bar on her horse. It ends like so.

The dangers of not giving your horse its morning sugar.

After the rider's full face is revealed and it turns out to be Reika, the Inner Senshi decide to ditch their search for Pegasus and immediately decide to see what's up with her. In other words, casting aside the plot of the season for one-off character shenanigans! These writers clearly know their priorities. Anyway, the issue here is that Reika's research has been accepted, and she will go to study in Europe. However, she will not able to return to Japan for 10 years. She told Motoki a while ago, and since then he has refused to see her. Upon hearing this, Usagi and Minako have an Over-the-Top-Anime-Reaction (OtTAR for short) and say they will go to confirm with Motoki. Another thing about Super S is that the animators really went all out with the OtTARs. And it's pretty annoying.

Even Artemis is sick of all these romantic subplots.

Usagi and Minako's talk with Motoki goes about as well as you'd expect a talk that mostly happened off-screen to go, that is, with nothing having been accomplished, and another OtTAR from Usagi and Minako, this time involving cartoon cat abuse. Ami actually suggests to continue looking for clues about the new enemy, but everyone brushes that aside in order to butt in to what really is Reika and Motoki's own business. And Pegasus isn't even mentioned again for the rest of the scene. Again, priorities, people! Although considering the Amazon Trio still has yet to make their move, maybe they have reason to be lax about them.

The statue of the legendary horse who saw a pinecone on the ground.

Unazuki shows up again serving drinks and mentioning how stubborn Motoki is. Usagi agrees, saying that no one can bear to be separated from the one they love. Taking a hint, Unazuki asks if something happened between Usagi and Mamoru. It turns out Usagi hasn't known of Mamoru's whereabouts for a day, and called all of her friends to whine about it all the previous night. A delightful scene, but a pretty pointless one.

Meanwhile, no fucks were given by Chibiusa.

Meanwhile, Chibiusa and Reika are off feeding Reika's horse in one of the better scenes in this episode. Basically, Reika talks about how awesome animals are and how they can see and soothe your worries. Coming from someone going through a romantic crisis, that's pretty genuine and heartfelt. When Chibiusa asks Reika about a horse with wings and a horn, Reika says that those come from the world of dreams. I've always loved adult characters who play along with children's fantasies (even though Pegasus is very real, Reika doesn't know that). It's so nice to see such thoughts be encouraged and fostered at the only age when such reveries arise. And as an added bonus, Reika is 100% right about where Pegasus is residing, and I'm pretty sure she's bullshiting for Chibiusa's sake. As the talk turns to the subject of dreams (like everything in this season), Reika questions whether her own dreams are beautiful if they distance her from the one she loves. That's a good question, one that it isn't easy to find the answer to. Wow, I don't remember liking this scene this much, but everything here works.

Its comments like these that make the horse wish it could get plastic surgery.

That night, as Usagi is planning to talk to Motoki again with Minako, Chibiusa has a discussion with Luna about long-distance relationships, and whether feelings of love can really transcend things like proximity. Chibiusa will have a lot of these "philosophical" discussions in Super S, and they will also get real old real fast. A funny scene happens afterward in which Usagi receives a call from Mamoru, who tells her that he called her many times to tell her that he was at a university seminar, but her line was always too busy from long phone calls about how Mamoru never called her. Ha!

Oops, indeed; the writers forgot where the mouth goes on a human face.

Mamoru asks if Usagi has talked to everyone about the new enemy, a question which Usagi clumsily dodges as usual, just as the writers clumsily dodge the fact that they keep reminding themselves of the fatal flaw of this episode. Meanwhile, Chibiusa ultimately decides that because she still loves her parents despite being in completely different time period from them, there would be no hope for any relationship if people can't accept occasional time apart. Technically, Chibiusa still interacts with her parents on a regular basis despite the time travel thing, but I'll let that slide. Commercial break time!

Did we go back in time to the Season 1 episode openings? Awesome!

After the commercials are over, Reika is once again practicing with her horse, when FINALLY Tiger's Eye makes his move, Did he really need all that time to gel his hair or whatever? Chibiusa is taking her usual plot convenience walk, when she sees Tiger's Eye and Reika walking together, causing her to believe that maybe proximity is an advantage to a relationship. Chibiusa, when you grow up you'll find that size is the only thing that makes a difference.

If you don't have a boner right now, I really envy you.

As Reika is talking about how she can't concentrate on practicing to Tiger's Eye, he claims to be able to tell by Reika's eyes that something is worrying her. After which he follows in his mind with, "Girls are suckers for guys who are sensitive to their problems!" Um... is that really supposed to be master advice for picking up women? I'm pretty sure that's just common sense. Either way, Reika spills out her secrets, and Tiger's Eye's advances become creepy, leading to the inevitable conclusion in which Reika is captured so that Tiger's Eye can see her dream.

He's got eyes that kill. Literally.

Chibiusa has been watching this whole time, and decides that now would be a good time to transform. After the typical "in the name of the moon" speech, Tiger's Eye summons another Lemure, Kyokumadanko. She wears a bra as a top. Just pointing that out. She also uses a whip, and still-images attacks the fuck out of Chibiusa. As sounds of Chibiusa getting her head smashed in and her heart cut out and her liver removed and her bowels unplugged play in the background, Tiger's Eye looks into Reika's dream mirror, and sees Pegasus is not in there, either. Curses, foiled again by dramatic irony!

That's nice, but could love and justice maybe get a better satellite signal?

Sailor Moon finally makes her entrance, and makes another "in the name of the moon" speech, that concludes with all the other Inner Senshi showing up while she is speechifying. It's good to see the other Inner Senshi's first in-suit appearance of the season treated with this much dignity and respect. Kyokumadanko continues to still-image attack the Sailor Senshi, and when Mars uses her Burning Mandala attack on her, she just reflects it back for more still imagery of the Senshi dodging. I suddenly really pine for the fight scenes in Pretty Cure.

So you''ll come in 2 to 3 business days?

Next, Danko (Tiger's moniker, not mine) uses her whip to make the Senshi dance. You know, by striking at their feet. I would say that it's better than it sounds, but it's not. It's as stupid and desperate as you think it is. Most of the "action" in this season is forced slapstick, and once again it gets old fast. Once again, Chibi Moon calls upon Pegasus, and he returns to give Sailor Moon the same deus ex powers from last episode (hence this episode's title).

And you complained that they made you dance "Ring Around the Rosie" in kindergarten!

So Danko is defeated, and Tiger's Eye retreats again, and Reika is safe. And the other Senshi actually get to see Pegasus for the first time. Exactly why the writers waited until the second episode to get the others to witness the Pegasus, I'll never know, because it's not like delaying the reveal for the rest of the Sailor Senshi changed anything. And it's not like re-introducing the other Sailor Senshi only to have them be pretty much completely useless (like Tuxedo Kamen useless) is going to piss off your viewers.

Urge to make a Nicolas Sparks joke is giving me a heart attack!

So Usagi and Minako confront Motoki again at the fruit parlor, and Mamoru makes him state the reason why he won't see Reika again. He confesses the typical "I don't want her to settle for a loser like me" speech, which goes over well when it turns out Reika was listening. And so everything in this romantic subplot is miraculously resolved, the horse can finally jump over the bars, Reika goes to Europe, and I'm done with another recap.

This episode is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, as a filler episode, it works fine. This is Reika's first appearance since Season 1, and this is a nice return for her, re-introducing her as a kind, strong-willed and loving woman, and her subplot with Motoki is as charming as it has always been. This episode tackles the classic work vs. relationships dilemma well, bringing up how such questions can affect a relationship in the long run. 

But the problem is that in the end, this episode was "just" a filler episode, when it should have been more. It's called "Super Transformations Again! Pegasus' Power", so I'd expect to find out some more things about Pegasus. There were several scenes in which the plot of the season is referenced, but then promptly ignored in favor of Reika's subplot. Characters like Ami and Mamoru even point out that they should be searching for information about the new enemy and Pegasus, but these pointers never lead anywhere. The writers were clearly aware that they needed to advance the plot, but they didn't. This episode would have worked better without all the references to Pegasus. The fact that the first appearances of the other Inner Senshi this season are treated more like a joke than anything else hurts this episode a lot as well.

There's quite a bit to like about this episode, but unfortunately, it can't decide if it wants to be a filler episode or not, and when it decides it doesn't, it doesn't offer much that the last episode didn't, and feels more like remake than anything.

Next week: Episode 130 - Protect a Mother's Dream! The New Attack for Double Moon