Obligatory “He is alive” post.
Tag: Sam liveblogs crystal
I can’t decide on an interpretation for this moment.
On the one hand, Rei is completely new to the having friends thing. She has the children who come to the shrine, like Mii chan, who love her, but I don’t know if she’s ever had someone her own age play games with her and be so kind. So this could be Rei stepping back in her mind and having a moment of disbelief, a little moment where she questions how this is happening and if she should trust it. And then of course she can trust it, because Ami is probably the most sincere person in the world (perhaps tied with Usagi).
On the other hand, I really like the idea of Rei having a little crush on Ami right back. I definitely read manga Rei as ace, and am ready to see Crystal Rei that way too, but there’s wiggle room for me on if she’s aro as well, so I could definitely see her blooming admiration for Ami leaning towards a romantic crush.
But on a third hand (can I have three hands? Just for this?) I almost think this is a flash of Silver Milenium memories. With the game being tied to Senshi fighting and Ami/Mercury being their strategist anyway, I think Rei could have had a moment of recollection from when Mars and Mercury had a moment just like this one, perhaps early in their lives when they were training or fighting low-grade monsters.
Someone arrest these two for being too cute.
I really like that Ami gets to have this moment with Rei. Ami had her first arcade experience with Usagi, and it was monumental for her. But Rei had a different connection to Usagi, so Ami gets to introduce her to the arcade.
And (manga spoiler) since the Sailor V game is intended to be like a training demo for being a senshi, I think it’s so cool that Ami coaches Rei through it. Ami isn’t the most powerful fighter in the field, but she’s a great strategist and she can see what needs to be done, and this echoes that beautifully.
I love too that Rei accepts her help. It’s so easy when you’re doing badly in a game to scorn help and insist you can do it, but Rei has such respect for Ami that she listens. And they beat the monster together, and celebrate together. This is likely their first time together without Usagi (as the arcade is their meeting place for senshi talks, and I doubt they’d wait long after finding Mars to have a meeting), and they click so well.
LOOK AT REI BEING SO IMPRESSED WITH AMI.
A couple weeks ago Ami was all alone. Her academic success isolated her. Sometimes she saw a pretty girl on the bus and admired her from afar.
Now that girl is her friend, and so impressed by the very thing that used to separate Ami from other people. Rei thinks it’s so cool that Ami can do this.
Ami’s life has just turned around so quickly. I’m just so happy for her.
I’m sorry was there more to this episode than the five seconds of Makoto and the preview? I don’t seem to recall.
LOOK AT MAKO.
Her umbrella isn’t just an opening thing she actually has it and I love it so much.
“She’s really powerful” AW YES SHE IS.
Look at that last cap. That is the epitome of power and beauty and also the epitome of Mako. Do I spy some arm muscle definition?
THE STORM ARRIVES.
*SCREAMS A LOT*
MY GIRL
YOU ARE THE ARRIVING STORM
AND ALSO THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE
IT’S MASQUERADE TIME
Okay so I think this is important. In the manga, Mamoru catches her talking to Luna, but it plays out very differently. It’s more of a question (at least in the translations I’m familiar with), and there’s more doubt.
This, though, seems like he has ZERO doubts about what he heard.
I think he’s already starting to connect Usagi and Sailor Moon. Both have a black cat. Sailor Moon’s black cat talks. He just heard that black cat talk. Who is this girl and what is their connection and why isn’t she giving him answers?
ARE THEY GOING TO FIGURE OUT WHO EACH OTHER IS EARLY ON IN CRYSTAL? Because that’d be interesting.
DON’T DOUBT USAGI AND THE POWER OF RANDOM BUTTONS, LUNA.
(I find it interesting that it ends up being so blatant and yet doesn’t brainwash them. I think the magic must rely on the focus students put into studying, like because they believe that the disk is going to help them they’re vulnerable, while Usagi both has her guard up and isn’t focused at all. If Luna had made her try to earnestly answer the questions, I think it might have gone differently.)
SittingOverHereDreaming 