This biweek’s episode was not at all what I thought it would be.  It moved wicked fast and skipped over some things that could have had better elaboration.  It’s not like there wasn’t enough time to cover all of the chapter’s content… I think most of my complaints have to do with direction this time.

I want to point out that with this episode, the Crunchy stream has fixed commerical points.  Now, instead of interrupting random scenes, it properly breaks after the opening song, at the eyecatch, and before the ending credits.  AND, it gets the next episode preview!

Unfortunately, the sub translation is sketchier than ever, almost delving into being nonsensical and impossible to follow if you didn’t already know the story.

It seems the subber, whoever that person may be, took some advice to heart regarding stiff language.  And while changing “going to” to “gonna” makes sense most of the time, I don’t think applying it to Queen Beryl chastising Jadeite is the right time.

I am just bashing my head on my keyboard over them still using “Evil” for “Youma.”  The wrongness of this decision is easily visible here.

The suddenness of this Umino closeup was absolutely perfect.  It’s a shame that the director can’t be this clever all the time.

Luna proves to be the most consistently weirdly-animated thing in the series.  Basically, the more they can avoid animating her full body in movement, the better.  Also, holy shit, why is she hanging around Usagi and talking AT SCHOOL?

Usagi receives the communicator watches while playing the Sailor V game, and they’re glossed over really badly.  They were probably explained offscreen, too.

The bus scene between Usagi and Mamoru was the scene I was looking forward to the most.  I’m not sure I like the decision to have Mamoru in a blazer instead of his more casual attire in the manga.  Also, the part where they remind each other of Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon was skipped, which breaks my heart.  I was expecting it to go that route because of how much time it took, but nope.

The fact that Tuxedo Mask seeing Usagi transform was kept in makes me further question why he couldn’t have recognized her as Sailor Moon back at the bus scene.

THAT WAS KIND OF THE POINT OF THE BUS SCENE.  Well, that and Usagi learning Mamoru’s name, but still…

One thing I liked was the Moon/Mercury joint henshin.  It was well done, especially since it skipped all the awkward parts of Moon’s CG henshin.

I rather enjoyed Sailor Mars’ henshin sequence, especially since she seems to get her own music.  But her pose was just awful.

Much like the manga, Mars tanks and utterly wrecks Jadeite, but his ultimate fate is left up in the air.  I’m not sure how to feel about this.

I honestly don’t know what happened to Jadeite here.  He could have died, but I heard what can only be a “teleportation” sound effect just before he disappeared.  I chalk it up to bad animation direction.

Shortly after the de-transformed celebration scene, the location shifts into what may or may not be an unintentionally hilarious scene.

I’m sorry, but Jadeite potentially dying, and shifting scenes to a plane?  It’s freaking hilarious.

I was wondering how the next episode teaser would end up going since I knew the next episode wasn’t a senshi reveal but the masquerade ball.  I have to say… I’m incredibly disappointed.  I would have saved the Tuxedo Mask witnessing Usagi’s transformation reveal for the very end, closing the episode out with him watching Usagi from afar and saying something like “I saw her transform.  Just who is that girl?”

Weird pace all around.  And it seems from the next episode sequence that Jadeite could be alive.

In the manga, Nephrite shows up at the ball using his shadow-type Youma, which is different from Jadeite’s clay Youma.  Now, we could have Jadeite have another go at the Senshi at the ball, or Nephrite could take over while Jadeite is sidelined, which in and of itself would be an awesome deviation.  If we are getting 26 episodes of pure Dark Kingdom arc, leaving the Four Kings alive longer could open up whole worlds of possibilities.  Although, the preview used some scenes from the last two episodes, so this could very well be a fake-out.

Actually, upon rewatch, I’m not sure if there’s a single second of new footage in the next episode preview.  Did they even START animating it?