Great episode today, even if it was mostly backstory and Chibi-Usa developments.

No egregious animation errors to report, so that’s good.

We start out with Usagi being captured by Prince Demande.

Most of the episode gave us insight on the motivations of the Black Moon Clan (they’re fucking evil) and what happened on the day they sent the Malefic Black Crystal to Earth.  All of it was very well done, even if the episode was lacking in action overall.

In the manga, there was a very comic reaction to Chibi-Usa being 900 years old.  I guess the director of this episode learned from the mistakes of the past and chose not to go with the gag.  Considering how good the entirety of this episode was… good call.

The Inners finally wake up, just in time to fail.  The cave they woke up in is completely empty, which is a far cry from the massive pile of corpses in the manga.

Seriously, just a random dark cave?  Jeez, might as well trap them in the caves beneath Canterlot.

Pluto is adorable again with her unrequited love for Endymion.  Hey, at least she doesn’t turn into Beryl.

Apparently, Chibi-Usa doesn’t know what love is because she thinks Pluto doesn’t need her around.  She wanders around lost in Time-Space until Wiseman finds her.  Black Lady.  Soon.

Solid episode all around.  Maybe the animators can use this time to draw up some frames so the attack animation background doesn’t look so distractingly choppy.