After becoming the heroine known as Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino is tasked with finding allies to help her in her quest to protect a mysterious Princess. In "Act 2: Ami -SAILOR MERCURY-," the shy genius Ami Mizuno is introduced and subsequently becomes the water-wielding Sailor Mercury.
As a character, Ami Mizuno is remarkably multi-faceted from the get-go. Her intelligence has alienated her from her classmates and her loneliness is painfully obvious. When Usagi introduces herself to this enigmatic genius, the audience witnesses a shift in Ami's characterization and priorities. What is more interesting, however, is the contrast between the two. Where Ami is focused and precise, Usagi is scatterbrained and impulsive. This leaves room for some pretty funny moments, including one scene where Usagi shakes an arcade machine in an attempt to earn a prize from it. The friendship that blossoms within the span of this 20 minute episode is great and only serves to emphasize Usagi's remarkable ability to befriend anyone and everything.
With Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal staying faithful to the manga, the series has gotten off to a great start and sets a pace that isn't as meandering as its predecessor. In the original anime, it took several episodes before Sailor Mercury was introduced and the villains' goal was to harvest energy. Thankfully, Crystal debuts Sailor Mercury in its second episode and varies the tactics of its villains as they search for the mysterious Silver Crystal. If the series continues on in this vein, there's no doubt that it will quickly pick up steam and become the best adaptation thus far of Naoko Takeuchi's groundbreaking manga series.
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