Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 4

A masquerade party is being held in honour of the arrival of Princess D in Japan and she'll be revealing her country's most precious treasure. Suspecting that she might be the princess they've been assembled to protect, the Sailor Guardians go undercover to investigate Princess D's party. Little do they know, their enemies also had the same idea. "Act 4 Dance Party -Masquerade" is a glamorous and fast-paced episode that works as yet another direct adaptation of the manga.

With three of the Sailor Guardians introduced, the dynamic of the show is slowly changing. The interactions between the characters are memorable and the differences between them are quite fascinating. Rei and Ami are taking to their roles quite well, with the former taking lead despite her annoyance at having to fight demons. Usagi is, as always, drawing the laughs. Her short attention span and lack of interest in her duties as a Sailor Guardian contrast beautifully against her new friends. One of the biggest flaws to the original series was how long it took to introduce these characters, so it's great that we're getting to see them interact early on.

Sailor Moon Crystal has been remarkably faithful to its source text thus far. This episode follows the plot line of the fourth act of the manga very closely and does so quite successfully. That said, we're starting to see a divergence in the narrative. In the manga, the villains are picked off at a rapid pace and act independently. The Shitennou, also known as the Four Kings, make their full appearance in this episode and are instead being set up as the Anti-Sailor Guardians. Here they are presented as a cohesive unit and act as an opposing force to the Sailor Guardians. It's a brilliant turn of events and helps this series to succeed where other versions have not.

Sailor Moon Crystal continues to impress and is beginning to show that it has some surprises in store. For the most part, this episode was satisfying to watch and highlighted the dynamic between the characters quite nicely. The only nitpick I have is the kiss shared between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask at the end. While it's intended to be romantic, the kiss is non-consensual due to Sailor Moon being asleep at the time. Thankfully, Luna shows up and tells Tuxedo Mask to get his grubby paws off of her. For long-time fans of Sailor Moon, this episode will be familiar but has enough going for it that it won't feel like total deja vu. Not only that but fan favourite Makoto Kino (AKA Sailor Jupiter) makes a cameo at the end. Bring on the rain!