Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 5

Rumours are swirling about Makoto Kino, the new girl at school. She apparently got kicked out of her last school and is said to have superhuman strength. Ignoring what everyone else has to say, Usagi makes friends with Makoto over lunch. 

Meanwhile, men are disappearing all over the city and some believe a ghost to be responsible.

As the fifth entry of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, "Act 5 Makoto -Sailor Jupiter-" continues the string of episodes that are faithfully adapted from its source text. The introduction of Sailor Jupiter and the disappearances of men serve as the A and B plot, just as they did in the manga. The idea of a mannequin coming to life and kidnapping grooms-to-be is chilling, which helps keep the darker tone to this series that much more consistent. Additionally, Sailor Jupiter makes quite an impression in her first appearance. As Makoto, she has an Amazonian presence and proves to be quite likeable. Interestingly, there are some hints that Ami and Rei may be envious of Usagi's budding friendship with the new girl. It remains to be seen whether this will get picked up later, but it could make for an interesting plot point.

One of the major strengths to Sailor Moon Crystal is its dedication to character and plot development. Usagi's character is so much more relatable and likeable than she was in any other medium. She's portrayed as someone who marches to the beat of her own drum and makes friends with just about anyone. The selfishness and childishness that plagued previous incarnations isn't as prominent. Furthermore, past adaptations drew out Makoto's fixation on her sempai to the point where it became a punchline. In this episode, what happened with her sempai is told through a flashback and this offers up a sense of closure instead of leaving the viewer hanging. Even still, we're left with some question marks with her background. Crystal references the notion that Makoto isn't familiar with the city (does that mean she just moved there?) and we're not told about her family situation (are her parents dead like in other incarnations?). Finally, this episode continues to hint at the fact that Queen Beryl's Generals have a past connection to the Sailor Guardians. It's a nice reference to the manga and helps to further weave them into the story beyond being generic henchmen.

If Sailor Jupiter was one of your favourite characters growing up, then this episode will be a perfect re-introduction to the character. She's a little more mature and has more depth than before, so it's hard not to like her even more. The villainous plot is also quite eerie and sounds like it came straight out of a horror film. All in all, Sailor Moon Crystal continues to impress.