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Its time for another awesome anime review from my favorite anime series everrrrrr. 2 years ago, I reviewed a SuperS special, Chibiusa's Picture Diary, which had VAMPIRES!! The Summer, The Beach, Youth, and Ghosts! is a pretty great episode. Its an early episode, numbered 20 in the original Japanese airing, where the girls haven't yet met Makoto/Sailor Jupiter. This time, we have ghosts, a haunted mansion, and psychics! Its a rare fluff episode without your usual Monster-of-the-Day, and is even bereft of hottie Tuxedo Mask (though he makes a cameo). The joy of the older anime was the pace, having to match Takeuchi's in the manga, slowing for tons of anime-only fluff and character development that was absent in the manga. That's not to dissuade you from Sailor Moon Crystal, which is freaking AMAZING, but its to give you a flavor of anime long since past.
Let's take a close look at our opening scenes of this episode. Usagi, Ami, Rei, and Luna are on school break to the beach. Ostensibly, for training, as Luna insists, but Usagi quiets her in a way that'd make you wanna call Betty White and animal control. This is an anime, people! Its summer! YOU GO TO THE BEACH TO OGGLE, SON. Its a celebrated trope and the girls are gonna indulge.
Going back a little, you have to admire the scene setting here in the anime. Hulu's been uploading the anime little by little every week in preparation of the re-releases, all on Blu Ray, and cleaned up beautifully. As this episode was skipped in the initial english dub, the only way you could have seen this episode was through fan subs, which show their age considerably, even when you get bootlegs of the original DVDs from Taiwan or China.
This is not to disparage the boots; they're taking from originals in Japan, which have been out of print for years. These re-released ones have been meticulously cleaned so the colors are even more vibrant than you'll remember when Usagi was Serena and she had meatballs, not odango. Its these scenes that are so nostalgic of anime of the time, that golden age in the 90s. Vibrant color, showcasing beautiful locales, and in the case of SM, locales that the Japanese would recognize, and sadly may no longer be around. The flowers in the foreground of the train station with that soft focus. The incidental music that's an instrumental version of "Do You Want to Know a Secret". Serious. These are the moments I remember the anime fondly before magical girls were swimming in seas of blood and sacrificing themselves in the name of a writer who hates happiness and life.
You guys know who I mean.
Back to the story. Usagi presses Rei on the pension (what one calls a sort of B&B in Japan or small resort), to which she replies by looking at a written explanation of a private beach, among other perks. Usagi immediately populates her imagination with this beach with tons of hot guys in banana warmers. A fantasy complete with Motoki serving her a drink.
Go Usagi, Go.
Gotta love the cute Italian sunglasses.
Here's our only glimpse of Tuxedo Mask in this episode, doing Tuxedo Mask things like windsurfing. Cuz he can and he's the future king of freaking EARTH for cryin' out loud.
Usagi, being Usagi, forgets herself during her romantic fantasies as the locals look on in confusion. Her friends obviously have more important things, like actually FINDING the pension.
Wanna point out, her knocked over suitcase there? That's where Luna is. Poor Luna, she gets so abused.
Here's a slice of beautiful. The colors of that sunset are just perfect, and look even more striking with the clean up. The folks outdid themselves here. Anyhow, the girls are lost, and Usagi and Rei immediately begin to argue about it, per usual. What people misunderstand (especially the original dubbers) is that unique relationship Rei and Usagi have. That bickering friendship isn't because they hate each other, its because they feel so comfortable that they can sling insults at each other and not (truly) hurt each other. That's a notable change from the manga, and from the current Crystal; Rei and Usagi don't have that relationship as they did in the anime here. One of the different flavors between continuities (note, for those who watched the live-action, that Rei and Minako have that relationship instead, as they did in the manga).
As the girls bicker and Ami tries her best to stay Switzerland, the clouds and thunder roll in like a Garth Brooks song, and this is where we learn Usagi is terrified of thunder (much like her future daughter). This is also the beginning of a long series of hilarious freak outs that go throughout this episode. Also a side note: with the Blu Ray releases, they've re-recorded a new dub track, to which I also watched while prepping for this episode. While I felt there was a few weaknesses (mostly in Rei's voice actress, whom feels more flat than aloof, and doesn't have the youthful tone a girl of 14 really ought to have), Usagi's dub actress nails it each and every time. This wasn't a bad episode for sampling the dub. Usagi does a LOT of screaming and her dub actress brings it each and every time. She might as well be Kotono Mitsuishi's American double. So long story short: watch it for her.
In the midst of the thunder and lightning, Usagi finds a little girl in the forest collecting flowers. And by find, I mean she freaks the fuck out in the lightning flashes.
But this little girl isn't a vampire (though you'd be forgiven for thinking that right at first). Her name is Sakiko (we'll learn that in a bit), and she's our star of our episode.
The colors here are this beautiful tinged purple, whereas most fan subs I've seen are a muddy blue. This really brings out the charm of hand-painted cels (remember those, people?).
Sakiko leads the girls as the sky opens up and starts pouring down rain. She leads them to this friendly looking abode:
Usagi has the right reaction: CREEPSVILLE. And if you don't think this is their destination from the start, you're not paying hard enough attention.
Pension Adams! According to Rei, this is the pension she booked.
I think its safe to infer the in-joke here is the reference to the Addams family, which will be much clearer in just a minute or 2.
This place has all the comforts of home (if you're Count Chocula):
Requisite creepy gargoyle knocker….
And "the Addams Family~!"
An appropriate response.
Rei's "don't give a fuck" eyes are the result of perfect screen capping.
The ghouls are actually the staff of the pension, and welcome Sakiko home warmly, to which they inquire the ladies on their reservations. The kindly welcome (the staff are hilariously chill, though they don't remain so for the remainder of the ep) is shattered by Sakiko's father, whom could be Lon Chaney's and Bela Lugosi's love child made cel-real. If he looks sinister, its because he is. He orders Sakiko to her room, and the girls settle in. Usagi doesn't do so as easily, and while Luna scolds her for making a scene, the above cap and Usagi's memory will show you Luna was just as guilty. A knock on the door gets Usagi to open her room to:
MOTHER OF PEARL, JESUS AND HOLY SHIT.
Just kidding, its the head of staff (and the rest of her body) fixing a lightbulb.
Rei and Ami, whom came running to Usagi's screams, immediately scold her, though Rei starts to chase her around the room in comic violence. Ami immediately abdicates herself to avoid taking sides.
All of this seems to provoke Sakiko's father (whom I'm going to dub Shemp Lugosi for the hell of it) as she and he watch the girls from another room.
Dinner time is of the same ilk. The staff seem to just set Usagi off into screaming mee-mees every 5 seconds, to the amusement of pretty much no one but the viewer. Though to be honest, they're all drawn so adorably comical that its hard to sympathize. Then again, you never see the staff without the costumes so you have to wonder….
Usagi questions Rei on her taste. This is her reply:
Rei in the anime didn't seem to have the high class connections her manga, reboot anime, or live-action counterpart has, which is to say FILTHY FUCKING RICH (Daddy's a politician, but paid no attention to family, and thus her mother passed and she estranged herself to her grandfather's shrine in disgust). Keep in mind, later in the series, Rei finds herself in awe of Yuichirou's winter house, as its obvious that ragged drifter staying at her shrine is actually a well off rich boy.
I guess what i'm trying to say is: Rei is a ridiculous cheapskate. In the anime.
But Ami is more conciliatory. She likes the costumes and the food, and the staff agree, since its their selling points of the pension (a fact Rei seemed to keep to herself unless she was also unaware).
The dinner is soon interrupted by the sounds of a woman weeping, and the source isn't the owner (which the pale ghost woman insists is her and not Sakiko and Shemp as you would expect). Out in the hallway/foyer is the image of a ghostly woman, that disappears upon discovery.
As one can see, the staff themselves are not as calm and collected as Ami and Rei, and insist that they saw "NOSSING!"
Ami and Rei have other ideas, as well as Usagi, though she's content on agreeing with the staff. Hmmm….
Meanwhile, there's something sinister going on with Sakiko….
THE NEXT DAY!
The girls partake in that advertised private beach. That small, white sanded, private beach.
So private in fact, they're the only ones there. Hey, its not false advertising!
Usagi is less than pleased.
And displays that by shouting at the ocean.
Let it all out, hon.
And who says optimism isn't rewarding?
But before we go onto the best scene of the anime, here's a tiny collection of the girls in swimsuits. Note the one Usagi is wearing is the same one from earlier in the anime that has ribbons tied in the holes moths had eaten into. Cheap or just getting the most milage out of your clothing?
Only Ami-chan would bring study materials on vacation.
Usagi puts the kabbosh on that habit.
And they decide to play a game. This is by far one of my favorite scenes of the anime. Its played with a beach ball….
And the object of the game seems to be pretty simple:
Peg Usagi in the head as much as possible.
To which the girls reply in kind:
Sakiko watches the action from up a cliff, sadly. Its not a stretch to say that the poor girl is lonely, and with ol' Shemp calling the shots, its not as if she has too many friends to play with, let alone even remotely close in her age range.
Night falls. The werewolf man laments the coming night. Perhaps the previous night wasn't just a freak one off.
Yes, he's on the roof, howling at the moon, and yes, he is actually answered by other dogs/wolfs howling too. Its a throw-away scene that makes you question how much of the staff is costume and how much isn't.
Usagi takes a bath. And makes Luna sit outside to make sure she's there. She's quite annoyed with her watchdog status, given the fact she's a talking CAT. But then again, even a cat is better than being by yourself in some weirdo mansion that might be haunted.
DAMN RIGHT, you tell her, girlfriend.
Rei takes a pro-active approach, by using ofuda to try to mitigate the paranormal activity. If only Micah and Dan from Paranormal Activity were so prepared.
She then overhears the staff going on about something they must do, but not let the girls know. Hmmmmmm……
Ami meanwhile finds Sakiko staring forlornly into the distance.
One would hope she hasn't been there since the girls were on the beach, then left and subsequently took their showers and maybe had dinner….
Ami sympathizes with the little girl. Because of her constant need to study, Ami was always isolated by others (a fact brought up many times during the anime, manga, even movies and the reboot). She can understand being lonely, and wants to be her friend.
The best cure for loneliness, according to Ami-chan, is to be friends with Usagi, who makes everyone happy. I would also argue laugh too, but that's in a different way.
Things seem to be going swimmingly until….
Papa Lugosi comes to spoil the party by scolding her for talking to strangers and drags her back in the house.
He also makes some not-so-thinly-veiled threats that the girls might be in danger by staying in the pension.
Get ready, a plot point's gonna spill right all over us. Apparently Sakiko is a very strong psychic, and Shemp's been helping her try to control it by hypnotizing her. His reasoning is that if she can, he can prove to the world his theories of psychics isn't a myth but real, and in true mad scientist fashion (albeit tinged with the subtle flavoring of supernatural) get back at everyone who laughed at him.
Its no coincidence that Sakiko being hypnotized coincides with the appearance of that ghost or other weird phenomenon.
Should have called this episode "Daddy Dearest".
Ami matches in horror from what I presume to be a crack in the door. Cuz I guess Shemp doesn't lock or indeed CLOSE THE DOOR behind him for any business. Heaven forbid anyone passes a bathroom.
SAVE HER, AMI!
As Ami and Rei do their thang, it leaves Usagi all by her lonesome, and she reacts pretty much like I would in the same situation: bawling like a baby, clutching a security pillow. God only knows where the heck Luna nipped off to.
Wandering about, our hapless heroine happens unto a weird sight:
Some of the staff prostrating and genuflecting before some sorta hananingyou candle shrine hybrid and muttering in gibberish.
The dub goes for a nonsensical rhyme, while the original was more like the chanting of buddhist monks, and both are quite entertaining.
The Yuurei-esque woman catches Usagi, and what follows is a hilarious screaming match as everyone comes running in to the scene.
First Usagi, to the terror of Frankie and Wolfie:
Then Rei, to the horror of everyone else:
HOLY SHITBALLS!!!
Then shit starts to get real. Rei's ofuda rips, and the dining room chairs start levitating crazily.
Much to everyone's panic. Its been established this isn't the work of a youma (the antagonist monsters of the first season), but it is something powerful, according to Rei.
And Ami finds out the hard way. As she bursts in to break up the hypnotism, Sakiko's power manifests.
Its that crying ghost woman, but things are, of course, as they seem to be. Sure, it looks like the same spirit as before, but its definitely not. When Papa Lugosi is crowing about his achievement and how this will vindicate his life's work, the spirit predictably doesn't do as told.
It in fact starts going after him, and it isn't happy. Not that one could blame it, what with that mad with power thing he's got going on. Obviously, this is the first time this has happened, as Shemp looks bewildered and attempts to flee the house via the broken windows from the chairs and Sakiko's sheer power.
HENSHIN TIME, USAGI! NO TIME FOR TEARS!
COMBO TSUKI NI KAWATTE….
OSHOUKYO!!!
Well…I guess I'd be too against a scary ghost.
Mercury opts for the direct approach of trying to wake Sakiko….
While Sailor Moon goes for the jugular and flings her tiara for an early battle Moon Tiara Action.
Tron, I hope you're taking notes.
Predictably, it does nothing against a non-coporeal being, slicing right through its ectoplasm harmlessly, that heals up like so many Terminators with so much liquid metal.
Equally predictably, Moon freaks out, though I don't see Mars doing a lick of anything, and she's the shrine maiden of the group.
As the ghost knocks them over with PSYCHIC!, Mercury wakes Sakiko up as she mutters about how she can't take anymore.
UNpredictably, however, the ghost doesn't vanish as it should upon her waking as Sakiko says. The girls theorize that Sakiko's desire to disobey her father manifested the ghost into something uncontrollable, as evidenced by her silent tears during hypnosis. Now, the poor girl can't control it as it rampages around the area, attacking indiscriminately.
Papa Lugosi has his change of heart in light of this. Admitting he knew she wanted to live as a normal girl, he regrets pushing her to vindicate his life's work, over thinking of his daughter's feelings, and the two reconcile.
As the ghost goes for the fatal strike, Sakiko decides its time to step up.
And with her newfound love for her father and confidence, she banishes the shinentai with all of her psychic power.
With a happy end, the girls tie up some loose ends: the staff wasn't trying to evoke Satan, they were trying to rid the place of the spookiness with weird rituals (dub) or were simply scared of it and needed some spiritual support (original).
Luna appears here, so I guess that's where she went earlier.
THE NEXT DAY!
The girls teach Sakiko how to play their favorite game.
Gotta love recycled footage.
Sakiko approves.
The staff make sure that Shemp doesn't have anymore plans for weirdo ghosts, since they explain they hate scary things (appearance notwithstanding), and he tells them that they don't have to worry about supernatural things like that anymore.
Ending with a happy, smiling Sakiko. All's right in the world.
Looking to enjoy it for yourself? Hulu has it if you got a subscription. Just search for Episode 20, and they have both subbed and dubbed.
In the name of the moon, you better watch!
--Dio (10/8/14)
Anime property of Toei, original work by Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha, screen capped by me off Hulu.
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