Should you watch this, Wiki this or wait for the recap? Watch this.
As Wiseman, Black Lady, Prince Demando and Sapphire face off against the Sailors, Sailor Pluto recounts her first instructions as the Guardian of Time. Black Lady hypnotises Tuxedo Mask, and the Sailors can barely hold their own against the villains. Wiseman eventually reveals his true form, but a double cross from an unlikely source threatens all sides with utter annihilation!
“Attack –Black Lady–” is the twenty fourth episode of the first season of Sailor Moon Crystal. It’s Japanese anime and I watched it with English subtitles (I don’t speak Japanese, though I would like to at some point). This episode continues the second story arc and gives us Wiseman’s true appearance.
“Attack –Black Lady–” picks up significantly, jamming lots of plot twists, interesting exposition and fights into one small episode. In fact, some of the plot points for this episode could have been pushed into the previous episode, spreading out the tension better! In any case, Black Lady demonstrates her abilities here to us, and the Sailors are in deep, deep trouble…
Highlights
Wiseman’s true form
Finally, we see Wiseman showing his real self and confirming what we’ve been suspecting all this while! His arrival highlights the magnitude of the threat that the Sailors face, and how much more powerful he is than the previous arc’s BBEG, Queen Metalia. With Sailor Moon’s power diminished in the 30th Century, it increases his threat level and raises the question of just how Sailor Moon is going to defeat him.
Showdown between Black Moon Family and the Sailors
The Sailors get a sound thrashing from the Black Moon, again showing us how difficult the upcoming struggle will be. Even worse is the fact that two of their allies are now on the side of the Black Moon. The action here makes up for the relative quiet of the previous episode, and the fact that we get to see the forms of all the characters in play also serves to remind us that yes, this is the final battle.
Sailor Pluto’s backstory
First depicted as powerful, confident and mature, Sailor Pluto’s flashbacks not only serve as exposition into her taboos as the Guardian of Time (she’s broken one already!), but also gives us some insight into her original character. In a way, it humanises her by showing us her insecurities and worries, that she wasn’t always as infallible as she is now. And that makes her much more relatable to the audience.
Prince Demando’s treachery and madness
The twist at the end is certainly unexpected (unless you’ve read the manga), but given all that Prince Demando has had to go through, it does make sense. It’ll be interesting to see how the two sides unite to stop the insanity from unfolding, but then again, perhaps it’s all part of Wiseman’s plan. Nevertheless, it’s fun to see Prince Demando take the spotlight in his latest machination.
Letdown
Tuxedo Mask gets mind controlled… again
Boy does Tuxedo Mask get brainwashed quite a bit! It’s almost getting to be a bit of a cliche, that Sailor Moon has to rescue Tuxedo Mask from the BBEG who wants him all to herself. We could have done without this part. Tuxedo Mask could have used his Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber again, and all would have been cool.
“Attack –Black Lady–” is a great episode that delivers on both action and plot. With only two episodes left to go, will the Sailors be able to rescue Chibiusa and defeat the giant planet that is Wiseman? Only time will tell. And the Silver Crystal, of course.
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