From: rick-samSPAMSPAMSPAM@shaw.ca   
      
   Phoenix  wrote in   
   news:u6evp2p34dkn12njf9sgkl0rnh7rfdhm5d@4ax.com:   
      
   > Act Zero - Sailor V's Birth!   
   >   
   > This episode was released on DVD after the TV series ended and gives   
   > us the origin story of Sailor V.   
   >   
   > The story opens on Christmas eve and Minako has skyrocketed up the   
   > music charts with her debut album "Imitation". Our first view of   
   > Minako is as she is looking out from her balcony singing the Christmas   
   > song "Silent Night" (in English!). In a scene reminiscence of when   
   > Luna fell onto Usagi in Act 1, Artemis falls out of the sky onto   
   > Minako's face in the same way.   
      
   You'd think the people of the Moon kingdom would know something about   
   parachutes.   
      
   > Until this episode, I had assumed that Artemis and Luna were actually   
   > real cats to the characters in the show and that we, the audience,   
   > only saw them as plushies as a theatrical device. However, Minako   
   > makes it clear here that Artemis appears as a walking, talking plushie   
   > to her as well.   
      
   In episode 1 when Usagi meets Luna, Luna doesn't move at all and Usagi   
   leaves Luna on the bridge as if she's a plushie that someone had lost.   
      
   > Minako transforms into Sailor V without undergoing her henshin   
   > sequence and goes on her first mission to stop a common robber. With   
   > some luck from an accidentally chopped down tree when throwing her   
   > crescent moon shuriken, Sailor V successfully makes her first capture.   
      
   Sailor V doesn't actually use any power in this ep besides that crescent   
   moon, so it's not clear is she has actually transformed via the cell phone   
   or not. I find it dissapointing that Artemis could use the phone to   
   transform Minako without her consent. In any case, it looks to me that   
   'Sailor V' is an intermediate mode that Minako can use until she can   
   remember her true identity and fully transform into Sailor Venus.   
      
   This show seems to take a lot of liberties as far as the 'rules' are   
   concerned. I find it confuses the story and detracts from the enjoyment of   
   it. I wish they had set some ground rules before they started.   
      
   > Most of the major characters get a role in this episode.   
      
   So Makoto is trying to find a way to live alone (emancipated minor?) I   
   wonder who she was talking to, it doesn't seem like her father. Where is   
   she living now? Do we have any background on this?   
      
   It seems that by the time we see her again, she's solved the problem.   
      
   > With a humorous touch, Motoki gets started on his turtle obsession...   
      
   Poor turtle. Nothing in that case but pebbles, how boring is that.   
      
   > We find out that Mamoru has already assumed his Tuxedo Mask role and   
   > he has discovered Sailor V's identity.   
      
   Yea, but he just got lucky, if it wasn't for Usagi startling Minako, he   
   wouldn't have connected the two.   
      
   > Usagi and her friends Naru, Momoko and   
   > Kanami cosplay as imaginary Sailor Senshi to protect Naru's mother's   
   > jewelry shop.   
      
   Yes, the shop with very high security where all the GOOD stuff is in an   
   easy to steal case with the key already attached to it.   
      
   > The episode ends with Minako recalling her memories as a senshi, Usagi   
   > wishing on a shooting star (Luna falling from the sky!) for wonderful   
   > things to happen and the other three senshi sensing that something   
   > special is about to happen.   
      
   Luna appeared because Artemis recognised Usagi as Sailor Moon and called   
   for her. So, why didn't Arty recognise her as the Princess? Why is Luna so   
   clueless about Minako, didn't Arty bother to mention that little detail to   
   her?   
      
   > The acting was exaggerated and over the top, but somehow that worked   
   > for me in this case.   
      
   It's a fun episode, but the little mistakes forshadow the lack of coherincy   
   in the story telling.   
      
   Other little notes...   
      
   Sailor V is such a good fighter that she has time to change her shoes even   
   in the middle of a fight.   
      
   Later in the series they start using the helecopter sound a lot. In an   
   interview somewhere they were making fun of it and here in this episode is   
   a tip of the hat to the same sound that, in this case, is just coming from   
   a CD player.   
      
   Granny panties. Nuff said. ^_-   
      
   On with the show...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)