From: phoenix@mediaone.net   
      
   Act 15 - I'll Punish the Thief!   
      
   This is a bit of a filler episode, but it does provide for some   
   relationship development. The girls are at the secret base discussing   
   Tuxedo Kaman. Despite his help and Usagi's endorsement, the other   
   girls and Luna are still recommending that they keep their distance   
   and stay away from him.   
      
   On the news is a story of how some personal jewelry has been stolen   
   from the idol Minako. Mamoru gets a phone call where we find out he   
   has made some sort of commitment that has to be honored by graduation   
   time. He has become quite attached to the handkerchief that he got   
   from Usagi during the amusement park episode. However, something   
   always puzzled me about that handkerchief. Despite the hearts all over   
   it, doesn't it actually belong to Motoki? Unless I missed something,   
   he handed the handkerchief to Usagi, not the other way around. In any   
   case, Mamoru is conflicted because he knows he should be seeking the   
   princess, but he is attracted to Usagi/Sailor Moon instead.   
      
   Anyway, the best bad guy competition continues between Kunzite and   
   Nephrite. Nephrite seems to be on the losing end even with a youma   
   following Minako around. It seems like the Dark Kingdom folks know   
   everything about the senshi's civilian identities and yet nothing   
   special appears to come of that.   
      
   Naru now hates Ami and makes every effort to involve Usagi in   
   activities that exclude Ami. Usagi appears to be oblivious to the   
   tension between her friends. While at the Crown Karaoke, Usagi finds   
   out that it was Mamoru who had carried her home when she had fainted.   
   She shyly thanks him and Naru picks up on the vibes between them.   
      
   There's an interesting thing here in that Usagi and her non-senshi   
   friends are in one karaoke room while her senshi friends are   
   technically right next door in the secret base. The senshi talk about   
   how the base has become a sort of home to them and they have started   
   to enjoy coming there. Motoki doesn't suspect anything that only four   
   of all his customers have this one year free pass and seem to   
   disappear once they come inside the building?   
      
   Even while Naru dislikes Ami, she is still a true friend to Usagi. She   
   saw the chemistry between Usagi and Mamoru and secretly arranged a   
   date between them. In the process of meeting Mamoru, Usagi bumps into   
   a man which causes him to drop his case of jewelry. Usagi, a true   
   Minako fan girl, recognizes the jewelry as Minako's. This results in   
   Usagi and Mamoru staking out the thieves, confronting them and   
   recovering the jewels. There are a couple of nice moments here. Usagi   
   blurts out that she should transform into Sailor Moon in front of   
   Mamoru causing a really awkward silence as Usagi realizes what she   
   said. Also, during a crisis with the thieves, Mamoru calls Usagi by   
   name and they later both realize the significance of that.   
      
   As they prepare to return the jewels to the police, they are attacked   
   by a youma who steals the case. Mamoru is injured and knocked off the   
   building roof where they were fighting. Usagi transforms, defeats the   
   youma and recovers the case. She examines the jewels and wonders at   
   the youma's interest in them since they appear to be nothing special.   
      
   Minako and Artemis discuss the recent robbery, saying that it   
   successfully distracted the enemy and bought them some time.   
      
   Usagi tends to Mamoru's injury, wrapping his arm with what is clearly   
   her handkerchief (since it is covered with bunnies).   
      
   Meanwhile, the other three senshi are on a rooftop on a mission to   
   find some missing people. It's clear that Ami is concerned about her   
   relationship with Usagi. Just after it seemed so strong, Usagi has   
   been pulled away by other people and events. Ami is not taking this   
   apparent rejection well. Just when this side mission seems to be a   
   bust, a huge pit of Carkoon (Star Wars reference ^_^) appears with a   
   youma at the bottom. This act ends with Makoto being grabbed by a   
   tentacle and dragged down into the pit.   
      
   --   
   Phoenix   
   www.phoenixanime.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)