From: phoenix@mediaone.net   
      
   Act 39 - Usagi's Mother's Challenge as a Reporter!   
      
   What in the world? Have they run out of ideas? Is there some sort of   
   episode quota that needs to be met and it doesn't matter how they do   
   it?   
      
   Well, let's get this done...   
      
   Endymion had just drew his sword on Sailor Moon. He tells her that he   
   came to warn her that he is now her enemy and that she should not   
   consider herself safe if they should meet again. Then he leaves. Um,   
   OK. I don't remember Mamoru's plan, if he actually has one, but this   
   just doesn't make sense. If he truly intended to kill SM to prevent   
   disaster, then here was a perfect opportunity. She is outnumbered four   
   to one with no backup. However, I suppose this could just be an act to   
   get in good with Beryl.   
      
   Anyway, Mamoru has some pretty sweet digs back in the Dark Kingdom. I   
   guess royalty doesn't have to hunker down in some dark cave corridor   
   during the off-hours. Mio is there flirting with Mamoru and hoping   
   that Usagi is crying her eyes out.   
      
   However, Usagi is stronger then that. She appears cheerful and   
   convinced that Mamoru is simply acting.   
      
   Minako's condition is getting worse and she is taking more time off   
   from work. Artemis complains that he dislikes her manager because he   
   kissed him the other day (Artemis' first kiss!)   
      
   Usagi arrives home to find her mother in a spirited discussion with   
   that very person, Minako's manager. He recognizes her as that   
   Usagi-chan-written-in-hiragana (Poor Usagi. Kanji will always a   
   problem for her ^_^) The manager gives stuffed cat Luna a first kiss   
   as well so Artemis and Luna are now connected via an indirect kiss, if   
   only they knew.   
      
   It appears that Motoki has given a very angry person (Nephrite, I   
   would guess) a job at the Crown.   
      
   Mamoru orders Kunzite to attack the princess. He is wearing his normal   
   clothes, but the sword that materialized with his Endymion outfit is   
   still on the mantle.   
      
   The manager wishes to audition Ikuko as a housewife reporter in   
   action. He does this by having her, along with Usagi and Shingo,   
   tackle an outdoor obstacle course while he films her. This whole bit   
   was bizarre but not that entertaining. So much so that even Luna gets   
   bored, transforms into her human form and wanders off.   
      
   During the filming, a sniper-type youma appears on a nearby rooftop   
   and starts shooting crystal shards at Usagi. Luna T. warns Usagi and   
   they run off to draw fire from her mother. Luna and Usagi transform   
   and then Sailor Luna uses some super hearing technique to zero in on   
   the sniper.   
      
   SM draws the youma off into the woods. Sailor Luna attempts to follow,   
   but is once again stopped by Kunzite. Once in the woods, SM disarms   
   the youma, but is then confronted by Endymion.   
      
   Luna attempts the same harisen attack as before, but Kunzite is   
   expecting it this time and deflects it. Then Luna attempts a harisen   
   attack with a fan made of gold, but it is too heavy and she   
   drops/flings it conveniently on the youma which she then destroys with   
   her candy attack (which is turning out to be much more deadly then any   
   of the other senshi attacks).   
      
   Endymion makes some wide, wild swings at SM, eventually disarming her   
   and then striking her Moon Phase watch off her neck, shattering the   
   crystal face.   
      
   As he prepares to make the final strike, SM starts to glow which   
   initiates a huge earthquake. Kunzite was apparently expecting this to   
   happen and disappears. Shingo, who was crossing a tall footbridge,   
   falls over the edge but manages to hang onto a cable to stop his fall.   
   SM senses that Shingo is in danger and at Endymion's prompting manages   
   to suppress her power, stopping the earthquake.   
      
   Endymion tells SM to not believe in him but rather herself. He   
   continues that he may have to fight her someday, but he still believes   
   that they might one day be together again.   
      
   I'm hoping that we find out there was some reason behind this whole   
   seemingly pointless exercise.   
      
   As Minako watches Ikuko talk excitedly about the earthquake on a news   
   broadcast, she states that she has made a decision and will stop   
   singing.   
      
   --   
   Phoenix   
   www.phoenixanime.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)