From: rick-samSPAMSPAMSPAM@shaw.ca   
      
   Phoenix  wrote in   
   news:jasqt2htmm4enbqk1nmu99nmqu6k7mm8kp@4ax.com:   
      
   > Act 47 - Goodbye, Minako   
   >   
   > Wow, this was a really hard episode to watch. Even without the spoiler   
   > title, it was pretty clear even before the opening song ran that   
   > Minako knew that she was not coming back. From her ironic farewell of   
   > itekimasu "I'm going and will come back" to her exit into the blinding   
   > white light (white being an Eastern symbol for death), the signs were   
   > pretty clear that we would not see her again in this life. NTL, the   
   > first time I watched this, I was still hoping against hope that I was   
   > wrong.   
   >   
   > Although it was not said as such, I'm sure that Minako deceived   
   > everyone into thinking that she was simply going in for a preliminary   
   > examination to keep them from worrying and to try to lessen the impact   
   > of her death if the operation failed.   
      
   I agree that there were lots of hints that WE wouldn't see Minako again,   
   but I see this whole thing in a different way than you do. We don't know   
   what happened to Minako other than she dies. We don't even know if she   
   made it to her examination.   
      
   Personally, I don't think Minako did know that she wouldn't be back and   
   everything could easily be exactly as she said about the pre-exam and   
   expecting to have a party with the others. The way I see it, she had all   
   these plans but she simply died as was predicted 6 months ago.   
      
   In any case, it doesn't matter, two interpretations of the same events,   
   but the results are the same.   
      
   > Rei is smiling as she prepares the secret base for Minako's get well   
   > party. However, that may well be the last smile we'll see as Artemis   
   > tells the girls that Minako has not returned from her examination.   
      
   When Minako left the Crown, I got the impression that Rei had one of her   
   'feelings' about her, yet now there is no evidence that Rei thinks   
   anything is wrong.   
      
   > As Rei returns to the shrine, she finds Artemis waiting for her on the   
   > steps. Although we don't hear what he says, it is clearly tragic news.   
   >   
   > Jadeite puts the youma to work draining power from the earth. This   
   > manifest itself in the creation of many, many of the black-cloaked   
   > youma that we've seen before. However, it has no effect as Metalia's   
   > power continues to grow. The senshi engage the youma in battle.   
      
   I'm a little confused about this, isn't what the youma is doing a good   
   thing as far as the Senshi are concerned? It's intended to reduce   
   Metalias power which means there will be less attacks.   
      
   snip   
      
   > Eh? I thought that Kunzite killed himself, but here he has been   
   > walking around the forest with a blazing white hole in his side for   
   > the last three weeks.   
      
   Yea, that's gotta hurt.   
      
   snip   
      
   > Rei starts to sob uncontrollably and we finally get confirmation that   
   > Minako has died as Rei screams out her name.   
      
   That was a really good scene for Keiko. Good job.   
      
   > In a tearful 'might-have-been' moment, Minako reads a farewell letter   
   > to the senshi as her final song, "Sayonara ~ Sweet Days", plays in the   
   > background.   
   >   
   > The reality is Rei reading her letter to the girls (including Usagi)   
   > and then breaks down in sobs.   
      
   She must have iron will power, I'd never be able to read it out loud.   
      
   In an interview, the writer of this episode said that he didn't want to   
   be the one to make all of the little girls cry. I think if Minako had to   
   go, that he did a good job writing it.   
      
   > --   
   > Phoenix   
   > www.phoenixanime.com   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)