Sailor Moon episode 001

"Sailor Moon episode 001"

Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation (泣き虫うさぎの華麗なる変身, Nakimushi Usagi no karei naru henshin) is the first episode of the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon anime.

The official English-language version of this episode is called A Moon Star is Born. It was produced by DiC, and aired on American television in 1995.

Plot summary

Template:Spoilers Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy 14-year-old schoolgirl living in Japan. She begins her day as normal; running late for school. Along the way, she runs into three little boys poking at a hurt animal. She chases the children away and discovers a black cat with a bandage on its head. She pulls the bandage off to reveal a crescent moon on the cat's forehead, but then realizes she's still late and runs off. Having failed another test, Usagi talks to her classmates Naru (her best friend) and Umino (a geeky know-it-all). They tell her about the superhero known as Sailor V who has recently been fighting crime.

Meanwhile, the wicked Queen Beryl is shown sitting in her throne, demanding of her shadowy minions that they find the Mystical Silver Crystal, or at least gather plentiful amounts of human energy for their ruler. A man called Jadeite approaches and asks for the task of collecting energy; Beryl agrees.

After school, Usagi and Naru go to Naru's mother's jewelry shop, OSA-P, for a sale. Usagi finds it too crowded and expensive and decides to go home, still depressed about her test score. She crumples the paper up and throws it over her shoulder, but it hits the head of a man walking nearby. Calling her "odango atama" ("dumpling head"), he looks at the test and tells her she needs to study harder. Usagi is infuriated, tells him it's none of his business, and storms away.

Later, having been scolded by her mother and mocked by her little brother, Shingo, Usagi becomes tired from all the crying. She is resting in her bedroom at home, when the cat she had saved earlier enters through the window. At first, Usagi thinks she's hallucinating when the cat begins to speak, introducing herself as Luna and telling Usagi that she is to be a hero. She informs Usagi that an ancient organization known as the Dark Kingdom is trying to resurrect its slumbering leader by using the power of human energy. Luna gives her a brooch with a moon on it, telling her to say the words, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" Usagi does, and to her shock is transformed into Sailor Moon.

For the only time in the series, Sailor Moon uses the ornaments in her hair as radars, and is able to sense that Naru is in trouble. Meanwhile, Naru's mother has been possessed by one of the Dark Kingdom's creatures — a youma. Sailor Moon arrives to stop her, but when attacked by hypnotised zombie-like people, she panics. Unable to fight properly, she is rescued by a caped man who calls himself Tuxedo Mask and tells her that crying will not help. Luna tells Sailor Moon to use her tiara on the monster. She flings the tiara at the youma and shouts "Moon Tiara Action!" The creature is destroyed.

Tuxedo Mask tells Sailor Moon she's done well, and turns to leave. She immediately finds herself smitten with him. The next day, Usagi's friends try to tell her about the amazing dream they had where Sailor Moon came to rescue them, but Usagi just falls asleep on her desk.

English-language dub

Other than some differences in dialogue, A Moon Star is Born is mostly the same as the original episode. Usagi is introduced as Serena, Naru as Molly, Umino as Melvin, Shingo as Sammy, and Jadeite as Jedite, while the Dark Kingdom is called the Negaverse. Sailor V seems to be a fictional character, and Serena is already a fan; in the original, this is where she hears of Sailor V for the first time. The man who makes fun of Serena's test score calls her "meatball head." Sailor Moon's transformation words are given as "Moon Prism Power," without the "Make Up" at the end, and her attack is called "Moon Tiara Magic."

A flashback scene is inserted at the beginning which did not exist in the original version, showing the character Queen Serenity, mentioning Artemis, and revealing information that viewers of the original anime did not learn until at least halfway though the series. Some special effects are added, including scene transitions, images within Beryl's crystal ball, and a glowing effect around Luna's crescent moon when her bandage is removed. Removed scenes include Usagi sticking her tongue out at the man who makes fun of her test score, being yelled at by her mother for failing the math test, and fighting with her brother afterward.

An educational segment called "Sailor Says" is added at the end. In this episode, Sailor Moon encourages her viewers to believe in themselves, because "you never know what the real you can do. Set your mind and heart on it, and anything is possible!"

External links

• Castle in the Sky - More information about missing and changed episodes in the English dub.
• Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation at IMDb
• Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation at TV.com.