Editing Act 5 - Is Usagi a True Friend?

[[Ami Mizuno|Ami]] deals with her doubts about her friendship with [[Usagi Tsukino|Usagi]] and her own self-confidence.

==Summary==
{{PGSM Episode
| image             = http://www.wikimoon.org/images/pgsm/pgsmep5ag8.jpg
| caption           = Usagi and Naru laugh because of Ami's<br>overdone make-up
| Name (Kana)       = うさぎちゃんは本当の友達？
| Name (Romanji)    = Usagi-chan wa Hontou no Tomodachi?
| Name (Translated) = Is Usagi a True Friend?
| Number            = 5
| Director          = [[Kenzo Maihara]]
| Writer            = [[Yasuko Kobayashi]]
| Air Date          = November 1, 2003
| Prev              = [[Act 4 - Sneaking into the Party!]]
| Next              = [[Act 6 - The Transfer Student is Sailor Jupiter]]
}}
It is morning at [[Ami Mizuno|Ami]]'s house, and she thinks about how she finally has friends. However, her happy feeling doesn't last; as she makes her breakfast (alone, as [[Saeko Mizuno|her mother]] has already gone to work), her horoscope on the radio indicates that her friendships might be as strong as she thought, and as she walks, she overhears girls talking about other annoying girls who think they are friends. When she gets to [[Karaoke Crown]], [[Motoki Furuhata|Motoki]] asks where her friends are, and she replies that she's going to meet them there, but she is starting to have doubts about the sincerity of their friendship.

Alone in the [[Secret Base]], Ami pensively looks at photographs on the wall of her, [[Usagi Tsukino|Usagi]], and [[Rei Hino|Rei]]. The other two girls enter, with Usagi trying to persuade Rei to listen to [[Minako Aino]]'s CD. When Ami tries to join in the conversation, Usagi chides her for calling her "Tsukino-san" because it makes it sound like they are not friends. 

Ami walks by a store display where a TV drama involving false friends and betrayal is playing, and briefly imagines herself into the story with Usagi as the other party. She decides that her imagination is getting away with her and leaves, but she stops at the store to pick up a book on how to be a true friend. Back in her room, she reads the book and wonders if Usagi is going to leave her.

When Usagi arrives at [[Juuban Municipal Junior High School|school]] the next morning, Ami greets her with artificial cheerfulness and calls her "Usagi-chan." Usagi is delighted and gives her a big hug before they head to class. When they reach the classroom, Usagi loudly greets her classmates and they respond in kind, and when Ami follows she does the same, much to the astonishment of everyone else in the room. [[Haruna Sakurada|The teacher]] announces a surprise quiz, which the class greets with boos; Ami glances around and joins in, remembering what she read in her book. She joins Usagi and her friends for lunch, then ends up having to clean after school because she failed the quiz. When Usagi invites her to a pajama party, she agrees, still thinking about the book's advice.

At the [[Hikawa Shrine]], Usagi tells Rei about Ami's changed attitude and attempts to persuade Rei to come to the party as well. Rei refuses, saying she should not try to force things, but Usagi replies that Ami changed herself and she is excited that Ami might become friends with [[Naru Osaka|Naru]] as well.

Back at her apartment, Ami reads the whiteboard message telling her that her mother is working late again. She erases it, puts on her glasses, practices a smile in the mirror, and leaves.

In the [[Dark Kingdom]], [[Nephrite]] tells [[Queen Beryl]] that he has a lead on the [[Silver Crystal]]. She tells him that if he succeeds he will get everything he has ever desired, to which he replies that all he desires is her.

At Usagi's house, Usagi and Naru sing [[karaoke]] and play around while Ami watches and claps. Ami glances at the clock and thinks that she could make it to [[cram school]] if she hurries, but Usagi hands her the microphone and she joins in on the song. Naru is surprised to see Ami acting this way, and Usagi tells Ami that she is very cute, but as she sings Ami holds the microphone in a white-knuckled grip. The girls decide to play with make-up, and while Ami is applying mascara Usagi picks up her glasses and notices that they are just plain glass. Ami agrees that she does not need them, but would feel awkward without them. After they are finished, Naru and Usagi laugh because Ami has overdone her make-up; Ami joins in after a minute but her laughter is forced. When Ami goes to wash the makeup off, she looks at her reflection in the mirror, observes that this is more tiring than studying and suddenly collapses.

Usagi sits by the bed, worriedly watching the sleeping Ami. [[Ikuko Tsukino|Her mother]] comes in to say that she is taking Naru home. Ami opens her eyes and apologizes for spoiling the party, and Usagi chides her for trying to force herself, showing the copy of the "how to be friends" book that fell out of Ami's bag. Ami points out that it made her happy to be called "Usagi-chan" and Usagi replies that it did, but it does not make her happy if it was a lie, because lying is something that friends never do. 

In the Secret Base, Usagi sadly looks at the wall of photographs. Rei observes that she thought Ami's behavior was strange, and Usagi insists that she really did think Ami wanted to be friends with Naru. Rei tells her that not everyone can change suddenly. Just then [[Luna]] calls, telling them to come to the art show because she thinks she may have found the Silver Crystal.

At the art show, Usagi wonders if Ami will come. She and Rei split up to search, while up on a balcony Nephrite tells a [[Youma]] to search for the Crystal.

Usagi happens upon someone's dropped nametag and, when she picks it up, incorrectly reads it as "Chijou Ei" (an incorrect rendition of the name "Chiba Mamoru"). [[Mamoru Chiba|Mamoru]] appears and irritably corrects her, the two bicker as usual, and he mispronounces her name as "Kobuta" (piglet). She stomps away, and he wonders where the Crystal is.

Ami arrives just in time to see the Youma attacking a woman with the unusual pendant. She transforms into [[Sailor Mercury]] and chases the Youma into some trees, but once there it moves too quickly for her to see. She stops to concentrate and call upon her element of water, which directs her toward the Youma. She attacks and attempts to use [[Mercury Aqua Mist]], but the Youma knocks a tree over onto her first. Sailor Mercury pulls out her [[Teletia S]] to call Usagi, but remembers what Usagi had said the night before and just braces herself for the Youma's attack. Just then, however, the Youma is hit by [[Moon Tiara Boomerang]] and is knocked away. [[Sailor Moon]] and [[Sailor Mars]] are angry at the Youma for attacking their friend, and they use [[Moon Twilight Flash]] and [[Youma Taisan]] to destroy it. 

When the Youma is destroyed the pendant goes flying, and [[Tuxedo Mask]] catches it. He declares that it is not the Silver Crystal and gives it to Sailor Moon, then departs. Sailor Mars helps Sailor Mercury to stand, and Sailor Moon demands to know why she did not call for help. Mercury looks uncomfortable, but when she starts to explain, she only gets as far as "Usagi-chan" before Sailor Moon happily observes that really sounded like her, and Sailor Mars puts a friendly hand on her shoulder. Mercury practices saying "Usagi-chan" and "Rei-chan" again, and the girls laugh and join in a group hug.

The next day, Naru notices that Ami went back to her old habits and is not eating lunch with them. Usagi's friends laugh that a genius would tire of her quickly. As they continue to talk about Ami, Usagi realizes that they are referring to her as "Ami-chan" now. 

Up on the roof of the school, Ami is eating her lunch when she suddenly realizes that she forgot her glasses. She thinks about it for a moment, but just smiles and goes back to eating.

Usagi thinks that Rei was right, Ami might not change suddenly, but she could change gradually.

Luna watches the girls and thinks that the day is soon coming that the fourth [[Senshi]] will appear. 

On a stormy night, [[Makoto Kino|a tall girl with a ponytail]] walks down the street, then glances back over her shoulder just as lightning flashes...

==Episode Trivia==
* This was the first episode to be directed by [[Kenzo Maihara]].

==Episode Trivia==
* This episode features a scene in which a solemn looking [[Usagi]] is pointing a pistol at the camera/audience (supposed to be pointing at [[Ami]]), which is quite unusual for a show supposed to be watched by small children.

==Cast==
* [[Usagi Tsukino]]/[[Sailor Moon]] - [[Miyuu Sawai]]
* [[Ami Mizuno]]/[[Sailor Mercury]] - [[Rika Izumi|Chisaki Hama]]
* [[Rei Hino]]/[[Sailor Mars]] - [[Keiko Kitagawa]]
* [[Makoto Kino]] - [[Mew Azama]]
* [[Mamoru Chiba]]/[[Tuxedo Mask]] - [[Jyoji Shibue]]
* [[Luna]] (voice) - [[Keiko Han]]
* [[Naru Osaka]] - [[Chieko Kawabe]]
* [[Ikuko Tsukino]] - [[Kaori Moriwaka]]
* [[Haruna Sakurada]] - [[Tomoko Otakara]]
* [[Momoko Kimura]] - [[Natsumi Kiyoura]]
* [[Kanami Abe]] - [[Aiko Hirai]]
* Voice of book - [[Youko Soumi]]
* [[Nephrite]] - [[Hiroyuki Matsumoto]]
* [[Queen Beryl]] - [[Aya Sugimoto]]

{{Episode Navigation
| last = [[Act 4 - Sneaking into the Party!|4]]
| season = [[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon]]
| next = [[Act 6 - The Transfer Student is Sailor Jupiter|6]]}}

[[Category: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Episode]]