Mysterious Sleeping Illness! Protect the Girls' Hearts in Love

Episode Data
Haruna is delighted to hear her letter read out on Midnight Zero.
Original Episode
Name (Kanji/kana):	謎のねむり病、守れ乙女の恋する心
Name (Romaji):	Nazo no Nemuribyou, Mamore Otome no Koisuru Kokoro
Name (Translated):	Mysterious Sleeping Illness! Protect the Girls' Hearts in Love
Name (Viz Dub):	The Mysterious Sleeping Sickness: Protect the Girls in Love
Episode Number:	3
Director:	Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Writer:	Katsuyuki Sumizawa
Animation Director:	Kunihiko Natsume
Air Date:	March 21, 1992
Previous Episode:	Punish Them! The House of Fortune is the Youma Mansion
Next Episode:	Usagi Will Teach You! How to Lose Weight
First English Dub Episode
Name:	Talk Radio
Number:	2
Company:	DiC
Air Date:	September 12, 1995
Previous Episode:	A Moon Star Is Born
Next Episode:	Slim City

After Haruna and Naru fall prey to a new disease that causes permanent sleep, Usagi investigates the late-night radio show Midnight Zero.

Summary

As Jadeite discusses his latest plan with Queen Beryl, Usagi listens to a late night romantic talk show on the radio. A love letter from "Haruna" is read out, and Usagi wonders if it was from her teacher.

The next day, Usagi's father reads about a new illness that sends people into a permanent sleep. Usagi, meanwhile, is late for school again, but still arrives before Ms. Haruna. When Ms. Haruna does arrive, she is tired and quickly falls asleep in the classroom.

Luna, out walking, encounters Motoki. An ambulance drives past and goes to the school to pick up Ms. Haruna, who is still asleep. Naru wonders if she is suffering from the new disease, while Usagi decides she would quite enjoy sleeping forever.

At FM No. 10, the local radio station, more letters arrive for Midnight Zero, a program which the management insists does not exist. A suspicious employee offers to take care of the letters. Usagi and Naru, meanwhile, discuss the show and the fact that they can't send love letters, since neither has a boyfriend. Naru suggests writing to a future boyfriend, an idea which Usagi likes. She then bumps into her nemesis, who Naru thinks is handsome. Usagi heartily disagrees.

Finding little inspiration for her love letter, Usagi decides to seek advice from Midnight Zero's presenter, "J Dite." However, the security guard at FM No. 10 assures her that there is no such program. That night, Usagi hears the program just as always - although, as Luna points out, it does not appear in the radio listings. The program is actually being presented by Jadeite, who reads out Naru's letter.

The next day, Naru receives the program's trademark flower brooch, which is identical to the one Haruna was wearing. But Naru falls asleep as soon as she puts it on, and Usagi also falls asleep when she tries to wake her.

Usagi is roused from her dreams of Tuxedo Mask by Luna. She finds herself in the nurse's office, where Naru is comatose. Luna decides that something suspicious is happening at FM No. 10.

In order to help her sneak in, Luna gives Usagi the Disguise Pen. Usagi transforms into a newscaster and enters the building. Jadeite has incapacitated the staff and is beginning Midnight Zero again. Usagi interrupts the program, warning the listeners to keep away from the flower brooches. Jadeite's assistant transforms into the Youma Flau and attacks, so Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon. Jadeite introduces himself, and sends the Youma after her. Sailor Moon destroys her and turns her attention to Jadeite. Unfortunately, he easily deflects her attacks, but leaves when Tuxedo Mask intervenes.

The following morning, everyone wakes up, cured of the sickness. Usagi tries to write a genuine love letter to Tuxedo Mask, but is foiled by the curiosity of Naru and Haruna.

Episode trivia

• This episode marked the first use of the Disguise Pen, and the first direct confrontation between Sailor Moon and Jadeite. It was also the first time that Sailor Moon used the "-sama" suffix to refer to Tuxedo Mask.

• The image of Naru sleeping was reused in the video game Sailor Moon La Luna Splende.

• FM No. 10 showed up again in episode 189.

• As Sailor Moon glared at Jadeite after he stopped her tiara in mid-flight, her right hand was skin-colored instead of covered with a glove.

• In the first English dub, Serena used the Disguise Pen to turn into a "sophisticated talent agent" instead of a radio announcer.

• The Sailor Says segment attached to the original English-dubbed version of this episode was notable for several reasons:
  • The scene showing Sailor Moon with hearts in her eyes was cut from the English dub, but it appeared in the segment.
  • The segment used footage from episode 2, despite the fact that it never appeared in the English dub.
  • The segment also included footage from episode 56, showing footage of An a long time before she was introduced in the original version. This was the only Sailor Says segment from the first season to include footage from Sailor Moon R.

Cast

• Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon - Kotono Mitsuishi
• Luna - Keiko Han
• Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Mask - Tohru Furuya
• Naru Osaka - Shino Kakinuma
• Gurio Umino - Keiichi Nanba
• Haruna Sakurada - Chiyoko Kawashima
• Ikuko Tsukino - Sanae Takagi
• Kenji Tsukino - Yuuji Machi
• Motoki Furuhata - Hiroyuki Satou
• Queen Beryl - Keiko Han
• Jadeite - Masaya Onosaka
• Clerks - Hisao Egawa, Kazunari Tanaka
• Boss - Yoshio Kawai
• Flau - Yoko Asagami

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