Act 29 - Minako's Rival, Mio Kuroki, is a Transfer Student?
Minako Aino's new rival idol, Mio Kuroki, transfers into the same school as Usagi Tsukino - but is she friend or foe?
Summary[edit]
The class is excited to have an idol in their midst | |
Name (kanji/kana): | 美奈子のライバル、黒木ミオが転校生? |
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Name (romaji): | Minako no Raibaru, Kuroki Mio ga Tenkousei? |
Name (translated): | Minako's Rival, Mio Kuroki, is a Transfer Student? |
Episode Number: | 29 |
Director: | Takemitsu Sato |
Writer: | Yasuko Kobayashi |
Air Date: | May 1, 2004 |
Previous Episode: | Act 28 - Welcome Back, Ami! |
Next Episode: | Act 30 - Mio Deceives Usagi |
Usagi, Rei, Makoto, and Luna are down in the Secret Base with Ami, holding a welcome-back party for their friend. Usagi decides to celebrate with some karaoke, and Ami cheerfully accompanies her up onto the stage.
In the meantime, Minako receives the bad news that she didn't get the part in a commercial; it was instead given to a new idol, Mio Kuroki. Minako becomes concerned upon hearing this, as the time she met the girl, she thought she felt something strange about her.
At the Tsukino residence, the family is sitting down to dinner when Shingo notices Mio on the tv, and he and Usagi start to argue over who is better: Minako or Mio. Ikuko agrees with her daughter that Minako is better, but Shingo points out that Mio has more commercials. Usagi gets upset at that and changes the channel. The new show has a reporter on location in London, which makes Ikuko nostalgic for her honeymoon, and makes Usagi think about Mamoru.
In London, Mamoru is awakened by a classmate inviting him to breakfast. As he starts to get dressed, he hears the sound of Zoisite's piano and sees the Shitennou's image in his mirror. Zoisite encourages him to remember his past, but Mamoru wonders what he is now, if everything was decided by his past life. Kunzite arrives in Zoisite's room and suggests that Mamoru's memories might be too much for him. Zoisite counters that Kunzite was once the most loyal of the Shitennou and asks if he can really kill his former Master. Kunzite counters by suggesting that killing him could also be considered a kind of loyalty.
Elsewhere in the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl dreams of the time when she will rule the world, and when she meet Endymion. When Jadeite arrives, he promises that he will have the Silver Crystal soon, which pleases Beryl.
Usagi and her friends are walking to school when they encounter ads with Mio's face on them, and they all declare that they like Minako better. They are all shocked when they arrive at school and find that Mio is a new transfer student in their class. As the new student introduces herself, the class erupts into excited screaming. Later in the day, the girls all crowd around Mio asking for autographs, and the teacher even joins in. When Naru goes to join the crowd Usagi is upset, but Naru admits that an idol up close is better than one far away.
Later that day in gym class they divide up into teams for volleyball, and Mio turns out to be the star player. Although Usagi is determined not to lose to Minako's rival, she is no match for Mio in volleyball. At one point in the game, though, as they are facing each other across the net, Mio suddenly kicks Usagi in the shin. Nobody sees this but Ami, and Mio immediately acts apologetic.
Luna Tsukino arrives at Karaoke Crown and tries to gain admittance with her own Karaoke Crown Passport, but Motoki refuses to let her in without her mother or father. Ami and Makoto arrive and say Luna is with them, and Motoki finally relents, with a smile for Makoto.
Usagi staggers out of the school that afternoon, still sore from the volleyball match, and is approached by Mio. Mio asks if Usagi hates her, and looks upset when Usagi does not answer. Usagi is quick to reassure the other girl, but is surprised when Mio asks if they can be friends. Usagi admits that she is a Minako fan, but says that since they are classmates she supposes they can be friends as well. Mio seems excited to hear that, though Usagi feels as though she is betraying her favorite idol.
In the meantime, Minako finds out that Mio has transferred to Juuban Middle School, and looks concerned.
Rei arrives at the Secret Base to find Ami and Makoto attempting to catch floating bits of paper with chopsticks. Luna says that it is special training intended to awaken their Senshi powers by teaching them focus and concentration. Rei reluctantly joins the others and immediately catches a bit of paper, much to Luna's delight. Just then Artemis arrives with a message from Sailor Venus: she is suspicious of Mio, and concerned that the girl has transferred into the same school as the Princess.
As Mio and Usagi walk together, eating ice cream cones, Mio quizzes the other girl about whether or not she has a boy she likes. Usagi reluctantly admits that she does, and with Mio's prompting, starts to describe Mamoru. As Usagi talks, Mio suddenly crushes her ice cream in her hands and tries to laugh it off as a strange accident. Mio goes to wash her hands off and Usagi hears a scream; she runs toward the source and finds a Youma chasing a crowd of terrified people. Before she can transform, though, Mio arrives and grabs her arm, pretending to be afraid. The Youma attacks the pair and they dodge, but after they fall to the ground Mio grabs her wrist in pain. Usagi, concerned for the other girl, leads her away into a hiding place before going back after the Youma.
As the Youma chases after fleeing people, it encounters Sailor Mars, and shrugs off the Senshi's fire attack. Sailor Mercury and then Sailor Jupiter try in turn, but again there is no effect. After a brief ballet-fu battle, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars use their Sailor Star Tambourines to attack, but the Youma blocks both attacks with its cape. Realizing why their attacks are failing, Sailor Mars says that they need to get rid of the Youma's cape, but before they can act on that suggestion the Youma traps the three Senshi in webs emitted from its hands. Usagi arrives just in time and transforms into Sailor Moon, then uses Moon Tiara Boomerang to free her friends. Sailor Mercury tells her that they need to combine powers to destroy the Youma's cape. Sailor Moon summons the Moonlight Stick and the Senshi prepare to attack, but the Youma shoots a bolt of energy at them that knocks away Sailor Mercury's Tambourine. The Youma leaps to grab it, but Sailor Mercury discovers a new power and holds it in place with a stream of bubbles, allowing the newly-arrived Sailor Luna to catch it with a net. Sailor Luna congratulates Sailor Mercury for her newly awakened power and returns the Tambourine, then uses Luna Sucre Candy to knock the Youma back. With the Youma distracted, the Senshi combine their powers and attempt to destroy it with Moonlight Attractive Attack, but it, laughing, disappears.
Usagi returns to Mio's hiding place and carefully wraps the girl's injured wrist with her handkerchief as Ami, Makoto, and Rei look on. Makoto says that it looks like they don't have to worry after all, because Mio doesn't seem at all suspicious. Mio assures Usagi that she's fine, and it doesn't hurt at all.
When Usagi arrives at school the next morning, she finds Mio there with her arm wrapped in bandages, looking upset. Usagi's classmates are all hostile toward her for injuring Mio, and even Kanami and Momoko join in the accusations.
Episode Trivia[edit]
- When Usagi and Shingo were watching TV, Mio Kuroki's song "Change of Pace" could be heard playing on the show.
- The brand name of the drink on Mio's commercial was "Goo," a pun of the popular health drink "Qoo" in real life.
- Sailor Luna's attack, Luna Sucre Candy, appeared for the first time in this episode. Minako also appeared wearing her school uniform for the first time.
- The song "I Was Born to Love You" by Queen was used in this episode, reflecting the foreign band's popularity in Japan at the time, due to the fact that a popular TV drama was using their songs.
Cast[edit]
- Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon - Miyuu Sawai
- Rei Hino/Sailor Mars - Keiko Kitagawa
- Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury - Chisaki Hama
- Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter - Mew Azama
- Minako Aino - Ayaka Komatsu
- Luna (voice) - Keiko Han
- Luna Tsukino/Sailor Luna - Rina Koike
- Artemis (voice) - Kappei Yamaguchi
- Mamoru Chiba - Jyoji Shibue
- Queen Beryl - Aya Sugimoto
- Zoisite - Yoshito Endou
- Nephrite - Hiroyuki Matsumoto
- Kunzite - Akira Kubodera
- Jadeite - Jun Masuo
- Mio Kuroki - Alisa Yuriko Durbrow
- Ikuko Tsukino - Kaori Moriwaka
- Shingo Tsukino - Naoki Takeshi
- Motoki Furuhata - Masaya Kikawada
- Haruna Sakurada - Tomoko Otakara
- Naru Osaka - Chieko Kawabe
- Momoko Kimura - Natsumi Kiyoura
- Kanami Abe - Aiko Hirai
Previous episode: 28 |
Season Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon |
Next episode: 30 |
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