In this episode Maddie and Mike discuss Season 1, Episode 25 "Jupiter, the Powerful Girl in Love"

In this episode Madz and Hollywood Mike discuss Season 1 Episode 24, Naru's Tears: Nephrite Dies. Nephrite, desperate to please Queen Beryl, hatches a scheme to defeat Sailor Moon. In doing so, he reveals his fondness for Naru to a spying Zoisite who kidnaps Naru and demands the Dark Crystal as ransom. Nephrite abandons a fight with Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon to rescue Naru. Nephrite is wounded during the escape and, as the title states, he doesn't survive. There's plenty of relationship analization and big feels in this one.

In this episode the hosts discuss Season 1 Episode 23 "Wish Upon a Star: Naru's First Love" Usagi learns that her best friend, Naru, has fallen for Masato Sanjoin AKA Nephrite. After seeking advice from colleagues and friends, she works up the courage to warn Naru to stay away from the guy she loves. Meanwhile Nephrite is desperate to find the Legendary Silver Crystal in order appease a furious Queen Beryl. He exploits Naru's feelings for his human persona and manipulates her into commiting crimes in an attempt to locate the coveted Jewel. When the Sailor Guardians show up to save the day, Naru risks her life to protect the guy she loves with all her heart. This creates a dilemma for the Pretty Guardian who fights for Love and for Justice. Madz and Hollywood Mike discuss power dynamics between writers and directors in TV versus film. We learn that a homosexual male Zoisite was voiced by a woman in the original 90's dub so Western viewers would think he was a girl being embraced by Kunsite. They reference The Dark Crystal's gelflings and it turns out Madz may have been named after Cybill Shepard's character in the 80's detective dramedy Moonlighting.

In this episode Madz and Hollywood Mike discuss Season 1, Episode 22 'Romance Under the Moon: Usagi's First Kiss'. This is based Volume1, Chapter 4 of the original manga. It all revolves around a reception at The Kingdom of Diamonds Embassy. Usagi learns that the Princess of Diamonds has arrived in town to unveil a Legendary Treasure. Luna, Tuxedo Mask and Queen Beryl all wonder if the treasure could possibly be the Silver Crystal and thus hatch plans to get into the reception to find out. Usagi, disguised as a beautiful princess, sneaks into the Embassy and attends a masquerade ball where Tuxedo Mask recognizes her as the princess from his recurring dreams. He asks her to dance and they both feel they've danced together before in some forgotten past. Nephrite uses Naru to posses Princess Diamond with a shadow demon and tries to get away with the treasure. Usagi tries to stop the possessed princess and gets pushed over a balcony. When Tuxedo Mask goes to grab her, he too falls. They embrace each other and use a parasol to float slowly down to safety. The Sailor Guardians prevail over Nephrite and the Dark Kingdom's plot. The episode ends with Tuxedo Mask giving Usagi her first kiss. A sensation that seems familiar to them both. The hosts digress into many pop culture refernces such as Hello Kitty, The Box Trolls and Superman. There are some heated debates over possible holes in the script. The topics of underage drinking and the importance of consent are touched upon.

In this episode we discuss Season 1, Episode 21 Protect the Children's Dreams: Friendship Through Anime. There is a lot of meta humor in this episode being set in the studio producing a Sailor V anime movie. Characters names are of some of the actual animators of the anime TV series. Themes of friendship, collaboration and competition are explored. This is the first time the Sailor Guardians face more than one Yoma. Also talked about is the Tokyo Tower. Greek mythology in the constellations as well as roofs, floors and bridges made of glass.

In this episode, Madz and Hollywood Mike discuss Season 1, Episode 20: The Summer, The Beach, Youth and Ghosts. Luna takes the Sailor Scouts several hours away for a Summer training camp. The hosts talk about anime's "beach episode" trope as the girls frolic at the oceanside location. Everything would be perfectly care-free, fun in the sun if only their lodging was more like a swanky resort and less like the Bates motel. We find all sorts details to ponder from Gothic Revival aritecture and gargoyle door knockers to narrative continuity and whether Dr. Victor Frankenstein's monster was ever given a name. We go over the attributes of various supernatural entities and conclude that the concept of using hypnosis as a means to create ghosts is flawed, at best.  We also cover Rei's roles and responsibilities as a Miko (Shinto Priestess) versus her psychic gifts. We get pretty deep for a filler episode that was never produced, dubbed or broadcast in the original American release.

In this episode, Madz and Hollywood Miks discuss Season 1, Episode 19 | Usagi's Joy:  A Letter from Tuxedo Mask. It begins with Nephrite's plan to use love as bait to trap Sailor Moon. This leads to discussions about the Four Kings of Heaven and the politics of the Dark Kingdom. As the episode unfolds, Usagi's excitement about a love letter from Tuxedo Mask contrasts with Luna's skepticism, culminating in a dramatic revelation of Tuxedo Mask's identity. Deeply disappointed that evidently every schoolgirl in the Juban District got a similar letter urging them to a shopping mall a half hour away, she decides to confront him. She arrives at the mall to discover an imposter has caught Naru in his trap. She is forced to transform into the Pretty Guardian in order to rescue her best friend from agents of the Dark Kingdom. The hosts also talk about basophobia (fear of elevator failure), cultural origins of unlucky numbers and the fact that Game Center Crown's skill crane has little Tuxedo Mask  and Queen Beryl plushies.

In this episode we discuss Season 1, Episode 18 | Shingo's love: The grieving doll.

Madz and Hollywood Mike ponder a mysterious building sign in the opening credits. They explore the cultural significance of Girls' Day, the dynamics between characters in the Dark Kingdom, and the emotional journey of Shingo and Mika. The episode highlights themes of friendship, forgiveness, and the importance of family, culminating in a battle against the Yoma, Jumo. The hosts also tease the next episode, hinting at romantic developments.

in this episode we discuss Season 1, Episode 17 | Usagi Becomes a Model:The Flash of the Monster Camera.

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In this episode, hosts Madz and Hollywood Mike reaffirm their commitment to the podcast amidst life's chaos, share cultural insights about Japanese school lunches and bento boxes, and delve into the themes of photography and artistry as they analyze many fine points of the ongoing exploits of their favorite Magical Girl. They explore the concepts of fangirls and fanboys, and how these terms have evolved over time, while also proposing that Nephrite might possess a way to travel through time. The conversation is rich with personal anecdotes, cultural references, and a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling in anime. It all cumulates with a boss battle that has Sailor Moon borrowing Perseus's strategy for defeating Medusa in order to free Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars and a gaggle of aspiring supermodels from an alternate dimension detention center whose warden happens to be this week's yõma.

In this episode, we discuss Episode 16: A Girl's Dream! Usagi Becomes a Bride!

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We also discuss why Umino is a weirdo, Mike's theory on why Nephrite chose Vega this episode, the Japanese folklore behind the constellation and the holiday Tanabata, and Mike shares a fantastic story about his past with Prince.

Sorry for the late post, y'all! July has been a whirlwind of adventure. Maddie had a birthday. Mike had an illness. Both will never stop talking about the Pretty Guardian.

New Episodes Every Other Moonday! The Cosmos can make us late, but it can't make us stop!