an uninspired heroine

In this episode: Sailor Mercury!















Queen Beryl and Jadeite plan to steal human energy, and complain about that pest, Sailor Moon.



Over at Crown Karaoke, we meet Motoki, cashier and turtle fanboy.









Luna creates a fake yearlong pass to Crown, so that Usagi and the other sailors can get into their clubhouse secret base.













Their secret base clubhouse provides necessities such as candy dispensers and a karaoke machine. Evil, beware!





Back at school, we're reminded that Usagi isn't the brightest crayon in the box.

Ami, however, *is*:











Being the genius daughter of a famous doctor doesn't win you many popularity contests at scool. Ami is considered something of a snobby freak by her classmates.













Luna senses something special about Ami, and creates an opportunity to get a closer look at her.























Ami is incredible! It would be super fun to have her as a fellow Sailor Scout, Usagi thinks.













Ami isn't so sure:























She thought Usagi wanted to be her *friend,* not a fellow solider.









Ami goes back to her lonely, friendless existence. It's okay, she assures herself, she's used to it.



Usagi is heartbroken. Luna wants to force Ami to accept her destiny. Usagi refuses to push Ami into something she doesn't want.









Soon enough, Usagi ends up with troubles of her own. Mama is sending her to cram school!







. . . which, as well as being a high-stress learning environment, is also home to monsters out to SUCK YOUR SOUL.





At least Usagi and Ami will be going to the same cram schoo!























Or not, as Hot Jerk from last episode points out after another run in with Usagi. She's not going to the prestigious cram school, but the one for really *dumb* kids.

How humiliating!













At super!cram school, Ami is being attacked by her youma-possessed teacher.

Sailor Moon shows up to save the day!































Usagi tells Ami that she doesn't want her to transform, if it's not what she really wants. Ami decides that she really *does* want to fight alongside Usagi.

And just in time!

Ami begins to transform as she slips from Usagi's grasp and begins to fall.





























Enter Sailor Mercury!




























This is how ALL of the fights in PGSM go: the girls circle their opponents! they leap! they twirl! they do flips! there is hardly any physical contact at all!

It's surprisingly effective.





















They are too cute for words! ♥







Tuxedo Mask lurks in the background, watching.



Jadeite sets his next scheme in motion.

And here comes Rei!