Usagi's Crisis: The Tiara Stops Working

"Usagi's Crisis: The Tiara Stops Working" is the 4th episode of the 2nd season of the Sailor Moon anime and the 50th episode overall. It aired in Japan on April 10, 1993. The DiC English dub title for this episode is "VR Madness" and it aired in North America on November 27, 1995.

Summary[]

Usagi goes with her brother and father to a virtual-reality arcade where another Cardian attacks. Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon and battles the Cardian. However, Usagi's powers begin to malfunction during the battle, preventing her from defeating the enemy.

Plot[]

The episode begins with Ikuko nagging Usagi about waking up and doing something because it's such a beautiful day. Then goes to Ail and An where the former reminds An that if their Makai Tree dies so will they. Ail then suggests they send a Cardian into a recently opened Virtual Reality Theater to collect human energy to which An agrees.

Outside the theater, Usagi and Luna are looking at the building where Usagi says she's going to play the game and Luna says she's invited the other girls who are late. While waiting in line Luna reminds Usagi this theater is perfect for her since she just recently regained her memory of how to be a soldier. Usagi then begins to question Luna as to if she knows how to bring back Mamoru's memory and then he appears, teasing her for taking out her frustration on her cat. After their usual banter, Mamoru heads into the theater on his own and Usagi realizes this is her chance and follows after him. Outside the theater, Ail shoots lasers into the eyes of an attendant and An slaps a guy who was bugging her and who was eventually driven off by Mamoru. An begins to flirt with Mamoru until Usagi and Ail show up and they all end up going into the theater as a group. The rest of the girls show up and greet Luna outside and wait in line.

Inside the theater, Usagi realizes her dad, Kenji Tsukino, and little brother Shingo Tsukino are both here playing the game as well. Outside the girls are still waiting in line and back inside Shingo suits up with VR armor and a gun and calls himself "Sneakers Shingo" and recites Sailor Moon's catchphrase and imitates her pose. He along with his dad continue through the game while Usagi's group plays as well and a rivalry of sorts starts between Ail and Mamoru. After Usagi runs off from being scared by a VR monster Mamoru runs after her and Ail and An select their next Cardian: Hellant.

Shingo and Kenji are lost when they hear screams and stumble upon Hellant sucking the energy out of other players. Meanwhile, Mamoru and Usagi are still playing and as part of the game he runs off with her to which she begins to imagine him as Tuxedo Mask and once she feels someone else on her arm she imagines it as the Moonlight Knight, but it was only Shingo coming to tell her Kenji is in trouble.

Outside the Inner Senshi are still waiting in line. Inside the theater, Mamoru attacks Hellant by throwing his VR suit while Kenji avoids being attacked. As Kenji uses a fire extinguisher against the monster giving Mamoru and Shingo to escape, but it was for naught, as Hellant still managed to capture all three of them. Usagi then transforms into Sailor Moon and appears at the scene while Hellant tries to attack Mamoru. Usagi then proceeds to use her Moon Tiara Action, but it fails to reach Hellant. When she attacks Sailor Moon and Mamoru a white rose slashes across her forehead and the Moonlight Knight appears while Mamoru is still there. This confuses Usagi as she thought Mamoru was the Moonlight Knight. The Moonlight Knight then slices at Hellant and succeeds in cutting off some of her energy draining tentacles, but still manages to get caught.

The Inner Sailor Guardians arrive and free him with Shabon Spray and Fire Soul. Sailor Moon tells them her tiara doesn't work and Sailor Venus kindly tells her to pull herself together and they'll take care of the monster. Venus attacks in conjunction with Sailor Jupiter to cleanse the Cardian. After the Moonlight Knight disappears, Mamoru questions who the Sailor Senshi are before he realizes they're gone.

Back at home, Ikuko is tending to the wounds of her husband and son while Usagi holds Luna and is still distraught about her tiara not working and Mamoru not being the Moonlight Knight.

International Dub Titles[]

Brazilian Portuguese: Serena Fica Desconsolada: A Tiara Lunar Parou de Funcionar ("Serena Disconsoled: The Lunar Tiara Has Stopped Working")
European Portuguese: A Bunny Está Confusa ("Bunny is Confused")
French: Méfiez-vous des jeux vidéo ("Beware of Video Games")
German: Der Mondstein versagt ("The Moonstone Fails")

Changes[]

Changes from the Manga[]

These events never happened in the manga.
Sailor Moon's tiara didn't randomly stop working in mid-attack.

Dub Changes[]

In the DiC dub, the scene of Usagi putting her brother Shingo into a headlock after he ignores her, was cut.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

One of the monster facades in the VR venue is Boxy