Protect the Melody of Love: Usagi Plays Cupid

Template:Infobox anime “Protect the Melody of Love: Usagi Plays Cupid” is the 6th episode of the first season of the Sailor Moon anime, and the 6th episode overall. The episode first aired in Japan  on April 18, 1992. This episode wasn't dubbed as part of DiC's English dub, but has been in the Viz dub.

Summary

One rainy day, Usagi bumps into Yusuke Amade, a famous musician who claims he is being chased by a youma. Realizing the man is telling the truth, Usagi and Luna decide to keep an eye on Yusuke by staking out the venue where he performs.

Plot

In the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl is listening to a cassette that Jadeite brought and watches as it drains the energy out of roses. Jadeite says the frequency in the tape will do the same to humans, draining energy from them for Queen Metalia. Jadeite then summons a Youma Kyurene telling to place the tape into the human's music.

At OSA-P Usagi, Naru, and Luna are in Naru's room listening to music, and Usagi comments on how nice the jazz music is. They talk about the man behind the music as Usagi looks over the CD cover, which is a picture of a man carrying a bouquet of roses.

Outside the Jam Records building, the musician, Amade Yusuke, is standing in the rain is seen carrying a bouquet of roses and telling himself that today he will confess, while looking to the recording building. Inside the same building Kyurene implants the virus tape into a stereo and a woman working for the company named Akiko comes in and retrieves the tape. Kyurene is ready to attack the woman until a man arrives, telling her Amade, the musician, is waiting for her. Downstairs Akiko meets with Yusuke to talk about recording before they are interrupted by the man from earlier, who tells Akiko they made a mistake in mixing. Akiko leaves the tape with Yusuke and leaves, unknowingly being watched by Kyurene.

On her way home from Naru's, Usagi stops at the Game Center Crown and Yusuke collides with her, after running down the sidewalk. Usagi and Luna walk with him and Yusuke explains he's being targeted by a monster and tells them about meeting Kyurene. While walking down an alley he saw her being surrounded by more and more bats, before her form changed. Yusuke splits up from Usagi, leaving his card behind and Luna tells her the thing targeting him is a Youma.

In an electronic junkyard Kyurene is communicating with Jadeite through a pile of televisions and tells her to retrieve the tape, or the price is her life. She then fades into a collection of bats and flies into the city.

Outside the music club Yusuke works in Luna teases Usagi about them not lettings kids inside and Usagi uses the Disguise Pen to transform herself. After she transforms she teases Luna about cats not being let inside the club. Inside Yusuke is playing the piano and Usagi finds a seat, with Luna draped over her shoulder pretending to be an accessory. After his performance Yusuke leaves and waits in the basement parking garage where he sees bats flying around. Soon after the elevator door opens and Kyurene emerges. She attacks Yusuke, steals the tape and plans to kill him for wasting her time before Usagi arrives. Kyurene transforms into her true state, fro a distance all that is seen are large wings and flies off.

Yusuke and Usagi take off in his car to find the monster and the tape. They follow it in the car and stop at the Jam Records building, where Usagi is sure she saw it land. Inside, all of the workers are asleep and as Kyurene places the tape in Yusuke bursts into the room, Luna knocks the tape form her hand and Usagi grabs it. Kyurene then transforms into her true form, a humanoid-bat creature and demands the tape back. Yusuke finally realizes the tape they've been chasing isn't his and Kyurene attacks with her extendible nails. She then holds Akiko hostage, demanding the tape for her life and Usagi agree, by throwing the tape into the air. Yusuke rushes and saves Akiko while Luna gets hold of the tape before Kyurene and instantly smashes it.

Kyurene escapes through a window and Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon to follow her. Kyurene lands and is confronted by Sailor Moon who messes her up speech and Kyurene attacks with supersonic waves from her wings. Sailor Moon retaliated by hurling a microphone at Kyurene as she made her second attack. The microphone amplified the sound waves from her attack causing large subwoofer speakers to blast the attack back at the Youma. The attack which backfired on Kyurene incapacitated her long enough for Sailor Moon to finally destroy her with her Moon Tiara Action.

Back in the studio Akiko is taking care of Yusuke's wounds, chiding him for being so reckless because of he could have hurt his hands. Listening in the hallway Sailor Moon mentions she's envious of their relationship.

At OSA-P Naru is distraught because Yusuke and Akiko have gotten married. Usagi talks about what a great guy he is and Naru says it soundsl ike they know each other. Usagi responds by saying they do while waving around a new CD of his titled "Moonlight Lady", the cover design is of a girl, in the shape of Sailor Moon. standing on the crescent moon.

Changes

Changes From the Manga

• These events never took place in the Manga.

Dub Changes

• This episode never appeared in the original English Dub, as it was cut.

First Appearances

• Characters
• Items
• Transformation phrases
• Attacks

Trivia

• This was the third of six episodes to be completely cut from the DiC English dub, but is included in the Viz dub.
• This episode featured a slight adjustment to this season's opening sequence: in the part where Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Mars had appeared as veil-wrapped silhouettes against a moon backdrop, they now cast off the veils and reveal their Sailor Senshi forms to the viewers. This would remain until episode 27, which had a completely new opening sequence.
• The animation sequence for Moon Prism Power, Make Up changed slightly starting with this episode: during the part where Usagi raises her hand, she now sparkles and becomes pink before transforming into her Sailor Senshi form.
• During Sailor Moon's speech in the introduction to this episode, she said that Bach, the "Father of Music," was angry. In the episode itself, however, she used Haydn in her speech instead of Bach, and was corrected by Luna. Her confusion arose because Bach is sometimes called the "Father of Music," but Haydn is called "Papa" Haydn.
• Emi Shinohara, who would later become the voice actress for Sailor Jupiter voiced Kyurene in this episode.
• Stephanie Sheh, the voice of Usagi in the VIZ Media dub, also voiced Kyurene in this episode.

Gallery

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