Romance Under the Moon: Usagi's First Kiss

Romance Under the Moon: Usagi's First Kiss
月下のロマンス! うさぎの初キッス
Airing Information
Episode	EP 22, Season 1
Air Date (JP)	August 15, 1992
Air Date (US)	October 4, 1995
Written by	Sukehiro Tomita
Directed by	Yuji Endou
North American Dub
DiC Title	Worth a Princess's Ransom
Episode Guide
Previous	Protect the Children's Dreams: Friendship Through Anime
Next	Wish Upon a Star: Naru's First Love

“Romance Under the Moon: Usagi’s First Kiss” is the 22nd episode of the 1st season of Sailor Moon anime and the 22nd episode overall. It aired in Japan on August 15, 1992. The DiC English dub title for this episode is "Worth a Princess' Ransom" and it aired in North America on October 4, 1995.

Summary

Both Luna and Queen Beryl wonder if a visiting princess could be the one the Sailor Senshi has been looking for. Mamoru dreams he is Tuxedo Mask and a girl is asking him for the Silver Crystal. At the ball, Usagi gets her first kiss.

Plot

As Usagi runs late to school, she notices a lot of police checkpoints on the roads. She wonders about them, as Naru walks past, looking depressed as she recalls what happened not long ago with Sanjouin.

At school, Umino tells Usagi that Princess D from the Kingdom of Diamonds will be coming to Japan. She will be showcasing her gemstones as well as unveiling a family heirloom called the “Legendary Secret Treasure”. Naru offers to take a look for Usagi, as her family was invited to the reception as jewellers.

Queen Beryl in the Dark Kingdom wonders if the Silver Crystal will be at the reception, as there’s a possibility based off the name. Zoisite offers to take a look as Nephrite appears, completely dismissing him and taking up the job. Zoisite snaps and comments on his past incompetence, later Kunzite comforts him and says they can get rid of Nephrite whenever it suits them.

At Hikawa Shrine, Luna tells the others about how this could be the Princess they have been searching for all along. That's when Ami suggests going to the embassy that night to at least catch a glimpse of Princess D.

At home, Usagi sees her dad getting ready a special occasion in a suit, and learns that he’s been invited to the embassy's reception to write a story on it for the papers. He tells her she can't come, but promises to take pictures for her before leaving. Usagi then uses her Disguise Pen to transform into a Princess so she can attend.

Tuxedo Mask has a dream where he stands before a girl who is begging him to find the Silver Crystal, causing Mamoru to wake up in a cold sweat. At the reception, Usagi demands her way through with a lie that she's royalty and sees a Masquerade Ball happening inside.

Nephrite seeks out Naru in the crowd before requesting a dance from her, she falls again for the Sanjouin persona and agrees. Distracted, Usagi bumps into a woman with a glass, getting a drink all over her gown. Tuxedo Mask searches around the reception, wondering if the Silver Crystal could really restore his memories. He sees Usagi, recognising her from somewhere and then starts to recall his dream.

Out on the balcony, Naru is possessed with a shadow to follow Nephrite’s exact orders. Usagi, all alone broods over not having a dance partner and the fact her gown is ruined, when Tuxedo Mask comes to offer her a dance. She accepts, and as they whirl around, she feels as if they had danced together before.

A possessed Naru requests entry to see Princess D, making up a lie that she’s a friend. Princess D comments on how she wishes she was as beautiful as her gems so people would come and see her, when Naru walks in. Happy to finally have company, she accepts the stranger when the shadow jumps from Naru’s body into hers, possessing her.

She steals the treasure and runs onto the balcony to drop it down to Nephrite, when Usagi interferes. They struggle for the item, as Usagi's pushed off the balcony. Tuxedo Mask grabs her hand just in time, saving her from falling. Nephrite is about to end the both of them when Sailor Mars stops his attack with Fire Soul, appearing alongside Sailor Mercury. Usagi and Tuxedo Mask fall as they both lose strength, but Luna passes them an umbrella to float down to safety.

Sailor Mercury stops Tuxedo Mask as he walks off, and demands to know who he is. He says he doesn’t know and that’s the exact reason he needs the Silver Crystal. She asks if he’s an enemy or an ally, to which he replies he might be an enemy since they're after the same thing, before leaving.

Princess D is unconscious on the floor while Nephrite from outside calls upon his powers, controlling her again. She renders everyone unconscious but is confronted by the Sailor Guardians. She announces she’s leaving with the Silver Crystal, when Sailor Mars uses Akuryo Taisan to call out Nephrite’s shadow. Nephrite attacks them with the shadow as Sailor Mercury uses Bubble Spray to cast it away. Sailor Moon then uses Moon Tiara Action to defeat it for good.

Waking up up from her trance, Luna asks if she’s the Princess they are looking for, which causes her to pass out again due to her speaking. The treasure is then revealed, which is a 2000c statue of herself. Nephrite sees this and is angered by the waste of time and energy he spent. Usagi, Ami and Rei all enjoy the rest of the reception, with Tuxedo Mask helping out a drunk Usagi. He later lays her down on the balcony and kisses her as she remembers feeling this happen a long time ago.

International Dub Titles

• Brazilian Portuguese: Um Romance Sob a Lua: Primeiro Beijo de Serena ("A Romance Under the Moon: Serena's First Kiss")
• European Portuguese: O Primeiro Beijo da Bunny ("Bunny's First Kiss")
• French:
  • TV: Le bal masqué ("The Masked Ball")
  • DVD: Romance sous la Lune ! Le premier baiser d’Usagi. ("Romance Under the Moon! Usagi’s First Kiss.")
• German: Bunnys Erster Kuss ("Bunny's First Kiss")

Changes

Changes From the Manga

• This episode is based on Act 4 of the manga.
• From this episode on, there are major plot changes made in the anime version from the manga.
• In the manga, a new tiara appeared on Sailor Moon's forehead, as her first one had been destroyed fighting Jadeite. She could perform a new attack with her recently acquired item.
• The Sailor Senshi attended the dinner party in a group to search for the precious treasure, which is rumored to be a Silver Crystal.
• The Disguise Pen transformed into the umbrella to help Usagi and Tuxedo Mask landed safely after they both fallen off the balcony.
• Nephrite uses evil spirits to take over Princess D's body in his attempt to steal the precious treasure from the Kingdom.
• When Usagi runs searching for the bathroom, she accidentally drops the handkerchief, and later picked up by Tuxedo Mask.
• When the Sailor Senshi saw Princess D's face without glasses for the first time after the battle, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury thinking in their wild thoughts that Umino could be more attractive when his glasses is removed, while Sailor Mars denies it.
• Usagi, while in sailor-suited form, fallen in exhaustion after drinking punch before Tuxedo Mask fetched her and given a kiss afterward. Luna later appears, suspecting Tuxedo Mask as an enemy.
• At the end of Act 4, Makoto Kino made her brief debut, leading up to Act 5.
  • In the anime version however, she still yet to be introduced until Episode 25 later.

Dub Changes

• The scene where Usagi and Tuxedo Mask fell off the balcony and floated down with the umbrella was cut from the English dub, and the moment where they fell was edited to go backward. However, an image of them floating down with the umbrella was shown during a flashback scene in "Day of Destiny".
• In the DiC dub, Usagi was sick instead of drunk.

First Appearances

• Kunzite

Gallery

Trivia

• This was not only the first time Usagi would mistake alcohol for punch; but she would later become drunk again in episode 108.