Template:EpAnime Infobox “The Cursed Bus: Enter Mars, the Guardian of Fire” is the 10th episode of the first season of the first Sailor Moon anime, and the 10th episode overall. It first aired in Japan on May 16, 1992. The DiC English dub title for this episode is "An Uncharmed Life", and it first aired in North America on September 19, 1995.
Summary
Several people who take the bus near the Hikawa Shrine have gone missing. Usagi, Ami and Luna decide to investigate by visiting the shrine. There, they meet Rei Hino, a miko (shrine maiden) with strong spiritual powers.
Plot
Queen Beryl and Jadeite devise a new plan to gather energy for the Queen Metalia.
Usagi, Ami, and Naru see several cops going to a temple near Sendaizaku, where several buses were reported to have vanished into thin air after picking up passengers. The temple is also selling charms, and Usagi goes there to buy one. Jadeite is working at the temple, disguised as a worker named Jed. At the temple, Usagi, Ami, and Naru meet Rei Hino and her grandfather. Jadeite activates the charms that three girls bought earlier, putting them into a trance.
Usagi, Ami and Luna arrive at the bus station to investigate. A bus (with the number 66, the same number as the one that disappeared) arrives. Luna tells Usagi to get on, but she does not want to due to the appearance of the driver. Afterward, the bus drives off into a black hole. Usagi tells Rei about this, associating the bus with the temple due to the fact that everyone on it has the charms sold by the temple, which was really Jed's idea. After they leave, Rei finds a transformation pen on the ground with the symbol of Mars on it. She then begins to suspect that Jed might be involved.
When the bus returns, Luna tells Usagi to get on. She eventually uses the Disguise Pen to turn into a bus attendant, and gets onto the bus with Luna. After the bus drives into the black hole, leaving Ami outside at the bus station, Rei, at her shrine, looks into the fire and sees that Jed is the one responsible. After she accuses him, he summons a black hole and throws her in. Rei and the bus appear in another dimension. The driver turns into one of Jadeite's youma, Kigaan. Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon.
The sign of Mars appears on Rei's forehead. Sailor Moon throws her moon tiara to Kigaan, but she avoids it. As Rei's birds Phobos and Deimos (who were also thrown into the black hole with her) attack Kigaan, who catches the moon tiara, which Sailor Moon uses to bind her. Luna tells Rei to use the transformation pen and say "Mars Power, Make Up", and Rei, visibly infuriated, and she transforms into Sailor Mars and destroys Kigaan with her Fire Soul attack.
The black hole begins to close up, threatening to trap Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Luna, and the other victims inside forever, but Ami, from the bus station, prays and inadvertantly uses her power to keep it open. Tuxedo Mask arrives and takes everyone out of the black hole. Afterwards, Sailor Moon suspects that Sailor Mars is in love with Tuxedo Mask.
Changes
Changes From the Manga
This episode is based on the manga chapter Act 3 - Rei, Sailor Mars but with a few differences.
- Nephrite makes his debut.
- The chapter does not have a youma.
- Sailor Mercury is able to reach the alternate dimension.
- Jadeite is killed outright by Sailor Mars' fire attack after she is introduced.
- The symbol of Mars appeared on Rei's head and Luna threw Rei the pen.
- Rei's Grandfather does not appear until Act 5. Also, his appearance differs greatly, as in the manga he is tall and has hair and a mustache.
- Jadeite is the bus driver and does not set foot in the shrine.
- Tuxedo Mask didn't appear in the alternate dimension driving the buses, nor does he even appear at all.
- The Sailor Senshi escaped from the dimension using a transportation technique.
- Usagi and Luna boarded into the bus when they suddenly met Mamoru by accident, revealing himself as the Grade 11 High School student attending at Moto Azabu High School.
Dub Changes
First Appearances
Gallery
_(May_16,_1992).png "Mars Power (Episode 10 - Cursed Buses! Fire Senshi Mars Appears) (May 16, 1992).png (861 KB)")
Trivia
- This episode and the next episode were edited and merged together in the Korean dub. This was done to avoid showing scenes of the Hikawa Shrine.
- It is never shown how Tuxedo Mask got into the other dimension.
- This is the first episode where, in a rare occasion, a Sailor Senshi, other than Sailor Moon, destroys the Monster of the Week.
Template:NavEpAnime