EPISODE 008 - GAROBEN:


click for larger version Garoben is a female youma under the control of Jadeite in episode 008. Her objective is to help him gather energy from humans in order to revive Queen Metallia. Garoben assumed human form and masqueraded as an instructor at the Crystal Seminar cram school, where she she advocated the use of the Crystal Disk, a revolutionary new piece of computer software that could allegedly turn anyone into a genius with prolonged usage. The diskette actually contained a brainwashing program designed to drain them of their "brain energy," turning them into mindless human zombies under the youma's complete control. Not knowing its true purpose, Ami attended the school in order to learn more. She accidentally dropped her Crystal Disk at Game Center Crown. Usagi and Luna discovered that the disk was actually used for brainwashing purposes, and went to the cram school to investigate. Usagi disguised herself as a doctor and rushed into the building, saying that she heard someone was sick. After discovering that students were being brainwashed, she transformed into Sailor Moon. Garoben revealed her true youma form, vindicating Ami Mizuno (whom Luna had incorrectly suspected of being a Dark Kingdom agent). Garoben attacked Sailor Moon with several flying sheets of paper while at the same time asking her questions about gravity. The youma then sent the brainwashed students (who were in a zombie-like trance) to attack Sailor Moon. Meanwhile, she attempted to drain Ami of her energy by forcing her to look at a computer screen. Because Ami hadn't used the disk, however, the screen had no effect. This infuriated Garoben, who decided to kill Ami. She raised her left arm and changed it into a sharp ax. Just in time, Luna gave Ami a transformation pen and guided her in transforming into Sailor Mercury for the first time. Sailor Mercury then used her "Sabão Spray" attack to distract the youma, causing her to lose her mental hold on the brainwashed students. Sailor Moon was freed from distraction long enough to attack and destroy her with her "Moon Tiara Action" attack.

click for larger version Garoben called herself the "Youma of Knowledge." She had the rather unusual habit of quizzing her adversaries and only attacking them if they were unable to provide her with the correct response to her questions. Failure to give the right answer to her first questions on Newtonian physics - "Why did the apple fall from the tree?" - resulted in the youma raising her left arm and firing razor-sharp test papers at Sailor Moon until the proper response was given, at which point the projectiles would disappear. Sailor Moon's inability to answer her second question - "Explain gravity in fifty words or less." - caused to send the mindless human zombies her Crystal Disks had helped create after the opponent. The degree of control she maintained over her brainwashed victims was apparently dependant on the strength of her own will and could be disrupted if her concentration was broken in any way. For this reason, when Sailor Mercury attacked with her "Sabão Spray" attack and Garoben became cold, she lost her control over the students and they all slumped to the floor, freeing Sailor Moon. Garoben was also capable of reshaping the tissue of her left arm to form an ax which she could use as a weapon. In her human form, Garoben had brown hair cut into a short bob, brown eyes, and light skin. In her youma form, she was roughly eight feet tall (although this is only estimate; an exact height is never mentioned). She had dark red skin, black hair, and yellow eyes. Purple spikes protruded from her shoulders and spine. She wore a black one-piece outfit. Her seiyuu was Hiroko Emori.


See also:
Episode 008 - Tensai shoujoha youma nano? Kyoufuno sennoujuku
Crystal Seminar
Hiroko Emori