EPISODE 019

Usagi kangeki! Tuxedo Kamen no love letter

(Usagi is thrilled! Tuxedo Kamen's Love Letter)

Original Air Date: 07-25-1992
Director: Takao Yoshizawa
Animation Director: Akira Nakamura
Writer: Sukehiro Tomita

Screencaps
Did You Notice...?

What's In This Episode?
Leo, Naru Osaka, Nephrite, Shinjuku MS Department Store, Shishiza

At his secret mansion in the forest, Nephrite consults the stars to find find the weakness of the Sailor Senshi. He sees that the constellation Leo (Shishiza) is shining brightly, presided over by the star Regulus. He finds that Sailor Moon's weakness is her adoration of Tuxedo Kamen. Suddenly, Zoisite appears and says that Queen Beryl is calling for Nephrite. When he goes to see the queen, she scolds him for failing to collect human energy. He responds by saying, "The universe was not created in a day," and she reprimands him for talking back to her. She then tells him that if he cannot defeat the Sailor Senshi, he will be sentenced to Eternal Sleep like Jadeite. He says that he is already thinking of a way to defeat the girls. Zoisite teases him by saying, "I remember that Jadeite used to say the same thing... I wonder if you can..." Nephrite swears to lure Sailor Moon out and kill her.

Usagi arrives home after school and finds that she has a letter waiting for her in the mailbox from Tuxedo Kamen!! She rushes upstairs to her bedroom to read the letter, which says, "I love you more than anyone else. Please meet me at the Shinjuku MS Department store tomorrow night." Luna wonders why Tuxedo Kamen would send her a letter, considering that he doesn't know Usagi is Sailor Moon. Usagi says that Tuxedo Kamen's love must have been so strong that he could see through her secrets. Luna reminds her that although Tuxedo Kamen has always helped the senshi, they still don't know if he is on their side, so they should be careful.

At school the next day, Usagi learns that all of her female classmates have also received identical letters from Tuxedo Kamen, including her best friend, Naru Osaka. Naru immediately thinks of Masato Sanjoin, the mysterious man she saw at her friend Rui Saionji's tennis practice. Soon, the teacher, Haruna-sensei enters and tells everyone not to be fooled by the prank love letters. She says that ladies must be modest, and that someone is trying to trick them. She warns all of them not to attempt to go to the Shinjuku MS Department Store. She is very cheerful, but when she turns towards the blackboard, it is clear that she is secretly angry because she didn't receive a love letter as well.

Later, Luna talks to Ami about the situation, who suggests that they should talk to Rei. At Game Center Crown, Motoki tells Mamoru about the mysterious love letters from Tuxedo Kamen. Mamoru comments that it may be some sort of promotion. Usagi soon walks in and sighs deeply. Motoki greets her, but she seems depressed. Mamoru teases her by saying that she must not have gotten a letter from Tuxedo Kamen, but she says she did get the letter: she is depressed because so many other girls got the same letter! She begins to cry.

Ami goes to visit Rei at her home at the Hikawa Jinja shrine. Rei tells her that she is very sick, having caught a cold. She can't go out, even though she has an invitation from Tuxedo Kamen.

At the department store, Nephrite waits for Sailor Moon. Naru sees him there, and greets him. She says that she is a member of the Juuban Junior High tennis club, and he says that he remembers her. She asks him if he is Tuxedo Kamen. He doesn't say yes or no, but he wonders to himself if she is aware that he is the one who sent the letters using Tuxedo Kamen's name. He suspects that Naru may be Sailor Moon, so he tells her that she is the cutest girl at Juuban Junior High and that he has been interested in her for quite some time now. He leaves, saying that he will see her later that night and causing the girl to think that perhaps he really is Tuxedo Kamen. She examines the love letter she received and remembers his words.

Meanwhile, Usagi sits at home wondering why Tuxedo Kamen sent out so many love letters. She decides that she'll just go and ask him in person. Going to her closet to find an outfit to wear, she says, "Date etiquette rule number one: always wear clean underwear and a nice outfit!" Spritzing on perfume, she says, "Date etiquette rule number two: wear a nice, non-offensive fragrance." Next it's "Date etiquette rule number three: brush your teeth and be ready just in case!" and "Date etiquette rule number four: use a soft pink lip color for a neat, innocent look." She dreams about kissing Tuxedo Kamen.

That night, Naru goes to the Shinjuku MS Department Store to search for Tuxedo Kamen or Masato Sanjoin. It is initially dark in the store, but the lights suddenly come on and Nephrite (who is dressed like Tuxedo Kamen) appears at the top of the escalator. He rides down the escalator, and Naru recognizes him as Masato Sanjoin due to his voice and the way he carries himself. This is somewhat alarming to Nephrite, but he not let Naru know. She says that after what he told her that afternoon, she has become a "prisoner of love."

Suddenly, Nephrite leaps down the escalator demanding, "Sailor Moon! Reveal yourself! Show me who you really are!"

[Commercial Break]

Usagi walks towards the department store, wondering if she should have told Ami and Rei after all. Ami calls Usagi on her communication device, and Usagi says that she is in Shinjuku. Ami is still at Rei's house, and when Rei overhears this, she becomes angry that Usagi is going on a date with Tuxedo Kamen behind her back.

Meanwhile, Nephrite is confronting Naru at the department store and accusing her of being Sailor Moon, demanding that she transform. She says she doesn't know what he is talking about, and simply says that she loves him. He points his index finger at her forehead and begins drawing out her energy, which is tremendous. She soon faints in his arms.

Usagi comes upon the scene and cannot believe what is happening to her friend. She hides behind a corner and watches what is happening. When she realizes that the masked man is not actually Tuxedo Kamen, she immediately transforms into Sailor Moon. At the same time, Mamoru, who is on the other side of town, experiences a severe headache which causes him to transform into Tuxedo Kamen.

Nephrite is disappointed that Naru was not actually Sailor Moon, but he is quite pleased that he collected an incredible amount of energy. Sailor Moon then appears and challenges him by saying, "A tuxedo is not fitting for a monster who toys with a girl's love!" He asks her how she could tell that he was not Tuxedo Kamen, and she says that it's "the intuition of a girl in love." She then attacks him with a physical attack, "Sailor Moon Kick," and knocks the top hat from his head.

In response, he flings Naru's lifeless body at Sailor Moon and leaps into the air, discarding his Tuxedo Kamen disguise. Sailor Moon immediately recognizes that he is Masato Sanjoin, and he reveals his true identity as Nephrite. He also tells her that he became Tuxedo Kamen only to lure her out. He produces an illusion of dozens of clones of himself, then calls out to the star Regulus of the Leo (Shishiza) constellation to grant him power. A starry sky appears above Sailor Moon, and the constellation Leo forms among the stars. A lion-like creature leaps out of the constellation and begins chasing after Sailor Moon. Just as he is about to pounce on her, a red rose flies through the air and hits his face.

Tuxedo Kamen appears and addresses Nephrite: "So, you sent those love letters using my name in order to lure out Sailor Moon! Unforgivable!" He then leaps in front of Sailor Moon and tells her to run. The lion attacks him, so Sailor Moon uses her Moon Tiara Action attack to strike the lion and knock him backwards... although, to her surprise, it does not immediately destroy the creature. Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon quickly run into a nearby elevator shaft, and the lion disappears. Nephrite laughs and says, "You fell for it!"

As soon as the pair enter the elevator, Tuxedo Kamen realizes that it is a trap. Over the intercom, Nephrite announces, "This elevator will go up to the roof. What do you suppose will happen when it gets to the top floor? By the law of Earth's gravity, the elevator will fall! Your bodies will be flattened into pancakes!" The elevator begins moving, and Sailor Moon cries... although she is still hoping for a kiss from Tuxedo Kamen.

Tuxedo Kamen thinks quickly and uses his cane to open the trap door at the top of the elevator. Both crawl on top of the elevator, and when they reach the top floor, they jump to grab the ledge. Sailor Moon misses and almost falls, but Tuxedo Kamen manages to catch her by grabbing her wrist. Nephrite waits downstairs on the first floor, thinking that the two are still in the elevator. When it crashes, he believes that they were killed instantly.

Sailor Moon doesn't feel that she can hold on much longer, and Tuxedo Kamen suggests that they talk to distract themselves from the danger they are in. She thinks for a moment and asks him why he always rescues her. He says, "My blood roars and it makes me want to rescue you."

Tuxedo Kamen puts on foot on the sign for the thirteenth floor and tells Sailor Moon to try to climb up his back. She climbs on and grabs his shoulders. Still trying to make conversation, she says that he must rescue her because he loves her. She guesses that his true identity must be Motoki, but he doesn't respond to anything she says. He simply says, "Sailor Moon. I cannot help but feel that i knew you somehow long, long ago. Something is stirring in the corner of my mind, but I just cannot remember it."

Suddenly, the sign that was holding Tuxedo Kamen's foot breaks loose, and the two almost fall! Sailor Moon gets very scared, and tries continuing the conversation as Tuxedo Kamen suggested. She nervously says, "What's your hobby? What are your favorite foods? Oh, I'm so stupid! I keep coming up with weird questions! It's just sad!" She cries louder and louder, and Tuxedo Kamen begins to lose his grip.

Just in time, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars fling open the elevator doors and pull their friends out of danger. Sailor Mercury scolds Sailor Moon for going to the department store without telling them.

Tuxedo Kamen and the Sailor Senshi go to the roof of the department store. Sailor Mercury carries the still unconscious Naru on her back. Sailor Mars is coughing and has her face covered by a paper mask. She says to Sailor Moon, "I have a cold, you know! How dare you take that risk behind my back and drape yourself all over Tuxedo Kamen? It's not fair!" The two girls begin arguing over him, while Sailor Mercury insists that they take Naru to a hospital soon. Tuxedo Kamen quickly bids them farewell and seems to jump off the side of the building... although in reality, he is simply hiding on a lower ledge, out of sight.

Nephrite stands before Queen Beryl in the Dark Kingdom's lair. Zoisite reports that although Nephrite boasted that he would kill Sailor Moon, he was unable to do so. He suggests that Nephrite should be sentenced to Eternal Sleep. Luckily for Nephrite, Queen Beryl is very impressed with the amount of energy he was able to drain from Naru, and she doesn't punish him this time. Zoisite is furious, but the queen tells im to stop worrying about others and tend to his own business. She also tells him to hurry up and find the Ginzuishou.

At his mansion, Nephrite consults the stars regarding Naru's enormous amount of energy. It seems that the girl is truly in love with his disguise as Masato Sanjoin. He finds this to be quite foolish, and begins to laugh.