EPISODE 024

Naru-chan goukyuu! Nephrite Ai no Shi

(Naru-chan's Tears! The Death of Nephrite for Love)

Original Air Date: 08-29-1992
Director: Junichi Satou, Takuya Igarashi
Animation Director: Ikuko Ito
Writer: Sukehiro Tomita

Screencaps

What's In This Episode?
Grape, Housenka, Kunzite, Kurozuishou, Naru Osaka, Nephrite, Rag Time, Suzuran, Zoisite

Naru sits on a playground, sadly thinking about Masato Sanjoin. Usagi tells her that she should forget about him, but Naru says that she can't; no matter how bad he is, she still loves him. She asks Usagi if she has someone she loves, and says that if she does, she should understand Naru's feelings.

Nephrite sits in the Dark Kingdom's lair, wondering why the Kurozuishou reacted to Naru. He thinks back to when she saved him, and wonders if the crystal's reaction was due to the energy of love. Finally, he decides that that theory is ridiculous. Because Sailor Moon knew Naru's name, he speculates that Naru must also know Sailor Moon's true identity. Zoisite overhears Nephrite and realizes that the Kurozuishou is supposed to help locate the Ginzuishou.

In her apartment above Jewelry Osa-P, Naru sleeps peacefully. Nephrite suddenly appears on her balcony and enters her bedroom. The Kurozuishou responds strongly to the sleeping girl, and Nephrite wonders if the Ginzuishou could be hidden within a human body. He lets the crystal go, and it flies towards the girl, hovering over her body, although he quickly realizes that the Ginzuishou is not hidden within her.

Naru suddenly wakes up and realizes that Masato Sanjoin is in her bedroom. She calls out to him, but he tells her that Masato Sanjoin is his disguise; his real name is Nephrite. He says that he does not want to lie to her anymore, and asks her to listen to what he says. He says, "You are a wonderful girl. Thanks to you, I have learned what love is for the first time. In the evil organization I have been a part of, there is no love. We betray each other and kill each other for our own gain. I thought that was normal, but your love opened my eyes. Now, I am thinking that I would like to join Sailor Moon to fight the evil organization. If you know anything about Sailor Moon, please tell me." Naru tells him that she doesn't know anything about Sailor Moon, but Nephrite accuses her of not trusting him. She swears she knows nothing, and he disappears. Nephrite thinks to himself that if Naru knows who Sailor Moon is, she will certainly contact her.

Meanwhile, Zoisite looks on and laughs at Nephrite for falling in love with a human girl. He turns to the three youma Grape, Suzuran, and Housenka, who think that Nephrite is stupid and want to attack him right away. Zoisite tells them to be patient, because Nephrite is a very good warrior who won't be hurt by ill-planned attacks. He says that they should take Naru hostage and wait for Nephrite to rescue her. In her bedroom, Naru wonders how she an possibly find out where Sailor Moon is.

At the Tsukino residence, Ikuko calls out that Usagi has a phone call, even though it is very late at night. Usagi sleepily answers the phone to find that Naru has called her. Naru tells her that Masato Sanjoin is looking for Sailor Moon; that he is in trouble and she feels that she cannot help him. Naru is crying, and she apologizes to Usagi for making such a strange phone call so late at night. She tells Usagi that she feels much better after talking. Nephrite overhears the phone call and the name Usagi.

After they get off the phone, Usagi and Luna run to Naru's apartment. Luna runs ahead, leaving Usagi to catch up. Suddenly, space begins to warp all around Usagi. Believing that it is the work of a youma, she quickly transforms into Sailor Moon. Nephrite is actually watching, and he sees her transform, learning her true identity. She asks him not to tell anyone that she is Sailor Moon, but he says it doesn't matter, because she will die here. He begins attacking her with several bursts of energy, which she manages to dodge.

Just as Nephrite is about to attack again, Tuxedo Kamen appears standing on top of a street light. He throws a rose at Nephrite to distract him, and says, "Defeat is not befitting of the beautiful Sailor Moon. I shall be your opponent!" Tuxedo leaps down to confront Nephrite, but Nephrite suddenly hears Naru's voice calling out for help. He says that they will conclude their fight later, and quickly disappears. Sailor Moon is upset that Nephrite knows her identity, but Tuxedo Kamen tells her not to give up.

At Naru's apartment, Luna sees Suzuran flying out of the window, holding Naru. Nephrite appears inside Naru's bedroom to find a note from the youma telling him to hand over the Kurozuishou in exchange for Naru. Out loud, Nephrite says, "Who cares about that girl?" But he begins thinking about her smiling face, and gets very angry.

[Commercial Break]

Grape, Suzuran, and Housenka take Naru to an abandoned club called Rag Time. They tie her up and wait for Nephrite to come, deciding that if he doesn't show up, they will kill the girl. Nephrite soon appears on the stairs, and the youma immediately begin to attack him. He knocks them away, then draws a sword on Housenka, telling her that he will never give them the Kurozuishou.

Nephrite frees Naru and carries her away. She thanks him, but he tells her that he doesn't really understand why he saved her. He says that he has continued to deceive her for a long time, and that he may even continue lying to her after this. She says that it's ok; as long as he is close to her, she doesn't mind if he lies to her.

She suddenly sees that he has been injured in the battle with the youma, and leads him into a secluded area of the park. She tells him to remove his jacket, which he does, and tears her pajamas to create a bandage for his arm. She tells him about a place she knows that serves excellent chocolate parfaits, and asks if he likes them. He says that he does, but she knows he is lying and says, "See? Sometimes we lie with kind intentions, too." She finishes tying his bandages and says that she thought it would be nice to have chocolate parfaits with him. He says that it sounds good, and that they should do it one day; this time, he isn't lying. Naru innocently asks if the evil organization for which he works gives him Sundays off, but he begins to laugh.

Housenka suddenly appears and attacks the pair. Nephrite pushes Naru out of the way, and several huge thorns pierce his right shoulder. Suzuran and Grape appear, and Housenka tells Nephrite that the thorns will keep drawing out his energy until he finally dies. They then tell him to hand over the Kurozuishou or they will kill Naru. He finally agrees to hand it over, and tells Naru to run away quickly. She refuses to run away, and runs to him to attempt to pull out the thorns. He tells her to stop and leave, but she does manage to pull one of the thorns out. This infuriates Grape, who attacks the pair with a huge burst of energy, causing a large explosion. The Kurozuishou hits the ground at their feet.

Nephrite protects Naru from the explosion, bringing him even closer to death. Zoisite appears in the sky and collects the Kurozuishou, then tells Nephrite that he should be happy to die with the girl he loves. Zoisite then instructs the youma to "have plenty of fun" with the couple. Nephrite is extremely angry at Zoisite's cowardly behavior, and he tells Naru to run away.

Just as the youma are about to attack the couple again, the Sailor Senshi appear and confront them. The youma quickly attack, but Sailor Mercury uses her Sabão Spray attack to stop the youma's attack in mid-air. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars combine their "Moon Tiara Action" and "Fire Soul" attacks to destroy the three youma with a flaming tiara.

After the youma are destroyed, the Sailor Senshi speak with Naru and Nephrite. Nephrite tells Sailor Moon that her identity may remain a secret, and Sailor Moon says, "No, please don't die!" Nephrite looks to Naru and says, "It looks like we won't be able to have that chocolate parfait together. I have ended up lying to you to the very end. Please forgive me. I'm glad I met you." He then dies, fading away in Naru's arms as she sobs that it isn't fair.