Template:Infobox anime"A New Transformation! Usagi Powers Up" is the 5th episode of the second season of the Sailor Moon anime, and the 51st episode overall. The episode first aired in Japan on April 17, 1993. The DiC English dub title for this episode is "Cherry Blossom Time", and the episode first aired in North America on November 28, 1995.
Summary
A Cardian attack during a cherry blossom viewing renders Usagi powerless and the Senshi helpless until Queen Serenity fuses the Silver Crystal with Usagi's locket, giving her a new transformation and a new wand attack.
Plot
Ail and Ann are talking about the flowering cherry blossoms in Tokyo and about how many people gather to watch them each year. Ail then mentions how during its prime the Hell Tree used to blossom in a similar way, but now it is completely barren.
Later in the day Ms. Sakurada takes her class to the park to watch the cherry blossoms, tagging along are Makoto, Rei, Minako Aino, An, and of course Luna and Artemis. Upon their arrival they see Umino has found them a spot for lunch. When asked how he managed to get such a good spot he tells them he slept there overnight, all for Naru.
During their lunch, Usagi samples a little bit of all of her friends' foods and gets into an argument with Rei and puts a hot condiment on a sandwich for her, causing her to spew fire. Ail is the nseen watching Usagi from a distance and comments on her beauty to which An asks what he means by it. Ail attempts to reassure her he was speaking of the cherry blossoms, An then changes from her human identity followed by Ail and they pick their next Cardian to gather energy.
In another area of the park Umino confeses his admiraton to Naru and she asks if he gets embarrassed saying such things, to which he replies no because he doesn't say anything that's untrue. This causes Naru to blush and they soon notice a strange tree and are soon trapped in a glowing circle on the ground that quickly saps their energy. Ms. Sakurada then finds them and a woman appears whom she asks for help, but her energy is then drained as well.
Later Usagi is in the park office where Naru, Umino, and Ms. Sakurada are all resting and the doctor mentions this is the tenth time it's happened and that he can't explain why. Usagi hears Luna's take on it and is convinced it has something to do with their new enemies and the girls begin a search of the park. Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako unfortunately come across the same tree Naru and Umino found and find themselves being drained for their energy in a similar manner. Usagi arrives and transforms into Sailor Moon and attacks the Cardian, Racy, with Moon Tiara Action only for it fail again. Racy then attacks her and pins her to the ground and breaks her brooch before opening a portal in the ground. After transforming back into Usagi she struggles to free herself from the hole, determined to save her friends but is unable to fight it. Luna rushes to help her but is sucked in as well.
As Usagi and Luna float through an empty space Luna explains the reason why her powers have been malfunctioning lately, because she isn't committed to being a Sailor Senshi anymore and Usagi agrees. The two suddenly appear in a magenta themed area, and Queen Serenity appears. She thanks Usagi for needing her help and after teleporting to a new scene like the Moon Kingdom the Queen reveals the Silver Crystal which she places into her broken brooch. Queen Serenity tells Usagi her new transformation command, "Moon Crystal Power, Make-up ". Usagi thanks her before transforming.
Back in the park Artemis has been trying to hold his own against Racy and then Sailor Moon and Luna arrive. Racy attacks them but is stopped by the Moonlight Knight. Queen Serenity appears flying through the sky and drops a new item down for Sailor Moon, the Cutie Moon Rod . Sailor Moon thanks her and uses her new wand a new attack, Moon Princess Halation, to clense the Cardian and save her friends. Unfortunately, there was much energy gathered for the Makaiju.
Changes
Changes From the Manga
- The Cutie Moon Rod is created by the love between Usagi and Mamoru.
- Sailor Moon's brooch breaks in the middle of the fight against Queen Metalia.
Dub Changes
- When Usagi transformed before her upgrade, the episode cut to a bumper signalling the start of a commercial break without displaying the full sequence. In the first English Dub, the commercial break was placed before Serena transformed, which enabled DiC to use the full transformation sequence.
Trivia
- Kotono Mitsuishi returns as the voice of Usagi.
- This episode featured the last use of Moon Prism Power, Make Up by Usagi, and the first use of Moon Crystal Power, Make Up and Moon Princess Halation.
- The Sailor Says segment of this episode included footage from episode 42, despite the fact that that episode was excluded from the first English dub.
- This episode featured the last of three appearances by Queen Serenity; the others were in episode 35 and episode 44.
- This episode included the first time Usagi's brooch was broken by a monster-of-the-day, preventing her from transforming. The second time was in episode 90.
- All shots of Usagi nude were cut out of the Korean dub, while the Hebrew dub edited them to cover her body.
Gallery
First Appearances
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