"Protect the Melody of Love: Usagi Plays Cupid” is the 6th episode of the 1st season of the Sailor Moon anime and the 6th episode overall. It aired in Japan on April 18, 1992. This episode wasn't dubbed as part of DiC's English dub but has been in the Viz dub.
Summary[]
One rainy day, Usagi bumps into Yusuke Amade, a famous musician who claims he is being chased by a youma. Realizing the man is telling the truth, Usagi and Luna decide to keep an eye on Yusuke by staking out the venue where he performs.
Plot[]
In the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl is listening to a cassette that Jadeite brought and watches as it drains the energy out of roses in a vase. Jadeite informs her the frequency in the tape will do the same to humans, draining energy from them for Queen Metalia. Jadeite then summons Kyurene telling her to place the tape into the human's music.
Usagi, Naru, and Luna are in Naru's room listening to jazz music. Usagi looks over the CD cover, which is a picture of a man carrying a bouquet of roses. Naru fantasises about him, commenting she would like to date a sophisticated older man who makes such music. Outside the Jam Records building, Amade Yusuke is standing in the rain carrying the same bouquet of roses, telling himself that today he will finally confess his love.
Inside the same building Kyurene tries to implant the cursed tape into a stereo located in the recording booth. A woman working for the company named Akiko comes in and retrieves the tape, mistaking it for Yusuke’s demo. Kyurene is ready to attack Akiko for the tape until a man arrives, telling her Yusuke is waiting for her with the roses. Akiko meets with him to talk about recording his demo for release. They’re interrupted by the man from earlier, who calls Akiko for assistance. She leaves the tape with Yusuke, telling him to come up with a name for his demo and leaves, unknowingly being watched by Kyurene.
On her way home from Naru's, Usagi stops outside of Game Center Crown, though it's a late hour. Yusuke then crashes into Usagi after running frantically down the sidewalk. After apologising, Usagi and Luna walk with him as Yusuke explains he's being targeted by a monster and tells them about meeting Kyurene. While walking down an alley he saw her being surrounded by a swarm of bats before changing her form. Yusuke leaves his card and information with the two before walking off hurriedly, as he has a performance.
In an electronics junkyard, Kyurene communicates with Jadeite through a pile of televisions. He tells her to retrieve the tape, or she will pay the price with her life. Following his command, she fades into the swarm of bats and flies into the city.
At the club where Yusuke works, Usagi uses the Disguise Pen to transform herself into a musician. Inside, Yusuke plays the piano and Usagi finds a seat, with Luna draped over her shoulder as an accessory. After his performance, Yusuke leaves and waits in the basement's parking garage where he sees more bats flying around. Soon after, the elevator door opens and Kyurene emerges. She attacks Yusuke, stealing the tape and plans to kill him for wasting her time. Just then Usagi arrives after hearing his screams, and Kyurene transforms into her true self before flying off.
Yusuke and Usagi take off in his car, determined to follow and take down Kyurene. Usagi makes playful comments in the car about his crush on Akiko. They stop at the Jam Records building, where Usagi is sure she saw her land. All the employees have been put to sleep by Kyurene, when Yusuke bursts through the door. Luna knocks the tape from the Youma's grasp, as Usagi grabs it. Kyurene transforms into a humanoid bat, demanding the tape be handed back. Yusuke finally realises the tape they've been chasing all this time isn't his, and Kyurene attacks Akiko. She holds Akiko hostage, demanding the tape for her life. Usagi agrees, throwing the tape into the air, Yusuke uses this distraction to save Akiko while Luna gets hold of the tape and instantly smashes it.
Kyurene breaks through a window to escape, and Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon to give chase. Kyurene lands but is immediately confronted, shooting supersonic waves from her wings. Sailor Moon throws a microphone at Kyurene as she makes her second attack. The microphone amplifies the sound waves causing large subwoofer speakers to blast the attack back at the Kyurene. The attack incapacitates her long enough for Sailor Moon to destroy her with Moon Tiara Action.
Back in the studio, Akiko is taking care of Yusuke's wounds, scolding him for being so careless because he could have hurt his hands. Listening in the hallway, Sailor Moon mentions she's jealous of their relationship. Meanwhile, Naru is distraught because Yusuke and Akiko are now married. Usagi talks about what a great guy he is and Naru says it sounds like they know each other. Usagi responds by saying they do while waving around a new CD of his titled "Moonlight Lady", the cover design is in the shape of Sailor Moon.
International Dub Titles[]
- Brazilian Portuguese: Serena é um Bom Cupido ("Serena is a Good Cupid")
- Latin America Spanish: Serena es un buen cupido ("Serena is a Good Cupid")
- European Portuguese: Nunca Desistas do Amor ("Never Give Up on Love")
- European Spanish: Nunca Renunciéis al Amor ("Never Give Love Up")
- French
- TV: Bunny au secours de l’amour ("Bunny to the Rescue of Love")
- DVD: Protège la mélodie de l’amour ! Usagi en Cupidon ("Protect the Melody of Love! Usagi in Cupid")
- German: Der Held meiner Träume ("The Hero of my Dreams")
Changes From the Manga[]
- These events never took place in the Manga.
Dub Changes[]
- This episode never appeared in the original English Dub, as it was cut.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This was the 3rd of 6 episodes to be completely cut from the DiC English dub but is included in the Viz Media English dub.
- This episode featured a slight adjustment to this season's opening sequence: in the part where Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Mars had appeared as veil-wrapped silhouettes against a moon backdrop, they now cast off the veils and reveal their Sailor Senshi forms to the viewers. This would remain until episode 27, which had a completely new opening sequence.
- The animation sequence for Moon Prism Power, Make Up changed slightly starting with this episode: during the part where Usagi raises her hand, she now sparkles and becomes pink before transforming into her Sailor Senshi form.
- During Sailor Moon's speech in the introduction to this episode, she said that Bach, the "Father of Music," was angry. In the episode itself, however, she used Haydn in her speech instead of Bach and was corrected by Luna. Her confusion arose because Bach is sometimes called the "Father of Music," but Haydn is called "Papa" Haydn.
- Emi Shinohara, who would later become the voice actress for Sailor Jupiter, voiced Kyurene in this episode.
- Stephanie Sheh, the voice of Usagi in the Viz Media English dub, also voiced Kyurene in this episode.
- The background of Moon Tiara Action has been updated as of this episode.
- The background first appeared in episode 5 but the healing variant, Moon Tiara Stardust was used.