Sailor Moon Crystal: Act 24 - Attack, Black Lady - Review 

Sailor Moon Crystal: "Attack, Black Lady" Review

The drama dial was cranked up to ten this week, as people were either taken out by Black Lady, or driven completely insane by Wiseman\'s manipulations. It was an enthralling,

Before we get to all the crazy things that went down, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the good things that happened

 Because I love how even in an episode as dark as this one, we were treated to a couple of very sweet moments.

Why We\'re in Love With Sailor Moon Crystal

The first was when Diana offered to guard the Space-Time door so Sailor Pluto could go rescue "Small Lady." I

teared up when that happened. Here was this tiny cat - who by her own admission has no powers and is too small to fight, offering to help however she could. It\'s moments like these that remind me why I love Sailor Moon so much.

There was also the wonderful flashback with Chibi Pluto talking to Queen Serenity. Yes, their conversation about taboos obviously foreshadowed something dire was going to happen, but I still loved seeing a miniture Pluto trying to take her duties as the guardian of time and space seriously. It was another adorable moment.

I\'m thankful for all that cuteness too, because the rest of the episode was anything

cute. The ruthlessness shown by Black Lady was scary, partly because it was so violent, and partly because nobody could stop her.

Sailor Moon Crystal: First Season Wrap Up

If there was any doubt that Chibiusa has completely lost her mind, this episode eradicated it. She was full on Looney Tunes this week, killing the planet with Malefic Black Crystals (yikes!), forcing Mamoru to beat Sailor Moon with her own magic rod (ice cold!), ordering Saphir to attack his own brother (brutal!), and gleefully attacking the Sailor Guardians. She even attacked Luna-P, symbolizing a complete disconnect from her former self.

Now, I know her actions stem from Wiseman\'s manipulations, but it was hard not to hate Black Lady for being so downright evil. I mean, she just wouldn\'t

. Having said that, I admit I have a certain respect for her ability to manhandle her opponents. If nothing else, she is a formidable enemy.

What\'s especially chilling about all this though, is how Black Lady is basically an evil version of Sailor Moon. While Sailor Moon represents love and friendship, Black Lady represents hate and solitude.  While Sailor Moon represents light, Black Lady represents dark. It\'s a strange dichotomy.

Sailor Moon Crystal: English Subtitled Trailer

I liked that Usagi recognized this dichotomy, too. She knows Black Lady is a warped version of herself,  and that she could have easily gone down the same dark path. Which led to a fantastic speech about how bad things happen when you lose control over your emotions. Unfortunately, Usagi\'s attempt to empathize with "Small Lady" had no effect, since the latter was fully on board the crazy train.

Black Lady wasn\'t the only one acting crazy, either. Demande went mad as a March hare after Wiseman revealed he\'d been using the entire Black Moon Clan to accumulate power. It was sad watching Demande realize he was being used, and sadder still watching him kill Saphir to release his brother from Wiseman\'s control. I was hoping he would start helping Sailor Moon at that point, but instead the show ended with Demande threatening to blow up Earth by smashing the two Legendary Silver Crystals together. Well. I certainly didn\'t see

To make matters worse, the Sailor Guardians still have to deal with Wiseman, AKA Nemesis. Yes, the show dropped a planet-sized bomb on us when it revealed that Wiseman and Nemesis are one and the same. Which is terrifying; how the heck do you fight a 

? I have no idea, but you can be sure I\'m going to keep watching to find out.

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This week\'s Sailor Moon: Crystal was a thrilling mix of crazy action, surprising reveals, and tender moments. It\'s one of the strongest episodes in the entirety of the show, and sets up what will no doubt be a thrilling conclusion to the season.

Meghan Sullivan is one of IGN\'s foremost Sailor Moon experts. Talk anime, RPGs, and WWE with her on Twitter at @Meghan_IGN.

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