Rainbow Chara X
Impossible to gauge!
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- Shiny Hunting in Sinnoh
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Wow, Thanksgiving turkeys sure have the strength to revitalize you after dealing with school all November.
... And just in time too, because we're gonna need all the energy we can get for this chapter.
[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Chapter #11 - A Moon to the Past[/font][font=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]
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Spoiler:
Last time on Sailor Moon: Another Story, we went into the Time-Space Door and stormed the Black Moon UFO... while dealing with a severe difficulty spike.
Today we're... going into the past to search for the ancient Moon Kingdom! Yep, seems about right for this series.
Glad to know I'm not the only person that's questioning this.
Oh no, is this another sequence where -
Damn it. They really love to say their transformation phrases, huh?
Oh well, might as well lay out who gets what since I keep ignoring it:
Moon: Moon Cosmic Power
Chibi-Moon: Moon Prism Power
Inners: Mercury / Mars / Jupiter / Venus Star Power
Outers: Pluto / Uranus / Neptune / Saturn Planet Power
I'm putting it here for posterity, in case these weren't shown off in a previous chapter.
[The screen goes black, followed by a teal light enveloping the group]
Oh man, we're really going into the past. This is bound to get... surreal at the very least. All I can say is: brace yourselves, fellas.
[Current OST: Apsu]
O-oh. Is... is the game implying that she's suffering from breast cancer? Cause if so, then no wonder Apsu keeps trying to change Destiny.
... This got a bit more real than I was expecting, not gonna lie.
[He teleports in]
Alright, so.
Demando is a mis-translation, it's supposed to be Diamond. Prince Diamond (Anime/Manga) is the leader of the Black Moon Clan, and it was his plan to attack modern-day Tokyo in order to weaken his opponents in the future.
He's also infamous for having a hella creepy stalker crush on Sailor Moon, to the point where he held her captive in his room to do... well, hypnotize her into becoming his queen for one. Good thing Tuxedo Mask came in to save the day otherwise good god.
I won't spoil what happened to him because it's kinda relevant to what happens to him in this game.
... I'm still confused as to what the role that damn Rose Crystal plays into this story, but I think I'll save myself the headache and not bother.
Anshar asks if there's a way to stop us, to which Apsu says something very peculiar.
"We don't have to get the Silver Crystal, so you can meet up with Small Lady."
This naturally confuses Anshar, seeing as we've spent almost the entire game trying to not let the Silver Crystal fall into enemy hands. (And almost failing thanks to Usagi's heart being stronger than her brain.)
Apsu mentions that Sin's group is after the Silver Crystal in the past and that it's in... pieces.
Oh right! The original Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to repel the Dark Kingdom's forces, but the stress not only killed her but also split it up into the Nijizuishou or seven rainbow shards. (The rainbow shards containing the essences of the Seven Great Youma, a few of which we've already handily slain in previous chapters.)
Long story short, Apsu is saying that if they get one of the shards before us, we won't be able to use the Crystal and... well, here's manipulation at its finest:
"You Anshar, and Small Lady... your societal differences would disappear altogether... No, on the contrary, a future where you can have new lovers would open up."
Anshar is almost convinced, but then starts to wonder why Apsu is reviving things like the Black Moon... which is a fair point, given how the Black Moon Clan was the original source of strife for the Opposito.
... He mentions "Surely, this time Demando is more than a match for Sin and her friends." which... should be the reverse? Why would he root for his sister to lose in this case?
... Interesting how she plays an oracular role in this, seeing as she uses her future vision to predict what happens next. (Which is kind of kooky in a plot with time travel, but whatever.)
She starts coughing due to her illness, but tells Anshar to hurry and do his job.
After he leaves, Apsu remembers back to the time when she first encountered the siblings, pondering that if it weren't for them, she wouldn't have thought of this plan to change Destiny.
[Current OST: Crystal Tokyo]
"Run for your life! The Black Moon has awakened!"
[NPCs run away in fear, but the camera lingers on a sobbing Anshar and an enraged Sin]
Jesus christ, if this isn't heavy then I don't know what is. The other Opposito had motivations that ranged from servicable to bare bones, but this is the most real and visceral one by a long shot.
I like that the main villains aren't just pure evil and that the heroes aren't infallible - because otherwise this plot with Sin and Anshar wouldn't work. Their parents died because the Sailor Senshi were too busy defending the palace from the Black Moon assault.
It adds a layer of complexity to the situation that I actually like, because it shows that every major fight the main heroes face isn't completely without casualties.
[Apsu's voice calls out to Sin]
Hot damn, Apsu is a fiend. The way she manipulates the siblings is really smart (and despicable) because technically speaking, actions speak louder than words. The situation is more complicated than it seems, but Sin's parents still died, so...
They more or less repeat themselves for a bit here, but then...
[Apsu lifts Sin into the air with her dark powers]
Apsu tempts Sin with the promise of power and revenge against both the Black Moon and the Sailor Senshi... and that's her Start of Darkness.
[The crying Anshar calls out for his mother and father]
"Anshar has to come too!"
Awww, sisterly love.
[Apsu lifts the siblings into the air, but notices something... interesting about Anshar.]
Oh jeez.
"What should I do about such passion...? Surely, my downfall was only prevented because you were there, Anshar."
[Apsu coughs some more]
This story got a hell of a lot more tragic - even the big bad has some sympathetic aspect to her now!
[Current OST: Turkey]
Oh hey, we landed in... past Turkey? Strange place to wind up, but oh well.
Saturn wound up worse for wear compared to the rest of the team for some reason. (It's really weird how she's technically the Ill Girl of the group, yet she has one of the highest defense scores alongside Moon.)
... Yeah, right now anyway. Give it another chapter or two.
[A woman in a white robe walks into the scene]
NPC: "I am Radina. We have been waiting for you. Please follow me to my house. You've spent a lot of energy changing Time-Space. It would be a good idea if you rested for a while."
Oh hey, it's the lady that Venus saved... back in the present. So this is what she was like before she turned into a monster!
... In literally any other circumstance Radina announcing this would be immensely sketchy, but since we already know she's a good guy then it's fine.
I love how even in this fantastical world of magical girls and monsters, the old "don't hang out with strangers" advice still applies.
"I've met her before... but she was a ghost then..."
See, Venus knows what she's talking about.
Everyone leaves to the next screen, but Moon paces around wondering what to do... somehow missing an entire room of people clearing out in front of her.
"Everyone's gone!"
I love Usagi's ditziness when it's not hampering the plot.
(... Ahem, I actually could not control myself for that one.)
Oh yeah that's right, we whupped your ass. I'm kinda surprised you didn't expect anything less than that when you went up one to five.
That... that's a very interesting conundrum, because technically if you've been interfering with Destiny this entire time and you come from the Crystal Tokyo era then... yeah, this principle should apply no matter how far back you go in time.
Do you see what I mean when I say it's confusing?
Wow, bossy all of a sudden.
That we don't. The girls decide that they won't mess with us, and teleport away while saying this situation is bothersome.
You know what, I'll take it. We're already dealing with enough bad guys as it is.
"I am the Sage Radina. Your arrival here in this time has been prophecized, Future Sailor Senshi."
Her oracular powers scare me if she was able to predict us coming in from the future. Like how do you do that?
... Uranus like it at the very least, which is good in my book.
Radina: "Yes, a sage can do such a thing. Beryl-sama can do that too."
No, it's a completely different person from the person we fought a few chap - yes of course it's the same one you dummy.
Radina then goes on to say that we're free to use her house for whatever we need and that she'll be in the Temple of Venus if we need her advice.
That's honestly really cool because the game opens up quite a bit from here, so at least there's that.
... Suspicious to who? We're not even residents of this time period! (
The weight of Anshar stealing the Rose Crystal from her is still there, which is understandable to say the least.
(How many times has "It can't be helped" been uttered? I feel we should keep track of that one too.)
Moon is like "what are you saying", but everyone ignores it.
Teehee.
I'm bringing Mars, Venus and Mercury right now. We'll need Mercury for a boss fight coming up to soften the boss's attacks with bubbles.
"Artemis will be waiting for you."
[Artemis walks on screen]
... What has our homeboy been up to this entire time?
Poor guy.
I'm pretty sure this was another portrait mix-up because that seems like something Luna would say, but oh well.
Our active party members walk out of the room and Luna gives Artemis a small goodbye:
Aww, that's adorable.
I also really like how we have the ability to freely switch party members now (barring Moon and Chibi) after being rail-roaded the entire game.
I don't know how far in the past we are, but the cities are more or less the same as the present, barring some alterations.
Yeah, centuries pass and the villages all kinda... remain the same, which is kind of silly.
Here's a reminder that the past Venus used to date with Kunzite of the Four Heavenly Kings. That'll never stop being surreal to me, just saying.
The enemies are still the same as the present though, which really weirds me out. They went through the effort to change the dialogue and even modify some areas (I'll get to them) but the random encounters are unaltered.
... Given how they're Black Moon Droids, this might be foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing or not, they get burnt to ash because they're early game fodder.
Oh no, is this who I think it is?
"... Is that you, Rabbit!? It's been a while, huh? So you've become a Sailor Senshi."
Hooo boy. This guy is Rubeus of the Black Moon Clan and he's a piece of work.
He's referring to Chibi-Usa when he says Rabbit, due to her twin-tails looking like bunny ears. Yeah, the Black Moon Clan spent a lot of time hunting for Chibi-Usa, but it wasn't until Super that she actually became Chibi-Moon. (Something about undergoing Senshi training to help Sailor Moon.)
I'm fascinated that Rubeus brings it up because he really hasn't seen Chibi-Usa turn into a Sailor Soldier before this.
He's also not affiliated with Sin's group, which... kinda makes sense given what we know.
Cheesy opener, but any chance I get to kick your ass is one I'll take.
Name: Rubeus
HP: 25,000 (!!)
Attack: 80
Defense: 51
Speed: 75
EXP: 1800
Yen: 5000
Item Drop: Yaga Soup (Cures all HP)
Allegiance: Black Moon Clan
Official Art: Manga / Anime
* If applicable, what was their debut in the show/manga (Mistress 9): Sailor Moon R, episode 14 / Act 15 - Infiltration, Sailor Mars
Good god man, how did you get so buff.
Petz had exactly 11,000 less health than him and she was a tough as hell boss already! It's almost as if the game balance was thrown completely out of the window at this point.
... And to make it worse, the enemies right outside the area aren't even good for grinding because they give so little EXP. I guess if you defeated the Ayakashi Sisters, then this guy should be nothing by comparison... but obviously that's not the case.
Anyway, Rubeus is pretty notorious in the 90s anime for being an abusive bastard. He manipulates the Phantom Sisters for his own gain and breaks Koan's heart right in her face.
... Which is interesting because the reverse is true in the manga. He's one of the only people in the Black Moon Clan that actually cares that everyone is dying and their plans are getting fucked up, so make of that as you will.
Battle-wise, he hurts a lot so we have Mercury pepper him with some bubbles to lower his offense.
He also knows the attack that inflicts selfishness, but it doesn't hit anybody important.
A Healing Shower to boost our own attack...
Wow, either we were blocking or we reduced his attack by that much. Either way, this has gone from harrowing to a piece of cake.
... Now we just have to whittle down all 25,000 of his health.
Chibi-Moon breaks out the Fragrance we got from the Phantom Sisters to speed up Rubeus's ass-kicking.
She's really good for that too, seeing as her Speed is up to Super Sonic levels.
Great work.
... Seriously though, who's handing out steroids to the bad guys? Cause this is getting a bit ridiculous...
"T... this time I thought the Black Moon would make it..."
[His body fades from existence and nobody even cares]
We don't even say anything about him dying - that's how you know he was a scumbag.
... Fun fact, his death in the anime was much more cathartic. He set his ship to self destruct as a last resort - he was gonna take down the Senshi with him, but he didn't count on Chibi-Usa teleporting the girls out of there.
Another Black Moon member, Esmeraude (I'll get to her later) comes to see Rubeus as his ship is burning to the ground. He thinks she's there to save him, but instead she laughs in his face that he's outlived his usefulness and leaves him trapped on the burning ship.
That's stone cold.
Defeating Rubeus gives us access to the Ark again and... whoa, check this song out!
This is one of the most energetic pieces in the entire soundtrack and I love it... so it's good news that we're going to be hearing it for quite a bit!
(By the way, the treasure chests are still looted. Would they be open if we didn't grab them before? It'd kinda prove my theory that it's only the dialogue and some architecture that's changed in the past.)
[Moon goes up to the shiny crystal ball but doesn't know what to do]
... Good question.
We're dealing with ancient moon technology here and yet she can't even drive a car.
Venus says the crystal sphere is what pilots the ship and she gives Moon the opportunity to pilot the Ark.
Moon complains that she can't do it, but wouldn't you know...
[The ship starts to shake!]
Ooooh boy, does this mean we get to pilot a flying ship now?
It does!
This is one of the coolest moments in Another Story, not gonna lie.
There's the world map and... okay, not gonna lie, I kinda thought this was a wildly inaccurate nonsense map at first, but...
I checked a real life globe map and barring some weird landscapes, this is astonishingly accurate! (It's also in the distant past, so you know.)
We also move extremely fast with the Ark - like we could circle the globe in less than a few seconds. My "crashing into Tokyo" idea from Venus's chapter seems more plausible now.
I'm just visiting all over the place - we're in the underground palace beneath the Canada village and surprisingly, it's not in ruins! Good to see they paid some attention to detail.
... Also it's funny that this guy thinks we're trying to rip off the Moon Princess's hairstyle.
We never got to see the inside of the temple, so here's a throne for you.
... Village hidden in an iceberg my ass, they're clearly on land!
Yeah, there's not really a point to visiting most of the other villages other than getting some loot you missed, but keep Kainess in mind for later. For some odd reason, they put a superboss in this location.
Fighting them right now is tactical suicide, so let's not.
The only new location on the map is the North Pole, which houses the location of not only Endymion (Mamoru's past reincarnation and the prince of the Earth, in case you forgot)'s palace but also Queen Beryl's castle...
This is bound to go well.
[Current OST: North Pole]
Going from the energetic Ark theme to this downright terrifying song is such a contrast, I swear.
I like how they gave the North Pole its own theme, and one that's fitting too because the enemies here are some of the strongest we've encountered so far.
Name: U-Tahime
HP: 2700
Attack: 80
Defense: 47
Speed: 88
EXP: 450
Yen: 1000
Item Drop: Nothing
Monster Type: Daimon
Based off of: U-Tahime
* If applicable, what was their debut in the show/manga: Sailor Moon Super, episode 16
U-Tahime is one of the cutest Daimons in the show and I mean it. Her name is a pun on the japanese word for songstress, and her attacking style is to sing.
In the show, she was kind of useless as she didn't really do anything... but here she's an absolute monster that can rip the team apart without trying.
Yeah, if Another Story didn't make it clear by now, you need whip yourself into shape before you even think about taking on the rest of the game.
It doesn't help that U-Tahime isn't the most dangerous thing here, because there's also...
Name: Snow Dancer
HP: 3000
Attack: 80
Defense: 45
Speed: 92
EXP: 410
Yen: 1200
Item Drop: Nothing
Monster Type: Snow alien
Based off of: Snow Dancer
* If applicable, what was their debut in the show/manga: Sailor Moon S Movie
... These guys. Snow Dancers, much like in the movie they came from, are vicious and will stop at nothing to rip you apart.
(And yes, I did change up my team offscreen because the one I was using simply wasn't prepared to fight the monsters here.)
They have a snowstorm attack that looks pretty, but can be extremely dangerous if not dealt with properly.
A combination of Time Stop and Burning Mandala melts them in no time, thankfully. (Where would we be without Pluto? I'll tell you - fuckin' dead.)
Time to grind! We might as well take advantage of how much EXP the enemies here hand out, because the game wants to break not only our bones but also our spirit.
I'm constantly swapping out the teams to improve the killing capacity, so be thankful you only have to witness a few screenshots and not the hour or two it took to do all of this.
Oooh, we even get the final piece of equipment for Sailor Uranus!
This'll be handy when she gets to fighting again.
Oh hey, we're not getting into a random battle every few steps. Wonder what's going on in the village here?
This would be a cuckoo thing to say in modern-day Tokyo, but in this time period it's just fine.
"I thought you were on the Moon right now...?"
Oh snap, did we get rused?
"You shouldn't wander around inside looking like a Sailor Senshi. Transform with the Disguise Pen."
Oh wow, we finally got some use out of the Disguise Pen despite not doing anything with it in forever.
[Usagi changes into a servant's dress]
[Current OST: Inn]
We're going undercover, guys... although isn't the problem that we look like the Moon Princess? Why didn't she cover up her hair?
Oh well, we're already inside so I can't complain.
We actually get to check up on the Four Heavenly Kings before they defected to Queen Beryl's side, so that's hella neat.
... Man, I still can't get over the Venus romance thing.
I was originally confused as to what Zoisite meant by five female warriors. I figured he was talking about the Inner Senshi of the past, but Sailor Moon wasn't a thing in these times.
... What were the Opposito Senshi doing in the Earth Palace?
Entering this center room brings us into a meeting with the Earth King and his subjects, who are mulling over breaking up their relationship with the Moon Kingdom.
They also mention that Beryl will guide them, so this is already pretty messed up.
... There's not much else in the Earth Palace aside from a guy that thinks the book sorting system is terrible (which got a laugh out of me), but there's not even treasure to loot! (
We make a trip over to the other nearby palace and get a Fragrance, free of charge.
Guard: "No! I cannot let those in who I do not know."
Nice comeback there, Usagi.
[The Senshi congregate at the chest where the Fragrance was]
Hey, would this cutscene still be the same if we arrived here first? (... Or would we have had to go to the Earth Palace first regardless? Eventing is fun.)
Guard: "Hehe... " [Throb, throb]
Don't get any funny ideas, now.
Guard: "... Uh, it was just my imagination. Okay, pass through!"
We didn't even have to do anything and yet we still seduced our way inside. I am not entirely comfortable with this.
[Current OST: Queen Beryl]
Okay, we're only in the hideout of one of the most iconic villains in all of Sailor Moon. Keep cool and nothing bad'll happen.
We have a combination of people saying Beryl looks odd, that she can't lose and there's even one guy that's worried about the Moon Kingdom. Given what happens in canon, that fear is not unfounded.
Holy Water is a pitiful healing item that only cures 80 HP to one person... which is a shame, because you'd think with a name like that it'd do more.
We have a gossip circle here that tells us all the juicy secrets... such as Beryl being jealous of the Moon Princess and Endymion's relationship.
... I am naturally suspicious of this generosity, game. Don't think I'm not wise to your tricks.
... Oh shit, there she is (again).
[Beryl walks over to the canopy]
[Beryl sobs]
"Endymion, please become mine. They're not even lead away by the evil power of that comet. So, how many of these people don't want to become mine..."
... Comet? The same one that was talked about in the game's intro cutscene?
[She notices our presence]
Oh shit, we are one step away from exposing ourselves. Good thing she's not going to pay attention to our conspicuously similar hairstyle otherwise this'd be real bad.
NPC!Moon: "Yes, okay."
(Yeah, Usagi doesn't have a portrait when disguised for some reason. It's weird. Also, it's interesting to note that Beryl has a calmer-looking portrait here as opposed to when we fought her.)
NPC!Moon: "Evil comet?"
Also, oh dear.
NPC!Moon: "God of Darkness...?"
(I'll keep finding ways to make the "Metal GEEAAR" joke relevant, alright.)
The strange lines they put into this translation can get really convoluted, and it's just a shame because I can kind of see what they're going for here.
"Don't give up!"
Is... is Usagi giving encouragement to one of her mortal enemies in their darkest hour? That's actually very sweet, although ultimately futile in the long run.
The White Rose boosts Defense by ten points, which is damn good for the characters who need some extra defense... by contrast, the Filamis Cake is far less interesting and only cures 80 HP.
... You didn't ask about the Rose Crystal though.
It is an interesting thought, albeit one that's sure to mess up the timeline (even more than we already have, let's be real.)
Me and Chibi are on the same wavelength, although she should be a bit more familiar with messing with timelines than most of us.
Everyone remarks about how it's regrettable that we can't do anything to stop fate, but them's the breaks. This has been an intriguing section of the game so far, given how we're not only engaging in crossover stuff but also stepping into the time of the Silver Millennium.
If you try to go back in, the guards will reject you again. Usagi has one more word for them before we leave, though.
There's no more things to do on Earth, so what do we do now?
Go to the moon, of course!!
... Yeah, really. You're supposed to figure this out by yourself by pressing the Y button while riding the Ark. I remember being stuck on this part before I learned that, but hey maybe Radina tells you.
Either way, this is bound to be fun.
[Current OST: Moon Kingdom]
"You can't wander around the Silver Millennium as a Sailor Senshi. You should use the Disguise Pen."
So sassy.
[We do the same song and dance again]
Excellent. As for why we're disguised here, just think about it - they see Sailor Moon running around and think the Princess is off fooling around pretending to be a Sailor Senshi. It'd be surreal for every party involved.
"Jupiter-sama comes here often to skate."
They have an ice-skating rink on the moon?! Rad.
You can go into the skating rink yourself and... do nothing!
I love to mess around in games from time to time.
Wow, the houses here sure are nice looking.
... Also, I'm glad that the NPCs are finally showing some attention to the Luna-P ball because that thing shows up everywhere.
Some of the female residents here are dressed in Senshi clothes but aren't actually soldiers themselves. It must be a fashion statement around here, which raises some fascinating questions.
The Moon Kingdom's palace... I wonder what we'll even find here? We've already raided Endymion's and Beryl's palaces, so this one ought to be the most interesting.
Among the things we find here is... a possible nod to Helios from season 4!? I doubt it, but it'd be really neat if this were true.
It... it's the original queen Serenity! Crap, how do we deal with this?
"Why are you wearing servant's clothes... You're... you're not the princess, are you?"
That's how well she can recognize her own daughter, even the one that came in from the future.
NPC!Moon: "Queen, I am...
Jeez, everyone's an oracle today. Though I'd rather have Queen Serenity be the one to suss me out as opposed to Beryl, let's be honest.
[Usagi reverts into her Sailor Moon form and the other Senshi come into the scene]
This is surprisingly really heartwarming and... [suddenly dawns on me what's going to happen]
Damn it.
[Moon sprints out of the room]
"We know this, yet we can't do anything to stop it... But she's my mother!!"
See, when the translation really tries, it can pull the heartstrings. We've only had like one boss and two new enemies this entire chapter, but I'm more invested now than before.
They're really hammering in the Destiny theme by now. After the scene with Sin and Anshar earlier, it's pretty obvious they're going for some kind of parallel here.
This has to be so painful knowing you can't do anything...
In lighter news, I found these cool chambers for the Inner Senshi. There's nothing actually inside, but it's nice to know they have their own rooms.
"She's planning to conquer both the Earth and the Moon."
It must be even more surreal to see yourself, albeit your past reincarnation. I really enjoy "Going into the past" plots, but they're rarely done well due to how time travel shenanigans mess things up.
The next room over has these two treasure chests, with the Diamond Bracelet being equipment for Sailor Moon. Excellent, we need her to be more unkillable.
That's about it for this chapter. Next time on Sailor Moon: Another Story, all hell breaks loose as expected. Will we finally get that stupid Rose Crystal and beat down the Opposito Senshi?
... I actually don't remember because of all the time gaps between chapters.
That said, see you guys then!
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Team Set-Up:
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~Fun Sailor Moon Fact~:
Nothing major this time around, just the fact that (almost) every major Sailor Moon villain is named after a gemstone or mineral of some kind.