It’s still my favorite SM movie. The way Usagi and Mamoru fight for each other, sacrificing their lives for one another. I think the movie shows in such a painful but beautiful way how much Usa and Mamo love each other.
The movie highlights - in way the anime never did - how important Usagi is in Mamoru’s life, how lonely he was, and how she became his family. (I feel like we never got this heartfelt talk about his past in the anime.)
The finale still gives me goosebumps. The creators perfectly aligned the music to the scene, I could start crying just thinking about it. The way she opens her eyes and moonlight revenge starts and we know now something badass gonna happen.
She opens her eyes with THAT DETERMINATION. She shows her true colors here. She is Sailor Moon. She is Serenity. She is truly the saviour.
There is not one bit of uncertainty or fear in her.
And it’s Mamoru who - although he fears for her life - doesn’t flinch a second to transform and to support her. Because he know that it’s what she needs, never forcing her to act differently.(And he motivates the Senshi to do the same)
In the times of crisis he gives her this reassuring smile, it melts my heart.
And then the - for me personally - most painful Sailor Moon death happens. The way the crystal shatters in pieces. You can only imagine Mamoru’s reaction being the one to witness it first hand.
The next thing we see is a Mamoru completely broken and devastated. Not moving, eyes empty. I think we never saw him like this ever in the anime (and manga?). You feel his realization that there is literally nothing he can do.
She’s dead, and he knew this would happen.
After Mamoru saves her with Fiore’s help, she opens her eyes and we see (I think it’s the first time ever) Mamoru cry in relief and with his beautiful tears the amazing moonlight revenge music starts once again.
It’s just beautiful.
(I wonder if there is any fanfiction that reimagined the movie, or told it from Mamoru’s POV?)
I love this movie for all the same reasons ❤️
I wrote a little Mamoru POV fic last year from the (near) end for UsaMamo week. I hope there’s a lot more fic out there for the movie.
