Review: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 16 - Abduction - Sailor Mercury

Rubeus takes Mars back to the Dark Moon. Sailor Moon notices that Chibiusa has been watching them the entire time and begins to question her why she is there when Luna steps in to defend Chibiusa. Chibiusa runs away and Sailor /Moon notices the Silver Crystal. Luna tells her she needs to not be so hard on Chibiusa so they can get information out of her. Usagi goes home.

Luna brings Mamoru to where Chibiusa is. Mamoru brings her back to his apartment. Chibiusa has a dream about her parents telling her Sailor Moon is invincible. The world then turns to a dark desolate wasteland. Chibiusa calls out to her parents with no response. She wakes up crying and Mamoru soothes her with a Tuxedo Mask doll. Chibiusa brings out her Luna-P ball and it calls her by her nickname, Small Lady. Mamoru notices the key around her neck and she tells him she can't go home without the key. She won't reveal where her home is, so Mamoru tucks her into bed.

Ami, Makoto, and Minako are back at their base inside the arcade when they get a call from Luna telling them they need to find out who the Black Moon are. Ami is playing chess, when the others ask her questions on the game. She believes the enemy has snuck into their world.

Back at the Black Moon, Saphir tells Demande he will send out more Drones to look for the Rabbit. They reveal they have captured Sailor Mars. Saphir thinks his brother is too aggressive; Rubeus thinks it is fine. They call on Wiseman to start the next phase of their plan. Berthier of the Spectre Sisters will go after Ami in Code 002 Operation "Re-move."

Back at Juban Jr. High, the water pipes around the school are acting weird, some even rupturing. Berthier appears in front of Ami using a dowsing tool. Berthier disappears and Ami suspects she is a part of the Dark Moon. Ami sees on a TV, after she goes for a swim, Berthier about dowsing again and how she can find anything with her ability, including how to win in a game of chess. She calls out Ami for a challenge to prove she can win.

Ami meets up with Berthier for a chess match. Berthier reveals she knows Ami is Sailor Mercury. If Ami wins she will give back Sailor Mars. If Berthier wins, Ami is to give up Chibiusa. Berthier tries to make Ami lose focus. Ami begins to remember her past when her father walked out on her life. The fear of losing more people in her life makes Ami begin to falter. Usagi calls out to her and she is invigorated to win so she can protect the people precious to her. Ami wins the match, but Berthier lied and goes outside the building.

The girls chase after her and get surrounded by drones. Ami transforms and makes quick work of the drones. Berthier catches Mercury in a water prison. Sailor Moon defeats Berthier but its not enough to save her friend. Rubeus shows up and takes Mercury back to the Dark Moon.

Another episode 100% accurate to the original manga; if you were to read the manga along with watching the episode nothing was changed whatsoever. The animation for the second arc continues to surprise me as well. With the first season, the animation seemed a little rushed at times; I haven't seen anything wrong yet with these episodes. It was nice to see a bit more character development as well for Ami. None of the Senshi got to really shine in the first arc, so these episodes at the beginning of this season really show us how these characters really are in their day to day life.

Rating: 8/10