Episode 36
Sailor Moon
Last Resort
Jap.40 "The Lake of the Legendary Monster! Usagi's Family Ties."
Serena's family has decided to take a little road trip up to some hot springs. On the way there, Serena and Sammy start fighting in the back seat when Serena decides to look at her star locket that Tuxedo Mask gave her. Sammy and her dad begin to tease her and ask her if a boy gave it to her. When Serena tells them that a boy did, her father goes ballistic and turns around, causing the car to swerve out of control.
Serena screams at him not to go crazy and her mother, worried about the car crashing suggests that perhaps it was just from Melvin. Hearing this, he laughs and tells Serena that Melvin could be the perfect guy for her. Serena doen't like that joke one bit.
When they arrive they step out of the car and look at the huge lake near the resort. Suddenly Serena's star locket starts playing. Serena's mother and father explain that this place was where they first met.
At the bottom of the lake something stirs.
In the Negaverse, Queen Beryl is discussing a strong energy that they've detected in that very same lake. Prince Darien is sent to investigate it. After he leaves, Malakite tells Beryl that Prince Darien has been acting strange lately. Queen Beryl tells him to keep an eye on him as he is very important to her plans.
Malakite leaves.
Back at the resort, Serena and her parents are enjoying the hot spring unlike Sammy who is cold and nervous about getting in as he never had before. Serena sneaks up  behind him and pushes him in. Sammy retaliates by stealing her towel, leaving her stark naked. She chases after him and gets it back. The two pause at the edge of the spring to look at the view. This is when Serena sees Darien down at the edge of the lake! She runs out of the spring, changes into some robes and runs as fast as she can to the lake.
When she gets there all she sees is a statue of a man and woman. Suddenly, Darien appears behind her. Serena begins to talk to him, to try and get him to remember but her mother arrives and Darien disappears so not to be seen.
 Seeing the statue, Serena's mother tells that they're the Guardians of the Lake and tells her their story. It started a long time ago in the village around the lake. A man fell in love with a water sprite and they were very happy together. Unfortunately a woman living in the village fell in love with the man and became insanely jealous. she became so jealous that she turned into an ugly monster. The man and sprite used the power of their love to seal the monster under the lake and with all of their energy spent, rose into the heavens to become two stars in the night sky.
Darien, who had been hiding behind a nearby tree, waits for Serena and her mother to leave and then uses his powers to awaken the monster at the bottom of the lake. Unfortunately the powerful being wakes up and refuses to obey Darien and flies off in the direction of Serena and her family, thinking that Serena is the water sprite from so long ago.
Malakite looks on from afar and is enjoying very much, watching Darien screw up.
As the monster attacks Serena's family, her father tries to protect them but to no avail. Serena decides to transform despite the fact that doing so would reveal to her family who she really is. Luckily Sailor Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus arrive before she can complete her transformation phrase and attack the monster.
Sailor Mercury uses Mercury Bubbles Blast which creates a thick mist enabling Serena's family to get away. Serena, seeing her chance, transforms into Sailor Moon and uses Moon Tiara Magic but it has no effect whatsoever!
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus attack with Jupiter Thunder Crash and Venus Crescent Beam Smash but these have no effect either.
Sailor Mars decides to use her psychic powers and senses that the monster is strong but is not from the Negaverse. Darien appears as Tuxedo Mask and tells Sailor Mars that she's right and that he released the monster and that he should get rid of it. Sailor Mars tells him that dealing with evil spirits is her speciality and uses Mars Fireball Charge which freezes the monster.
Sailor Moon then uses Moon Healing Activation which completely removes the evil from the woman and frees her should to move onto the next life. As her spirit rises into the heavens she recognises Tuxedo Mask as the man who freed her and thanks him. Tuxedo Mask is smiling. Is this what he had planned all along? Tuxedo Mask yells out to her "Good luck!".
That evening, all of the girls join Serena in the hot spring while Serena tells them that she hopes she never becomes so jealous that she turns into a monster. They all tell her that they'll make sure it'll never happen and dunk her in the water just in case.
 Monster of the Day
I've always loved this episode and one of the reasons is the fact that this Monster of the Day is not related to the Negaverse in any way. She's simply a woman from years ago who's jealousy overcame her and turned her into a monster. She became incredibly powerful in her monster form with every Sailor Scout attack being too weak to take her out. She was eventually healed by a combination of Sailor Mars' purifying Mars Fireball Charge and Sailor Moon's Moon Healing Activation.
Interesting Facts
 We find out Serena's parents met at this very same hot spring. It's nice to have a little history added to Serena's family.
Shopping Info
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