Makoto Kino is a new transfer student, with rumours of fighting preceding her. These rumours are proven false, however, when Makoto saves Usagi's life. Usagi is quick to befriend the new girl, but her nasty rumours are not the only ones the wind carries. There are tales of a ghost bride haunting a specific bridal boutique, who seduces men and kidnaps them, never to be seen again.
Tropes used in this episode:
- Adaptation Species Change: The Ghost Bride in the manga was actually Nephrite's shadow, similar to the shadow he used to possess Princess D in the previous episode. In this episode, the Ghost Bride is a mannequin monster similar to something Jadeite would have made.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Much like Ami and Rei before her, Makoto is isolated from her classmates, who are intimidated by her height and strength and the rumors about her getting kicked out of her previous school for fighting. She's singled out by a teacher for her appearance, and until Usagi approaches her none of her peers will even talk to her.
- Badass Boast: When Makoto decides to start fighting back, she doesn't do it by halves.Makoto: "I'll show you the pure heart of a lady with my power!"
- Breaking Speech: Nephrite hits Makoto with a vicious one, taunting her for being fooled by appearances and mocking her for believing in love. It's effective enough to nearly send Makoto over the Despair Event Horizon - until Sailor Moon counterattacks.
- Does Not Like Men: While talking about the "ghost bride," Rei is dismissive of the grooms who have fallen into the ghost's trap and disappeared, stating bluntly that "I don't trust men." Towards the end of the episode she makes another comment that none of the senshi have time to cry over boys.
- Dude, Not Funny!: When Naru comments on how her cousin is getting married, Umino drops in and mentions the recent desappearance of grooms in the neighborhood, joking that Naru's cousin's fiancé may be the next victim. Yumiko and Usagi are not amused, while Naru just comments that her cousin is getting married in June, a lucky time for couples.
- Establishing Character Moment: Before we even see Makoto's face she tackles Usagi to prevent her from being hit by a car.
- Huge Schoolgirl: Even more prominent than in the '90s anime - Makoto isn't just taller than her classmates, she even towers over a male teacher.
- I Know Mortal Kombat: Inverted. Makoto is shown cleaning up at the Sailor V game despite never having played it before, and explains that it's "just like a real fight."
- Irony: Nephrite two episodes ago criticized Jadeite for using monsters, who were ultimately just clay dolls given moderate sentience. Here he attempts a similar plan with the Ghost Bride. This is different from the manga, where Nephrite never resorted to using monsters like Jadeite; see Adaptation Species Change.
- Murderous Mannequin: Nephrite remote-possesses a bride mannequin to lure men and steal their life energy. He also uses it to fight the Sailor Scouts until it's destroyed by Jupiter's Flower Hurricane attack. For comparison, in the manga Nephrite uses a shadow doppelganger instead of a mannequin in this scheme.
- Mythology Gag: The scene when Nephrite explains to Beryl his plan to use love to gather energy is immediately followed by a picture of Naru modeling a wedding dress for her cousin. This may be a reference to Nephrite and Naru's brief romance in the first Sailor Moon anime.
- New Transfer Student: As per previous continuities, Makoto arrives at Juuban as a transfer student from another school.
- Oh, Crap!: Nephrite's reaction as Sailor Jupiter begins to call down the lightning.
- Petal Power: Sailor Jupiter's Flower Hurricane appears in anime for the first time. Its effectiveness is proven when one of the flying petals slices through Nephrite's sleeve.
- Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: Sailor Jupiter gets one on top of her In the Name of the Moon speech, throwing Nephrite's own words back in his face:Sailor Jupiter: "Believe in love and ruin yourself? Bring it on!"
- Ship Tease: Nephrite has a moment of recognition when Sailor Jupiter stares him down in the midst of her Flower Hurricane attack, and it clearly rattles him.Nephrite: "I've seen this look before."
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Sailor Moon responds to Nephrite's Breaking Speech with a passionate declaration that love is precious and everyone has someone meant for them, imploring Makoto to keep believing in love. It snaps Makoto out of her Heroic BSoD and inspires her to fight back, triggering her awakening to her power as Sailor Jupiter.
- Something about a Rose: Roses are a prominent motif for Makoto. In addition to her rose earrings, they appear on her umbrella, on the bag in which she carries her lunchbox, and on her gloves, and Sailor Jupiter's Flower Hurricane attack is made up of a barrage of rose petals.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Again. Nephrite was killed by Sailor Jupiter's extremely powerful Flower Hurricane and Jupiter Thunderbolt attacks in Act 5 of the manga. Here he teleports away before she finishes her attacks.
- Think Nothing of It: Makoto does not see her kindness, or her skill, as anything worth bragging about.
- This Is Unforgivable!:Sailor Moon: "You abused the power of love for your own evil ends! That's unforgivable!"
- Through Her Stomach: Makoto first befriends Usagi when she shares her food with her.
- Transfer Student Uniforms: As in the manga and the classic anime, Makoto continues to wear the uniform from her old school after transferring to Juban. When one of the teachers criticizes her for it, she explains that Juban doesn't have a uniform that will fit her.
