Love is not running away or giving up, it's standing and fighting for every moment.
“What?! They're trying to bring back the Seven Great Youma? After all the trouble we went through to turn them back into humans? If you want to recycle something, then try recycling cans! They can't recycle people! It's absolutely unforgivable! I am Sailor Moon! And In the Name of the Moon, I'll punish you!”
— Usagi Tsukino
(DiC Episode: "Tuxedo Unmasked")
Endymion is assigned a new mission of hunting the Earthly reincarnations of the Seven Great Youma to turn them into a greater threat then before. When Ryo Urawa finds himself as the next target, Sailor Mercury goes out of her way to save the boy and assert her own feelings.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Ambiguous Situation: It's unclear if Ami and Ryo decided to pursue a relationship after their date at the amusement park. Considering that Ryo doesn't appear or is mentioned in future seasons, we can assume that Ami is still single.
- The Bus Came Back: All the human reincarnations (plus Rhett Butler) make cameos as Endymion captures them all. Ryo himself plays a bigger role as the brainwashed prince tries to hunt him next.
- Combination Attack: Jupiter and Mercury use Supreme Thunder and Bubble Spray to incapacitate Endymion.
- Commonality Connection: Sailor Mercury realizes that she and Ryo have a similar connection: they both try to run away from the things (or people) they truly want.
- Continuity Nod: Ryo remembers Sailor Mercury's speech about making his own future and uses it as motivation.
- Crazy-Prepared: Thanks to his future vision, Ryo warns Ami about the ongoing disappearances and how he'll be targeted next. This in turn would motivate the girls to prepare themselves to fight back.
- Don't Make Me Destroy You: Sailor Jupiter warns Endymion that she doesn't want to hurt him, but she will fight him to protect Ryo.
- Evil Plan: Queen Beryl orders Endymion to collect the Earthly reincarnations and turn them into monsters again. And when they're all together, they'll combine into a stronger monster who's capable of killing the Sailor Guardians.
- Exactly What I Aimed At: Mercury shoots Bubble Spray again at Endymion once again, who effortlessly blocks it, but it turns out that wasn't the point. While he's distracted, Mercury swiftly moves in and snatches the crystal away from him.
- Fighting Your Friend: Endymion tries to invokes this by turning into Tuxedo Mask to throw off the Guardians. Mercury doesn't fall for the mind game and knows its not the same Tuxedo Mask they know.
- For Happiness: Makoto tries to convince Ami that she should accept her feelings for Ryo so she can have a fulfilling life regardless of her magical girl duties.Makoto: Even Sailor Guardians are entitled to fall in love. Or at least to go on a date with a boy they really care about.
- Funny Background Event:
- When Makoto decides to leave with Ami to find Ryo, Grandpa Hino and Yuuichirou can be seen having a snowball fight outside.
- While Ryo is running through the streets of Tokyo, an older woman is holding a sign for her missing cat Rhett Butler.
- Fusion Dance: Queen Beryl hopes to combine the Seven Great Youma into the most powerful youma of all.
- Heart Is an Awesome Power: Mercury's Bubble Spray proves effective in distracting Endymion enough for Mercury to swipe the crystal away from him and free the captured victims.
- It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Ryo tries to keep his distance from Ami knowing that she'll be put in great danger if she tries to protect him.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: While Makoto and Ami track down Ryo, the rest of the girls stay at the shrine to watch over Grandpa Hino.
- Like You Were Dying: Before accepting his potential death as a human, Ryo admits that he always wanted to go to an amusement park with Ami.
- Mood Whiplash: After having a serious discussion about finding Ryo to save him from the Dark Kingdom's clutches, the mood turns comical as Rei tackles Usagi for crying all over her manga.
- Skewed Priorities: Usagi and Rei spent most of their time fighting over the latter's manga while Ryo was being hunted by Endymion.
- Spin to Deflect Stuff: Endymion, as "Tuxedo Mask" twirls his baton to create a shield that stops Mercury's Bubble Spray.
- Villain Opening Scene: Endymion starts the episode by abducting Reika Nishimura while she's working on an archeological dig.
- What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Lampshaded by Endymion in the DiC episode when he confronts Mercury's Bubble Spray.
Endymion(DiC): You really think you can stop me with those silly bubbles?
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Ryo pretends to be hurt by Endymion which draws the attention of the passing civilians to surround him in disgust which allows the psychic to escape.
- The Worf Effect: Sailor Jupiter, the team's powerhouse, is outmatched by Endymion during their one-on-one fight.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Sailor Moon succeeds in purifying Mamoru. Too bad it doesn't last as he's instantly teleported to the Dark Kingdom where Beryl intends to re-brainwash him with Queen Metallia's dark energy.
- You Monster!: Mercury calls Endymion this after he captures Ryo in the Dark Crystal.
