Usagi and her friends are in a state of jubilation as they're ready to move on to their next stages of their lives as high school students. Even Chibi-Usa is ready to move on by returning to the future. Though little do they know that a mysterious but malevolent force was able to free Queen Nehelenia from her prison and has inspired her to take revenge on the people of the White Moon. And the new curse she inflicted proves so dangerous that it even inspires a reunion from the Outer Guardians.
Tropes in this episode include:
- All for Nothing: Nehelenia's shown that all of the Sailor Senshi she fought are alive and well on Earth, meaning everything she did in the past season was a massive failure.Nehelenia: Was I unable to accomplish anything? Were none of my plans successful?!
- And the Adventure Continues: The appearance of the mirror dolls and Pluto defying her taboos call Haruka and Michiru to partake in the new battle.Haruka: No matter how hard we try, we just can't avoid battle.
Michiru: Of course not; fighting is our destiny. - Big Damn Heroes: With the older Outers restrained and a Mirror Padredri about to strike her, a burst of light emerges from Baby!Hotaru that not only erases the doll but also grants the Outer Guardians their Super forms
- Birds of a Feather: Minako is excited to go to the same high school as Usagi as it'll mean she'll have someone by her side to take the makeup exams with. Usagi is just as eager to have a fellow flunker.
- Book Ends: The beginning of the season has Baby!Hotaru see a vision of Eternal Sailor Moon. But in the end, she recounts a similar vision that shows her dead and entangled in briars.
- The Bus Came Back: The Outer Guardians return after their season long absence.
- But Now I Must Go: After having her fill of adventures and Sailor Guardian training, Chibi-Usa plans to make like Marty McFly and go back to the future.
- The Cameo: A healthier Souichi Tomoe returns to embrace his daughter one last time before she's taken away by Setsuna.
- Casual Danger Dialogue:
- After the emergence of the Mirror Padredri, Haruka jokes about Michiru's mirror being wrong at times.
- Neptune returns the favor by telling Uranus to cut back on late-snacks while keeping her from falling off the roof.Sailor Uranus: I don't listen to that kind of talk outside of bed.
- Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Played lightly. To avoid having to think on how Rei didn't suffer with entrance exams like everyone else, Ami switches the subject to how they'll have more free time to partake in fun, extracurricular activities and opportunities.
- Combination Attack: Once they receive their power ups, the Outer Trio unleash their signature moves on the mirror horde that destroys them for good.
- Comically Missing the Point: While at the aquarium, Haruka comments on Michiru's enjoyment of observing marine life, to which she answers, while looking at Haruka, that she could stare like that for hours. Haruka, that didn't notice Michiru staring at her, answers that she feels calmer holding a car's steering wheel, and Michiru retorts by saying she wasn't actually looking at the fish.
- Continuity Nod:
- Makoto brings up how preparing for the entrance exams was a total nightmare.
- Nehelenia mentions how she saw Moon and Chibi Moon fall to their deaths.
- Haruka and Michiru return in the same aquarium they confronted Usagi in. They're also surprised to see Sailor Pluto return alongside Hotaru.
- Embodiment of Virtue: In Hotaru's vision, Sailor Moon declares herself to be the guardian who's born from the world's love.
- Foreshadowing: When the mirror fragments start to scatter, one of them falls into Mamoru's eye. He brushes it off as no big deal but his eye flashes an eerie gold color. And almost instantly, Chibi-Usa's path to the future is cut off.
- Funny Background Event: Artemis can be seen in the background making a face after Minako passionately suggests that she and Usagi take their makeup exams together.
- High School: After successfully passing their entrance exams, all the girls will be moving on to Juuban High School (or the high school level of T.A. Girls' Academy in Rei's case). Even Makoto and Minako gain new uniforms that match their friends.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Artemis does this when his baby girl Diana has to return to the future with Chibi-Usa.
- Made of Evil: The voice explains that Nehelenia's Dream Mirror is a physical manifestation of her hatred to the White Moon. Once it's broken and the shards scatter, they're said to create a new nightmare that will terrorize everyone on Earth.
- Manipulative Bitch: The ominous voice butters up Nehelenia by describing her superior beauty and how unfair it is that the people of the White Moon are allowed to live their happily ever after(s) while she remains forgotten and disgraced. All of this convinces Nehelenia to strike back with a vengeance.
- Mirror Monster: The shards from Nehelenia's mirror create Mirror Padredri, living dolls who look like their master and have bodies made of glass. Another factor is that they're able to restore their bodies regardless of the damage inflicted onto them.
- Mirror World: Nehelenia is shown floating through an empty world full of mirrors where she can enjoy herself in peace and quiet.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling:
- Rei thinks to herself that there's ominous energy coming from the surprise meteor shower.
- Michiru discusses with Haruka how her mirror sensed a dark energy coming from the moon.
- Next Tier Power-Up: Courtesy of Hotaru, the Outer Guardians unlock their Super forms and gain the power boost needed to destroy the Mirror Padredri horde.
- Plot-Relevant Age-Up: After gifting her Outer companions their powerups, Hotaru transforms from a baby to a 3-year-old. Pluto explains that Hotaru will be needed as Saturn to help fight the new threat.
- Rage Breaking Point: Literally in this case. The mysterious voice riles up Nehelenia into breaking the mirror crystallized from her own hatred.
- Seers: Baby!Hotaru as a vision of Neo Queen Serenity praying in the moonlight before transforming into Eternal Sailor Moon.
- Tempting Fate: Nehelenia monologues to herself on how she hopes to enjoy her stay in the Mirror World while maintaining her youth and beauty for all eternity. But then a mysterious voice appears that returns her to the real world.
- This Cannot Be!: Nehelenia is startled to learn that her final act of revenge against Usagi and Chibi-Usa didn't work out.
- Vagueness Is Coming: Hotaru warns the Outer Guardians that a great change is about to happen and how the princess will be in danger if they don't act fast.
- Villainous Breakdown: Nehelenia snaps after some goading from the mysterious voice shows how she gained absolutely nothing in the previous season, getting so angry her own mirror emerges from her body propelled by her rage.
- Who Dares?: When the voice appears offering to break Nehelenia out of her lonely prison, she openly asks who would dare to disturb her slumber.
- Would Hurt a Child: One of the mirror dolls tries to tear apart Baby!Hotaru in spite of Pluto's protests.
