based on Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon SuperS episode 136: Mamoru wo mamore! Ninja Usagi no Yakimochi.I mention this one mainly for the sake of completeness, because I don't like it that much as an episode. As far as I know, Yuuichirou does not appear at all in the final series, Sailor Stars. (Injustice!) In this ep, Tiger's Eye of the Amazon Trio picks Rei as his next target; meanwhile, there are hi-jinks at the shrine, where Mamoru is staying to complete an assignment for college when his apartment is rendered uninhabitable after an accident with a fire extinguisher. (Since it was Rei's fault, she invites him to her house to make up for it.) Earlier, I picked up on a parallel between Yuuichirou and Usagi as the two people for whom Rei dissimulates her love; here, they're both comically jealous, being afraid Rei and Mamoru will get back together. There used to be a very well-made screenshot-illustrated summary of this episode at Sailormoon SuperS Online - which unfortunately seems to have gone offline. Fortunately I saved all my favourites *^.^* Two scenes made me laugh: in the first, Rei is presenting Mamoru to Grandpa while Usagi and the girls watch, and Yuuichirou gathers up Mamoru's luggage to take it into the shrine. Grandpa is buzzing all around Mamoru grinning and gabbing about how Hikawa Jinja has a noble heritage, but he has no grandsons, so he's always hoped Rei would marry someone who could help her keep it going. Grandpa evidently considers Mamoru prime grandson-in-law material. Usagi is quietly seething at the suggestion of Rei and Mamoru as a couple again (we thought that was over in the first season). Yuuichirou tells her not to worry: 'I've been learning my discipline here for years, and I've never been asked to marry Rei.' In an uncharacteristically evil tone, Usagi says 'That's because it's you, Yuuichirou.' Major (and rather scary) facefault from Yuuichirou. 'Why's
everyone so impressed with this Mamoru
goober?' 'Oh
yeah.' I wonder why Grandpa really doesn't want Rei to marry Yuuichirou? Does he think he's too much of a boofhead? Initially I thought it was because Rei was too young, since he made the official ban when she was fourteen. However, if he's trolling for husbands when she's still only fifteen and a half, perhaps that's not the reason. Is it because Mamoru is rich and going into a lucrative profession? Yuuichirou has no money problems - does Grandpa know about this? Cook
that med student! The
other part that raised a giggle was when
Yuuichirou, seething with jealousy,
deliberately tries to boil Mamoru alive by
overheating the bath, just because
there've been times when I've wanted to do
something like that! Note that this is the
only incident I can find of Yuuichirou
being in any way underhanded or jerky. He
gives Mamoru some pretty dirty looks; the
perenially clueless Mamo-chan is not sure
what he's done to deserve this. I haven't
seen all of this episode, because the
fansub tape I got cut off the end of it,
so the rest of what I have to say is based
solely on summaries and
scripts. Anyway,
the boiling incident happened shortly
after Yuuichirou got royally bawled out by
Rei for not warning her that Mamoru was
already in the bathroom; she tried to go
in and saw more than she'd ever wanted to
see. Okay, okay, she just saw him from the
back, but still! That sort of thing can
scar you emotionally! *^.^* Please note
that Rei was simply angry and embarrassed.
Not, God forbid, turned onor
anything like that. Although
some people evidently were, and you can go
to Mamoru's
Butt
Page
to prove it. 'Please
don't kill me, Rei-san.' 'For
God's sake, Osho-sama, try to make some
noise when you walk!' The
next day, when Rei wanted Yuuichirou to
make Usagi leave (she was sneaking around
dressed as a ninja trying to spy on Rei
and Mamoru... not a good episode for
Usagi's sanity), she couldn't find him. He
was trying to meditate, but could not
clear his mind of thoughts of Rei. Grandpa
found him (catching him by surprise and
causing him to turn a full somersault) and
exclaimed 'What a weak man you are!'
Yuuichirou agreed with him and said that
awake or asleep, he could see only Rei.
(Awww! Get this stuff down in a sonnet,
Yuu-kun.) He was ashamed to find that the
only fruit of his discipline at the shrine
had been a pathetic obsession of
unrequited love. 'Oh,'
said Grandpa, 'you finally figured it
out!' He told Yuuichirou that true
discipline meant overcoming this passion.
Was Yuuichirou willing to follow
him? 'Yes!' 'Even
if it is difficult?' 'Yes,
sir!' 'Who
wants some?' *sweatdrop*
Grandpa's idea of True Discipline, it
transpired, consists of standing on a
street corner in your best clothes trying
to pick up chicks. Yuuichirou was
reluctant at first, but decided he should
have a go, if only to prove to himself
that he wasn't as wretchedly hung up on
Rei as all that. It's so sad!
Although not quite as sad as Grandpa's
best suit. Lose the huge red bow tie,
please! (The detail-obsessed may like to
know that at least this episode proves
Yuuichirou owns more than one suit. This
one is forest green and looks far better
on him than the powder-blue one from the R
series.) Meanwhile at Hikawa Jinja... well, Tiger's Eye attacked Rei, with some difficulty as she kept ignoring him (anathema to someone as vain as Tiger!), there was a fight, yada yada yada, the Senshi won. The Monster of the Day bit of this episode seems to have been stuck in because you've got to have a Monster of the Day, that's why people call them that. You got Day, you got Monster thereof. Really, this episode was solid, vaguely Ranma-esque (especially with the bathroom confusion!) romantic comedy. Anyway,
when all the excitement was over everyone
regrouped at the Crown Juice Parlour for
refreshments... and, in Yuuichirou's case,
profuse apologies. (Y'ever see anyone try
to assume the traditional Japanese posture
for apology, a kneeling bow, on a seat in
a restaurant booth? It's... interesting.)
'I'm sorry, Rei-san! I was lured by the
devil!' Er... that's a little harsh to
Grandpa, ne? Rei, clearly, wasn't going to
let him off easy, sitting stiffly with her
arms folded, and remarking casually as a
waiter walked by, 'Oh, he looks nice.'
Yuuichirou continued to apologise
fervently, and to swear never to try to
pick up other women (Rei: 'You won't?')
until the end credits rolled. Ooh, she's
tough on him. 'Jeez,
Rei, lighten up!' Well, comic enough. But Yuuichirou being jealous and petty, for me, is nothing like as funny as Yuuichirou being head-over-heels in love, doing everything he can to make Rei happy, babbling corny philosophy or brandishing microwave meals. It kind of reminds me of - well, did you ever see Star Trek V? You remember the part where Scotty says 'Don't worry - I know this ship like the back of me hand,' turns around to walk off, cracks his head against a bulwark or something and falls down, stunned? Okay, it was funny in a basic, Shatnerish way, but it didn't show much respect or affection for a character in a movie whose success depends on the fact that the audience know and love the cast. After how Yuuichirou's character had been created over the course of the seasons I felt this depiction was kinda mean to him. This episode really doesn't take Rei and Yuuichirou's relationship to anywhere new; it's jolly fluff. And heck, I don't think Rei gave Yuuichirou enough credit for how nice he looked *^.^* However! One important note that I just remembered - one reason why both Usagi and Yuuichirou freak out is that Ami says Rei told her she was thinking about looking for a new boyfriend. Do you think maybe Yuuichirou features in Rei's 'beautiful dream'? I don't see why she would be annoyed with Yuuichirou for looking at other girls if she didn't feel at least a little possessive about him. It may be that she takes his devotion for granted by now. And the moral of this episode, as expressed by Chibi-Usa (she turns into quite the little sage in SuperS), is that if you love someone, trust and patience are two ways of showing this love. Usually - usually - Yuuichirou's behaviour is a model of this philosophy! I guess he was having a bad day. But his devotion to Rei was, in the end, confirmed. He came back! And do you notice that this philosophy is extremely similar to the one expressed by Rei to Usagi and Cooan in episode 70? That's all the History I have for you. The relationship between Rei and Yuuichirou, then, remains unresolved in the anime, but because it's never written off entirely, I - and maybe you - and of course Usagi, Ami, Minako and Makoto - can keep hoping! |
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