HICBC Previews ~ Acts 1-10
Act 1 Preview (10/04/03) ~ HICBC
Tsukino Usagi, a very normal eighth grader, overslept today—again. News trickles in on the television, that Sailor V, a defender of justice, has cracked the case of the recent string of jewelry heists. Engrossed in the news of Sailor V, Usagi lingers too long at the breakfast table and ends up flying out of the house in a rush.
On her way to school, a mysterious toy cat with a crescent moon on its forehead crashes down on her out of nowhere. After Usagi leaves it behind, the crescent moon strangely starts to shine... Later that evening, the toy cat from that morning pops up at her bedside! Identifying herself as "Luna," she tells Tsukino Usagi that she is Sailor Moon, a Senshi of the moon, and that a dark evil is starting to set its sights on the Earth. Usagi... doesn't really believe any of it.
The next morning means shopping for a carefree Usagi. But at that time, her best friend Naru falls into a trap at the place where her mother's new jewelry exhibition show is holding rehearsal! A youma from the evil forces Luna spoke of has attacked and possessed Naru's mother. Usagi, who was able to sense the danger with her Senshi intuition, rushes to the rehearsal space. Luna, one step ahead, is already there. Luna gives Usagi a cell phone with special powers that allows her to change her appearance, and the two of them enter the rehearsal space, evading security. Inside, the show is in the middle of rehearsing. However, as the climax of the production approaches, Naru's mother undergoes a complete change, and the youma that had attacked and possessed her starts draining the energy from everyone. Usagi, who happens to be there, transforms into Sailor Moon. Astonished at her own appearance, Sailor Moon fights in spite of her great surprise and ends up in danger due to an attack by Jadeite, a member of the Shittenou from the evil Dark Kingdom. Tuxedo Kamen, a mysterious figure, saves her from the unexpected attack.
Act 2 Preview (10/11/03) ~ HICBC
Ever since she ran into the strange toy cat Luna, Tsukino Usagi has resolved to fight against the Dark Kingdom as Sailor Moon. But ordinarily, Usagi is a normal middle-schooler who doesn't have much to stress her out. Usagi's unreliability causes Luna to desperately plead that she find her fellow senshi as fast as possible.
In the Dark Kingdom, evil forces start to move closer to the Earth. In this dangerous time, the test at Usagi's school is the talk of the day because the ranking results have been posted. In first place is Mizuno Ami, who is in Usagi's class. Though she holds the top ranking in the school, the other students, who can't figure her out, keep a distance from her. Even at lunch, she sits alone. Up until now, Usagi has paid little attention to Ami. On the way home that day, Usagi is caught off-guard when she happens to see Ami. Is that Luna she's holding in her hand? Why would Luna seek out Ami?! But even more surprising is Ami herself. Usagi genuinely starts to think she'd like to befriend Ami when she sees her dusting the toy off and speaking to it affectionately. She could be my friend!
Because this is her first experience making friends, Ami gets nervous.* Has she ever had a friend up until now who would lend her a minidisk of her favorite pop star Aino Minako's album? Or who would sit with her at lunch? Since meeting Usagi, who calls her "Ami-chan," hope rises in Ami's heart.
That night, Usagi is overjoyed when she is told by Luna that Ami is a senshi and tells Ami about it. However, Ami has mixed feelings. Surprised that Usagi was only nice to her because she is a senshi, Ami informs her that she doesn't want to become a senshi. But unexpectedly, trouble breaks out when a youma appears at the cram school Ami attends and attacks her. Sailor Moon rescues her in the nick of time! Ami changes her mind towards Usagi, who risked her life to save her, and sincerely comes to think, I want to fight with you! Thus, Sailor Mercury is born. Usagi and Ami vow to fight alongside each other, not just because they are Senshi but also because they are bound by true friendship.
Act 3 Preview (10/18/03) ~ HICBC
Tsukino Usagi and Luna have found a member of the Sailor Senshi team. Who is it but the class genius Mizuno Ami? As Sailor Mercury, she has decided to fight together with Sailor Moon and the other as-yet-undiscovered members of the Senshi team. The mission the Sailor Senshi must carry out is to find the princess and the Illusionary Silver Crystal (whose power is still unknown) and to protect them from the hands of the enemy. Luna, who is eager to immediately find the remaining Senshi, has set her sights on someone: the enigmatic senshi Sailor V. As a soldier who's been on the move since before Sailor Moon awoke, there's even a chance that Sailor V is the princess.
About that time, young girls around the world start to mysteriously disappear. Ami and Usagi's intuition tells them that this is the work of a youma, and they begin to investigate the situation. Gossip among the students puts them on their guard: they hear that a powerfully psychic shrine maiden's curse is the reason young girls have been disappearing one by one. While Usagi and Ami are trying to come up with a plan, they unexpectedly bump into the Hikawa shrine priestess Hino Rei, the cause of all the gossip!
Rei is astonished when Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon right before her very eyes. Sailor Moon has a tough time as she frantically fights the youma. At that moment, Rei's bracelet starts to glow. It looks like Rei is a Senshi as well! She transforms into Sailor Mars and, matching the youma's power, defeats it. However, though Usagi and Ami are ecstatic that they will be fighting alongside another team member from now on, Rei declares to them coldly, "I have no intention of being part of your team."
Act 4 Preview (10/25/03) ~ HICBC
Usagi and co. have found the third Senshi—Hino Rei. But she says she has no intention of fighting with them as a team. Usagi, Ami, and Luna are immersed in thoughts of how to persuade her otherwise. Luna is also worried about something else. Though it is the mission of the Senshi to find and protect the Illusionary Silver Crystal, whose unknown power is also being sought after by the evil organization the Dark Kingdom, it is possible that the Crystal is nearby under a different name. Something called the "Illusionary Blue Crystal" is supposed to be revealed at a young woman's birthday party. Usagi, Ami, and Luna immediately sneak into the party. However, Nephrite, a messenger from the Dark Kingdom, also has his eye on the Crystal and has snuck into the party as well.
The costume-themed party is at full blast. In an atmosphere where it is impossible to spot trouble, the one person who immediately feels a youma's presence is Hino Rei. Having sensed something about the Illusionary Blue Crystal, she also attended the party. On top of that, Tuxedo Kamen, who could be a friend or a foe, has made an appearance at the party as well. Ami and Rei are the first to find the youma. Having attacked and possessed the birthday girl, the youma gives them a lot of trouble. Usagi, who has been dreamily distracted by Tuxedo Kamen's presence, finally runs to help them. Relying on the Aino Minako song playing at the party to synchronize their timing, the three just barely defeat the youma. However, in an attempt to protect the Crystal, Usagi falls from the building! Tuxedo Kamen instantly reaches for her hand but ends up falling off with her. Though it seems like a hopeless situation, they are rescued by the light emanating from Sailor Moon's Moonlight Stick. Luna wonders whether Tuxedo Kamen is an ally or an enemy. Meanwhile, Rei starts to feel a sense of camaraderie with Usagi and co.