Episode 8
Tensai shoujoha youma nano? Kyoufuno sennoujuku
Is the genius girl a youma? The scary brain-washing cram school.
Computer School Blues
Air date: 1992.05.02
Jadeite informs Queen Beryl, who is most displeased at his failures, that his new energy source comes from humans lusting after scholastic acheivements. He plans on using computers to help him gather the energy.
Usagi (Serena) is sitting in the living room reading some funny manga. She laughs loudly until her mother tells her to stop and asks her how she did on the latest test. Usagi (Serena) says the results would be posted the next day. Usagi (Serena) tries to argue that someone has to come in first, and someone HAS to come in last, so she shouldn't be blamed should it happen to be her. Her mother doesn't like that reasoning a lot.
At night, Usagi (Serena) and Luna argue over studying, as Usagi (Serena) was again reading the manga. Luna tries to remind her of their purpose to fight evil and find the princess.
Later that night, at the Crown Game Center, Luna sneaks in and talks to the Sailor V game. The game is in fact a secret communications device. The game warns Luna that the enemy might have sent a youma to stop them.
The scores of the test reveal that a girl named "Mizuno Ami" got top
score (top score for all students in the country, no less). Usagi (Serena) and Naru (Molly) discuss that Ami is rumoured to study at the Crystal Seminar Cram School. Umino (Melvin) anxiously awaits meeting her, saying Ami's IQ is 300. When they notice Ami looking at them, Usagi (Serena) quickly changes the topic.
Later, as she walks home, upset at her own score, Usagi (Serena) sees Ami up ahead. Suddenly Luna jumps out of the bushes onto Ami's shoulders. Luna senses a strange aura surrounding the girl, but gets taken in by Ami's charm. Usagi (Serena) calls Luna away. Usagi (Serena) introduces herself and thinks to herself that being a friend of a genius might come in handy for tests. Luna whispers to her that she thinks Ami is a youma. Usagi (Serena) invites Ami for a game, who says she's never played before.
At the game centre a short while later, Usagi (Serena) is madly bashing away at the keys of the Sailor V game but gets killed in pretty short order, as usual. Ami reluctantly takes a seat and in no time at all racks up a record score. Usagi (Serena) isn't too happy about this. Suddenly Ami realizes what time it is and runs off to cram school.
Motoki (Andrew) comes up to Usagi (Serena) and gives her a floppy disk Ami left behind in her hurry. Usagi (Serena) promises to give it to Ami. At the cram school, Ami discovers that the disk is missing. The teacher (who is clearly the youma) is telling her to use the crystal disk, but Ami mutters to herself that she doesn't want to, as it makes her head hurt.
At the door to the cram school, Usagi (Serena) is reading the advertising sign, that mentions the revolutionary "crystal disk" being capable of turning anyone into a genius. Luna is suspicious, but Usagi (Serena) says there's nothing to worry about. Suddenly "the strange guy" - Mamoru (Darien) - is standing next to her asking if she decided to finally do some studying, which annoys Usagi (Serena). He then asks her if the cat was talking just a moment ago. Both Usagi (Serena) and Luna are shocked before Usagi (Serena) recovers and says he's stupid for coming up with such a silly idea. Usagi (Serena) and Luna then race off at top speed.
Turning a corner, they stop to catch their breath, Luna commenting that that was a close call. Luna says they should examine the disk back at school, so they head there, while Usagi (Serena) is protesting that she can't operate a computer. However, Luna is very adept at using the
computer and quickly discovers that there's a brain-washing program
hidden on the disk. Luna deduces that Ami must be the youma.
Luna and Usagi (Serena) return to the school, Usagi (Serena) turning herself into a nurse using the pen. She storms into the room where Ami is, and yells at everyone to get away from the computers. Ami says she shouldn't interfere in their studying, which Usagi (Serena) takes to mean that she's the youma. Usagi (Serena) transforms, taking Ami off-guard. Suddenly the teacher appears behind Ami and grabs her. As the teacher shows her true colours, Sailor Moon tells Luna she knew Ami wasn't the youma. Luna is confused, as she definitely sensed something.
The youma, Garoben, sends zombie-students after Sailor Moon. With Sailor Moon busy, the youma presses Ami's head against the monitor, asking her to give up her mental energy. When the youma notices that Ami hadn't used the disk, it yells at Ami. Ami retorts that studying is something done with one's mind, not with something like a machine or a disk. The youma pushes Ami harder against the screen. Suddenly a mark appears on Ami's forehead. Upon seeing the mark, Luna realises that Ami is actually one of the missing senshi (Sailor Scouts).
Luna conjures up a "New Item", a pen for Ami, and slides it towards
her. Ami grabs it, and Luna tells her to use the words "Mercury Power, Make Up!". Ami does and turns into Sailor Mercury. Sailor Moon, who is cornered by the students, is very surprised when seeing this. Luna
tells Sailor Mercury to use the "Shabon Spray", which she does,
blinding the youma. Blind, and losing its powers, the youma stumbles
about, losing its mental grip on the students who fall down. Sailor
Moon finishes the youma off with her tiara. Sailor Moon and Sailor
Mercury look at each other, incredulous.
Later, Usagi (Serena) and Ami are talking, with Luna perched on Ami's shoulder. Luna is very apologetic about her earlier assumption, But Ami forgives her. Ami is very enthusiastic about fighting evil. Usagi (Serena) and Ami are quickly becoming friends, although Usagi (Serena) realises that she's nowhere near as good as Ami and is worried about losing again.
Sailor Moon Says:
Learning can be fun, and having a good education is a great way to give yourself the best start for the rest of your life. Work on your study habits, like doing your homework before watching TV or reading comic books. If you want to be alert and ready to learn, get a good night's sleep and eat the right foods.
