Sailor Moon Episode 132

Episode title: Cutting it Close

Original American Airdate: 10/11/2000

Original Canadian Airdate:

One day, the girls were watching Miharu, a girl who was traing to be a Samurai. She fought against an older man and won. The girls were amazed. After the fight, the girls saw Rini run to Miharu. Rini begged Miharu to teach her, and Miharu said that she was still training, so she couldn't teach anyone.

Later that day, to Serena's surprise, Miharu was staying with the family, in Serena's cleared out room. Serena was amazed by Miharu's dedication, and let Miharu use her room. In the kitchen, Miharu chopped up vegetables with almost divine skill. She wanted to do as much as she could to help, since she was given shelter and food. Ikuko asked Miharu if her parents worried for her.

"Well, no, my parents don't worry." Miharu said. "My father died about five years ago, and my mother is..." She suddenly remembered her mother saying she fought to seriously. She couldn't continue, and asked to cut an onion. Rini adored Miharu's skill with a knife. Serena looked on, concerned.

Meanwhile, the Amazon Trio was at their bar. Tiger's Eye had chosen Miharu as his target. Hawk's Eye said that Miharu looked very young, and might not be into boys. Tiger's Eye wasn't worried of course.

Miharu was practicing her swordsmanship. As she did, a tall, older woman walked up behind her and challenged her. Serena and Rini arrived in time to see the duel start. The two crossed swords, or rather kendo (Japanese wooden practice swords), and both fought bravely. Miharu swung and missed. The other woman had leapt high into the air. When she came down, she struck Miharu down. Serena ran between the two to prevent any further damage.

"Serena, it's okay." Miharu almost stuttered as she got up. "She's... she's... she's... my mother."

Serena looked at the woman, amazed. The woman slung the wooden blade of her kendo on her shoulder.

"You can't ever beat me because you still don't understand what to do." The woman said. "You make me laugh! You still need much training. Your dream is seriously gone." With that, Miharu's mother walked away.

"Miharu, why would she say that?" Serena asked. They went and sat with Miharu.

"My mother thinks I won't acheive my dream." Miharu said. "She laughs at my serious attempts to train myself. She discourages me, though she knows it was also my father's dream. I feel so bad." She was sobbing. "At least she lets me keep on training, so that's good."

Miharu cried as she remembered cutting onions with her mom, and her mom telling her not to be so stubborn. Serena wanted to do something.

Serena and Rini left Miharu on her own, and went to the large castle-like home of Miharu's mother. She and Rini screamed at the door, and no answer came back. Suddenly, Miharu's mother came up behind them, and the two were a little embarrassed at their folly. Miharu's mother asked what they wanted.

"We wanted to say hello!" Serena said.

Rini tugged on Serena's skirt. "Serena, talk to her!"

"Yeah, okay, Rini." Serena said. "Please tell me why you're mad at your daughter." She asked of Miharu's mother. "Why don't you encourage her? We think she has talent. Why do you laugh at her like that?"

"That's right!" Chimed in Rini. "We think she has what it takes to be a strong Samurai. If you're her mother, you should teach her your skills! You should help her, don't you think so?"

The mother thought for a moment. "Girls, this is our problem." She said. "You don't need to get involved. I am teaching Miharu."

"But don't you see? Miharu's really unhappy." Serena said. "We're just trying to help."

"Yeah, she's training very hard." Rini added. "She's working hard to be a Samurai!"

"Working really hard." The mother said. "Too hard. That's the problem."

With that, the woman went inside. Rini shouted at the woman that she was stubborn, and Serena was nicer than her. Serena of course took offense, and neither knew that the woman was listening inside.

Meanwhile, Miharu was training harder than ever. Suddenly, a cherry blossom flew by. She turned to see a strangely dressed man, his face covered by his odd hat. He introduced himself as the master of a sword arts school. Miharu stood ready to fight. The man (Who was of course, Tiger's Eye in disguise), said he didn't come for violence. He offered tea instead. Miharu refused, and Tiger's Eye made the tea disappear with the snap of a finger. Miharu wanted to fight, so Tiger's Eye was going to give her one. He threw off his hat in preparation.

"One!"

The board started coming up, but Miharu turned in time, and the board sank back into the ground. Miharu stood, wondering what the noise was. Tiger's Eye, foiled for the time being, drew his kendo, and the two prepared to fight. Tiger's Eye spun his blade around blindingly fast, and leapt into the air, throwing his spinning blade at Miharu. Miharu batted it aside. When it stopped, it had a contorted shape, and it suddenly leapt from its place on the ground, and into Tiger's Eye's hand. The two stood ready, and fought once again. Tiger's Eye thrusted his kendo at Miharu, and Miharu jumped back, dodging the blow. Or so she thought. Tiger's Eye cheated, and a small extension of the wooden blade jabbed her in the stomach. Miharu fell, and Tiger's Eye pretended to leave. Miharu arose and asked him to wait. Tiger's Eye was ecstatic that Miharu was falling into his trap.

"You are great with a sword!" Miharu said. "I fight many people and easily win, but you beat me! You are some kind of cool swordsman!"

"Not really." Tiger's Eye said. "No. I'm just a student of Tokizo Miyamoto."

"Tokizo Miyamoto?"

Tiger's Eye turned around. "You don't know him?" He asked, amazed. "He's very famous. He's know best from his duel with Kojiro Sasaki."

Miharu thought for a moment. "Would that be Musashi Miyamoto?" She asked. Tiger's Eye reeled, having mixed up the names. He quickly covered, saying that Tokizo and Musashi were brothers, though Tokizo was a better swordsman. Miharu asked to be his student, and Tiger's Eye said that since she wanted that dream so badly, he would teach her. He started to lead her somewhere.

Meanwhile, Rini and Serena were walking, with Rini brooding about what a lousy mom she thought Miharu's was. Serena stopped for a minute, and thought about what the woman had said - that Miharu trains too hard. She told Rini that she had no clue why Miharu's mom acted like she did, but said,

"It's not possible for mothers to hate their daughters."

Rini nodded. Meanwhile, Miharu continued following Tiger's Eye. As she did, Raye and Lita happened by from a small shopping spree. They saw Miharu with some strange man, and decided to keep an eye on her.

Miharu and Tiger's Eye arrived in a quiet spot. Tiger's Eye told Miharu to start her training by closing her eyes. Miharu did with some reluctance. Tiger's Eye changed to his normal form. Miharu had a bad feeling, but she wasn't quick enough. In two easy counts, Tiger's Eye had her captured. Miharu looked at Tiger's Eye.

"I said not to open your eyes!" He said. Miharu struggled. He chuckled. "You fell right into my trap, didn't you?" He said smugly. "You don't see anything past your own dream, so that made it very easy for me to snag you! You're oh so serious about your dream that you lose touch with real life! Show me. Three!"

Miharu's Dream Mirror appeared, waiting for Tiger's Eye to take a peek. Meanwhile, Serena and Rini happened upon the scene (Even though Raye and Lita were following?)

"MOON COSMIC DREAM ACTION!"

Tiger's Eye looked in Miharu's Dream Mirror, but found nothing. He got ready to get rid of Miharu.

"JUPITER THUNDERCLAP ZAP!"

Sailor Jupiter's disc of energy flew at Tiger's Eye, but missed. He turned to see Sailor Mars, Jupiter, Mini Moon and Sailor Moon together.

"You are evil and must be stopped!" Sailor Jupiter shouted.

Sailor Mars said, "We will not allow you to crush a girl's dreams!"

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Sailor Moon said.

"We will not let you get away with this!" Mini Moon added.

"We're Sailor Scouts!"

"And we fight to keep all girl's dreams!"

"I'm Sailor Moon!"

"I'm Sailor Mini Moon!"

"And in the name of the Moon, we shall cut you loose!"

Tiger's Eye called his Remlis. It was an odd spider-like monster that looked as if it was playing cat's cradle. It only used two legs to walk and run and such. Tiger's Eye ordered the Remlis to attack, and left the scene. Miharu was freed from her confines. The Sailor Scouts stepped up.

"MARS FIREBALLS BLAST!"

As Mars' blast sailed towards the monster, it created an odd shape with its string. The string created an odd tunnel. Above Sailor Mars, a small square appeared in the air, and her fire blast came out of it. Sailor Mars was able to dodge. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon and Mini Moon were seeing if Miharu was okay. It appeared she was.

The Remlis created a star out of its string, and threw it high into the air. It landed on the ground as a giant star, and started oozing with sticky goo. The Sailor Scouts wanted to retreat and regroup, but Miharu would hear none of it. Miharu charged at the monster, and the monster charged at Miharu. Suddenly, the monster jumped over Miharu, and hit her with its string, knocking the girl down and binding her.

"SUPREME THUNDER CRASH!"

Jupiter's power struck the cords, and disintigrated them. The monster landed, and started playing Cat's Cradle. It attacked with the first ladder, all the way up to the fifth ladder. Jupiter had picked up Miharu, and was stuck with the duty of dodging all the attacks. She did so skillfully, though it was slightly a fluke.

"You're finished, fluff head!" Sailor Mars said. "I bet you can't make six ladders, huh?"

The monster's pride attacked, it immediately attempted to make six ladders, and failed.

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!"

The Remlis was able to dodge the attack, and used its strings to knock the Sailor Scouts down, and bind them together. Miharu was the only one free. Miharu stood her ground, and the Remlis shot more string, wrapping it around Miharu's kendo blade. Miharu held onto it tightly, trying not to let go. The Sailor Scouts tried to make her let go.

"Don't be so stubborn!" Sailor Mars yelled. The Sailors told her to escape. Miharu recalled her mother telling her not to be so stubborn. Sailor Moon told Miharu to run away. Of all times, this one reminded Miharu that her stubborness would be the end of her. She let go of her kendo and it hit the Remlis in the face. Miharu ran to the bound Sailor Scouts, and let them free.

"Please, Pegasus! Protect People's dreams!"

"CRYSTAL TWINKLE BELL!"

Sailor Moon stepped up.

"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"

The monster was destroyed, and all residual traces of it disappeared. The Sailors thanked Miharu, and Miharu thanked the Sailor Scouts. She had finally found something she was looking for. In her memory of cutting onions with her mom, she learned that if you warm the knife, the onions won't make you cry.

Later that day, Miharu decided to have another go at defeating her mom. Her mom ran towards Miharu, and stopped when she fell about 3 feet into a hidden hole that Miharu had made.

"I did it!" Miharu shouted.

"Did what?" Miharu's mom asked.

"I know what you've been trying to teach me all along, mom!" Miharu said. "I was too serious to be a true champion. I have to relax and focus on the big picture before I can fight like a real champion."

Miharu's mother smiled. "You understand now!"

"Yeah!" Miharu replied. Her mother got up, and told her that tricks were against the rules. The two headed home together, though Miharu was in a headlock.

"Serena, do you think Miharu will be a champion swordsperson?" Rini asked.

"Yes." Serena replied. "Because she does have a very loving mother."

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