LogFAQs > #969981258

#42: Computer School Blues
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/3/AAAG8cAAD9nn.jpg

Show: Sailor Moon
Original airdate (US): September 15, 1995

"Studying should be done on your own! Using the disc was like cheating, you jerk!"

So, yeah... there are lots of objectively great Sailor Moon episodes that I imagine would rank higher than this on most people's lists... the first season finale, the series finale, great episodes that definitely rank among the top anime episodes of all time... but this is a favorites list, and I can't possibly rank any episode higher among my favorites than the one that introduced my beloved Ami Mizuno, AKA Sailor Mercury. Initially, Luna believes that she's an agent of evil, and Usagi investigates the cram school with that in mind, while we learn that poor Ami has trouble making friends because of her intelligence, but that she's quite sweet with Luna and also a natural at video games, traits I can definitely appreciate in a character. Of course, it's revealed in dramatic fashion that Ami isn't evil at all, it's the cram school teacher who's the real bad guy, but even after she grabs Ami and attacks Usagi, Ami remains defiant and refuses to surrender any of her power... and through this courage and strength, she's revealed as Sailor Mercury, at which point she helps Sailor Moon thrash the villain. I love how quickly Ami and Usagi became friends despite their vastly different attitudes toward school, and of course, Usagi's emotional reactions to everything were quite funny, including the revelation that she's going to have to work a lot harder at being a superhero now that Ami's around! So yeah, there are better episodes of Sailor Moon, but for my money, this is the one I go back to over and over again, Ami becomes Usagi's first friend and ally, and the episode really does show so much of what makes her one of my all time favorites.