“Dearest Mamo-chan, I heard there's going to be a video game event happening today. You get to play all the games you want and meet a famous game idol. Even Taiki will be making a live appearance. It's too bad I'm not in the mood for it Mamo-chan. It would be so much better if you were here to help cheer me up...”
— Usagi Tsukino
Usagi goes through a depressive slump as she contemplates the new information involving the Starlights. As she stews in misery, the rest of her friends make an effort to reach out to the teen idols so they can talk things out. But after learning that the winner of an upcoming videos game tournament will have the opportunity to meet Taiki in person, they transform and jump at the chance. And it looks like Ami may be the one who gets to talk to him!
Tropes in this episode include:
- Awesome by Analysis: Just one quick look at the gamers playing gives Ami all the info she needs to identify and plan out her gamer skills.
- Big Damn Heroes: Just before Mercury is killed by the Phage's Finishing Move, Jupiter shows up to neutralize it with Jupiter Oak Evolution.
- Big "SHUT UP!": Galaxia orders absolute silence from Tin Nyanko when she feels the peculiar presence of the pretty papillons.
- Book Ends: One of the first scenes of the episode involves the Three Lights identifying the scent of their princess. Then at they end, they notice the scent again which is coming from Usagi and Chibi Chibi.
- Continuity Nod:
- Usagi now recalls the horrors the Starlights suffered through when she listens to their music.
- Makoto brings up how two of the three Starlights hate Usagi.
- Cosplay: Minako, Makoto and Rei each dress up in colorful costumes while partaking in the video game tournament. Even Ami dresses up when she turns out to be their last hope.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Sailor Mercury is unfortunately outclassed by Sailor Gamer's attacks.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Ami shoots down Minako's joke about her sending Taiki a love letter so they can focus on the more pressing issues.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Ami's efforts in reaching out to Taiki works as the Inner Guardians and the Starlights are back to talking with each other. But while Taiki asserts that they still won't fully accept them, Ami and the others have hope that they'll understand each other soon enough.
- Failure Montage: Minako, Rei and Makoto end up losing the first round of the tournament.
- Faux Horrific: In spite of Ami's reluctance to dress up in a silly costume, her friends turn super scary and intend to make her change.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: A quick shot at Chibi Chibi's slippers shows that they're embroidered with Chibi to the second power.
- Friendship Moment:
- Along with encouraging Ami to join in the fun and dress up like them, the girls root for her to win when she reaches the finals.
- Ami passionately defends Usagi by calling her a caring and kind-hearted girl who only wants what's best for everyone.
- Heroic BSoD: Usagi is suffering through depression after the last episode and has holed herself up in her house.
- Idiot Ball: Rei and Minako decide to take on the Phage without transforming like Jupiter and Mercury.
- Instant Costume Change: Chibi Chibi instantly transforms into Sailor Chibi Chibi Moon when she encounters a mysterious but beautiful incense pot.
- Internal Reveal: The Inners and Luna learn about the destruction of the Starlights' homeworld.
- Irrational Hatred: Taiki, and by extension Yaten, hate Usagi because they believe she's responsible for their problems, including Seiya being hurt.
- Jerkass: Taiki has the audacity to look Sailor Mercury in the face as she's being attacked by Sailor Gamer and walks away like nothing happened.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After Rei and Minako try to force Ami to wear cosplay during the game tournament, they are punished later when they show up during the battle with the Monster of the Week and crash Lita's entrance, only to be instantly K.O.ed.
- Melodrama: After losing their place in the tournament, Makoto uses her (fake) dying breath to motivate Ami into winning the tournament.
- Mood Whiplash: Ami's serious and passionate speech about Usagi's character gets undercut by the shocking screams of the gaming idol Reiko Kanagawa who was attacked by Lead Crow.
- Mythology Gag: Yukihide Obayashi, Ami's opponent in the final round, is practically a carbon copy of Takurou Ootaku, the arcade creep Minako dealt with in her spin-off manga.
- Pretty Butterflies: Chibi Chibi notices a pack of glowing red butterflies that lead her to a mystical pond.
- Riding into the Sunset: The Inner girls and Chibi Chibi head on home with the sunset in front of them.
- Shout-Out: A boy at the video game event can be seen wearing a shirt reading "We Love Anza", in reference to Anza Ooyama (the original actress for Usagi in the musicals).
- So Proud of You: While shedding a tear, Minako expresses pride in Ami for embracing the joys of cosplay.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Played for Laughs. Sailor Jupiter is a tad annoyed with Rei and Minako showing up in their cosplay get-up and ruining her big moment.
- Straw Misogynist: Yukihide has shades of this based on how he belittles Ami for being "an idiot fangirl".
- Super Power Lottery: Sailor Gamer proves to be one of the most dangerous Phages of all because of how many Quirks she has at her disposal.
- Time Skip: It's been several days since Usagi learned the origins of the Sailor Starlights.
- This Cannot Be!: Seiya says this when he sees a magic butterfly in the band's lounge room.
- Walk on Water: Chibi Chibi does this while following a magic butterfly through a forest.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Seiya really tears into Taiki for abandoning Mercury and not giving a darn about her. He even proclaims that the princess herself would be disappointed with his cruel behavior.
