The couples that are meant to be, are the ones who go through everything that is meant to tear them apart, and come out even stronger.
Mamoru reveals that he'll have to travel for America to continue his studies which leaves Usagi somber for his upcoming absence. Though she powers through the pain by sending him off with love; she even gets an engagement ring out of it. After he departs, the girls turn their attention to a trio of celebrities who've invaded Juuban as part of their new idol campaign. And to Usagi's confusion, she also has an encounter with a group of people she never would have imagined to see: Sailor Guardians from Beyond the Solar System.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Anatomy of the Soul: The new villains are after Star Seeds, which can be a metaphor for a person's soul. While everyone in the universe has one, there are only a select few that can shine on eternally. A regular seed becomes corrupted after it's exposed to the outside.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: While still upset over Mamoru leaving for so long, Usagi still makes it to the airport and openly tells him that she'll always love him and won't mind waiting for as long as needed.
- As You Know: Ami explains to Usagi that the Three Lights have been filming a new popular TV show called The Z Files of Young Holmes which has a viewership of one in three.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Gender-Inverted. Each member of the Three Lights fit a given category: Seiya is described as dangerous but somewhat childish (brawn), Yaten is described as a mysterious beauty (beauty), and Taiki is described as mature and sophisticated (brains).
- Big "NO!": Sailor Moon says this as she refuses to let the Starlights kill Alice.
- Boy Band: The Three Lights present themselves as a trio of classy pop singers that have taken Juuban by storm with their trendy songs.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Any average person, regardless if they're a celebrity, who turns into a Phage becomes a violence-happy monster who attacks everyone around them.
- Brick Joke: Before going to the filming at the park, Rei berates Usagi for not knowing what her ring or "that one thing" means. In the end, she refers to her meeting with the new Sailor Guardians as "that one thing".
- The Cameo: Naru can be seen in a crowd waiting to see the Three Lights perform.
- Continuity Nod:
- Luna brings up how she and Usagi first met and comments on how much she's grown and impressed her since then.
- Usagi also takes offense to Seiya calling her "bun-head" since that was Mamoru's thing.
- Didn't Think This Through: Usagi gets the idea of sneaking into the "authorized personnel" area hoping to catch someone famous. Too bad she gets caught by someone famous who calls her out for trespassing.
- Dramatic Irony: Usagi has no idea that her boyfriend never made it to the U.S. and is now in the palms of the final Big Bad of the season.
- Fish People: The celebrity Alice Itsuki is corrupted into Sailor Buri, a Phage with a fish-themed appearance who uses a spiked micro-mace to attack.
- Healing Hands: Sailor Moon uses Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss to purify Alice Itsuki's Star Seed, thus turning her back to normal.
- Innocently Insensitive: Artemis openly shouts "congratulations" after hearing from Usagi that his bro Mamoru got into a university in America. Minako squishes him for his insolence.
- Lady in a Power Suit: Sailor Iron Mouse, a villainous Sailor Guardian, wears a black suit as part of her civilian disguise.
- Light 'em Up: Sailor Star Fighter uses "Star Serious Laser" to destroy Sailor Buri's micro-mace.
- Living MacGuffin: The Three Lights converse with each other about finding a special someone through their performances.
- Love at First Sight: Seiya finds themself being attracted to Usagi after locking eyes with her in the airport.
- Mercy Kill: The Sailor Starlights try to do this to Alice who was corrupted into a Phage. Their reaction over doing so suggests that it's not their first time.
- Monster of the Week: When a blank Star Seed is corrupted, they transform the host into a Sailor Guardian with a twisted image and an attack-everything mindset.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Around the same time Mamoru is attacked by a golden Sailor Guardian, Yaten converses with their friends about sensing "another star's light" fading out.
- Not So Above It All: Only Sane Woman Ami is also shown to have been entranced by the charm of the new idol group. Even her friends are surprised to learn that she's just as big of a fan as them.
- Put on a Bus:
- Chibi-Usa (and Diana by extension) returned to the future after the events of the Nehelenia Arc.
- Mamoru himself moves to America to continue his college education. Though he never makes it there due to interference from the final villain.
- Rule of Symbolism: During her flashback at a bridge, Usagi assures her boyfriend that she's okay with him going abroad while doing her best to keep herself from crying. As she leans onto Mamo-chan, the fountain sprinklers below gush at full blast.
- Shout-Out: Iron Mouse summons a TARDIS-esque phone booth when she leaves for the day.
- Stepford Smiler: Usagi tries to keep a happy face while assuring her friends and Mamoru that she's perfectly okay with him leaving for a year or more to study abroad. But everyone can tell that she's suffering on the inside.
- Transformation Sequence: Usagi reveals her new transformation directly into Eternal Sailor Moon when she cries out "Moon Eternal, Make Up!".
- Uncertain Doom: The Golden Guardian did something to Mamoru during his flight.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Luna says this word for word after seeing the Inner Girls fall madly in love with the Three Lights.
