Usagi: It's summertime! Beach! Swimsuits! Fun!
Chibi-usa: Something's wrong with Shingo.
Usagi: Oh. He's so flushed. Maybe he's got a fever.
Chibi-usa: Usagi! Ami's in danger!
Usagi: You're right! Some creep's trying to hit on her! Well good luck with that. Ami's not into you.
Both: So take a hike!
Chibi-usa: Something's wrong with Shingo.
Usagi: Oh. He's so flushed. Maybe he's got a fever.
Chibi-usa: Usagi! Ami's in danger!
Usagi: You're right! Some creep's trying to hit on her! Well good luck with that. Ami's not into you.
Both: So take a hike!
(CWi Episode: "Beach Blanket Bungle")
The girls enjoy a relaxing day at the beach while accompanied by Shingo who develops a crush on sweet-hearted Ami. Though their summer holiday is ruined thanks to Tiger's Eye showing up and ready to make a target out of Ami.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Alliterative Title: "Beach Blanket Bungle" for the Cloverway version.
- Ambiguous Situation: Apparently none of the girls can recognize Tiger's Eye in his civilian form despite having seen him in previous episodes. Was this because the Striped Predator has some type of Glamour magic that changes his appearance everyone time? Or did they forget for the sake of plot convenience?
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: In past seasons, Usagi would think of her brother Shingo as a self-absorbed, heartless nuisance. But in this episode, she's downright terrified when he turns out missing mixed with finding the ruined raft he and Ami used.
- Bait-and-Switch: At first it looks like a shark fin is about to charge at Ami and Shingo. But it turns out to be Tiger's Eye with his trained dolphin.
- Beach Episode: The Inner Girls, Chibi-Usa, and Shingo head to the beach for fun and games.
- Because Destiny Says So: Ami firmly believes that she already has someone who's destined to be her one true love and doesn't mind waiting until the universe decides it's time for them to meet.
- Bouncer: Shingo essentially acts like a bodyguard to protect his sister and her friends from unwanted suitors. He even has a fake scar and acts older to sell his tough guy image.
- Character Development: In the past, Ami was solely focused on her doctor career and had no intentions of marrying anyone. But now, she's open to the idea of marrying and starting a family if she met the right person.
- Comically Missing the Point: After Ami warns her friends to cover [Ponko's] mouth, Sailor Moon instinctively covers her mouth.
- Continuity Nod:
- Mamoru couldn't make it to the Beach Episode because he's still working on his college thesis.
- Tiger's Eye recognized Minako as the infamous two-timer.
- Crash-Into Hello: Tiger's Eye tries to invoke this by bumping into Ami and ruining her (and Shingo's) slushies.
- Didn't Think This Through: Hawk's Eye and Fish Eye point out that the Striped Predator boasting that he'll succeed with Ami wasn't a good idea as it'll only make them look worse in front of their boss if he ends up failing.
- Diegetic Soundtrack Usage:
- The ramen chef hums "Moonlight Densetsu" while cleaning his booth.
- "Rashiku Ikimasho" plays while the girls toss the ol' watermelon ball around.
- Don't Try This at Home: The original version had a blue text telling children not to copy Ponko swallowing colorful balls as a party trick.
- Everyone Can See It: All the girls minus Usagi can see how Shingo lights up red whenever he interacts with Ami.
- Friendship Moment: The hotheaded Rei encourages Ami to be more proactive in meeting new people and take a chance with potential dates so she can get closer to finding her destined lover.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: In the original version, Ponko's final attack involves summoning a golden ball which is Japanese slang for No! Not even I can say that!
- Heroic Bystander: Shingo gets points for trying to defend Ami from the Striped Predator using a log of wood.
- Ignored Epiphany: Tiger's Eye stops to think about the value of friendship after Ami brings up how important they are to her and how they're worth protecting. He then chucks that thought out the window and proceeds to attack her.
- Image Song: One of Ami's songs Onaji Namida wo Wakeatte can be heard on a radio while she and her friends talk about her finding love.
- Mad Bomber: Ponko, the Balloon Pump Lemure, is able to summon balloon balls that cause devastating explosions upon impact.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: The ramen chef declares that there's a strong breeze abrewin'.
- Not Good with Rejection: Tiger has the audacity to call Ami an "uptight prude" after she politely refused his creepy offer.
- Oh, Crap!: Ami has this reaction when she listens to Shingo's heartbeat and fears that the drowning could bring him close to an early grave.
- Precocious Crush: The little boy Shingo has a crush on the teenage Ami.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Zirconia goes on a well deserved rant on how the Amazon Trio suck at their mission and can't even put their talents to good use. Even the denizens of the circus join in on the fun by insulting them too.
- Running Gag:
- Makoto thinks of one of the potential beach babes as her heart-crushing senpai.
- Usagi gets hit in the face with a ball.
- Shout-Out: The Cloverway Dub has Ponko use a Mickey Mouse impression.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Even though he couldn't save Ami from the blonde creep, Ami assures Shingo that she's thankful for him making an effort to protect her. She also joins him in watching the fireworks.
- Villains Out Shopping: After being heckled by the Dead Moon Circus, the Amazon Trio go a ramen stand by the beach for some good food. They even dress in casual beach outfits to blend in.
- Would Hurt a Child: Annoyed that Shingo is getting in the way of hurting Ami, Tiger's Eye pops a whole in the raft that causes the poor boy to drown. He also uses the wooden stick to knock him aside while at the cave.
