"Minako-chan, don't be depressed. While it's true that you're the only one of us who hasn't been targeted for your Pure Heart Crystal, none of us think any less of you because of that. What? Someone said your heart was impure? What a mean thing to say! Nobody talks about my friend that way! In the Name of the Moon, I'll punish you!”
— Usagi Tsukino
(CWi Episode: "No Turning Back")
Obsession and self-doubt begin to flood inside Minako upon her realization that she's the only one among her friends who has yet to be targeted for her Pure Heart. So she makes an effort to do everything in her power to prove herself worthy, consequences be damned!
Tropes in this episode include:
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Doorknobder begs Sailor Moon to attack her master instead of her, even reminding her that all of her physical attacks were "reluctant".
- All-Loving Hero: Invoked. At Haruka's suggestion about helping others, Minako decides to go to as many blood drives as she can so she can "help" all the people in need of her blood.
- Bad Liar: Minako puts on a happy face as she assures Usagi and the cats that she isn't bothered at all about not being a Daimon victim. But when she turns her back, she gives a grim expression while muttering loud enough about how her lack of victimization consumes her very existence.
- Barrier Warrior: The Home Security Daimon, Doorknobder, has the ability to fortify any and all entrances ensuring that no one can break in and disturb her master. She also serves as a subversion as she admits that she isn't skilled in direct combat and has to use brute force to fight.
- Bathos: In the Viz Dub, after boasting that her new Fire Buster is much stronger then Moon's finishing move, Eudial quickly comments that none of them can copy the name because she just filed it for utility model protection.
- Beyond the Impossible:
- Thanks to her friend shaking her over and over, Minako ends up winning a huge pile of dimple-faced crane dolls.
- Minako stands as the first victim to not only retain consciousness after having her Pure Heart removed, but manages to run away with it for a good few blocks.
- Big Damn Heroes: Just before Eudial can pull the trigger and send the Guardians to hell, Minako wakes up and attacks her with her toy collection. She then transforms and punctures her Fire Buster with Venus Love Me Chain.
- Blood Transfusion Plot: Minako decides to go to every blood drive in the Juuban vicinity to boost her chances of having a Pure Heart.
- Chekhov's Gun: Haruka and Michiru use their ugly crane dolls to fight back against Eudial and her Daimon before transforming. Minako would launch the rest of her dolls to stop Eudial from killing everyone.
- Continuity Nod:
- Rei brings up the time Usagi was targeted by a Daimon as a true example of suffering. The other girls (minus Minako) briefly mention their own experiences.
- Minako wonders if her giving up volleyball was the reason why she hasn't been targeted yet. The next day, she goes to her school's gym to practice.
- Crazy-Prepared: Realizing that there's no stopping their friend from her quest for a Pure Heart along with the possibility of Eudial striking, the Sailor Team has begun to watch over Minako in case the witch strikes. Usagi even offers her a variety of vitamin drinks per Mamoru's suggestion to keep her health in check.
- Crippling Overspecialization: Doorknobder was created only to lock and secure entrances, meaning that she has zero combat skills.
- Death Glare: Minako gives one to Artemis after he assumes that her heart is impure.
- Downer Ending: Eudial gets away boasting that she knows everyone's secret identities and the relations between the Inners and Outers are even more strained now that the former knows who Haruka and Michiru really are.
- Dumbass Has a Point: Usagi screams at Minako and shakes her for even thinking about deliberately trying to get the Daimons to target her, saying what a reckless and dangerous stunt that would be.
- Evil Is Petty: The Villain Opening Scene ends with Tomoe vowing to make the Sailor Guardians pay for his new phone if they interfere with his plans again.
- Fire-Breathing Weapon: Eudial pulls out her Witches Eudial Fire Buster to counter Moon Spiral Heart Attack.
- Fisher King: Professor Tomoe explains that a Messiah who shares the same ambitions as the Death Busters will create a world of pure darkness after using the Holy Grail. But if a Messiah of Good were to use the grail, then they will create a world order that defies what the Death Busters stand for.
- Foreshadowing: When questioned what will happen if her Pure Heart does end up stolen or exposed, Minako casually states that she'd just get it back from them. And to everyone's surprise, she sticks to her word.
- Friendship Moment: After talking to Artemis, Usagi sought out Minako to see how she's really doing about not being targeted for a Pure Heart.
- From Bad to Worse: From Eudial's perspective. Just as she's about to claim Minako's Pure Heart, she has to deal with three interlopers bothering her, only for one of them to turn out to be Sailor Moon. Then the other two reveal themselves to also be Sailor Guardians. Then the other Guardians show up trying to blast their way in. Just when it looks like Eudial finally has the upperhand with her new weapon, Minako pelts her dolls, transforms into Sailor Venus, and destroys said weapon.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: A man visiting a bookstore is shown reading a book with a dominatrix on the cover.
- Go Out with a Smile: Downplayed. Minako ends up passing out in an empty parking structure, but she's shown with a small smile on her face. No doubt happy that she succeeded in proving herself worthy.
- Heroic Willpower: To everyone's astonishment, Minako is able to maintain consciousness long enough to reclaim her Pure Heart crystal and run away with it like a rabid squirrel. Eudial even comments on how impressive her willpower is after catching up to her.
- Hostage Situation: After Doorknobder's defeat, Eudial orders the Guardians to gather together after threatening to incinerate an unconscious Minako with her Fire Buster.
- I Regret Nothing: While alone with Haruka in the last scene, Michiru confidently admits that she doesn't risk revealing herself to the girls.
- I'm Standing Right Here: Luna tries to argue that the Daimons have bizarre standards when it comes to Pure Hearts by pointing out how they went Usagi despite her many, many, many flaws. She lists them all while Usagi is walking behind her growing irritated as a result.
- Internal Reveal: The Inner and Outer Guardians are forced to reveal their true identities to each other.
- Laughing Mad: Minako could only be described as a rabid squirrel after she discovers that she had a Pure Heart all along.
- Mirthless Laughter: Minako when insisting she absolutely isn't upset about not being targeted for a Pure Heart.
- Mood Whiplash:
- As Professor Tomoe goes into a tirade over the Messiah of Good being a heavy obstacle to his goals, he accidentally breaks the phone he's holding. Eudial immediately notices and informs him that she'll contact the accounting department so they can take a piece of paycheck to repair the phone.
- Minako solemnly asks Usagi for a big favor: to please take half of the many Dimple Dolls she won off her hands.
- Musical Gag: When Haruka and Michiru continue their book search while their romantic music plays, Minako's appearance suddenly stops the music. It resumes when the couple look at their ugly newly gifted dolls.
- My New Gift Is Lame: Haruka isn't very thrilled about her gifted dolls.
- Noodle Incident: Eudial mentions how the Professor has broken his receiver before.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: The Inner girls learn the civilian identities of Uranus and Neptune and vice versa.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Haruka and Michiru are flabbergasted when they see Minako browsing for books based on pure hearts, fearing that she was after the Talismans.
- Eudial freaks out when Minako somehow manages to run off with her removed heart crystal.Eudial: W-what a horribly strong will.
- Eudial gets this reaction multiple times whenever a Sailor Guardian transforms in front of her.
- Really 15 Years Old: Minako lies about being 18 so she can continue with her blood donation scheme.
- Puppy-Dog Eyes: While berating Minako for even considering trying to get the Daimons to target her, Usagi sports these when pleading with her to not do anything stupid.
- The Reveal: Professor Tomoe reveals the existence of a Messiah of Silence.
- Running Gag: Usagi ends up getting hit in the face with several volleyballs during Minako's practice.
- Seen It All: Usagi barely reacts to Minako managing to remain conscious enough to run away with her heart crystal, while Eudial, Haruka and Michiru are all completely shocked that she's still standing, much less running.
- Secret Identity: Usagi, Haruka and Michiru end up trapped inside the parking building after Doorknobder traps them inside. But not wanting Eudial to get her trashy hands on her friend's Pure Heart, Usagi has no choice but to transform in front of everyone to save her. Haruka and Michiru soon follow suit after Moon is overwhelmed by the Daimon.
- So Proud of You: The girls applaud Usagi for being able to solve a study problem on her own.
- Spoiler Title: The title doesn't do a good job with hiding what's to come this episode.
- Status Quo Is God: Even though she wasn't targeted, Doorknobder is killed by Moon Spiral Heart Attack after being redirected by Eudial's fire attack.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: At first, the Sailor Team is concerned that Minako donating so much blood just to prove she has a Pure Heart would make her actions impure of heart. But after seeing her gratefully accept Usagi's vitamin drinks, Luna quickly declares that she wasn't taking care of herself, so she must be thinking of others. This leads to everyone agreeing with her.
- Time Skip: After the commercial break, Usako informs Mamoru that Minako has been donating blood for several days now.
- This Cannot Be!: Sailor Jupiter expresses soft rejection at Mars' suggestion of Haruka and Michiru becoming official enemies.
- Too Kinky to Torture: Minako. Everyone else who targeted for a Pure Heart fainted from the trauma of the theft, but Minako remained fully conscious afterwards, was not remotely in pain, cried out in crazed fashion that she was worthy after all, fled with the crystal, and managed to outrun everybody (including Eudial's car). She only finally passes out a good distance away.
- Trauma Button: Not being targeted for a Pure Heart rattles Minako because she thinks it's due to abandoning her volleyball dream, which she had to give up along with her old social life and the friends that went with it after becoming a Sailor Guardian.
- Trauma Swing: After the study session, Minako goes to an empty swing set to think about how she has yet to have her own Pure Heart stolen.
- Villain Opening Scene: The episode begins with Professor Tomoe explaining to Eudial about the two Messiahs who can wield the power of the Holy Grail.
- Villain Respect: Eudial is admittedly impressed by how Minako was able to run off after having her Pure Heart removed.
- We Will Meet Again: Forced to retreat, Eudial promises to be back now that she knows who the Sailor Guardians are.
- Wham Episode: The Sailor Guardians, Inner and Outer, reveal their identities to each other thus changing their overall relationships.
- What the Hell, Hero?: After Luna points out that Minako would want the Daimons to target her, Usagi goes into a teary and physical fit over her friend being willing to do something so reckless just to prove that her heart is worthy.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Usagi is celebrated for having solved an intense math problem on her own. But the joy is cut by Ami who double checks her work and figures out the correct answer.
