The Crybaby: Usagi's Beautiful Transformation

“The Crybaby: Usagi's Beautiful Transformation” is the series premiere of the first season of the Sailor Moon anime, and is the first episode overall. The episode first aired in Japan on March 7, 1992. The DiC English dub title for this episode is "A Moon Star is Born", and the episode first aired in North America and in Canada on August 28, 1995 and then in the United States on September 11, 1995.

Summary
Usagi Tsukino is a 14 year old schoolgirl who is very cheerful, but clumsy and a bit of a crybaby, and is always finding herself into unwanted trouble. One day, Usagi meets a talking black cat named Luna, who reveals that dark forces are threatening the lives of the innocent and that Usagi has the power to stop them. Using a magical brooch, Usagi is transformed into Sailor Moon, the chosen guardian who fights for love and justice.

Plot
Usagi Tsukino is a 14 year old middle school student who’s a bit of a klutz and kind of a crybaby. As her day begins, she wakes up late, as usual, and frantically leaves the house in a hurry to make it to school on time. On her way to school, Usagi discovers a group of kids mistreating a cat. Usagi runs over and yells at them, picking up the black cat. She notices there’s a bandage on the cat’s head. Deciding to remove it, she discovers a crescent moon shaped patch of fur on the cat’s head. As the mysterious cat flips over and examines Usagi, the clock tower rings and Usagi hurriedly runs to school.

At school, Usagi is punished by her teacher, Ms. Haruna, for being late again. As she waits in the hallway and begins to snack, Ms. Haruna comes out and explains that behavior like tardiness leads to poor grades, as shown by Usagi receiving a 30% on a recent English test. During lunch, Usagi's best friends Naru Osaka and Umino Gurio comfort her over failing another test, although Naru says this is nothing out of the ordinary. The trio talk about how Sailor V, an unknown crime fighter, has foiled another robbery attempt at a jewelry store. As they’re talking, Naru remembers that her mom's jewelry store is having a huge sale. She invites Usagi to the store and both girls proclaim that they can’t wait for school to be over.

Meanwhile in a dark subterranean lair, Queen Beryl inquires if any of her followers have found the Legendary Silver Crystal. She reminds them that massive amounts of energy are required to awaken their Great Ruler, while they look for the Silver Crystal. A general named Jadeite agrees to use his youma to help gather energy from humans to help awaken the Great Ruler.

Now that school is over, Usagi and Naru make their way to the jewelry store to find it extremely packed. Naru introduces Usagi to her mom and Naru's mom promises to give Usagi an extra special deal because she's Naru's friend. She tells the girls that a ring normally costs 500,000 yen, but she'll sell it for 30,000 yen. As the pair stand in disbelief, it attracts the rest of the store and a brawl ensues. When they finally escape the crowd, Usagi remembers she already spent all of her allowance and her parents aren’t likely to give her more after her failed English test. Naru reminds her there’s always next time and the two part. Outside, Usagi crumples her test and throws it over her shoulder, hitting a man intently staring at the jewelry store. As she says she’s sorry, the man calls her stupid for getting a 30% on her test. A mortified Usagi proclaims it’s none of his business and sticks her tongue out at him, calling him a weirdo. As Usagi leaves, she passes by a Sailor V poster at the arcade. She wishes she could be “cool like Sailor V” and be free from tests and homework. Usagi looks at her test one more time, cries for a bit, then continues on home as the black cat follows her, proclaiming "Usagi Tsukino, at last I've found you."

As she returns home, Usagi's mother tells her that she bumped into Umino earlier and he told her about the English test. Cursing Umino, Usagi reluctantly hands the test over and, after seeing her 30%, Usagi's mom kicks her out of the house. Usagi's little brother arrives home and berates her for being a dummy. As he runs into the house, Usagi executes a “Sailor V Kick!” only to hit the door. Now crying even louder, she begs to be let back in the house.

Back at OSA-P, Naru notices that customers’ energy is being drained by the items they purchased. She asks her mother what's going on, only to find her acting very strange. Transforming into a youma, Naru's mom begins to attack her.

After a little while, Usagi is allowed back into the house, but she doesn't feel like doing homework. Instead, she takes a nap. Just as she falls asleep, the mysterious black cat jumps through her window, startling Usagi awake. Even more alarming, the cat begins to talk. Although she thinks it’s a dream, the cat explains that her name is Luna and she’s been looking for Usagi for quite some time now. She elaborates that a powerful enemy has begun to threaten Earth and Usagi is a soldier guarded by moon who can stop this. Still not believing, Luna gives Usagi a special brooch and tells her to shout “Moon Prism Power, Make Up!” Usagi sarcastically shouts the phrase and is surprised when it actually works, transforming her into Sailor Moon, the pretty guardian who fights for love and justice! She begins to cry because she doesn't understand what's happening, however Luna tells her that Naru is in trouble. Hearing her cries through the odango covers on her hair, Sailor Moon and Luna run off to OSA-P.

Sailor Moon arrives to find Morga at the jewelry store. Using the bodies of people drained of energy as vessels, the monster begins to assemble an army to fight Sailor Moon. Not used to fighting, Sailor Moon is chased and scrapes her knee. Just as the monster is about to kill her, a rose appears from a man in a tuxedo, and he tells Sailor Moon to not give up and crying won't solve anything, but Sailor Moon says that she can't help it. Continuing to cry, her odango covers emit Supersonic Waves, slowing the monster and the people down. Luna tells her to throw her tiara and shout “Moon Tiara Action!” to kill the monster. As Sailor Moon finishes the attack, Morga is destroyed and the people, including Naru and her mom, regain consciousness. Before Tuxedo Mask leaves, he comments on how he will not forget what happened tonight, leaving Sailor Moon infatuated by the handsome hero.

The next day at school, Usagi naps as Naru and the other girls talk about a dream they all had, where a superhero named Sailor Moon saved them all from a monster. As they ask Usagi what she thinks, she responds that she’s too tired to talk about it.