Well, this episode was something of a letdown.

I mean sure we got a bit more background on Hotaru's condition (Her animation seems to vary from episode to episode. At least I seem to notice that being the case with her hair.), but the rest of the episode just seemed to drag on needlessly. 

It seems that we at most got something of an explanation for Pluto's rebirth in this episode wherein it is implied that the Outers were reborn later. Pluto apparently was only reborn following her death in Crystal Tokyo.

Neptune's description of Uranus is as paradoxical as ever, but I suspect that it has hints of Taoism within it.

Here are some screen stills from this episode:

Haven't seen the episode, yet, but I love that screenshot of the transition placeholder with Sailor Pluto.

Oh, it's definitely great.

Speaking of Pluto, I think that I did detect something of an animation error during their battle with Cyprine with her Garnet Orb becoming unhinged...

I'd also like to add that Sailor Mars appears to be one of the more formidable fighters amongst the Inner senshi. She was able to block Cyprine's attack sans a talisman.

Why did Usagi turn into NQS? I think she's supposed to turn into Princess Serenity in the manga. It should be the princess they remembered from SilMil at any rate... I know in the manga her dress as Princess and Queen are the same, but she has her tiara in this episode, so it was definitely NQS. Maybe a mistake they would hopefully fix.

The scene with the Outers and Serenity was much prettier in the manga, though. I should stop hoping for great scenes like that to be animated just as beautifully but there's the coronation scene at the end of Dream Arc and I can't help hoping at least that one is pretty.

Do you have a scan of that image from the manga?

It's been so long since I've read it.

I have to admit that I found it rather awkward that she spontaneously went into Princess/Queen mode when Pluto spoke. I wasn't expecting that at all.

Now that you mentioned that scene, I don't seem to recall the Haruka-Usagi-Mamoru love triangle ever being addressed by the latter two parties. All we saw was Usagi blush, and Haruka about to half cry. Mamoru was apparently okay with all of this? The other senshi apparently needed Michiru to explain Haruka's deal?

The dialogue is almost word for word like in the manga, so you can expect that it pretty much happened that way in the manga too.

She doesn't turn into NQS. They even call her "princess, future queen." I believe they just added a crown to Princess Serenity. NQS has white hair in Crystal. 

I personally loved this episode. Hotaru's scenes were very emotional and the creepy background music was great. Cyborg-Hotaru is making me so emotional. 
I feel that the directing of the show is improving. I noticed that there are more close-ups and other dynamic angles which make it more dramatic. 
I was always excited to see the fight between the inners and the outers, so that made me very happy. Overall, this has been the most emotional episode imo.

Edit: On the negative side, I did notice some very obvious animation mistakes, particularly in Neptune's face at the beginning. I guess we can't have it all

She also has a bigger back bow, another NQS design. I think they just drew the wrong outfit again tbh, like that time they drew Queen Serenity with Princess Serenity's dress. Or how Queen Serenity used to be blonde in the opening.

I liked this episode, a bit rushed in pacing, but it was fine for what it was. I actually liked that they changed Princess Serenity's design a bit, it's different from what we're used to.

I think the crown on Princess Serenity wasn't an animation mistake. Most mistakes are omissions, and any additions are usually more along the lines of color choices. There's too much detail involved in drawing the crown for it to be a slip of the hand, so to speak. So the only way it could be a mistake is if the animator misunderstood what needed to be drawn, but I don't think that's the case. I think they're trying to show Serenity as more of a queenly figure than a princess figure, even if she is still the latter in name.

While I agree the animation wasn't as strong as in the previous episode, I really like what we saw of cyborg!Hotaru in this episode. You feel really sad for her, and the BGMs they used in this episode were also very effective in carrying the mood, IMO. I can also never stop loving the fact that Chibi Usa is treated like a Sailor Guardian, with trust and maturity, by the Inners and her (future) parents. The lack of childish fights between her and Usagi is a breath of fresh air!

It's a mistake in the sense that they used the wrong character (NQS)'s design. I checked again and it's not just the crown. It's the back wings/bow and the shell-like sleeves as well. Princess Serenity's does not have golden lines through it, and her back bow is not as big. What we saw is 100% NQS's design sans the white hair.

It's possible they used other stock images and when tweaking it for final prodction they forgot to remove those details. Sometimes not many peoople pay attention to details like that and a lot of it has to do with the fact that just because people are working on it, doesn't mean they pay attention to all the details or even the story so they forget that sometimes small details are important. I they were rushing.

Either way, I loved the episode but at the same time I'm still not a fan of the art. Yeah , it's improved but at the same time,  I just enjoy the manga art of original anime better.

Am I the only one who thinks that while most scenes are drawn out, they are still using a bit of subtle cgi here and there?

I'm a little sad about it staying closer to the manga. So many parts of this episode could have been expanded.

Pros and cons. No matter what I love it still.

I have to wonder.

Had they stuck with the original art style of seasons 1 and 2, what would the Outers (with the exception of Pluto) have looked like in relation to them?

I'm guessing that Haruka and Michiru are actually much older than the Mugen school students, at least as implied by this episode?

Out of curiosity (it's bound to come up eventually), why was Hotaru reborn?

I seem to recall the manga implying that she really only existed when necessary, but otherwise remained dormant within the planet. I mean sure she's needed towards the end of this arc, but does that imply that she may not have been awakened as Saturn, and the Outers may or may not have remained inactive? After all, she has a very different post relative to the other Outer senshi.

She died in the silver millenium, using her power. If she used that power she dies. The only exception will be seen later and that's due to help.

Like everyone that died in the Silver Millenium, they were reborn on Earth. 

Sailor Saturn and even the enemy were not excluded.

But she's very different from the other Outers.

She is only ever awakened when necessary in Silver Millennium. 

I really wish that we had gotten more on Silver Millennium.

Not trying to go off-topic, but it is interesting to speculate.

Speaking of which, I don't necessarily think that it was an animation error. I think she was intentionally depicted as Neo Queen Serenity, because it's the same artwork employed in the opening sequence. I think this may have been intentional considering that she already knows of her future self, why insist that she be left in the dark over it?

I still wonder where her clothes come from though.

It's possible crystal staff confused this moment as a bro queen serenity moment or they deliberately did it.

She's often assumed as being in a deep sleep in the manga in the silver millennium. That's not really ever said. When she transforms, with the intent to unleash her death power that's when the three talismans resonate. 

Only as a warning of what's about to come.

It's a big deal because everything dies, including her. She awakens with the intent of using that power when no hope is left. 

She's the last resort Senshi and not all the senshi see the need for such extreme last resort measures of 'kill it all of we can't kill it right away to avoid suffering' because they want to live and fight. Especially now that they are all together and not alone.

I hope that since they didn't really add or change much of this episode that they'll consider it for the future. 

Now that I think about it, I'm glad she was wearing neo queens clothes and crown, even if the hair was slightly different.

I feel as if Haruka lives Usagi in more than a platonic way but it seems so tender, like she's never push it.

Personally this episode was kind of slow for me. I found myself zoning out a lot.

I noticed that Usagi was turning into NQS because the opening already made it clear (don't you love when the opening tells you the entire plot of an anime?) I still don't see the point of why they did that but I guess we'll find out later on =)

Also, great episode <3

That transformation to NQS/Princess Serenity threw me off a bit. Though the episode kept me on the edge of my seat and that cliffhanger had me waiting for more.

Bwaha! Sounds like the cliffhanger worked. (:

when the ep ended, i was "that's it" D:  i want more now

I forgot how Ptilol appeared!!! I was so stoked for that. (Where's Andy....)

The Hotaru segment was heartbreaking, so I loved it as great storytelling - also Hotaru's Mama got a voice!

Regardless of whether Toei decided to change Serenity's character design or it was just a mistake, this defintiely cannot be the queen.
-That would deviate too much from the manga
-Blonde hair, didn't use NQS voice actress
-The outer senshi addressed her as "princess"

Based on this evidence, I am HOPING assuming that Usagi's transformation in the OP is also supposed to be Princess Serenity . . .

Spoiler:

If this is actually a new character design, perhaps it is meant to indicate that Usagi is maturing or it might be

Spoiler:

Aside from all the confusion, this episode was terrific! Cyprine was gorgeous and had a great voice actress. I was cheering when the inner senshi saved the outer senshi since it was finally a nice change of roles! The battle between the inners and outers was really epic and something that I have been waiting years to be animated!

LBH I'm so excited for the upcoming Act... I really want to see Usagis Transformation into Super Sailor Moon!!

But I enjoyed this episode actually. I've never been really fond of Crystal until Season 3 (especially with the new Characterdesign).

Anyone notice how much the concept art for Mistress 9 and Hotaru's mother look alike?

Any thoughts on a possible retconning of Mistress 9 inhabiting Hotaru's body after a failed attempt of reviving her mother, and a possible Mamoru-Black Lady moment in this adaptation of Sailor Moon?