Ep 21. Jupiter Comes Thundering In

As the 21st episode of the first season of Sailor Moon, "Jupiter Comes Thundering In" follows the arrival of a new Sailor Guardian, Sailor Jupiter. The fifth Scout to join the team, Sailor Jupiter, whose real name is Makoto Kino, is a tough and independent teenage girl with a strong sense of justice. In this episode, we see her first introduction to the group.

The episode starts with Usagi, the titular character, walking home from school with Luna and giving her complaints about her everyday life, such as her dislike of carrots. Suddenly, she hears a rumbling noise and turns to see a girl her age being attacked by a group of bullies. Usagi immediately recognizes the girl's resemblance to Sailor Moon and steps in to intervene.

After fighting off the bullies, Usagi discovers that the girl is named Makoto Kino and is a transfer student at her school. Makoto is initially cautious of Usagi, but they soon become friends and Makoto confides in Usagi about her tragic past. Makoto's parents died when she was young, leaving her to fend for herself. She has developed a reputation as a delinquent at her previous school because of her tough exterior and refusal to conform to societal norms.

Meanwhile, the evil villain, Queen Beryl, sends one of her henchmen, Nephrite, to find the true identity of Sailor Moon. Nephrite goes to the same school as Usagi and Makoto and quickly becomes infatuated with Makoto's strength. He soon discovers that Makoto is Sailor Jupiter and begins to plan her capture.

Back at school, Usagi becomes suspicious of Makoto when she finds a picture of her with a boy from her previous school and begins to imagine that Makoto might have a crush on Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon's love interest. While these silent imaginings are going on, Nephrite sets a trap for Sailor Jupiter by creating a monster in the form of a tennis machine that Makoto is drawn to investigating.

Feeling responsible for her new friend's wellbeing, Usagi follows Makoto to the tennis court and finds herself in a battle with the monster. Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, Sailor Moon continues to fight, but is eventually aided by the arrival of Sailor Jupiter, who uses her incredible strength to destroy the machine. Sailor Moon is hurt and needs attention. She tells Makoto not to tell anyone her real identity and later realizes that Makoto is Sailor Jupiter.

After the battle, Sailor Moon thanks Sailor Jupiter for her help, and the two become allies. As the episode ends, the girls are joined by the other three Sailor Guardians - Mercury, Mars, and Venus - and become closer as a group.

Overall, "Jupiter Comes Thundering In" is an action-packed episode, full of incredible fight scenes and emotional character developments. It also explores the themes of friendship and acceptance, as Makoto learns to let her guard down and embrace her new friends. This episode is a pivotal moment in the first season of Sailor Moon, as it introduces a new hero, a new friendship, and brings the Sailor Guardians one step closer to their ultimate goal of defeating the Dark Kingdom.