I think I've mentioned before that I'm not a Sailor Mercury fan. If I had to rank the Sailor Team in order of personal preference, Mercury would be only one notch higher than Sailor Venus. But there are the occasional moments where Mercury becomes a true fighter, and this is one of them. Instead of hiding behind her computer and visor as she has done during so many difficult battles, Mercury is actively engaging the enemy.

This particular cel is one of two tome cels created to highlight the attacks of each of the Inner Senshi in this episode. While Mars and Jupiter are given longer sequences, Mercury and Venus' lone attack cels are, in my opinion, the most visually interesting of the sequence.

My love affair with this particular sequence started back when I was actively collecting Japanese Sailor Moon cards in 1999. One of the seals featured this particular scene, and I was so captivated by how strong Mercury appeared. When I saw this particular cel pop up on Yahoo Japan in 2008, I knew I had to have it.

From Episode 124 - "Semarikuru yami no kyofu! Kusen no hachi senshi" (Fear of Approaching Darkness! The Struggle of the Eight Soldiers).