A fortune-telling parlor draws crowds to the Juban district with eerily accurate readings, but its satisfied customers soon turn aggressive, among them a boy nursing a crush on Usagi. Sensing a monster behind the sudden cruelty, Usagi and Luna set out to expose the shop for what it really is.
Summary
The second episode of the series introduces a menace hidden inside a popular new business. A fortune parlor opens in the Juban district and wins a devoted following for its uncanny predictions, yet the patrons who have their futures read start behaving violently, including Gurio Umino, the classmate infatuated with Usagi. Suspecting a monster at the root of it, Usagi and Luna decide to look into the strange establishment.
Key Events
Down in the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl presses Jadeite to gather human energy as a stopgap until the Silver Crystal turns up, and he hits on the fortune shop as his method. The parlor's new reader is actually the Youma Balm in disguise, who hypnotizes Umino and brands him with the tarot card of the Devil. Usagi, distracted by her own crushes and a run-in with a rude Mamoru who tells her to act more ladylike, does not immediately connect the dots. Umino's behavior grows alarming; he shows up out of uniform, tries to force a kiss on Usagi, and flips up their teacher Ms. Haruna's skirt.
When Usagi and Naru realize the boy changed only after visiting the House of Fortune, and after he and several possessed classmates smash office windows and Umino grabs at Usagi again, Luna confirms she can feel evil clinging to him. Sailor Moon confronts Balm, dodging a barrage of thrown cards and a mob of entranced boys until Tuxedo Mask's rose gives her the opening to finish the Youma with Moon Tiara Action. The next day a mortified Umino apologizes for his conduct, and Usagi generously waves it off.
Notes
This is the show's first filler chapter, with none of its events drawn from the manga, and it was the earliest of six installments dropped from the DiC dub, likely because of Umino's possessed antics; it finally reached English audiences through the Viz stream on September 5, 2014. The skip meant the debuts of both Motoki Furuhata and Usagi's father, Kenji Tsukino, were cut from that release. Balm controls her victims with tarot card XV, the Devil, and her card motif foreshadows the later Cardian monsters. The Japanese broadcast fell on March 14, 1992.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in Punishment Awaits: The House of Fortune Is the Monster Mansion?
A fortune-telling parlor in the Juban district turns its customers violent, including Usagi's classmate Gurio Umino, and Usagi and Luna discover the shop is secretly run by the Youma Balm in disguise.
How does Sailor Moon defeat Balm?
Sailor Moon dodges a barrage of tarot cards and a mob of entranced boys before Tuxedo Mask's rose gives her the opening to finish Balm with Moon Tiara Action.
Why was this episode skipped by the original English dub?
Punishment Awaits: The House of Fortune Is the Monster Mansion was the first of six early episodes cut from the DiC dub, likely because of Umino's possessed behavior, and it did not air in English until Viz Media's stream on September 5, 2014.
Who first appears in this episode?
This episode marks the first appearances of Motoki Furuhata and Usagi's father, Kenji Tsukino.
How does Balm control her victims?
Balm controls her victims by hypnotizing them and branding them with the tarot card of the Devil, a card motif that foreshadows the later Cardian monsters.
Sources & Information
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View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Anime based on the Sailor Moon anime series, manga, and official materials. Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi, published by Kodansha, and animated by Toei Animation. All rights to Sailor Moon and its characters belong to their respective owners. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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- Published byKodansha
- Animated byToei Animation
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