Ami-chan no Hatsukoi

Ami-chan no Hatsukoi is a movie that opened in movie theaters in December 1995. It opened while the S season was airing on television in Japan, but is not considered to be connected to the storyline in that season. It is based on Exam Battle #2 in Volume 13 of the manga.



The movie opens with Luna narrating, telling us that the following story unfolds as the girls are frantically studying for their high school entrance exams. Ami Mizuno is shown waking up in her bed at home, and then reading in the bath. She then narrates, "I'm Ami Mizuno. Born September 10th, a Virgo, blood type A. My hobby is reading. Every morning, I get to school 40 minutes early to read."

Ami steps out of the bath and goes to the kitchen. She sits down at the table and uncovers a plate. She continues, "I love sandwiches because I can read while I eat them."

As she is going to school she says, "My favorite color is blue, and swimming is my favorite sport. Math is my best subject."

Arriving at school, "One thing I'm not good at recieving is..."

Opening her locker and finding a letter, "...a..."

Picking up the letter, heart pounding, turning bright red, "...love letter!" Her scream is heard throughout the school.

She tells the other girls about the letter, and about her strange reaction to them. Usagi says that she would love to have the problem of receiving a love letter, and the other girls agree. Minako misquotes a common proverb, but Artemis corrects her. Ami laughs and says that there is only one thing they should be worrying out. The other girls quickly reply, "Studying, we take it?" "That's right," Ami says while putting on her glasses, "Right now, in my dictionary, there's no such word as love!" A chilly wind blows, and ChibiUsa says, "Scary..."

Makoto asks if anything is wrong. Ami shows the girls a magazine with the national scores for practice exame. "Look on page 42," she says. A person named "Mercury" is at the top, having scored 100% in all five subjects on the exam. Ami explains that the results are sent in with code names for each person, and that she is Mercury. The problem, she says, is that there is another person tied with her, with perfect score... and that that person is named "Mercurius," Latin for Mercury. Ami believes that this person may be challenging her, and may be a new type of enemy. The girls think that she is overanalyzing the situation, but she can't help but wonder what type of person Mercurius is.

Ami decides to try to go to more practice exams and study seminars, with the hopes of meeting Mercurius. She says that she's never felt so passionate before, and that it's thrilling to have a right... but that she won't back down from this, either!

The Hikawa Jinja shrine is shown, and Luna narrates, "The next day, something in Ami had changed suddenly..." Ami is surrounded by books, and tells the other girls that Mercurius has tied her again. She wonders what this person is like, and Minako tells her that it's almost like she's in love. Ami says that, no, he's a rival! The girls then ask Ami to tell them what she looks for in a man. She tells them that he should be like Einstein! The amorous music dies away, and the girls give Ami funny looks. Usagi ask, "Who?"

The scene changes to the Crown Game Center. Luna narrates, "And so began their little plan..." The girls say that they have never seen Ami acting this way, and decide they must help her find out the true identity of Mercurius.

The scene changes again, to the school, and Luna narrates, "Now Usagi's up to some scheme." Usagi is walking through the hall, and Naru and Umino meet her, saying that Umino is going to make predictions on what will be on the next exam. Usagi asks Umino if he knows anything about Mercurius, and Umino says that they're friends.

"At the same time..." Luna's voice says, and the scene changes to the "Number One Tutorial Seminar." Ami is prepared to study hard and defeat Mercurius, but.. she accidentally falls asleep. When she awakens, there is no one else in the classroom. Behind her in the window, a mysterious glowing face appears and follows Ami. A voice says, "I can feel it... an unspeakably lewd aura... Oh, there she is... that girl's in love." Ami, on her way home, says "Mercurius..." A strange woman is shown, and her voice continues, "She's filled with lust, thinking only about a man. She's easy prey for me. I've been in this business for over a hundred years. Her desire will be mine!" Ami syas that her head hurts, and that maybe she is getting sick. The mysterious figure, who is actually the spirit Bonnon, perches on top of Ami's head and stays there until Ami gets home.

Meanwhile, Umino takes the other girls to the Number One Tutorial Seminar, and says that it is where Mercurius studies. He tells them that although it may look a little run down, it has a long and respectable history. Mercurius shows up at the door and meets the girls... who just stare at him, speechless.

Ami's apartment appears, and Luna narrates again, "something's not right with Ami!" Ami lies in bed, sick, unable to move. She laments, "Mercurius, why are you doing this to me?" Bonnon appears and says, "She's being haunted by her desires... then she must be ready for the final act! The start of all desires..." Love letters suddenly appear in her hands and she says, "The Love Letter Attack! No one is unaffected by the anticipated desires sealed within!" She pulls the cover off of Ami and throws love letters all around her, including one on her head! Ami is helpless because she is so ill. As she screams, all of the equations that she has learned begin leaving her brain in bubbles, which then burst.

Meanwile, ChibiUsa, Mamoru, and Usagi are standing just outside of Ami's apartment. They hear Ami's screams as Bonnon tells her that her knowledge is leaving her mind, so that she will become a slave to her desires. Usagi rushes through the door, but the floor has disappeared! She begins to fall, but manages to save herself by grabbing the door frame. ChibiUsa asks the villain who she is, but before Bonnon can answer, Ami yells out that she is Mercurius! Bonnon tries to protest, but Ami doesn't listen. She transforms into Sailor Mercury with "Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!" while saying, "Exam results + seminars + stress (sabotage) = Enemy!" Bonnon screams as Sailor Mercury gives her speech, "I am the Sailor Senshi of love and exams, Sailor Mercury! Stick your head in some cold water and think about what you've done!"

Usagi tries to tell Sailor Mercury that Bonnon is not Mercurius, but she won't listen. She attacks the spririt with "Mercury Aqua Mirage" and destroys her. Bonnon's final words are, "But I'm not..." The floor reappears and Ami says that she feels much better.. but she would have liked to have seen him.

Back at the Crown Game Center, the girls decide that it would be best not to mention Mercurius in front of Ami. Ami suddenly appears behind them, having overheard them, and asks what he was like. They point at a magazine and tell her that he looks just like the year's hottest young star. Ami says, "That's how I imagined him! Just like a young Einstein!"

Usagi then says, "But if she finds out that he looked exactly like Umino..." and Mercurius is shown. He looks like Umino, but has square glasses and green hair. Makoto asks why he used the name Mercurius, and Usagi explains that his name is Suri Kurume - Mercurius, backwards!

In the end, Ami is heard screaming... Mercurius is still in the rankings, having tied her again, even though she has already defeated him! Usagi tries to explain, but Ami says to leave it to her. She runs up the stairs as Luna, narrating, says, "The battle goes on for high-standards Mercury." As Ami reaches the top of the stairs, she says, "I'll keep giving it my best!"