The History of Umino and Naru

When we first meet Umino in the first episode of BSSM he's bragging about his high test scores to Naru and Usagi who are lamenting their low (or sub-standard in Usagi's case) scores. He's a geek, who frequently annoys them both going on about things they're not interested in.

Early on Umino has a crush on Usagi, and will follow the two of them around. In fact in the second episode (not shown in the U.S.) he actually calls up Naru to ask her help in getting a date with Usagi, this backfires when he becomes the target of the youma of the day, and his personality does a 180, smacking the teacher (Haruna-sensei) on the butt, and trying to kiss Usagi.

Naru features in the next few episodes with Usagi, but it's not until episode 7 that she seriously interacts with Umino again, when she and Usagi have a falling out over a talent contest (which is of course a youma plot in disguise). Naru recruits Umino to be her dance partner, and even dresses him up in drag for this, whether or not this kindles the pending romance is not shown in the series.

Umino and Naru take a back seat in the next few episodes as other senshi, Mercury and then Mars are introduced. They briefly pop up in the first part of episode 12, when Usagi is discussing a romantic cruise (youma plot) with Naru and Umino butts in to their discussion, and then don't show up again until episode 14, at least Naru doesn't Umino gets a slightly longer break.

In episode 14 a childhood friend of Naru's is targeted by the Dark Kingdom in the form of Nephrite disguised as Sanjouin Masato. Given Naru has no idea that he is a source of evil, and in typical anime fashion he's not bad-looking she develops a crush on him, which is not discovered until a few episodes later.

Episode 15 sees Umino getting some screen time. Usagi recruits him to help her spy on Mamoru and Rei who are out on a date in a park which happens to be a youma target, but still no Umino-Naru romantic interaction.

Naru's crush on Sanjouin Masato/Nephrite is brought to light in episode 19, when he sends love letters to every girl under the guise of Tuxedo Kamen and she and Usagi are the only ones who go to the meet. Nephrite is amazed by the amount of energy he can drain of Naru because of her affection for Sanjouin Masato and schemes to use this to his advantage, but this proves to be his downfall because in episode 21 the senshi discover his secret identity, and in episode 23 Usagi finds out that Naru is still in love with Sanjouin Masato and tries to find a way to explain to her that he is not who she thinks and highly dangerous.

Nephrite tries to get Naru to give her the ginzuishou, figuring that because she cares for him if he tells her he's in danger she'll find it. Naru brings him a crystal from her mother's store, which is not the ginzuishou, but again Nephrite witnessed the energy coming from Naru's love for him and thought maybe she had the ginzuishou inside of her. The next episode he tries to con her into calling on Sailormoon, but she doesn't know how Sailormoon is. He has double problems because Zoicite is after him. During the course of the episode Naru is kidnapped by Zoicite, and Nephrite is fatally wounded. He dies in Naru's arms after protecting her and redeeming himself.

In Episode 26, Usagi and Umino both go to check on Naru as she hasn't been to school since Nephrite died. Usagi actually tells Umino to try and make Naru happy because she hasn't really been sick with a cold. At first Umino's attempts at distraction earn him hits from Usagi. They try to take her out but their path takes them by a cemetary and Naru becomes upset that Nephrite doesn't have a grave. The cemetary is under attack by Zoisite, and Naru goes after him because she sees that he has the black crystal Nephrite used to use. The youma of the day tries to attack Naru but Umino pulls her out of the way and gets hurt in the process. While Moon and the newly discovered Jupiter dispatch the youma. Naru wraps Umino's arm with the same cloth she wrapped Nephrite's wound, and afterwards decides she will go back to school and move on with her life.

We don't see Umino and Naru again until episode 32 when they're sharing lunch. Usagi comments asking them if they're dating now, and Umino says they are but Naru quickly says they're just friends. Umino leaves saddened and later tries to find out from Usagi how he can change Naru's mind. Usagi tells him to 'be cool' which prompts him to dress up in a Tuxedo and try and protect Naru as "Tuxedo Umino Kamen" after a false start with a dog Usagi gets tickets to a knock-off power ranger type show and gives them to Naru and tells her to take Umino because he is trying after a bit she agrees. The next night he sleeps outside her apartment and inadvertantly protects her from an attack by Zoicite, while she does get mad at him for this she still agrees to meet him at noon. The next day he ditches the tux and takes her to the show, but they get attacked by Zoicite who has turned one of the show's actors into a youma when he missed an attack on Naru. Umino attempted to fight the youma with some of the shrimp from his lunch box, but in the end they were both caught by the youma. Later on after the youma was defeated Naru actually consented to call him, "Tuxedo Umino Kamen."

Naru appears in a few more of the episodes of the first season but always by herself, without Umino.