Ah! Megamisama!

Morisato Keichi is a typical guy in university. A little bit on the short side, he has problems finding a girlfriend. Now however, he has a goddess living with him -- a goddess with two sisters. This is a sweet story about Keichi and Belldandy and some of the troubles they encounter thanks both to some well-meaning (although unwanted) meddling from others as well as some other influences.

Suitable for Family Viewing - A delightful, sunny-spirited story that the whole family can enjoy, but be aware that there are a few sequences that may be objectionable. Most involve the goddess Urd, which emphasize the goddesses' almost lascivious sexiness, and there are also two scenes which show minor nudity. Parents of elementary-school-aged kids might want to put off this series until junior high. Nothing much transpires between Keiichi and Belldandy; their relationship is chaste, if anything, save for one near-kiss--which, of course, results in disastrous consequences for poor Keiichi!

Be careful what you wish for. That's the lesson that Morisato Keichi learned when he accidentally dialed the wrong number. Desperately trying to find a restaurant which was open (let alone delivers), he ends up getting connected to the Goddess Help Line. Belldandy, a Class I Unlimited goddess pays him a visit and grants him one wish. What does a short guy in university ask for? Why, a girlfriend of course! Someone just like the goddess who granted him the wish. Lucky for Keichi, Belldandy takes the request to mean for *her* to stay by his side.

Fujishima Kyosuke has got my vote for "Most Sugar-Coated OAV Writer of the Decade" award (Miyazaki would get "Most Sugar-Coated Writer"). Even his "villians" aren't very nasty -- more troublesome than truly evil. A!MG! is so sweet, that you'll want to keep your toothbrush handy. But I didn't find it sickening. In fact, A!MG! has the unique distinction of being the first videotape series that we've worn out to such a point that we've had to purchase three sets of tapes, and then the LD's. Why? It's because it's so nice, to the point of being idyllic. Morisato Keichi (Kikuchi Masami) is a fairly typical junior in college, who can't seem to find a girlfriend if his life depended on it. When Belldandy ends up being his constant companion, his own uncertainty and naivete really hinders his attempts to "put the moves" on his new female room-mate. To top it all off, add Megumi, his younger sister who's decided to move in because she'll be a junior in the same college as Keiichi (she has an especially memorable introduction!) Characterisations aside, the story is very simple -- your typical "boy meets girl goddess" script. Animation is nothing spectacular, but the detail of the backgrounds are good, and the colour choices are strikingly beautiful at times. Both the opening and closing themes are catchy, sung by the "Goddess Fan Club" (Inoue Kikuko, Tohma Yumi and Hisakawa Aya). Light comedy -- a good video to watch when you really want to escape. (An little trivia point to note -- those old temples you see featured in a lot of anime -- yes, the floors are damnned cold, even in the middle of summer.)

This is a typical boy meets girl story with the interesting twist of the girl being a goddess. The story itself is pretty basic and the characters are interesting and well portrayed. Belldandy can be a bit weepy and overacted at times, but all in all is fairly well done. Morisato Keichi's sister Megumi is well portrayed. I quite like the way she gives him a hard time about living with a girl, let alone a foreigner. But then, isn't that the prerogative of all little sisters? To annoy big brother? The animation is rather interesting with a fair amount of detail in a fuzzy background. The fuzziness sort of defies there being any detail to the background scenery, but this is not the case. Instead, there is a washed out or almost dreamlike state to the entire episode. (Hey! What would you expect if you suddenly have a goddess living with you?!) The background music is well done and nice to listen to and the beginning and end themes can be rather catchy. - JYN

Five months have gone by since Keichi's first unexpected introduction to Belldandy. Yet, despite living under the same roof, he hasn't had the guts to make a move on the lovely goddess. Enter Urd, Belldandy's older sister. She's been watching the hapless suitor from up above, and she just can't bear watching a soap opera that doesn't go anywhere. Like most older sisters, she likes to look out for her younger siblings. And meddle where she shouldn't. Will Keichi survive Urd's attempts at fulfilling her self-proclaimed title of the "Cupid of Love?" Will Keichi truly become a "Warrior of Love," and maybe even get to kiss her? And will he live to regret it?

I don't have older siblings, but I don't imagine they'd ever be like Urd. Tohma Yumi has a wonderfully versatile voice (she does more than one voice in this series), and she uses it to her advantage in an episode which primarily deals with introducing her character. I've always preferred Japanese-style animation over the "cartoonish" western styles, and this series is a prime example. The backgrounds are incredibly rich, even though they appear washed-out around the edges, vignette style. Use of strong, vibrant colours is a welcome change to the "primary colour" effect we see in a a lot of Saturday morning specials.

The plot moves along fairly well, and we see something that's not very common in Japanese animé -- romance that progresses fairly quickly between episodes. It's a nice change from watching Kyoko and Godai flounder though how many episodes? The "arctic" scene which Jane notes (do they have penguins in the arctic? How about polar bears in the antarctic?) does deserve a mention (see screen-cap above) -- animé often has some really neat segués between scenes, and this has got to be one of the most memorable. We also get to meet two other prominent secondary characters -- Mishima Sayoko, and Aoshima Toshiyuki. They're about as "bad" as characters get in the OAV series, so you can pretty well guess that this isn't a "good-vs-evil" story. I really like the piano music that's used for BGM; the producers have some very talented score writers working on this series. - AN

This episode introduces us to some new characters whom we'll see throughout the rest of the OAV series. Principle among them is Urd, Belldandy's older sister. A second class limited goddess, she tries to get things moving between Keichi and Belldandy, with some *interesting* results. Tohma Yumi does an excellent portrayal of Urd, Belldandy's meddling elder sister. The story line in this episode is again pretty basic. We also meet two other people, Mishima Sayoko one of Keichi's classmates, and Aoshima Toshiyuki who is a year younger. The animation continues to be fuzzily detailed, although there were some interesting little inconsistencies in the number of bracelets that Belldandy was wearing. Supposedly she had one on her right wrist, two on her left with one anklet on her right ankle, but this varied occasionally. There was some good use of the super-deformed style animation especially with Urd, rather fitting of her personality I thought and the "arctic" scene when Urd teases Keichi while he is waiting for Belldandy makes good use of the background scenery. An interesting wake-up call for him. I have to admit though, it's probably a good thing that he got interrupted before putting sunscreen on Belldandy, I'd hate to know how icy his hands were! - JYN

Enter a hammer-wielding 12 year old goddess in charge of debugging the heavens. Skuld is Belldandy's baby sister and a class I unlimited goddess. Tired of fighting hundreds of bugs running loose throughout the Ultimate Force system in the heavens, she tries to get Belldandy to come back home with her. With yet another goddess in the area, will Keichi let alone the temple survive intact? Never mind that there's a racing competition to be run, and everyone seems to have left poor Keichi to his own devices...

Hisakawa Aya has been a fan favourite for quite a while, and she brings her energetic talents to the third episode of A!MG! as Skuld, the youngest sister of the goddess clan. This is the liveliest of the OAV episodes; Hisakawa's presence really steals the show. The representations of the inner workings of the young Skuld's mind are hilarious! Those of you who have ever attended a tech school or engineering at university will find this one fun as well (though we only had the rubber-band powered egg transports, and concrete toboggan races). Some boppin' music again, with solid background music for a all-night prep session in the song, Super Motorcycle, and a dramatic build-up for the final run-off for the championships. A few uncharacteristic technical misses by AnimEigo in translation ("mesh hose?" "balancers in the handlebars??" "rubber bearings???") -- but they don't affect the story much... Strong story and direction, and good acting throughout (listen to Ito Miki's voice in the background as the event announcer, especially in the finals -- she's good!) - AN

This is another fun episode in this series. So far, the series has been quite light-hearted and playful. Skuld's addition to the temple makes for some interesting tension between her and her eldest sister Urd. (Hey she didn't come to get her). The story in this episode is a lot of fun with Skuld getting some really good shots. There is liberal use of simplified animation to represent Skuld's daydreams which are suitably 2D and straight forward for a 12 year olds thoughts.

Typical to being the "volunteer" for racing in the competition, Keichi is left with putting the bike together (although it really does look a lot more like parts). The translation for this episode was pretty good, although there was one major "whoops". Rubber bearings?! Er... I hope I never get on that bike! Otherwise, you might want to be a bit careful if you watch this episode late at night in an apartment. All you hear are motorcycle engines in the next room... The closing credits are well worth a second (or third) look and AnimEigo has included a "non-credit" version after the credits roll by so you can watch the entire thing unhindered. - JYN

What starts out with a light-hearted snowball fight between Urd and Skuld quickly proves to be a bit more serious when the folks at the temple suddenly discover that they're the only ones who've had any snow. How could this be? Bugs have been leaching in from the heavens and is starting to create havoc for Keichi and Belldandy, and things only promise to get worse if things aren't stopped. Somehow, the bugs are getting into the Surface World via a bug-port which is formed whenever Keichi and Belldandy get too close together. Will Urd and Skuld be able to fix things or is it already too late? Belldandy's been given three days notice of recall back home...

All is no longer fun and games in this series. Episode 4 starts cheerfully enough, with a snowball fight that could scare off Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame), and Skuld chasing after a cute little bug which looks like a fuzzy bunny rabbit, only that it seems to have a few extra legs... but a decidedly darker, more sombre tone is set after we discover that Belldandy has been recalled to the heavens for something that has occurred in the past. Again, great back-ground music is a highlight (notable is the piano sonata during a conversation between Keichi and his sister, Megumi), and fine attention to detail in animation backgrounds and acting. Skuld has some pretty neat pieces of equipment, including a snowball throwing machine, a "bug catcher" that looks like a converted rice cooker (and possibly a send-up on the traps used in Ghostbusters?), and her special Bug Exhaust Port goggles. I did have a bit of a problem with the translation -- the use of cliché is discouraged in many cases, and I think the useage during Megumi and Keiichi's conversation while having lunch is one such example. Beyond this little quibble, the episode itself really serves as a set-up for the last installment. Wonderful use of dramatic angles, colour and backgrounds at the end of the show! - AN

What a change this series does in this episode. What had previously been light hearted and somewhat whimsical has suddenly turned a lot more serious; many things lose their following because of such changes, but in AMG the change *makes* the series. The first inkling we have that all is not well is when Keichi has a nightmare that Belldandy was leaving (well okay, right at the very beginning). The music in this series is really well done. Not absolutely fantastic like some soundtracks, but still very enjoyable to listen to. The characters are well portrayed and the animation is as fuzzily detailed as ever although a bit "darker" in nature. The scene with the cherry tree is 'nicely' ominous without being too evil. (I know I know, there's nothing really *evil* in this series). Even so, this is a great set-up to the fifth and final episode of this series. - JYN

Belldandy has been confined to her room whenever Keichi is around due to the destructive nature of their getting too close to each other. Keichi in the meantime is working at various part-time jobs in an attempt to buy Belldandy a ring... something that he vaguely recalls having promised her, only when? A childhood promise that was made and locked away is finally surfacing, and may well be the root of the problem. The question is, will he be able to fulfill his promise to her in time?

The final episode -- and we discover the terrible secret which binds Keiichi and Belldandy's past. Everything comes full circle, as the significance of the old temple is revealed (remember when Keiichi referred to it as, "THAT old temple"?) I love the style of directing used in this series, and the fifth episode is probably the best example -- we get several snippets of action that are done in a "typical day in the life of..." style. Inoue Kikuko (Belldandy) goes a bit overboard with the sob scenes, and her cry of dispair just wasn't whole-hearted. Hisakawa Aya (Skuld) and Tohma Yumi (Urd) do fine jobs, as does Kikuchi Masami (Keiichi). (Did you know that Tohma Yumi played the part of the younger Bell-chan? Talk about versatile!) My favourite music of the series is in this episode -- a nice piano piece very reminicent of Frank Mills in his prime, which plays when we see Keiichi performing his various duties at part-time jobs. The story gets a bit preachy, however, with its rather idealistic presentation about the importance of keeping promises -- no doubt aimed squarely at the series' young target audience. Despite the shortcomings, it's a very good way to end this OAV series. Very enjoyable series, a great heart-warming ending, and a splash of good music. No wonder we've worn out the tapes! - AN

This is the final episode of the OAV series (at least for now...) While Belldandy's weepy nature is a bit overdone by Inoue Kikuko, the remaining cast members are solidly portrayed, particularly notable is Tohma Yumi who also plays the young Belldandy. I especially like how basic her (Urd's) thinking is, which we do see in the manga series as well. (She's really only a second class goddess due to her lack of discipline. Otherwise, she's much more powerful than Belldandy). The music is again very well-done and really adds to the overall OAV series. This episode really ended the OAV series on a nice note and really doesn't need to have anything carry on. Of course, there still a lot of things that happens in the manga series which isn't even hinted at or touched on in the OAVs. Shall see how the next series does... - JYN


	S.O.T.A. Revolution \| home Anime Reviews \| Ah! Megamisama! \| Aono Rokugo \| Arcadia of my youth \| Arislan Senki \| Armitage III \| Ayashi no Ceres \| BAOH \| Battle Angel \| Birdy the Mighty \| Black Jack \| Bubblegum Crisis \| Card Captor Sakura \| Cowboy Bebop \| Crystania no Densetsu \| DBZ Review \| Earthian \| Fake \| Fatal Fury III: The Motion Picture \| Hono Tripper \| Fushigi Yuugi \| Galaxy Express 999 \| Koukaku Kidoutai \| Hotaru No Haka \| Umi Ga Kikoeru \| Juiichinin Iru \| Kaze no Namae wa Amnesia \| Laputa, Castle in the Sky \| Mei Tantei Conan \| Mermaid's Scar \| Ninja Scroll \| Only Yesterday \| Princess Mononoke \| Queen Emeraldas \| Rail of the Star \| Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie \| Tekken Review \| Ultimate Fighter: Grappler Baki \| The Vision of Escaflowne \| Warriors of the Wind \| X: The Movie Ah! Megamisama! (Oh! My Goddess!) genre: fantasy / romance / comedy Morisato Keichi is a typical guy in university. A little bit on the short side, he has problems finding a girlfriend. Now however, he has a goddess living with him -- a goddess with two sisters. This is a sweet story about Keichi and Belldandy and some of the troubles they encounter thanks both to some well-meaning (although unwanted) meddling from others as well as some other influences. Suitable for Family Viewing - A delightful, sunny-spirited story that the whole family can enjoy, but be aware that there are a few sequences that may be objectionable. Most involve the goddess Urd, which emphasize the goddesses' almost lascivious sexiness, and there are also two scenes which show minor nudity. Parents of elementary-school-aged kids might want to put off this series until junior high. Nothing much transpires between Keiichi and Belldandy; their relationship is chaste, if anything, save for one near-kiss--which, of course, results in disastrous consequences for poor Keiichi! Episode 1: Moonlight and Cherry Blossoms Copyright: © 1993 Kodansha (Japan), © 1994 Animeigo (North America) Length: 30 minutes Rating: NR, suitable for family viewing Format: Subtitled (VHS) Based on the manga series by: Fujishima Kosuke Director: Goda Hiroaki Producers: Shindo Masao, Takimoto Hiro Character Design: Matsubura Hidenori English Version Executive Producer: Robert J. Woodhead Translation by: Shin Kurokawa, Matsushima Naoko Be careful what you wish for. That's the lesson that Morisato Keichi learned when he accidentally dialed the wrong number. Desperately trying to find a restaurant which was open (let alone delivers), he ends up getting connected to the Goddess Help Line. Belldandy, a Class I Unlimited goddess pays him a visit and grants him one wish. What does a short guy in university ask for? Why, a girlfriend of course! Someone just like the goddess who granted him the wish. Lucky for Keichi, Belldandy takes the request to mean for her to stay by his side. Fujishima Kyosuke has got my vote for "Most Sugar-Coated OAV Writer of the Decade" award (Miyazaki would get "Most Sugar-Coated Writer"). Even his "villians" aren't very nasty -- more troublesome than truly evil. A!MG! is so sweet, that you'll want to keep your toothbrush handy. But I didn't find it sickening. In fact, A!MG! has the unique distinction of being the first videotape series that we've worn out to such a point that we've had to purchase three sets of tapes, and then the LD's. Why? It's because it's so nice, to the point of being idyllic. Morisato Keichi (Kikuchi Masami) is a fairly typical junior in college, who can't seem to find a girlfriend if his life depended on it. When Belldandy ends up being his constant companion, his own uncertainty and naivete really hinders his attempts to "put the moves" on his new female room-mate. To top it all off, add Megumi, his younger sister who's decided to move in because she'll be a junior in the same college as Keiichi (she has an especially memorable introduction!) Characterisations aside, the story is very simple -- your typical "boy meets girl goddess" script. Animation is nothing spectacular, but the detail of the backgrounds are good, and the colour choices are strikingly beautiful at times. Both the opening and closing themes are catchy, sung by the "Goddess Fan Club" (Inoue Kikuko, Tohma Yumi and Hisakawa Aya). Light comedy -- a good video to watch when you really want to escape. (An little trivia point to note -- those old temples you see featured in a lot of anime -- yes, the floors are damnned cold, even in the middle of summer.) - AN This is a typical boy meets girl story with the interesting twist of the girl being a goddess. The story itself is pretty basic and the characters are interesting and well portrayed. Belldandy can be a bit weepy and overacted at times, but all in all is fairly well done. Morisato Keichi's sister Megumi is well portrayed. I quite like the way she gives him a hard time about living with a girl, let alone a foreigner. But then, isn't that the prerogative of all little sisters? To annoy big brother? The animation is rather interesting with a fair amount of detail in a fuzzy background. The fuzziness sort of defies there being any detail to the background scenery, but this is not the case. Instead, there is a washed out or almost dreamlike state to the entire episode. (Hey! What would you expect if you suddenly have a goddess living with you?!) The background music is well done and nice to listen to and the beginning and end themes can be rather catchy. - JYN Episode 2: Midsummer Night's Dream Copyright: © 1993 Kodansha (Japan), © 1994 Animeigo (North America) Length: 30 minutes Rating: NR, suitable for family viewing Format: Subtitled/Dubbed (VHS/LD) Based on the manga series by: Fujishima Kosuke Director: Goda Hiroaki Producers: Shindo Masao, Takimoto Hiro Character Design: Matsubura Hidenori English Version Executive Producer: Robert J. Woodhead Translation by: Shin Kurokawa, Matsushima Naoko Five months have gone by since Keichi's first unexpected introduction to Belldandy. Yet, despite living under the same roof, he hasn't had the guts to make a move on the lovely goddess. Enter Urd, Belldandy's older sister. She's been watching the hapless suitor from up above, and she just can't bear watching a soap opera that doesn't go anywhere. Like most older sisters, she likes to look out for her younger siblings. And meddle where she shouldn't. Will Keichi survive Urd's attempts at fulfilling her self-proclaimed title of the "Cupid of Love?" Will Keichi truly become a "Warrior of Love," and maybe even get to kiss her? And will he live to regret it? I don't have older siblings, but I don't imagine they'd ever be like Urd. Tohma Yumi has a wonderfully versatile voice (she does more than one voice in this series), and she uses it to her advantage in an episode which primarily deals with introducing her character. I've always preferred Japanese-style animation over the "cartoonish" western styles, and this series is a prime example. The backgrounds are incredibly rich, even though they appear washed-out around the edges, vignette style. Use of strong, vibrant colours is a welcome change to the "primary colour" effect we see in a a lot of Saturday morning specials. The plot moves along fairly well, and we see something that's not very common in Japanese animé -- romance that progresses fairly quickly between episodes. It's a nice change from watching Kyoko and Godai flounder though how many episodes? The "arctic" scene which Jane notes (do they have penguins in the arctic? How about polar bears in the antarctic?) does deserve a mention (see screen-cap above) -- animé often has some really neat segués between scenes, and this has got to be one of the most memorable. We also get to meet two other prominent secondary characters -- Mishima Sayoko, and Aoshima Toshiyuki. They're about as "bad" as characters get in the OAV series, so you can pretty well guess that this isn't a "good-vs-evil" story. I really like the piano music that's used for BGM; the producers have some very talented score writers working on this series. - AN This episode introduces us to some new characters whom we'll see throughout the rest of the OAV series. Principle among them is Urd, Belldandy's older sister. A second class limited goddess, she tries to get things moving between Keichi and Belldandy, with some interesting results. Tohma Yumi does an excellent portrayal of Urd, Belldandy's meddling elder sister. The story line in this episode is again pretty basic. We also meet two other people, Mishima Sayoko one of Keichi's classmates, and Aoshima Toshiyuki who is a year younger. The animation continues to be fuzzily detailed, although there were some interesting little inconsistencies in the number of bracelets that Belldandy was wearing. Supposedly she had one on her right wrist, two on her left with one anklet on her right ankle, but this varied occasionally. There was some good use of the super-deformed style animation especially with Urd, rather fitting of her personality I thought and the "arctic" scene when Urd teases Keichi while he is waiting for Belldandy makes good use of the background scenery. An interesting wake-up call for him. I have to admit though, it's probably a good thing that he got interrupted before putting sunscreen on Belldandy, I'd hate to know how icy his hands were! - JYN Episode 3: Burning Hearts on the Road Copyright: © 1993 Kodansha (Japan), © 1994 Animeigo (North America) Length: 30 minutes Rating: NR, suitable for family viewing Format: Subtitled/Dubbed (VHS/LD) Based on the manga series by: Fujishima Kosuke Director: Goda Hiroaki Producers: Shindo Masao, Takimoto Hiro Character Design: Matsubura Hidenori English Version Executive Producer: Robert J. Woodhead Translation by: Shin Kurokawa, Matsushima Naoko Enter a hammer-wielding 12 year old goddess in charge of debugging the heavens. Skuld is Belldandy's baby sister and a class I unlimited goddess. Tired of fighting hundreds of bugs running loose throughout the Ultimate Force system in the heavens, she tries to get Belldandy to come back home with her. With yet another goddess in the area, will Keichi let alone the temple survive intact? Never mind that there's a racing competition to be run, and everyone seems to have left poor Keichi to his own devices... Hisakawa Aya has been a fan favourite for quite a while, and she brings her energetic talents to the third episode of A!MG! as Skuld, the youngest sister of the goddess clan. This is the liveliest of the OAV episodes; Hisakawa's presence really steals the show. The representations of the inner workings of the young Skuld's mind are hilarious! Those of you who have ever attended a tech school or engineering at university will find this one fun as well (though we only had the rubber-band powered egg transports, and concrete toboggan races). Some boppin' music again, with solid background music for a all-night prep session in the song, Super Motorcycle, and a dramatic build-up for the final run-off for the championships. A few uncharacteristic technical misses by AnimEigo in translation ("mesh hose?" "balancers in the handlebars??" "rubber bearings???") -- but they don't affect the story much... Strong story and direction, and good acting throughout (listen to Ito Miki's voice in the background as the event announcer, especially in the finals -- she's good!) - AN This is another fun episode in this series. So far, the series has been quite light-hearted and playful. Skuld's addition to the temple makes for some interesting tension between her and her eldest sister Urd. (Hey she didn't come to get her). The story in this episode is a lot of fun with Skuld getting some really good shots. There is liberal use of simplified animation to represent Skuld's daydreams which are suitably 2D and straight forward for a 12 year olds thoughts. Typical to being the "volunteer" for racing in the competition, Keichi is left with putting the bike together (although it really does look a lot more like parts). The translation for this episode was pretty good, although there was one major "whoops". Rubber bearings?! Er... I hope I never get on that bike! Otherwise, you might want to be a bit careful if you watch this episode late at night in an apartment. All you hear are motorcycle engines in the next room... The closing credits are well worth a second (or third) look and AnimEigo has included a "non-credit" version after the credits roll by so you can watch the entire thing unhindered. - JYN Episode 4: Evergreen Holy Night Copyright: © 1993 Kodansha (Japan), © 1994 Animeigo (North America) Length: 30 minutes Rating: NR, suitable for family viewing Format: Subtitled/Dubbed (VHS/LD) Based on the manga series by: Fujishima Kosuke Director: Goda Hiroaki Producers: Shindo Masao, Takimoto Hiro Character Design: Matsubura Hidenori English Version Executive Producer: Robert J. Woodhead Translation by: Shin Kurokawa, Matsushima Naoko A nightmare reminds Keichi that his girlfriend isn't just any girl but a goddess. It's been nine months since Belldandy came to earth but some day she may have to return home... What starts out with a light-hearted snowball fight between Urd and Skuld quickly proves to be a bit more serious when the folks at the temple suddenly discover that they're the only ones who've had any snow. How could this be? Bugs have been leaching in from the heavens and is starting to create havoc for Keichi and Belldandy, and things only promise to get worse if things aren't stopped. Somehow, the bugs are getting into the Surface World via a bug-port which is formed whenever Keichi and Belldandy get too close together. Will Urd and Skuld be able to fix things or is it already too late? Belldandy's been given three days notice of recall back home... All is no longer fun and games in this series. Episode 4 starts cheerfully enough, with a snowball fight that could scare off Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame), and Skuld chasing after a cute little bug which looks like a fuzzy bunny rabbit, only that it seems to have a few extra legs... but a decidedly darker, more sombre tone is set after we discover that Belldandy has been recalled to the heavens for something that has occurred in the past. Again, great back-ground music is a highlight (notable is the piano sonata during a conversation between Keichi and his sister, Megumi), and fine attention to detail in animation backgrounds and acting. Skuld has some pretty neat pieces of equipment, including a snowball throwing machine, a "bug catcher" that looks like a converted rice cooker (and possibly a send-up on the traps used in Ghostbusters?), and her special Bug Exhaust Port goggles. I did have a bit of a problem with the translation -- the use of cliché is discouraged in many cases, and I think the useage during Megumi and Keiichi's conversation while having lunch is one such example. Beyond this little quibble, the episode itself really serves as a set-up for the last installment. Wonderful use of dramatic angles, colour and backgrounds at the end of the show! - AN What a change this series does in this episode. What had previously been light hearted and somewhat whimsical has suddenly turned a lot more serious; many things lose their following because of such changes, but in AMG the change makes the series. The first inkling we have that all is not well is when Keichi has a nightmare that Belldandy was leaving (well okay, right at the very beginning). The music in this series is really well done. Not absolutely fantastic like some soundtracks, but still very enjoyable to listen to. The characters are well portrayed and the animation is as fuzzily detailed as ever although a bit "darker" in nature. The scene with the cherry tree is 'nicely' ominous without being too evil. (I know I know, there's nothing really evil in this series). Even so, this is a great set-up to the fifth and final episode of this series. - JYN Episode 5: For the Love of Goddess Copyright: © 1993 Kodansha (Japan), © 1994 Animeigo (North America) Length: 30 minutes Rating: NR, suitable for family viewing Format: Subtitled/Dubbed (VHS/LD) Based on the manga series by: Fujishima Kosuke Director: Goda Hiroaki Producers: Shindo Masao, Takimoto Hiro Character Design: Matsubura Hidenori English Version Executive Producer: Robert J. Woodhead Translation by: Shin Kurokawa, Matsushima Naoko Belldandy has been confined to her room whenever Keichi is around due to the destructive nature of their getting too close to each other. Keichi in the meantime is working at various part-time jobs in an attempt to buy Belldandy a ring... something that he vaguely recalls having promised her, only when? A childhood promise that was made and locked away is finally surfacing, and may well be the root of the problem. The question is, will he be able to fulfill his promise to her in time? The final episode -- and we discover the terrible secret which binds Keiichi and Belldandy's past. Everything comes full circle, as the significance of the old temple is revealed (remember when Keiichi referred to it as, "THAT old temple"?) I love the style of directing used in this series, and the fifth episode is probably the best example -- we get several snippets of action that are done in a "typical day in the life of..." style. Inoue Kikuko (Belldandy) goes a bit overboard with the sob scenes, and her cry of dispair just wasn't whole-hearted. Hisakawa Aya (Skuld) and Tohma Yumi (Urd) do fine jobs, as does Kikuchi Masami (Keiichi). (Did you know that Tohma Yumi played the part of the younger Bell-chan? Talk about versatile!) My favourite music of the series is in this episode -- a nice piano piece very reminicent of Frank Mills in his prime, which plays when we see Keiichi performing his various duties at part-time jobs. The story gets a bit preachy, however, with its rather idealistic presentation about the importance of keeping promises -- no doubt aimed squarely at the series' young target audience. Despite the shortcomings, it's a very good way to end this OAV series. Very enjoyable series, a great heart-warming ending, and a splash of good music. No wonder we've worn out the tapes! - AN This is the final episode of the OAV series (at least for now...) While Belldandy's weepy nature is a bit overdone by Inoue Kikuko, the remaining cast members are solidly portrayed, particularly notable is Tohma Yumi who also plays the young Belldandy. I especially like how basic her (Urd's) thinking is, which we do see in the manga series as well. (She's really only a second class goddess due to her lack of discipline. Otherwise, she's much more powerful than Belldandy). The music is again very well-done and really adds to the overall OAV series. This episode really ended the OAV series on a nice note and really doesn't need to have anything carry on. Of course, there still a lot of things that happens in the manga series which isn't even hinted at or touched on in the OAVs. Shall see how the next series does... - JYN