Review of Ah My Goddess! TV: Volume 5

Introduction

Ah My Goddess was the 5-episode OVA series that proved to be the hit of the nineties, as countless anime fans fell in love with the elegant charms of the goddess Belldandy. Start an impromptu poll on any anime forum, and Belldandy will rate as most people`s ideal animated woman (Admittedly some think she`s a wet fish, but there`s no accounting for taste). A full-length anime series based on the long running manga has been a long time coming, but finally prayers have been answered, and MVM bring the first series to the UK (Apparently, just as happened in the US, ADV have nabbed the second series, so expect a change of distributor for AMG in 2008).

Ah My Goddess takes its cue from the sitcoms of the sixties, shows like Bewitched and I Dream Of Jeannie, where an average Joe would meet the girl of his dreams, only there would be more to her than meets the eye, causing his life to change in unexpected ways. Here Keiichi Morisato is the average Joe, but Belldandy trumps the witch and genie by actually being a goddess, a celestial being who comes to Earth to grant one wish. Life isn`t all celestial perfection for Keiichi though, and the mayhem increases when Belldandy`s elder sister Urd, and younger sister Skuld also move in.

This fifth volume contains 4 episodes.

19. Ah! Please Don`t Look at Me Like That!
Keiichi is still thinking warm thoughts about Belldandy following their vacation, but Skuld keeps getting in the way, while Urd keeps matchmaking in her inimitable style. This time around, it`s a love potion that she brews, one that Skuld decides to adulterate with a few ingredients of her own. Love turns to lust when Belldandy partakes, and she has a Jekyll and Hyde moment. Can Keiichi handle 24 hours of Belldandy as a doting lust bunny? And if he can finally have all that he has ever dreamed of, why`s that niggling conscience stopping him?

20. Ah! If You`re a Real Man, Save the Goddess?
Keiichi and Belldandy get some alone time when her sisters go back to heaven to perform some maintenance of Yggdrasil. But before leaving, Skuld puts a plan in motion to keep Keiichi and big sister apart. She turns Keiichi into a girl! Awkward situations become more ominous when Belldandy tries to effect a cure and gets infected with a celestial virus.

21. Ah! What Wouldn`t I Give for an Angel With White Wings?!
Qualified goddesses have angels to support them and to reflect their inner souls, as well as perform some of the more complex spells. Seeing Belldandy and Holy Bell one morning gets Skuld eager to gain her own angel. But she hasn`t accounted for all the hard work and training that is needed. The one thing that keeps her competitive is that Urd hasn`t got an angel either. Skuld looks for a technological short cut to increasing her powers, one that goes horribly wrong. It will be down to Urd to access her angel to save her younger sister, but Urd has a dark secret to hide.

22. Ah! The Devil`s Whisper Coming from an Urn?
Urd is depressed, her goddess licence revoked, her angel recalled, she now has to live fifty years as a human. It isn`t any easier living under the same roof as her goddess sisters. Meanwhile the demon Marller is up to no good, seeking out the Legendary Urn to unleash misery and despair in the world. The Urn will call to the heir of the Lord of Terror, whose arrival will bring seven days of destruction, before the world ends. The heir is already on Earth, has demon blood running in her veins, and just so happens to be Urd, who is currently missing her divine powers.

Video

The 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer on this disc is clear and problem free to my eye. That`s with the usual disclaimer about digital banding and other such niggles that are usually associated with anime. This is as good as television anime usually gets. As for the animation, especially compared to the OVA, it`s a case of swings and roundabouts. The character design and world detail is simplified in comparison to the original episodes, but the animation is much more fluid, with CGI blended in seamlessly as is the case with most modern anime. The world is also more expansive, with a lot more of the background detail filled in.

Audio

It`s just your basic DD 2.0 English and Japanese for Ah My Goddess, with optional English subtitles and signs. The English track sounds a tad louder to my ears, otherwise there is little to differentiate them. I also feel that the English dub sounds a little goofy in comparison to the original language track, but I guess that`s a matter of personal preference. If like me, you prefer the original language tracks, it`s worth noting that the original cast reunite after 12 years for this series, providing a nice degree of familiarity to fans of the OVA.

Features

The usual MVM presentation as always for this disc, complete with jacket picture, animated menus and DVD credits page.

Extras? There are a few. Here we get a line art gallery with 20 images, and a screenshot gallery also with 20 images.

Conclusion

It`s cut and paste time, as I try for the fifth review to get my appreciation for this light comedy romance series across. Actually volume 5 would be an odd place to join the series, so I find myself in the bizarre position of simultaneously preaching to the choir and shouting into a gale. If you have already signed up to the delights of Belldandy, I doubt this review would do anything to dissuade you. It would be pointless anyway, as I found volume five of Ah My Goddess to be just as charming and delightful as all the others. It`s worth noting that we shift away from the episodic format here, as we build toward the season climax.

We begin with the usual light comedy episodes, and thankfully there aren`t any diversions as we concentrate on Keiichi and Belldandy`s relationship for the duration. Urd`s urging and Skuld`s interfering combine to make a dodgy love potion that brings out Belldandy`s brazen side. She`s soon offering herself to Keiichi on a plate, but this wouldn`t be Ah My Goddess if he weren`t a perfect gentleman. Belldandy throws herself at him, but realising that she`s acting under the influence, Keiichi refuses to take advantage of the celestial equivalent of Rohypnol. So follows an episode of Belldandy being uncharacteristically forward, Keiichi fearing for his life, Urd cheering them on, and Skuld trying to stop nature taking its course. For those who are invested in the Keiichi Belldandy relationship, the final scene makes up for all the comedy.

Skuld doesn`t give up in the second episode, as she comes up with a plan to keep Keiichi and Belldandy apart. With Keiichi as a girl, the usual transgender shenanigans ensue, with Keiichi having to play the part of Belldandy`s cousin to fool his classmates and his sister. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on which way your mind travels, things take a more serious turn when Belldandy tries to reverse the spell, and falls victim to a virus. It`s down to Keiichi to save the day.

The final two episodes on the disc herald the beginning of a climactic story arc. We begin by exploring the relationship between goddesses and their angels when Skuld wants to grow up to be like her sister. It`s the usual light comedy, but has a melancholy core to it when it seems that Urd doesn`t have an angel either. The truth as it is revealed is unexpected, but given Urd`s volatile nature makes sense. She`s half demon, and the first time that her angel manifested it had the traits of both sides of her ancestry, scaring her into sealing it away. Skuld`s actions require Urd to finally face her divided nature, and it would seem like a positive ending, until she is punished for abandoning her duties and stripped of her powers.

This is just the opportunity that Marller has been waiting for, and tempting a goddess that is forced to live as a mundane human becomes easy. Urd is offered more power than she ever had as a goddess, and circumstances provoke her into accepting. The Lord of Terror is unleashed, only it`s Belldandy`s sister. Belldandy`s duty is clear, inform the Almighty so the Valkyries can be sent to deal with Urd, but Belldandy can`t sacrifice her sister. So as we end the disc, Belldandy and Skuld are trying to redeem Urd, who has lost herself to the demonic persona, and with Marller is ravaging the world. Yes, it`s cliffhanger time, the only downside to a thoroughly enjoyable disc. We`ll have to wait a couple of months to see how it all ends.

Ah My Goddess TV: Volume 5 is more of the same, but with added story. If like me, you are already smitten then it is an easy sell. For everyone else try again from volume 1.