Ah! My Goddess (Aa! Megami-sama)

Where to begin? Well, thats hard, because there´s a lot to say about this beloved anime series.

I can say that ´cause i guess know a bit or two about anime. I collect anime for decades, i once stood in line for hours to get a horridly recorded tape with a few minutes of "Battleship Yamato", watched Robotech dubbed in spanish in my cousins home in Argentina, collected it very expensive soundtracks with pride, watched AKIRA on movie teathers (twice!),
and so on, and fought hard to geta copy of Hayao Miyazaki´s "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" by the time of its release. Sorry to say that somethings never reach Brazil, so, we must dig it hard!

Well, where I was? Oh yes, Belldandy and Morisato Keichi love story. Keichi is a typical lovable loser, who got into trouble for helping others while trying to cope with his own dosis of problems. For that, he was granted a wish from the heavens, to be given by a Goddess from the "Relief Goddess Office", who suddenly appears to him though a mirror. After a quick talk, thinking it´s a prank played on him by his Senpais, asks her to be by his side forever...and his wish is granted!

So, here´s the thingie. While most animes are rushed, made just "because" , this is the opposite, nothing here is rushed. They spend a lot of time talking, dealing with every day things, just living, for Pete´sake. When new characters are introduced, they are fleshed out as persons, not action figures. Although there´s action now and then, WHEN it happens its relevant, because you get to know them so well, that is becomes otherwordly. There´s character development to spare.

Take for example, a recent anime...huh..."AIR GEAR". Well, the formula is all there, but it simply doesn´t work. Why? in the first episode he´s shown as an underdog with an harem, discovers how to use the air gears, discover the secret mystery of something something, etc etc, all of a season worth of stories, delivered as a supermarket shop list all in five minutes. It´s all so rushy, you don´t get to know him and you simply don´t believe or don´t care about his accomplishments, which sound totally artificial and unfulfilling. Well, forget about it, lets continue with Megami Sama...

This story was told at first in the continuous, long running manga, written and drawn by master storyteller Kosuke Fujishima which began in 1988. Then, five OVAS, original video animations were released in 1991, telling in 30 minute chapters, a extremily shortened, though skilled
version of the story.

Then, things gets magnificent in 2000, with the release of "Ah! My Goddess The Movie". Wow, let´s just say that the climax of this movie is one of the most beautiful things i´ve ever seen in this life. Sure thing to bring religious ecstasy to any brickheaded joe.



Since the Lord is kind to us fools who don´t deserve it, in 2005 a new anime TV series of Ah! My Goddess was launched, which 1st season had 24 episodes, and its second season with 22 episodes. Look forward to Yoko Ishida´s main theme "Open your mind". It IS a delight. It is heavenly. So do yourself a favor and look it up.