Ah! My Goddess Returns to DVD

The Smug Dude,  May 11, 2007

New on DVD this week is the latest installment of the anime classic Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy. Readers of this column know that this is one of my favorite series, and I must say the first DVD of season two did not disappoint.

At its heart, Ah! My Goddess is really a magical love story that starts when a mechanically inclined but romantically challenged college student, Keiichi Morisato, mistakenly orders a beautiful goddess, Belldandy, to be with him FOREVER (he actually thought he was ordering pizza). Keiichi is absolutely shocked when Belldandy actually materializes, as she's gorgeous, a wonderful cook, sings better than nine out of ten of our American Idol performers, and is extremely devoted to boot. However, the story doesn't stop there, as throughout the OAV (original aired video) key comedic elements are slowly introduced, key ones being Belldandy's older sister, Urd, and her younger sister, Skuld. Urd is a meddling lecher that spends her time either spying on or playfully interfering with Keiichi and Belldandy's relationship. Skuld, on the other hand, idolizes Belldandy, loves to fight with Urd, and can't stand the fact that Belldandy's contracted out to Keiichi. Add to this mix an assortment of quirky friends, Keiichi's little sister, and other randomly introduced goddesses, and you really have a cast of characters that delivers both side-splitting comedy and artfully timed moments of introspection.

The cast aside, the series actually has a somewhat serious side to it with the prevailing threat being that someone or something will drive a wedge between Keiichi and Belldandy. Pretty simple plot, but what this series does exceedingly well is show you at every turn how rock-solid the bond between Keiichi and Belldandy is. So what's in store for them in season two? Well, more of the same, except this time things are focused on a woman trying to steal Keiichi from Belldandy, whereas previously, everything had always centered on men, or situations taking Belldandy from Keiichi. Don't want to give too much away, but let's just say throughout disc one I definitely enjoyed rooting for the home team and was pleasantly surprised by how the series always does a good job of building up its characters and transforming them in a more noble way. As a result, Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy is a definite must-watch for any longtime fans, and the series as a whole is something all aspiring anime fans should see.

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The Smug Dude
Recently Reinstated Anime Otaku & Closet Geek
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