Kato's Ah My Goddess Info Page, Anime By Kosuke Fujishima

Kato's Ah! My Goddess Info Page, Anime by Kosuke Fujishima

Mythology

From the great Skuld web site

http://skuld.animesekai.net/

Ah! My Goddess has it's roots in Norse Mythology. From mythology, Verdandi (Belldandy) Urd and Skuld were three sisters called the "Norns", or the Three Fates. These three sisters spun the thread of life for all living things. (This concept is also found in Greek/Roman mythology) The sisters lived near the "Well of Urd" at the base of the tree Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil is the tree of the world and connects the nine worlds found in Norse mythology.

The classifications of the goddess in AMG: past, present and future for Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld respectively, also come from the mythology.

Heres a pretty good description of the Goddess series that

I came across.

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THE STORYLINE:

Another major entry into the action anime market is the popular Oh! My Goddess series. It was originally conceived as a 22 volume manga series, but was adapted to a short-run OAV in the early 90’s. The first OAV contains only 5 episodes, but a series featuring 48 shorter episodes was later released. Most fans are loyal to the original 5-episode OAV because it is more relevant to the manga series. Surprisingly enough for a short 5 episode run back in 1993, the series also received a full-length movie production in 2000.

This anime series is also known as Oh My Goddess! or Aa Megami-sama. Oh My Goddess! is the title of the AnimEigo release, and Aa Megami-sama is of course the romaji Japanese. Take your pick, but I like Ah!...

The original title, "Aa! Megami-sama", caused some confusion when it was translated to English for the American audience. Originally translated as Ah! My Goddess, the series was later revised to Oh! My Goddess by the request of its creator, Fujishima Kosuke. Many fans debate the correct translation, but Fujishima suggested that Oh! My Goddess was a better play on words of the English phrase "Oh my God!"

The story is not your typical anime action thriller. No, this is a romance/comedy more along the lines of light-hearted titles like Love Hina. It begins with the atypical protagonist, Keiichi Morisato. He’s a college engineering student who's a bit of a computer geek. One day he’s working in his dorm taking phone calls, but doesn't receive any food for the day. So instead of going out to grab something, he tries to call for some delivery. After a few attempts at finding a place that will deliver, he accidentally calls the "Goddess Hotline." The woman on the other end of the line suggests that she come in for a consultation and Keiichi agrees. To his surprise, she suddenly steps out of a nearby mirror and introduces herself as a Belldandy, a goddess that can grant him only one wish. Keiichi thinks it's all just a practical joke and says on a whim that he wants her as his girlfriend. Much to his own chagrin, Keiichi gets a dose of reality when she agrees and he gets kicked out of his dorm for having a girl there.

THE CHARACTERS:

Belldandy is the first of the RGO [Relief Goddess Office] goddesses that we are introduced to. She is very pretty, with golden/light brown hair and triangular markings underneath her kind, blue eyes. Her forehead bears one of the characteristic goddess marks. Belldandy's domain is The Present and she uses the mirror as a link between our world and Heaven. In terms of earth years, she's about 21 years old. Belldandy is 165 cm tall. Her vital measurements are B 83 cm, W 57 cm and H 84 cm. She is classified as a First Class goddess, Second Category, Unlimited. Belldandy is very fond of Darjeeling tea, as well as the "Prince Of Wales" chocolate brand.

Holy Bell is Belldandy's angel. She seems to be based on the elements of sound and air. Holy Bell first appears in a match against Peorth's angel Gorgeous Rose. She also assists Belldandy with both magic and singing.

The rest of the story follows their journey to find a place to live, followed by a visitation by Belldandy’s sister-goddesses Urd and Skuld. They show up later in the series out of concern for what’s happening between Keiichi and Belldandy. You’d think that with only 5 episodes the story wouldn’t be as engrossing as it is. That’s what makes Oh! My Goddess a great feel-good television experience: though it’s not particularly philosophical, it’s a fun show to watch.

Interestingly enough, the story is based on something more serious: Norse mythology. According to myth, there are three goddesses (Verdande, Urda, and Skuld) who represent the three Fates. There’s also a sly reference to Yggdrasil, the tree of life that binds together life and death. It’s represented by the computer system that God uses in the series to create reality.

If you’re looking for some good-natured fun with a bit of sexual innuendo, then Oh! My Goddess is a great series to pick up that won’t drain your wallet!

The New Series: Ah! Megami Sama, Sorezore no Tsubasa

In 2005, a new anime TV series of Ah! My Goddess (ああっ女神さまっ, Aa! Megami-sama) began airing in Japan, again produced by AIC and distributed in North America by Media Blasters. [6] In this version, they have returned to the manga roots of the series, retelling events much closer to their original form. Though there are minor differences, typically based on what is considered unacceptable for television, or to fix plot holes in the manga, or just to move the time-frame from the late-'80s into the mid-'00s. While this makes good use of the manga, the anime writers do not limit themselves by events in the manga; some episodes do not mirror any particular plot element in the manga at all. This 1st season consisted of 24 episodes plus special episode (aired between 12th and 13th) being a recap. The Japanese DVD release contained 2 bonus OAV (OVA) episodes focusing on the aftermath of the first season's finalé.

A second season titled Ah! My Goddess: Everyone Has Wings (Japanese: ああっ女神さまっそれぞれの翼 – Aa! Megami-sama: Sorezore no Tsubasa) (titled Flights of Fancy in the U.S.) had picked up the story on April 6, 2006 from where the series left with the first series and concluded at 22 episodes. There is also a novelisation of the second season. TBS has recently announced the addition of 2 bonus OAV (OVA) episodes at the end of the eighth disc, giving Sorezore no Tsubasa a total of 24 episodes.

As of December 2006, it has been announced that ADV Films has licensed the second season for release in the US. This is a change from Media Blasters who did the first season. The U.S. release of the first DVD of the season 2 is scheduled on May 8th, 2007, according to the Amazon.com. It has also been announced by the new Ah! My Goddess website hosted by ADV that the original cast from the first season has been brought back to provide the voices.[7]

There has also been a UK release of Volume 1 of Oh My Goddess! The first DVD Volume has been rated a PG. The main language is Japanese with English subtitles.

The show will have a third season it is Ah! My Goddess: Fighting Wings (Japanese: ああっ女神さまっ闘う翼 – Aa! Megami-sama: Tatakau Tsubasa), however, it is unknown when it will air. The director for the series Hiroaki Gōda would like to animate as much of the original manga as possible making the series having more episodes a possibility.

Source info: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_My_Goddess!

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