Sometimes, even the most hardcore of anime fans need something lighthearted to ease the mind. It’s only a matter of time when you’ll be wanting something different from the serious shows in your collection. Something a little more sunny & sweet. Something that’s a little more heartwarming, and something you’ll feel good about watching when you’re done. Today I’m checking out a nice little title full of charm, humor, and a dash of love. Today’s show is Ah My Goddess: the OVA. Let’s get enchanted!
Story/Setup
Keiichi Morisato, a student of the Nekomi Institute of Technology, and member of the school’s auto club, is calling a takeout restaurant for some grub. In the process, he accidentally calls the so-called "Goddess Helpline", and the godess Belldandy appears before him. She says that he called her because he’s been granted a single wish, and because he thinks that what’s going on is a joke from his fellow club members, Keiichi says his wish is for Belldandy to stay with him forever. Sure enough, the wish is granted, and the two are now together. What ensues afterwards is a tale of love, hilarity, and tragedy for the pair. Not only that, Belldandy’s sisters Urd & Skuld show up, trying to fix things & causing trouble in the process. Coupled with appearances from the Auto Club and Keiichi’s sister, and there’s bound to be all kinds of hijinks.
What I’ve said above is pretty much what you get when you watch. While I know that this was based off the manga to a degree, I’ve never read it, so I can’t say anything about the story. I can say that it is simple, and easy to get into. There’s nothing really complicated about what’s going on, apart from some things toward the end, and even then it’s not massively complicated. Simply put: this is a story that doesn’t require too much brain power.
Animation
For an early 90s anime, this OVA is one of the better looking one’s out there. Sure, it looks dated, but it has that strange “Looks-Good” kind of dated. There was a lot of care put into how the show looks & moves. The backgrounds are simplistic but nice, and the characters are very striking. There’s nary a hiccup with the animation, and when one does occur, it’s rather small & can only be seen by an animation expert. Visually, there are some dazzling sequences in concerns with the goddesses. Their displays of magic are quite impressive, but their more modern incarnations can do more (Hint, Hint).
Voice Acting
The voice acting in this OVA isn’t exactly the best on the planet, especially since this was first released in the U.S. back in 1995. You can definitely tell that it comes from the 90s, as the sound of the voices feels very dated. That said, it’s not the most horrendous 90s voice acting. The voice actors are adequate enough that when you listen to the characters speak English, it’s not the most ear-piercing thing you’ll hear. It might, however, cause you to have second thoughts as to what you’re listening to, and maybe switch over to the subtitles.
Characters
Sadly, one of the more major problems with the OVA involves the characters. It’s not that they don’t have personalities, because they don’t. It’s not that we don’t learn anything about them, because we do. The problem is that we really don’t get much with these characters in terms of background. This is one of those circumstances where a little isn’t good, as the newer incarnation of Ah My Goddess goes into many of the backgrounds much more than this OVA. Their personalities are roughly the same as those in the newer series, albeit more simplified.
Availability & Pricing
This is hands down the most expensive title I’ve reviewed so far. Hand Maid May from a couple weeks was certainly expensive, but even that doesn’t quite eviscerate your wallet the way that this show does. Not even FYE has new copies available for purchase: your only chance to find a copy is over on Amazon. Despite that, there’s the cost: A new copy will cost you a mind-blowing 200 dollars! This is for just 5 episodes, mind you. A used copy of the OVA starts at 65 dollars for costs (Excluding shipping). 65 is still expensive, but it’s not $200. That’s for sure!
Overall Impression & Rating
Ah My Goddess: the OVA gives us a bite-sized glimpse into the world that the characters live in. Sure, it’s not the most in-depth mini-series, but in this circumstance hordes of depth might have hurt things. Truthfully, this OVA is great because of it’s simplicity. The fact that it gives us something to chew on, and not have any strings attached, makes the overall experience more fulfilling.
Ah My Goddess: the OVA gets a 7.5 out of 10
Well, that was a look at Ah My Goddess: The OVA. Hopefully, you got touched by the divine when you were reading this. See you soon!
**
I’ve realized that my intro for this review, and some of my other choices for words, were incredibly hokey. Don’t worry, I got something to counteract the sap factor!
**
Things might be slowing down already here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog. I got Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel & it’s season pass as a gift from my Dad on pre-order. The game will take up some of my review time, so expect the reviews & stuff to be spread out farther. Apologies in advance for any delays.
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