Around 1995, Japanese animation (anime) began pouring into North America, Europe and across the globe in video form. Most of these titles were unknown outside of Japan and never covered by animation journals. Whether a title is highly popular or very obscure, a high-quality theatrical feature or a cheap and unimaginative direct-to-video release, they all look the same on a store shelf. Therefore, Animation World Magazine will regularly review several new releases (including re-releases not previously covered) that have merit and about which our readers should know.

© Kosuke Fujishima/Kodansha. © 2000 "AH! MY GODDESS" PARTNERSHIP. Presented by Kodansha in association with "AH! MY GODDESS" PARTNERSHIP.The original work's copyright reserved by Kosuke Fujishima. MM copyright reserved by Kodansha and "AH! MY GODDESS" PARTNERSHIP.

Ah! My Goddess: The Movie.
Theatrical feature, 2000. Director: Hiroaki Gohda. 106 minutes. Price & format: video dubbed $24.98/DVD bilingual $29.98. Distributor: Pioneer Entertainment.

The comic book and previous anime video serial of Kosuke Fujishima's Aa! Megami-sama have been published in America as Oh My Goddess!. The theatrical feature (released July 22, 2000; produced by A.I.C.) was licensed to a different company, whose translators chose the more literal Ah! My Goddess. This gives anime collectors the headache of whether to shelve the video series and the movie separately, or if together, whether under "A" or "O."

The many fans of Oh My Goddess! had expected the popular 1993 OAV series to be followed up with a theatrical sequel well before 2000. This lovely movie looks like seven years' work went into it, and the fans have been delighted. But, as usual with movies based upon popular TV (and, in Japan, OAV) series, audiences who are not already familiar with the plot will feel they entered in the middle of the story.

This romantic fantasy is roughly similar to the American Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie. Fujishima's comic book stories are usually more comedic, while the animated versions (not counting the spinoff Adventures of the Mini-Goddess) aim for romantic melodrama. Shy nice-guy college freshman Keiichi Morisato gains a "guardian angel" in young goddess Belldandy from a Heaven depicted as a technological updating of Norse mythology (Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, is a computer program). Belldandy's lively older and younger sisters, Urd and Skuld, move in to chaperone the pair, and to provide most of the comedic action while the demure teens carry on a gentle romance.

The movie, set three years later, threatens both a personal and a literal end of the world. It seems Belldandy had received her early training in miracle-working from Celestin, a handsome older angel who later became arrogant and had to be imprisoned for defying God. Celestin has now escaped and is determined to outdo God by creating a better human race. First he has to destroy the current world. He wants his best pupil, Belldandy, to assist him, and he will not let her refuse. Keiichi, with the help of Urd and Skuld, must stop Celestin and rescue Belldandy. Keiichi is now in his late teens, and while his relationship with Belldandy is still chaste, his feelings toward her are clearly more mature than those of the embarrassed mid-teen in the earlier animated story.