Oh My Goddess!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| ああっ女神さまっ (Aa! Megami-sama) |
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| Genre | Comedy, Romance, Fantasy | ||
| Manga: Oh My Goddess! (manga) | |||
| Authored by | Kosuke Fujishima | ||
| Publisher |  Kodansha |
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| Serialized in | Afternoon (magazine)
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| Original run | 1988-08-25 – ongoing | ||
| No. of volumes | 34+ | ||
| OVA: Oh My Goddess! (OVA) | |||
| Directed by | Hiroaki Gohda | ||
| Studio | AIC | ||
| No. of episodes | 5 | ||
| Released | February 2, 1993 – May 17, 1994 |
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| Runtime | 153 min | ||
| TV anime : Adventures of Mini-Goddess | |||
| Directed by | Hiroko Kazui, Yasuhiro Matsumura | ||
| Studio | Oriental Light and Magic | ||
| Network | WOWOW Tooniverse |
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| Original run | April 6, 1998 – March 29, 1999 | ||
| No. of episodes | 48 | ||
| Movie: Ah! My Goddess The Movie | |||
| Directed by | Hiroaki Gohda, Makoto Bessho | ||
| Studio | AIC | ||
| Released | October 21, 2000 |
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| Runtime | 105 minutes | ||
| TV anime : Ah! My Goddess (TV) | |||
| Directed by | Hiroaki Gohda | ||
| Studio | AIC | ||
| Network | TBS and its affiliates, BS-1 and HBC |
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| Original run | January 6, 2005 – ongoing | ||
| No. of episodes | Season 1: 27 (25 + 2 DVD OVA) Season 2: 24 (22 + 2 DVD OVA) |
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Oh My Goddess! (ああっ女神さまっ, Aa! Megami-sama!), also known as Ah! My Goddess, is a seinen manga series by Kosuke Fujishima currently serialised in Kodansha's monthly Afternoon magazine first published 1988-08-25 (was the September issue however). Originally a typical magical girlfriend romantic comedy, over time it has grown to feature more action and the latest variant has had a greater focus on developing the mystical aspects of the world in which it is set. Since the manga was first published there have been four anime offshoots.
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[edit] Story
The manga tells the story of college freshman Keiichi Morisato, who, because of his pure heart, has been chosen by Yggdrasil, Heaven's computer system, to receive a single wish. The angelic "goddess" Belldandy is sent down to Earth to ask for his wish, and tells him that he can potentially wish for anything that he wants, from becoming a billionaire to destroying the world in an instant. First, Keiichi thinks that this entire meeting is a prank being played by his senpais, but during their short meeting, he soon realizes that she's the only person who truly understands and appreciates him. Being enchanted by her, Keiichi wishes if her offer is truly valid, for someone like Belldandy to stay with him forever (not knowing what he wished for, was going to become). The manga/anime follows their relationship as they become closer to each other.
The varying anime series feature the main characters and are based on the same basic plotline as the original manga, but each has taken a unique interpretation on this concept — described below — and, as such, should be considered separate canons. The only exception to this is the more recent TV series, which follows the plot of the manga closely.
Being a mechanical otaku[1] himself, Fujishima frequently bases whole chapters, or even story arcs, around mechanics, focusing especially on motorcycle mechanics. Most notably, readers discover that Keiichi Morisato is a member of his college's motor vehicle club, which is always under threat of being put out of commission by a rival motor club. There are also several story arcs related to racing found earlier in the manga; the concept of racing is also a significant plot device in each of the anime canons. Both Keiichi and Belldandy are exceptionally gifted at racing (Keiichi because of natural ability and Belldandy because of her ability to "talk" with the machines). Most of the other main characters have exhibited some degree of skill in racing and/or mechanics, making the idea of mechanics a significant device for character development and growth.
[edit] Oh My Goddess! (Manga)
The manga was first published in 1988 as a spin-off of the manga You're Under Arrest (逮捕しちゃうぞ, Taiho Shichauzo). Fujishima had added a four-panel gag strip to a version You're Under Arrest in which the main characters prayed to a goddess.[2] The gag became very popular, and Fujishima liked the look of his drawings of the goddess so much that he began drawing a full-fledged manga based around her. Oh My Goddess! was published in the Japanese publisher Kodansha's monthly Afternoon magazine, where it was very warmly received — it has been a staple of Afternoon ever since. A complete collection of the manga published to date would run over 200 chapters (over thirty collected volumes). There have been twenty-four volumes of the manga published in the US so far (as of January 2007), and publishers are now reprinting unflopped versions of the earlier graphic novels in order to spark new interest in the series.
[edit] Anime Adaptations
Oh My Goddess! has seen various anime adaptations throughout the years, from the original OVA release, to the currently running TV series. Each puts its own spin on the series; the OVA features a condensed, highly altered version of the story, the movie and the Adventures of Mini-Goddess series have original stories not based on the manga while the new TV series sticks as close to the manga as possible.
[edit] Oh My Goddess! (OVA)
A five episode OVA series titled Oh My Goddess! (ああっ女神さまっ, Aa! Megami-sama!) featuring Keiichi, Belldandy, and the other major characters from the manga was produced in 1991 by AIC and was distributed in the US by AnimEigo [3]. The OVA is based on several early plots from the manga, but with many events and characterizations removed. The other Goddesses, Urd and Skuld, are introduced comparatively early (in the second and third episodes, respectively), and in the final two episodes, The Almighty begins working to separate the two, forcing Belldandy to return to Heaven and her duties.
A re-release is now available on DVD for purchase.
[edit] The Adventures of Mini-Goddess
A 48 episode TV series Adventures of Mini-Goddess (ああっ女神さまっ 小っちゃいって事は便利だねっ, Aa! Megami-sama! Chicchaitte Koto wa Benri da ne ) series featuring shrunken versions of Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld in a comedic super deformed style was produced in 1998. It was a part of the omnibus show Anime Complex on WOWOW and was distributed in the US by Geneon Entertainment. [4] This series departs the most from the basic manga storyline, and indeed, shares next to no continuity with the previous series.
[edit] Ah! My Goddess The Movie
In 2000, the Ah! My Goddess: The Movie (劇場版ああっ女神さまっ, Gekijouban Aa! Megami-sama) was produced by AIC, seeing the return of the main cast, along with several popular characters from the manga who had not appeared in any of the previous anime. It was distributed in the US by Geneon Entertainment in 2001. [5] The plot does not seem to follow any of the existing canon, but uses plot devices from several different story arcs from the manga.
[edit] Ah! My Goddess (TV)
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 the US 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. 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 with the 13th episode being a recap episode. 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) 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.
Whether or not the show will have a third season is unknown, however, it is known that director Hiroaki Gohda would like to animate as much of the original manga as possible, making a third season a possibility.
[edit] Cast and staff
[edit] Cast
Names are given in Western order with the given name preceding the surname.
[edit] Staff
Names are given in Western order with the given name preceding the surname.
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[edit] Soundtracks
The seiyu of the series are also professional singers. Either in the form of Goddess Family Club or an Original Soundtrack, the series has led to over a dozen albums.
[edit] "Ah" or "Oh"?
The original Japanese title is "Aa! Megami-sama!". The problem of how to translate this phrase has led to a great deal of debate and flamewars amongst English-speaking anime fans during the early 1990s. The US-anime import company AnimEigo obtained the OVA rights and entitled them: "Oh My Goddess!".[8] Those who objected felt that the title should be "Ah! My Goddess". References to "Oh my god" and "Oh my goddess" in a number of songs (such as Hottokenai No Sa, Megami-sama tto Oyoubi) only fueled further debate.
Series creator Fujishima was ultimately consulted. His initial reaction was to agree with the "Ah" camp. After the English phrase "Oh my God" was explained to him, he decided that "Oh" would be closer to what he was trying to convey. Yet, when a Japanese fan later pointed out to Fujishima that the Japanese merchandise uses "Ah", Fujishima said that it would be better to keep things consistent.[9]
Oh My Goddess! is the official English title for the manga, which is published by Dark Horse Comics;[10] AnimeEigo later also used Oh My Goddess!.[8] The bilingual release, which was released by Kodansha, uses Ah! My Goddess.[11] Pioneer chose to use Ah! My Goddess in their North American release of the movie;[12] this was possibly due not to any aesthetic considerations, but rather because AnimEigo uses the title Oh My Goddess!.
The 2005 TV series and DVD releases carry the title "Ah! My Goddess".[13]
[edit] References to Norse Mythology
In creating Oh My Goddess!, Fujishima has borrowed extensively from Norse mythology.
The main example of this can be found in the names of the three heroines of the story — Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld. These are the names of the three Norns, the beings in charge of weaving the fate of the world. Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld represent the past, present and future in traditional Norse and the domains of the three goddesses match accordingly.
In English translations, Belldandy's name is not written as "Verthandi" or "Verdandi" as would be expected if it were a transliteration from the original Old Norse (Verðandi). This is because the spelling and pronunciation of the name were derived from the Japanese language transliteration used in the manga, not from the original Old Norse. The Japanese transliteration came about as a result of the phonology of the Japanese language. First, there is no /v/ in Japanese, and so it is rendered as [b]. Next, there is no /ð/ in Japanese, so it is rendered as [d]. Finally, due to the fact that the phonotactics of Japanese only allows syllables to end in vowels or /n/, an epenthetic /ɯ/ was added after the /r/. All these changes meant that the original name "Verðandi" was transliterated as, ベルダンディー -, Berudandī. This was then in turn transliterated into English as "Belldandy".
The other major example of Norse reference stems from Yggdrasil, the tree that holds up the world; the Norns are said to work at the foot of this holy tree. In Oh My Goddess, the power of the goddesses is regulated by the Yggdrasil system, a physically giant, hopelessly complex computer system. The Yggdrasil system is used to access and process wish requests transferred by the Goddess Technical Helpline and the Earth Assistance Hotline, as well as to enforce the implementation of the accepted wishes.
This system is so important to the dimension inhabited by the goddesses that, when it breaks down after an attack by the Lord of Terror, the goddesses are not able to successfully fulfill their basic life functions. It is during this story arc that readers learn that the Yggdrasil system is also used to convert energy gathered from the earth into that which the goddesses can then use to function. This particular use of Yggdrasil is meant to add dramatic color to certain storylines, and is not strictly held to throughout the rest of the series, as the system seems to be working fine most of the time.
Other examples include the periodic cameos made by Sleipnir, the heavenly steed, and Belldandy's use of Norse runes throughout the storyline. Also, it is revealed later in the series that the demons have a counterpart system to Yggdrasil — the Nidhogg system. In Norse mythology, Nidhogg is the name of the dragon that is wrapped around the base of the Yggdrasil tree, continually gnawing at its roots.
Additionally, Peorth is named after one of the runes. Peorth is the mysterious fourth goddess who is employed by a rival agency to Belldandy's. Not much is revealed about her past, except for that she and Belldandy worked together at the Yggdrasil debugging station. However, readers get the direct impression that Peorth is a fun-loving risk-taker who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Her name makes sense, then, as the Peorth rune is classically interpreted as risk-taking and mystery. Tied to Peorth is her use of the Vanir bird to refresh Belldandy's memory. The Vanir are another set of Norse gods tied to fertility and peace — the Vanir bird's function is to reveal the past, and thus bring peace between friends.
Next, it is revealed that Hild, the CEO of the infernal realm, is named after one of the Valkyries, the battle spirits who take the ghostly spirits of fallen soldiers to Valhalla. According to several sources, Hild means "The Battle."
In the most recent installments of the manga, a fifth goddess is introduced into the character set. Her name is Rind, and she is a member of the Ah! My Goddess version of the Valkyries — special agents who are trained in the ways of battle. In traditional mythology, Rind is an ice giantess who becomes pregnant with Odin's child.
Finally, Skuld's second android invention is given the name Sigel by Belldandy after a story arc revolving around the question of whether machines are alive. Sigel wants very much to be alive, and so her name is also appropriate — the Sigel rune is the rune of life.
In the episode when the lord of terror virus utilized the urn Mao Za Haxon, which contained the Ultimate Destruction Program's bootup was revealed to be named Fenrir. In Norse mythology, Fenrir or Fenrisulfr is a monstrous wolf, the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða.
In another earlier episode an exorcist in training accidentlly summons Garm. In Norse mythology, Garm is a huge dog which guards Hel, the land of the dead, alongside of Hræsvelgr and living in a cave called Gnipahellir. Garm was the greatest of all dogs (excluding the Fenrir).
[edit] References
- ^ Fujishima Kousuke profile
- ^ You're Under Arrest spin-off
- ^ Aa! Megami Sama (English). AnimeNfo. Retrieved on June 7, 2006.
- ^ Adventures of Mini-Goddess (English). AnimeNfo. Retrieved on June 12, 2006.
- ^ Ah! My Goddess The Movie (English). AnimeNfo. Retrieved on June 12, 2006.
- ^ Ah! My Goddess (TV) (English). AnimeNfo. Retrieved on June 12, 2006.
- ^ ANN Exclusive Interview: Mike Bailiff, ADV's Senior VP of Sales and Marketing (English). Anime News Network. Retrieved on December 13, 2006.
- ^ a b AnimeEigo's OVA name
- ^ Kosuke Fujishima quote
- ^ Dark Horse manga title
- ^ Kodansha's manga title
- ^ Pioneer's Movie title
- ^ (Japanese) TBS's television anime title
[edit] External links
- (Japanese) Official Ah! My Goddess website
- (English) Open Your Mind - Comparisons between the manga and anime series.
- (English) Feather at Noblescarlet.net - Fan site
- (English) Belldandy Angel Feathers - Multimedia Fan site
- (English) The Goddess Project – Fansite & Forum
- (English) Oh My Goddess Wiki
| Main Characters | |
| Keiichi Morisato • Belldandy • Urd • Skuld | |
| Heaven | Hell |
| Almighty • Celestin • Lind • Morgan le Fay • Peorth • Troubador • Chrono, Ere & Ex | Hild • Lord of Terror • Marller • Senbee • Welsper • Angel Eater |
| Nekomi | |
| Megumi Morisato • Keima Morisato • Takano Morisato • Chihiro Fujimi • Toraichi Tamiya • Otaki Aoyama • Sora Hasegawa • Banpei • Sigel • Satoko Yamano • Shiho Sakakibara • Sayoko Mishima • Toshiyuki Aoshima • Hijiri • Koshian • Shohei Yoshida • Sentaro Kawanishi • Gan-chan | |
| See also | |
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| Quiz: Ah! My Goddess • Oh My Goddess! Soundtracks • Goddess Family Club | |
