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REVIEW: Ah! My Goddess DVD 2




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Wyvern



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 1544
PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:12 am Reply with quote
Well, I'm glad someone else thought AMG TV was slow as hell. And here I thought it was just me. Really, you'd think that with ten years of manga to crib stories from and only 26 episodes, they would have had things move a little faster. Oh,well. Love that opening theme song, though.
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Tenchi



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
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Location: Ottawa... now I'm an ex-Anglo Montrealer.
PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:29 am Reply with quote
No, you and Zac aren't the only ones.

I watched the first four episodes at my anime club and, as a big fan of the manga, was satisfied enough to buy the DVD (which includes the fifth episode, which I hadn't seen until I watched it just now), but even I'll admit it's a bit slower than even I would like. I mean, the problem with the OVA was that it was grossly overcompressed, while the movie was a bit too action-oriented and wasted too much screen time on two characters not even from the manga, so I definitely approve of the gradual development, but, in some spots, it's just too gradual.

In episode five, they're still covering details about Belldandy's abilities that were revealed in the very first chapter of the manga.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 3:25 am Reply with quote
Tenchi wrote:
No, you and Zac aren't the only ones.

I watched the first four episodes at my anime club and, as a big fan of the manga, was satisfied enough to buy the DVD (which includes the fifth episode, which I hadn't seen until I watched it just now), but even I'll admit it's a bit slower than even I would like. I mean, the problem with the OVA was that it was grossly overcompressed, while the movie was a bit too action-oriented and wasted too much screen time on two characters not even from the manga, so I definitely approve of the gradual development, but, in some spots, it's just too gradual.

In episode five, they're still covering details about Belldandy's abilities that were revealed in the very first chapter of the manga.
Which first chapter? In "1-555-GODDESS"?, or "Wrong Number"? The First skipped 3 books where the second was the original first chapter. I believe Bell's full abilities weren't revealed until during the "spoiler[Lord of Terror]" incident, which wasn't until vol. 6 of the GNs.
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Tenchi



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PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:04 am Reply with quote
Actually, I was talking about the French version, which was always intact. Razz

But I was mistaken anyway. I just checked, and the specific ability I was thinking of (which, since I don't care for using spoiler text, I'll just say involves colours in some capacity) was explained in chapter 7, though that's still in the first volume.
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kusanagi-sama



Joined: 22 Aug 2004
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:13 pm Reply with quote
Tenchi wrote:
Actually, I was talking about the French version, which was always intact. Razz

But I was mistaken anyway. I just checked, and the specific ability I was thinking of (which, since I don't care for using spoiler text, I'll just say involves colours in some capacity) was explained in chapter 7, though that's still in the first volume.


Belldandy's ability spoiler[to see emotions as colors] was revealed in Vol 1 of the DVD, episode 4 or 5 I believe
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Tenchi



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:23 pm Reply with quote
I know, episode 5. I thought it was from chapter 1 of the manga when I wrote my original post, but then I checked it and it was from chapter 7 because it's been a couple of years since I last read it and my memory was faulty.

But the point I should have made before is that the important plot points from the first volume of the manga could easily have been condensed into two episodes, maximum.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:14 pm Reply with quote
Review wrote:
The same can't really be said for Megumi; for now, her character has yet to really bring anything new to the table, aside from making Keiichi’s life that much more awkward.
Well if they are going to stick to the manga Megumi will never be much more than that really.
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lhernan02



Joined: 12 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 9:26 pm Reply with quote
Nice review, but the line
Quote:
For instance, Belldandy remains a total subservient, naïve doormat, blindly devoted to the reactionary milquetoast Keiichi who’s too inept to properly return her developing feelings for him
was a bit too harsh for an nice inoffensive romantic comedy. Belldandy is there because she wants to be (hey she likes the guy) and I would not call her a doormat by any stretch of the imagination. Keiichi has great affection towards her, treats her the best way he knows how (his lameness is a great source of comedy specially when Urd shows up), and makes no demands of her. Now, if you were talking about DearS (and lets not tallk too much about it) I would wholeheartedly agree, but not on this one.
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xanbcoo



Joined: 19 Dec 2003
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:51 am Reply with quote
I agree, Belldandy doesn't strike me as very subservient. At least, not the extent I've seen from other series.
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:23 pm Reply with quote
She spends most of her time asking Keiichi what he wants and making food. She's polite to a fault, never says anything out of line, never argues with Keiichi, nothing.

Japanese housewife fantasy girl. Emotional doormat, subservient to husband.
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Haru to Ashura



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:36 pm Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
She spends most of her time asking Keiichi what he wants and making food. She's polite to a fault, never says anything out of line, never argues with Keiichi, nothing.

Japanese housewife fantasy girl. Emotional doormat, subservient to husband.


I agree. Belldandy's character is what sort of turned me off of the original OVA in the first place. However, at least Keiichi is very kind and for the most part treats her with respect, which you can't always say for other anime of this genre.
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lhernan02



Joined: 12 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:34 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
She spends most of her time asking Keiichi what he wants and making food. She's polite to a fault, never says anything out of line, never argues with Keiichi, nothing.

Japanese housewife fantasy girl. Emotional doormat, subservient to husband.


Zac,

I still say you are being too harsh, they are two kids in love and they try to do what makes the other one happy. Subservience requires demands, which Keiichi does not make, and being an emotional doormat requires, if not abuse, at least disregard, neither of which Keiichi is guilty of. As far as how she acts, I just don't see anything odd when you consider that they have no real stressors (money, job, family, etc. at least not the way you would have them in the real world ... it truly is a fantasy). An example, before my wife started working, there was always a nice meal waiting for me at home, not because I demanded or requested it, but because it would make me happy, once she started working, that was no longer feasible and life went on. There was no subservience, no ultra politeness, no emotional doormat, just a nice thing to do for someone you love when you can do it.

On the contrary, I found this series quite refreshing when considering the rampant misogyny in anime lately (He is my master, DearS, etc.), and I am by no means a PC feminist, so if I find them bothersome, they must really be awful.

Anyway I have a feeling this is one we are just going to have to agree to disagree on.

Regards,
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:09 am Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
She spends most of her time asking Keiichi what he wants and making food. She's polite to a fault, never says anything out of line, never argues with Keiichi, nothing.

Japanese housewife fantasy girl. Emotional doormat, subservient to husband.
Ah! Another great myth. It's never a fault to be polite, and that statement just shows how common impoliteness is in today’s' society. Why should she have to say anything out of line? She will stress important points to K1 when needs be. And somehow I just feel that to argue with Bell about anything would be pointless as she will have an appropriate answer for any situation as she has repeatedly shown in the manga and K1 knows this too apparently as he has never argued with her either. She is just perfect. To some that is something to worship. To others, some of which might possibly be tainted with the sin of jealousy, that will be annoying. Sanctity is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Wink
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xanbcoo



Joined: 19 Dec 2003
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Location: Houston/Austin Tx
PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:21 pm Reply with quote
My point was that out of the typical "Japanese fantasy girls", Belldandy has always seemed to me the least subservient, and not nearly as pathetic, as say, Aoi from Ai Yori Aoshi.

Zac wrote:
She spends most of her time asking Keiichi what he wants and making food. She's polite to a fault, never says anything out of line, never argues with Keiichi, nothing.

This is not because she feels she has to, but because she really wants to. I agree with lhernan02 about these points.

I always got the impression that Belldandy and Keiichi were just two really good people in love (rather, in an interminably slow progressing relationship :p), instead of the usual setup. That is, loser guy surrounded by stereotypical women ready to do whatever they can so they can get the guys attention.

Belldandy is not irritatingly shy (as far as I've seen) either - which is another thing that usually bothers me about most anime girls.
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