Ah! My Goddess: The Movie
Synopsis
Based on the manga by Kosuke Fujishima, Ah! My Goddess The Movie takes place three years after the OVA series. Celestine, the long lost teacher of Belldandy, released from his imprisonment, now resumes his rebellion against Yggdrasil. Using a virus, he disrupts the Goddess Network and erases all of Belldandy’s memories of Keiichi. Belldandy is given a second chance to choose her destiny whether to fight alongside her past friend or to reside on earth living with a mortal.
Review
To fully appreciate the movie requires having a background of the characters: the three sister goddesses Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld, the youngest sibling, all dwelling with Keiichi Morisato, a prominent member of the Nekomi Tech Motor Club. But even without an understanding of the series, the movie carries its own original storyline independent of the manga that is flexible, with flashback sequences seamlessly placed. The plot supplements the series revealing more about the origins of the goddesses, how life was like growing up in heaven, and further demonstrations of the goddesses’ magical powers reflected in the summoning of their spirit goddesses. In contrast to the OVA series, the movie carries a more romantic tone in a triangle between Keiichi and Belldandy, and Celestine and Belldandy, with slight traces of humor and action.
One of the noticeable highlights of the feature is in its animation, done by the same company that produced the third Tenchi Muyo movie. The cell composition is fluid with remarkably detailed backgrounds dramatically stressing for example the nighttime aura and shadows. The movie also incorporates computer graphic animation to produce an overall coherent effect, just enough so as not to detract from the visual art. The music is orchestrated to perfection. The songs themselves are angelic, often incorporating Latin verses and choir hymns.
The Breakdown
Breakdown
In contrast to the OVA series, the movie carries a more romantic tone in a triangle between Keiichi and Belldandy, and Celestine and Belldandy, with slight traces of humor and action.