Ah! My Goddess: The Movie (2000)

A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

A different way of telling a story

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

As implied in the title, I strongly recommend watching a couple, better yet all of the episodes of the TV series before this movie. Or, of course, read as many episodes of the manga as possible, but the TV series will be easier to acquire. The OVA might also help, of course, especially if you don't want to invest a couple of hours of "preperation" for the movie.Why? First of all, obviously for chronological reasons, because the events in the movie occur ca. two years after the series ended. But more important is the fact that you will lack important background knowledge if you jump into the universe of "Ah! My Goddess" with the movie. For example, you would simply have to accept the fact that a Japanese student lives in a buddhist temple together with three goddesses without further explanation, among many other details (calling heaven via telephone - huh?).One of the strong concepts of the series is that the key characters are slowly and sequentially introduced, allowing the viewer to grow on them. While it might not be necessary to actually watch all episodes of the series or the OVA, I think it is mandatory to watch at least the first ones until Urd and Skuld are introduced. The more, the better...You will get sooo much more out of the movie if you don't have to wonder why the goddesses live on earth under rather mundane circumstances. Watching the romantic relationship between Keiichi and Belledandy being endangered will touch you far deeper if you are already acquainted to the AMG universe and actually watched it grow and blossom in the first place.Imagine watching this latest Star Trek Movie with the young crew (e.g. Kirk and Spock being rivals in a time prior to their deep friendship) without knowing the series or earlier movies. You might enjoy the movie anyway, but will get only a fraction of the experience out of it compared to a trekkie. I hope you get what I mean - watch the series first! :)So far soo good. Well, what will you get out of the movie if you know the manga and/or the anime? In a few words: more than you would have expected! But let's first comment one some missing elements. One would be the lack of near-nudity and (sexually) emberassing situations which would frequently occur in the series as comedic elements. No big deal - I loved them in the series, yet didn't miss them at all in the movie. Notable though, since they were one of the key elements in the series. I guess it's better this way, because the movie can be presented to a broader viewer spectrum.Also I was a bit surprised that some key characters from the series did not appear at all in the movie (Marller, Hild and Sayoko). A new villain is introduced instead, and in a very clever way which makes it impossible to apply black/white thinking.A refreshing element of the plot is that while in the series Keiichi ended up with some naked women, goddesses, even the devil himself in bed every other day, accidentally drank love potions etc, I cannot recall any episode where it was the other way round - and in the movie we actually get exactly this scenario. It is the first time (at least the first I can think of) that Keiichi gets a serious rival. Furthermore, it is the first time since the invasion of the bugs at the very beginning of the series that the AMG universe has a really big problem and the future of the whole world is at stake.There is not really much more to say... If you liked the series or the manga there is no doubt that you will love the movie. It is a worthy sequel for the series (as well as a worthy representative for the manga). The animation is beautiful and elaborate, the soundtrack is awesome. If you have a soft, romantic spot, prepare for it to be touched. If you don't, maybe you can enjoy the great artwork, but probably you will find most of the scenes a bit cheesy.

Finally able to view "Ah! My Goddess, The Movie" I had already seen all of season one, and 'wished' for more.Just like Keiichi and his wish, I got more than I had bargained for. The entire movie plays like an epic feature film, not just a larger version of the series. The images are sharp and beautiful, the soundtrack impressive. The dubbing, very well done. Though some of the characters (Sayoko, Marller, Hild, and so on) did not appear as I had hoped, I wasn't disappointed in the new characters I saw. Celestin, being freed from his lunar imprisonment by Morgan, is intent on trying to overthrow the current system which he believes is flawed. He can't stand to allow suffering to prosper, and believes his new world will eradicate all suffering. Hiding on Morgan's human form, he is able to guide his liberator to do his bidding; separate Belldandy and Keiichi, and bring on his new order.I was happy to see several things happen: Skuld is now at least tolerant to the relationship between her beloved big sister and Keiichi, even encouraging him at times, "You love Belldandy, don't you?" I was also happy to see the three sisters working together in perfect harmony for their common goal. But mostly, I was very happy to see Skuld finally has her full-size angel; Noble Scarlett.Anyone who even likes the Ah! My Goddess series will absolutely love Ah! My Goddess: The Movie. But be warned, don't see it alone; see it with someone you love. After all, love is the most powerful thing in the universe, isn't it?

After three years from when the story starts Keiichi seems to have gained some self-confidence. He no longer acts like the fully put-upon good-natured doofus who first dialed a wrong number while ordering a pizza and ended up with the "goddess help line." He seems to have found his place at school and at the Auto Club where he is a featured driver and respected member, but his progress with Belldandy has gotten to a remarkable partnership but no more. Megumi, Keiichi's sister, remarks that "when those two are clicking they are unbeatable." No matter. Even Skuld, Belldandy's kid sister who was passionately jealous whenever the idea that Keiichi might actually consummate the relationship and take her big sister away, is reconciled to them being together. Urd, the next sister who also lives with them, has put in abeyance her schemes to get Keiichi to make moves on Belldandy. Everyone seems to feel that it is just a matter of time.The movie wisely picks up where the series left off. Instead of focusing its energy on silly romance issues, it introduces a rebellious god assisted by an disillusioned fairy princess to set up a literal apocalypse which Keiichi and the three goddesses he lives with must battle not only to save the world, but each other and their relationship. For what started out as a silly story gets pretty serious.There is almost nothing not to like about Ah My Goddess but what deserves special mention is the artwork and the soundtrack. The pictures are just beautiful to look at, and the characters so faithful to their personalities it almost seems like the DVD would be watchable without a story in it at all. At one point the goddesses sing an aria (with the help of their angels) that really sounds like it could have come from angels, and works in the story.A must-see for any age.

This movie is one of my all time favorite movies. It has everything you could want in an anime. It has action, humor, mystery, and romance. The main character are very memorable, but the best has to be Celestine. He is just to cool for words. He doesn't believe in god's system so he wants to change it. He is trying change it, but he needs Belldandy's help. Does he succeed or fail. This movie is beautiful. Everything from the background to the character sketches. The music is lovely, too. The music always fits the moment. This movie is just wonderful. I have seen many anime movies, but this has to be one of my favorite movies, period. I wish they could make more movies like these.