The course of true love never runs smoothly in Anime Land. Even when you’re a good-natured but shy, nerdy guy like Keiichi, whose wish to get a girlfriend is granted in the most surprising and delightful way, obstacles start piling up that keep the sweethearts from pursuing their relationship any further. And, just as in real life, the most annoying and persistent obstacles can so often turn out to be your nearest and dearest.

When the Goddess Helpline Agency sends Belldandy in answer to Keiichi’s request, he believes that his run of bad luck is about to change. Poor, deluded Keiichi! First of all, his younger sister Megumi turns up to scrounge board and lodging. The sassy young lady has been awarded a place at the same technical institute and has decided that she will camp out with her big brother while looking for a place of her own. But matching her exacting requirements and limited budget proves almost impossible until the footsore flat-searchers are offered a place that seems too good to be true. There is a slight problem…it seems as if the place is haunted. The vengeful ghost turns out to be a Third Class Earth Spirit. Will Belldandy be able to help to get Megumi the apartment of her dreams?

Next to arrive, is the foxy, silver-haired Urd, Belldandy’s older sister, who just can’t understand why Keiichi and Belldandy haven’t consummated their love, let alone even kissed! Sexy Urd does everything in her power to bring the two closer together until the last of the three sisters comes down to earth, little sister Skuld, the scientific genius. Skuld adores Belldandy and is so insanely jealous of Keiichi that she spends her time dreaming up ever more ingenious ways to separate the unfortunate pair. One of her inventions is Banpei, the robot who frequently comes between Keiichi and Belldandy. And when later on the sisters have to return to heaven for a little while, Skuld makes sure that Keiichi won’t be able to make any moves on Belldandy by temporarily turning him into a girl, leading to all kinds of misunderstandings.

Meanwhile Belldandy’s presence has also attracted the attentions of a female demon; Marller is determined to avenge herself on the goddess and, having read the hearts and desires of some of Keiichi’s fellow students, soon sets about finding a way to get her own back. Marller’s constant mischief-making eventually leads to the unleashing of the Lord of Terror on earth and Belldandy is forced to unlock her true powers to try to save the world - and the man she loves.

A favourite episode of mine is the final one, when Skuld wakes to find that she has grown up. No longer the frustrated pre-teen, she has become a desirable – though hopelessly naïve – young woman (although her passion for ice cream hasn’t decreased). When Keiichi rescues her from some unwelcome male attention and offers to take her out, she reads a little more into his kindness than he intends. So how do they end up dressed as bride and groom? You’ll just have to watch to find out what happens…

There’s much to enjoy in the twenty-six episodes of this sweet-natured romantic harem comedy. While it may be difficult to understand Keiichi’s bashfulness in the presence of the beautiful Belldandy (it’s so much easier to identify with Urd and urge the bashful pair to just get it together) and while it may irk some female viewers that Belldandy is the embodiment of male wish-fulfilment: beautiful, devoted, and painfully eager to please her man, we get to see another side of the goddess altogether when the forces of evil infiltrate her happy little household and threaten even Valhalla itself.

The US dub works well enough, although as the Japanese cast includes the charming original Belldandy, Kikuko Inoue, they have a considerable advantage! The character design by Hidenori Matsubara provides an attractive updating of Kousuke Fujishima’s 1990’s manga drawings and the animation is slickly done.

In Summary

Given its subject matter, ‘Ah! My Goddess’ could so easily have declined into a sugary froth. However, thanks to wicked little flashes of acerbic humour, it stays fresh and fun, building to an surprising and exciting conclusion on Disc 6. Enjoy!