Characters of Oh My Goddess!
Main characters
Keiichi Morisato
Voiced by: Masami Kikuchi
Keiichi Morisato (森里 螢一 Morisato Keiichi) is a student of the Nekomi Institute of Technology and a member of the NIT Motor Club. One day Keiichi accidentally dials the Goddess Relief Office. After summoning Belldandy by accident, he ends up wishing for her to be by his side forever. Ever since, the two have been together. Keiichi's pure and innocent personality also puts him in the middle of an unusual love relationship. While he understands his love for Belldandy, he sometimes has a difficult time expressing his feelings.
He is a very skilled mechanic and an exceptional race driver. He is bestowed the directorship of the Motor Club, which he subsequently passes on to Sora Hasegawa. At his supposed graduation from college, he started working at the repair shop Whirlwind owned by the founder of the NIT Motor Club: Chihiro Fujimi. He picked up the one class and actually graduated many chapters later.
Since he met Belldandy, Keiichi has had many extraordinary experiences in his young life, including having met several other Goddesses and supernatural beings. He became the only person ever to have flown the Shinden, an experimental World War II Japanese airplane, and met Schrödinger's Whales—and saved them from extinction by teaching them songs.
Keiichi's personality is illustrated when he summons one of Lind's own Angels, Cool Mint. Lind gave him one of her angels because he is able to host the angel with the love of the three goddesses, which he received due to his innocent personality. Later on, Keiichi also temporarily and involuntarily hosts the demon-angel Blue Lance. The reason why the angel chooses him to be the host at random was explained as that he is the only person referring to her as an "angel" and not a "former demon".
Belldandy
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue, Akemi Okamura (The Adventures of Mini-Goddess episodes 1–13)
Belldandy (ベルダンディー - Berudandī) is a goddess who ends up contractually bound to Keiichi Morisato after he accidentally dials the Goddess Relief Office. Ever since, Belldandy dwells with Keiichi at the Tariki Hongan Temple in the city of Nekomi, Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo. She can cancel the contract at anytime, but she states Keiichi is a special person in her heart, and that her purpose is to make him happy.
Belldandy is kind, patient, and warm, not only to Keiichi, but to everyone, without exception. She can easily sense other people's emotions, and tries her best to be empathetic to all those around her. However, even though Belldandy tries her best to be as kind as possible, it is revealed that at times, as a result of latent jealousy, she can become very insecure and sad, especially when she is confronted with an implication that involves Keiichi in one way or another. This can sometimes result in power leaks that affect everything within the vicinity, referred to as "jealousy storm" in the anime.
Belldandy is licensed as a goddess first-class, unlimited, and as such is highly skilled. Her power is so great, in fact, that she is required to wear a special earring on her left ear which constantly seals the full brunt of her magical strength. Belldandy's angel is Holy Bell; her elemental attribute is wind. Like all angels, Holy Bell augments Belldandy's magical powers when called upon, and like all angels, she also reflects her master's current state.
Urd
Voiced by: Yumi Touma
Urd (ウルド Urudo) is Belldandy's older half sister and is the second Goddess to appear to Keiichi. Urd ranks as Goddess second class, management category limited license, similar to her youngest sister Skuld. She is the Yggdrasil System Administrator and Manager. Though she is much more powerful than her sisters, she has not become a first class goddess, most recently because she chose not to become a first class goddess (See main article.) Urd shares a common father with her younger sisters, but has a different mother, the Demon Lord Hild. Because of this, Urd is a hybrid of Goddess and Demon, reflected in the half-white, half-black appearance of her Angel, World of Elegance.
Urd fancies herself a Goddess of Love, so she comes to Earth to spur Keiichi onward with love potions and well-meaning, but deceitful advice, but as punishment for deserting her post and for using her powers on Earth without authorization, The Almighty banishes her from Heaven until further notice. After being allowed to go back, she decides to stay on Earth instead.
Skuld
Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa
Skuld (スクルド Sukurudo) is the younger sister of Belldandy, and is the third Goddess to appear to Keiichi Morisato. Skuld has a Goddess second class, type one, limited license, a category similar to her eldest sister, Urd. Skuld is one of Yggdrasil's system debuggers. She compensates for her lack of magic power with her innate talent for invention, which is known throughout Heaven. Skuld is an engineering genius, capable of building just about anything out of the most mundane parts under most limited resources. She can compute equations and redesign even the most complex engineering blueprints in no time.
She travels to Earth after Belldandy's proximity to Keiichi started creating an increasing number of bugs in Heaven's supercomputer Yggdrasil. At least that was her official excuse, as she believed Belldandy was living with Keiichi against her will. She tried to convince Belldandy to return to Heaven to resolve the bug problem and at the same time with the ulterior motive of alleviating her loneliness. After realizing that Belldandy's relationship with Keiichi was not going to end any time soon, Skuld decides to stay on Earth and act as Belldandy's unofficial chaperon.
In the second season she begins to develop her goddess powers. Her angel's name is Noble Scarlet.
Heaven
Heaven is one of the two divine factions in the series. It is where the three main goddesses and several other characters reside. It contains, Yggdrasil (ユグドラシル Yugudorashiru), the heavenly computer system that maintains reality, with the Gods and Goddesses acting as its programmers, system administrators, and debuggers. Yggdrasil works with the Goddess Relief Office by notifing the goddesses such as Belldandy working at the office of people whose fortune and misfortune is out of balance given their actions such as fortitude in facing misfortune, kindness in sympathizing with others. Each person Yggdrasil chooses is granted one wish which can be anything ranging from "wealth that would last a life time" to the destruction of the world, or even for simply a "Girl like you".
Almighty
Voiced by: Shinji Ogawa (OVA), Hidetoshi Nakamura(TV)
The Almighty One (神様 Kami-sama) is the lord of Heaven. As Lord of Heaven, all Goddesses ultimately answer to Him and He is responsible for maintaining reality, time, and probability as we know it. His attitude and personality is very commanding, but He is very polite and forgiving; he has forgiven the Norns for disobeying his orders multiple times (as is suggested by Keiichi in the manga). The Almighty One is very blunt and straight-forward. He does not understand how humans act and communicate; possibly because He has not been to Earth in a long time. Throughout the manga and anime He is an unseen character as viewers never see His face, which is usually shrouded in shadow, turned away, or simply too close-up; all that can be discerned is that the Almighty One is tall and well-built, with long black hair. He also has many seals on His hands, neck and on His ears (this could probably be a clue as concerns the fact he may be the divinity in doublet with Hild, as also we can imagine listening to her discussing on the Double System). The Almighty is the father of the three Norns. During the Trouble with Doublets saga, Belldandy answers the phone and tells her sisters "It's the Almighty." After Urd loses odds and evens against Skuld, She answers with "Oh goodness, Daddy?! It's been ages!"
Peorth
Voiced by: Rei Sakuma
Peorth (ペイオース Peiōsu) is the fourth goddess of the series, and she enters the story when Keiichi accidentally calls her up one day, much like he did Belldandy. She is part of the Earth Help Center, and a Goddess First-class, Second Category, Unlimited. For a time, Peorth harbored a deep resentment towards Belldandy because Belldandy had reported the removal of a bug in Yggdrasil as a team effort. Believing Belldandy was pitying her, she held a grudge. During her stay she continually tried to seduce Keiichi in order to seem more of use to him than Belldandy, though she ultimately falls in love with him. However, after the misunderstanding is cleared up, Peorth remarks that she does not hate Belldandy anymore, and in recent appearances the two seem to be on friendly terms once again. Still, Peorth's incessant flirting with Keiichi puts some strains upon this new relationship.
Her magic is based on the element of Earth, mainly associated with roses, as with her own angel, Gorgeous Rose.
Lind
Voiced by: Miki Ito
Lind (リンド Rindo) is the fifth Goddess to appear in the series. Lind is a Valkyrie, a member of the battle division of Heaven. Like the Goddesses Belldandy and Peorth, Lind carries a First Class License. However, unlike the other two, Lind's license is classified as "Special Duty, Unlimited", which denotes her position as a Valkyrie. Her elemental domain is ice, even though she is able to control perfectly fire and lightning beams.
In an unlikely turn of events, Lind obtained twin angels, Spear Mint and Cool Mint, though at first she could only call upon one of them at a time, causing her to be teased all throughout Heaven and Hell. Frustrated by her 'weakness' and resulting inability to call forth her second Angel, Lind threw herself into Valkyrie training with incredible ferocity. This intense training gained Lind the reputation as a Goddess of extreme violence. Eventually, she is able to call out both her angels by realizing that she lacked a belief in herself and a trust towards others during her fight with the Angel Eater planted inside of her by Hild in an attempt to replace her angels with devils. She has since become more open and smiles often. She has also established close friendships with Keiichi Morisato and Belldandy.
Chrono, Ere and Ex
Chrono (クロノ Kurono), Ere (エレ) and Ex (エクス Ekusu) are three goddesses who maintain Yggdrasil. They generally help Peorth, Lind and such by giving relevant exposition, or lines to increase dramatic tension. They also serve as people for Peorth or Lind to give orders to, allowing the commanding character to verbally direct the conflict, and to explain the dangerous nature of certain actions.
Chrono is the sixth goddess to be present in the human world. Like Peorth and Lind, however, she stayed only for a few chapters. Chrono is terrified of cats due to a childhood trauma up in the heavens with her pet cat, and needless to say, she avoids Velsper like the plague. She also practise martial arts, aiming for a post in the Valkyrie ranks. At the end of her arc Lind confesses Peorth she is interested in Chrono, so she'll propose her for the "Silver Wings" unit. In the manga we can see this new goddess with a different hair colour than in the movie: instead of being brown, she seems to be blonde or with a very light hair at least.
As concerns Ere and Ex, in the manga we can only catch a glimpse of them in a cartoon when Chrono gets back in heaven, showing the two goddesses interrupted in their discussion because of the scene in which Peorth teases Chrono and later when Hagall's demons make too many contracts with humans unbalancing Heaven's equilibrium.
Hell (Niflheim)
Hild
Voiced by: Gara Takashima
Hild (ヒルド Hirudo) is the ultimate Demon who is the opposite to The Almighty, known as the Ruler of Demonkind. She is incredibly powerful, with her power dwarfing even the combined strength of the three goddesses. Despite her immense power, she respects the doublet system, and thus limits her power to prevent killing any of the Goddesses. She is Urd's mother, whom she loves deeply, though Urd does not return the feeling (it is revealed that doing so would mean that Urd would acknowledge and thus be taken over by her demonic side). Hild dislikes Belldandy, because Belldandy's attitude and love for humanity reminds her of the Almighty One and the relationship they once had. Because of this, she has often tried to corrupt or hurt Belldandy several times throughout the series. She also seems to have some feelings for Keiichi Morisato.
She appears a few times before leaving an avatar child version of herself, who would go on to become a regular antagonist for the goddesses, as well as a direct supervisor for Marller. While this avatar possesses only one thousandth of the true Hild's power, it is still enough to make the avatar a powerful enemy for anyone. In the manga, a small team of demons sealed her main body and attacked her avatar in the human world.
Lord of Terror
The Lord of Terror is a virus that runs on Yggdrasil. It is divided into two parts—the will of the Lord of Terror, and the "Ultimate Destruction Program", Fenrir. It wants to destroy the world and create a world for demons in its place (this happens only in the anime, while in the manga we can see that his intent is to destroy the entire universe in order to create a new, violent one; this is the reason why Keiichi, possessed by the program, wants Skuld to build a 10 dimensional scythe for cutting the 10 dimensional string of the universe, which permit its existence). The heir to the Lord of Terror was Urd, because of her mixed ancestry. Basically, the Great Lord's will influenced Urd and eventually sealed her will away. It then utilized the urn Mao Za Haxon, which contained the Ultimate Destruction Program's bootup. After it had possessed Keiichi, Belldandy told it to transfer to her but it could not possess her, as the base wavelength was diferent, and was quickly forced to transfer itself to a floppy disk and was then erased by Skuld with a magnet.
Marller
Voiced by: Urara Takano
Marller or Mara in the English anime (マーラー Mārā) was once the childhood friend of the goddesses who are the main characters, even though she is a demon. Urd and Mara used to be very good friends, but got separated when Urd chose to be a goddess. Her actual duty is to increase the market share of the demons on earth, though she decides that removing the goddesses will make it one hundred percent.
Like Urd, because of her demonic heritage Marller has a music-based weakness: when hearing hard rock, she is compelled to dance until exhausted. Likewise, the close proximity or touch of good luck charms has adverse effects on her; the accidental touch of a hamaya (demon-slaying arrow) once caused complete, if temporary, amnesia.
Senbee
Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto
Senbee (魔神千兵衛 Majin Senbei) is the miniature genie and the self-proclaimed god of disaster and poverty. He lives by the philosophy of happiness being finite in the universe. Because of this belief, he places all sorts of misfortunes on others to raise his own happiness, often doing so by magically causing bad luck or accidents. He usually serves as a minion of Marller.
Velsper
Velsper (ヴェルスパー Verusupā), also known as Welsper, is a demon, who is in a doublet, a link of fate established to preserve the balance between Heaven and Hell, with Belldandy. The doublets normally forget each other, but Velsper cursed himself to remain in child form in exchange for remembering his encounter with Belldandy. The curse could only be broken if Belldandy speaks his name. It turned out that his body could not handle his growing power, so he worked to break the curse by stopping time. After installing a virus in Yggdrasil, he ends up having the curse broken, and returns to the demon realm. However, because Velsper hacked into Yggdrasil, he was punished afterwards by being reincarnated into a kitten. He is the only demon who shows a Tsukaima (demon servant), having it obtained by Keiichi after neither him nor Belldandy could handle the burden of bringing the creature which almost transformed her into a demon because of Hild. His black fur becomes white spotted, but he returns normal after naming his Tsukaima as "Die Wespe der Blauen Lanze" ("The Wasp of the Blue Lance" in German).
Hagall
Hagall (ハガル Hagaru), also known as Hagal, is the second most powerful demon in Hell, who takes the control of Niflheim—The Hell—in a rebellion against Hild, because she thinks Hild has lost the power and glory of the demon world. Through an elaborated plan to get more share of wishes on Earth and to destroy everything related to the Goddesses, she imprisons Hild and sends her servants to attack Chibi-Hild on Earth, however she manages to escape and goes with Belldandy to ask for help (the story is currently being developed in the manga—chapters 240 till 259). Hagall usually talks about herself in third person and her powers include mental control and hypnotism. Besides, she is a very selfish and ambitious demon who does not consider the energetic balance between Heaven and Hell (brought by human contracts).
Halval
Halval (アールヴァル ArubaruÞ), also known as Halvalth, is a powerful demon, who serves Hagall in a rebellion against Hild. Her name has the rune "Þ" (Thurizas, Thorn or Tursas) who is the rune of the sound. Her main power is "to see the sound" with her eyes and fight battles in complete darkness. She battles against Keiichi and Belldandy in the episodes 251 till 255 of the manga. In the episode 255 Halval lost the battle with an plan of Keiichi Morisato (influenced by the kiss of Chibi-Hild, who transfers some of her knowledge to Keiichi before she to goes to Niffleheim).
Nekomi
Nekomi is a Japanese town that acts as the main setting of the series. It houses the Nekomi Institute of Technology, where Keiichi attends, and the Tariki Hongan Temple, where he and the goddesses reside.
Toshiyuki Aoshima
Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita
Toshiyuki Aoshima (青嶋 紀元 Aoshima Toshiyuki) is a playboy around the Nekomi Institute of Technology campus and Sayoko's cousin. He is enamoured by Belldandy and tries often to steal her away from Keiichi, going as far as to set up a rival motor club. However, in just about all of his attempts, he fails miserably. In the TV series, he and his cousin Sayoko can be identified by the supercars that they drive, in Aoshima's case, an Enzo Ferrari (Ferrari 288 GTO in the manga).
Banpei
Banpei-kun RX (ばんぺいくんRX Banpei-kun āru ekkusu?) (changed to Banpei RX in the English edition of the anime) is a humanoid robot that was designed and built by Skuld. Banpei-kun's primary function is to guard the temple, originally from Marller, however, this has expanded to include any threat the demons send, and even to 'protecting' Belldandy from Keiichi Morisato. Banpei has gradually gained many new abilities as Skuld continues to create new add-ons or new functionality for him. Originally, he required a direct power connection via an external cable but was later given a battery. This allows him to travel anywhere for extended periods of time; however, when the battery runs low Banpei has to shut down and enter memory preservation mode.
Banpei's program continues to evolve on its own: Banpei gained sentience, an appreciation for life and, after meeting Sigel, the ability to love. Even though Sigel is not interested in Banpei, he is not disheartened, and spends a great deal of time and energy trying to get her to appreciate him; he will also not hesitate to risk serious damage to himself if only to help her. His emotional circuit will work at varying degrees, from being completely shut off, to being almost alive; in recent times it has gained stability, ensuring that he remains "alive" at all times. Unable to express emotion, Banpei will at times use a permanent marker to draw what he is feeling on his face: a tear for sadness, a furrowed brow, and clenched teeth for anger.
Chihiro Fujimi
Voiced by: Yuka Imai
Chihiro Fujimi (藤見 千尋 Fujimi Chihiro) is the original founder and director of the Nekomi Institute of Technology Motor Club. She is a resolute person and an incredibly skilled mechanic and motorcycle driver, even more so than Keiichi. She starts up her own motorcycle shop called Whirlwind and hires Keiichi and Belldandy to work for her. Normally a no-nonsense personality, she has a soft spot for cute objects, cats and children and seems to enjoy relaxing activities (such as bathing in an onsen) and having fun. She drives a Krauser Domani SSi. When she was director of the N.I.T. motor club, both Tamiya and Otaki confessed they loved her but she turned them both down rather than cause conflict in the club. Both Tamiya and Otaki respect and fear her very much, obediently following her orders.
Gan-chan
Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata
Gan-chan (岩) (also known as Mitsuo Iwata) is the much-abused temple rat from the Adventures of Mini-Goddess series. Generally nice and friendly, Gan is somewhat emotional and very excitable, but highly prone to gluttony. Due to his nice and trusting nature, he is often led off on some wild adventure by Skuld and Urd, with the end result of Gan getting physically abused in some way. Gan has a crush on and prefers the company of Belldandy, since she is much quieter (and far from being violent towards him) than her sisters.
Sora Hasegawa
Voiced by: Ikue Ōtani (OVA & TV first season), Satomi Kōrogi (TV second season)
Sora Hasegawa (長谷川 空 Hasegawa Sora?) is a member of the Nekomi Tech Motor Club. A rather timid, mousy girl, she looks up to Keiichi and Belldandy. Throughout the series, the two help her to overcome her lack of confidence and believe in herself. When Keiichi leaves to work for Chihiro's company Whirlwind, he bestows the directorship of the Motor Club to her. She accepts the position, despite the fact that previous clubs that were led by her all collapsed (though not necessarily by her fault). Every time she gets drunk, she whines to Keiichi about how people think she is a middle school student, flashing her chest to show she is growing breasts to him. She has a crush on Toshiyuki Aoshima.
Hijiri
Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya
Hijiri (聖) is a little girl whom Keiichi befriends before meeting Belldandy for the first time. Appearing only in the TV series, Hijiri has become a running joke in the series, appearing from time to time in minor roles in the stories, such as being shown witnessing the Goddesses' dramatic battles, accidentally kidnapping a spirit that was transformed by Marller, or simply being there at the right time to help Keiichi get a meal.
Sentaro Kawanishi
Voiced by: Romi Paku
Sentaro Kawanishi (川西 仙太郎 Kawanishi Sentarō) is a boy who loves riding his bike around the neighborhood in Nekomi. He meets Skuld during the time where she was learning to ride a bike. He was the one who taught her that it did not matter if she fell off the first few times she tried, what mattered was that she got back up, and eventually she learned. This coincided with Skuld's magical powers slowly developing—it was revealed that a Goddess' power comes from loving others. Skuld started to fall in love with Sentaro, and hence her powers started to develop. Sentaro eventually moves away with his family, though Skuld does not become sad by it, as she claims that despite the distance they will always meet when they want. It turns out that Sentaro only moved across town, much to Skuld's embarrassment due to her previously stated claims. It is unclear whether or not Sentaro is aware that Skuld is a goddess, but he has seen Skuld use her powers, and has stated (albeit through inner-dialogue) that she looks like a goddess.
Koshian
Voiced by: Mugihito
Koshian (越庵 Koshian) is the Buddhist priest and caretaker of the Tariki Hongan temple where Keiichi and the Goddesses reside. After witnessing Belldandy's "spiritual enlightenment", Koshian left on a pilgrimage to seek his own enlightenment, leaving his temple and house in the care of Keiichi and Belldandy. He returns in the anime at one point after traveling for eleven months, but soon gets caught up in a fight and leaves again. After returning a second time, he appears briefly, kicking Belldandy (who at that time has an evil mark on her head) and Keiichi out; but when Belldandy gets her goddess licences back, she and Keiichi return to the temple. He is last seen watching Belldandy's lighting burst, calling it the "Great Dragon"; then he disappears for the rest of the series.
Sayoko Mishima
Voiced by: Junko Asami (OVA), Mamiko Noto (TV)
Sayoko Mishima (三嶋 沙夜子 Mishima Sayoko) is a popular girl at Nekomi Tech, to the point where she considers herself the "queen" of the school. She is also quite rich, coming from a wealthy family. She has her own apartment and an expensive car, and gets to throw lavish parties with very important people. When Belldandy appears, all the guys' attention turns to her rather than Sayoko. Mishima begins to get jealous of Belldandy and wants to make her upset by seducing Keiichi, even though she does not have any interest in him. She even goes to the lengths of teaming up with Toshiyuki Aoshima and Marller to bring her down. Gradually, as the series progresses, she becomes less and less antagonistic, even offering Keiichi relationship advice and foiling Marller's schemes. It seems as though she develops feelings for Keiichi at the beginning of season 2 when she did not feel as lonely when he was with her. Sayoko has seen both Urd and Belldandy use their powers, although she now believes that Belldandy is a witch. She is shown to have much pride, and seems to almost enjoy competing with Belldandy at times.
Keima Morisato
Keima Morisato (森里 桂馬 Morisato Keima) is Keiichi and Megumi's father. Keima, like his children, is incredibly skilled as a mechanic and as a motorcycle driver (though he is actually a glass blower). He dislikes being called "father" and much prefers to be addressed by his given name. He also has a severe form of heterophobia (fear of members of the opposite sex), except for people that he loves. Belldandy was the only "stranger" who did not trigger this fear upon first contact.
Megumi Morisato
Voiced by: Yuriko Fuchizaki
Megumi Morisato (森里 恵 Morisato Megumi) is Keiichi Morisato's younger sister. She attends the Nekomi Institute of Technology (NIT), like Keiichi, as an engineering student. Megumi is also a very skilled mechanic and motorcycle driver. She goes on to become the "queen" of bike racers around Nekomi. Belldandy has remarked that she sees a similarity between Megumi and Skuld, and that she would like to see Skuld learn some things from Megumi. As we know from the recent developments in the manga, she has a lot of success with boys, but she is not lucky in love because all of her boyfriends feel eclipsed by her motor-queen status.
Takano Morisato
Takano Morisato (森里 鷹乃 Morisato Takano) is Keiichi and Megumi's mother. Takano is a master player of mahjong and easily beats Skuld, Urd and Peorth at the game. She is also a much more confident and outgoing person than her husband, Keima.
Shiho Sakakibara
Voiced by: Asami Sanada
Shiho Sakakibara (榊原志保 Sakakibara Shiho) is a freshman in electronics at Nekomi Institute of Technology. She is also a second year correspondence course student in exorcism. Shiho first makes herself known to Keiichi through a secret letter that Keiichi, Urd, and Belldandy take to be a love letter. When Keiichi approaches the rendezvous mentioned in the letter with Belldandy and Urd, he finds that she is indeed very cute. However, she does not seem interested in a relationship with Keiichi, rather only to find out whether or not he is possessed by a demon. She is invited back to Keiichi's residence. At times, she becomes too friendly with Keiichi, making Belldandy jealous.
Sigel
Sigel (シーグル Shīguru) was originally an antique welcome mannequin with the form of a ten-year-old girl, with a "welcome" message recorded in an internal tape player. The property of an antique shop, Skuld's utility robot Banpei fell in love with the mannequin on first sight, even going so far as to take her immobile form out on a date. The mannequin's voice player finally broke down and she was sent to the scrapyard, to be claimed by Whirlwind Garage owner Chihiro. Chihiro gave the mannequin, with a new digital voice player, to Skuld. After Skuld re-makes the mannequin into a sentient, walking robot, it demonstrates a reluctance to establish a relationship with Banpei, though she secretly does have a soft spot for him due to his devotion for her. This welcome robot was not named until much later by Belldandy, who named her after the Anglo-Saxon futhorc s-rune, Sigel.
Sigel shows a great deal of admiration and affection for Skuld, whom she addresses as "mistress", and she has also been seen showing respect for Belldandy. Sigel tries her best to keep demons away from the temple, although she lacks the impressive array of weapons that Banpei has. Her only weapons are skating wheels in the heels of her feet and detachable rocket punch hands (when asked about these, Skuld states that they are standard issue for robots).
The Three Ninjas
A trio of diminutive female ninja operatives created by Marller (apparently from transformed rats) to serve as her agents of chaos against the goddesses. They are expert fighters with all sorts of weapons. They are named after the three Shinkansen (bullet) trains in Japan.
The three ninjas were sent in one by one to eliminate the goddesses, but they failed in their task, mostly due to Belldandy's friendliness towards them. Eventually, they decided to quit their service with Marller and moved into the temple proper. They rarely appear in the mainstream series from that point on, but they do have several appearances in the Mini-Goddess comic strips and TV anime series.
Kodama Genwaku: the infiltration specialist and Mistress of Illusion.
Hikari Senkuo: the weapons and assault specialist. She wears a distinctive spiked ball helmet.
Nozomi Senrigan: the recon specialist. She uses a clarinet to effect her magic and summon their ninja auxiliaries.
Tamiya and Otaki
Voiced by: Kiyoyuki Yanada and Issei Futamata
Toraichi Tamiya (田宮 寅一 Tamiya Toraichi) and Hikozaemon Otaki (大滝 彦左衛門 Otaki Hikozaemon) are the ex-directors of the Nekomi Motor Club. Tamiya (a dark-skinned, hulking man) and Otaki (who dresses in punk-style) are rather crude and brash personalities who make life very hard for Keiichi by passing on a lot of work to him. However, they have a great deal of respect for Keiichi's abilities both as a mechanic and a driver. In the manga, they pass the directorship of the Motor Club to Keiichi as they graduate. They were also both in love with the original director of the motor club, Chihiro Fujimi; however, she rejected both of them for the sake of the club. Tamiya addresses Otaki as "Dai-chan" (the Kanji "大" in Otaki's name is "O" but can be pronounced as "Dai") and Otaki addresses Tamiya as "Den-chan."
Satoko Yamano
Voiced by: Chie Nakamura
Satoko Yamano (矢間野 里子 Yamano Satoko) is a freshman in electronics at Nekomi Institute of Technology. She is quite attractive—even Keiichi comments that she is one of the top five most attractive girls at Nekomi Tech. She meets Otaki when her scooter breaks down on campus and Otaki decides to help her despite the insistence of one of her suitors, that she ride his car instead. They start going out and she eventually gets her father's approval of Otaki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oh_My_Goddess!_characters
Showing posts with label 2000. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2000. Show all posts
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Oh My Goddess! (ああっ女神さまっ, Ah! My Goddess!)
Oh My Goddess!
Oh My Goddess! (ああっ女神さまっ Ā Megami-sama), also known as Ah! My Goddess!, is a Japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by Kōsuke Fujishima. It premiered in the September 1988 issue of Afternoon where it is still being serialized. As of December 2009, the individual chapters have been collected and published in 40 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. The series centers on the relationship between college sophomore Keiichi Morisato and the goddess Belldandy.
As the manga's popularity increased, a five-episode original video animation (OVA) was made based on it. With the OVA's success, the stage was set for two TV series and a film to follow.
Plot
Keiichi Morisato is a good-natured, yet hapless and girlfriend-less college freshman who is often imposed upon by his elder dorm-mates and brow-beaten into taking phone messages and doing miscellaneous chores for them. One day, while alone in his dorm, he accidentally calls the Goddess Technical Help Line and a beautiful goddess named Belldandy materializes in his room. She tells him that her agency has received a system request from him, so she has been sent to grant him a single wish. Skeptical and thinking someone is playing a practical joke on him, he wishes that she stay with him forever. To his surprise, his wish is granted. Belldandy must stay with him, but as his dormitory is strictly male-only, they are both forced onto the street.
They set off on his motorcycle to find alternative shelter, eventually seeking cover in an old Buddhist temple. In the morning, they are greeted by the temple's sole inhabitant, a young monk, who welcomes them and gives them permission to stay until they can find permanent lodging. He immediately puts them to work maintaining the temple grounds, but when he sees Belldandy use her powers to save Keiichi from injury, he begins to fear that she may be a demon or sorceress. He is eventually convinced of Belldandy's intrinsic goodness when he witnesses her solicitous care of the temple premises and her perfect meditation ritual. When he decides to go on a pilgrimage to India, the priest gives the couple permission to remain in the temple so long as they continue to maintain it.
Oh My Goddess! Universe
The Oh My Goddess! universe is fashioned quite loosely around the Norse mythology. At least three worlds are apparent, including heaven, hell, and earth. However, it has been stated that many other worlds exist as well. Heaven is the realm of the Lord and goddesses; while Hell, the Daimakaicho and demons. Earth is the realm of the humans, and until recently, is largely unexposed to the presence of either goddesses or demons, as they can unbalance the happiness in the world. Reality is controlled by an enormous and complex computer system, named Yggdrasil, similar to the tree of the Norse mythology.
Each goddess has a certain designation and may or may not have an accompanying angel, depending on their skill and power. Belldandy is a Goddess First Class, Second Category, Unlimited License. Class refers to precision and power level. Second category, for example, is a commercial license; and the limit indicates what you are permitted to do. Urd is a Goddess Second Class, Administration, Limited License. Skuld is a Second Class, First Category, Limited License. Other categories include the Combat division, to which the Valkyries belong. Goddesses may be penalized for dereliction of duty, which includes suspension of their licenses. A typical suspension can last anywhere from a week for the first infraction to 50 years or more, though attending a study hall in heaven can reduce this term. A Goddess using her powers during suspension will have her license permanently revoked. The licensing division is under the Goddess Assistance Agency.
Young goddesses often do not have angels, but are given an angel's egg. When their power matures, the angel's egg hatches and the angel becomes the lifetime companion of the goddess. The angels obey the goddesses no matter what, as they are reflections of the goddesses' inner self. The angels are generally born fully mature and cognizant of the world around them. Furthermore, the goddesses typically have three blue markings on their face, two on the cheek and one on the forehead; while demons are marked similarly with red markings. More powerful beings may have more complex designs to these markings.
Despite having phenomenal powers, the Goddesses wear power limiters. It is said that a first class Goddess at full power can easily destroy the Earth. Belldandy's power limiter is the second clasp on her left ear. Goddesses also possess particular proficiency in certain magical domains; Skuld uses water magic, Belldandy uses wind, and Urd uses fire magic, though both Belldandy and Urd are capable of using lightning magic. Furthermore, Urd is ascribed to the past; Belldandy, the present; and Skuld, the future. Goddesses may also need to recharge their power via various means, especially in the case of a system malfunction: Belldandy by sleep, Urd by drinking Sake, and Skuld by eating ice cream. Their repertoire of magical skills may vary as well. The goddesses can have various means of transportation: Belldandy by mirrors, Urd by television screens, Skuld by water, Peorth by camera lenses and Lind by windows. Moreover, it's probable that these are only the preferred ways to move (apart from Skuld, as she has less experience with magic) especially for long distances. We can see a few cases in which they show alternative methods of transportation: Urd, Peorth and Marller (or Mara, in some English translations) simply appear and disappear (they probably transported themselves to nearby places) and Urd again by water. Finally, the inability to lie appears to be part and parcel of being a first class goddess.
One interesting power demonstrated by the goddesses is a form of psychometry. By focusing their powers, a goddess can identify the aura of a goddess in contact with an object previously and replay the events surrounding that time.
The lifespan appears to differ quite a bit from humans. Their childhood seems to match that of a human, but their adulthood may last hundreds of years. However, the exact measurement of time is unclear, as time in heaven can pass much slower than that on Earth. As such, it is possible that in fact they do age at the same rate as humans, just appearing slower, because they live in a different realm. So, what seems like fifty years to us, maybe be only five days to them. Furthermore, old age has not been demonstrated in the series, so their elder years are unknown. In a chapter in the manga, it is stated that they do not grow old in the human world, and they witnessed various deaths already. The goddesses' metabolism also can vary from humans and from goddess-to-goddess as well. Belldandy, for example, becomes drunk on cola, something not experienced by humans or Skuld and Urd. They do seem to be able to eat all the same foods as humans, however.
The goddesses' purpose is to bring happiness to everyone around them. Toward that end, heaven has created the Goddess Relief Agency (The Goddess Technical Help Line in the manga), designed to bring happiness to the people of Earth, especially those with great virtue but terrible misfortune. A competing institution, named the Earth Assistance Center, also is staffed by goddesses. In most scenarios, a goddess appears before one that the system has deemed worthy and grants him or her one wish. The wish must be approved by the system, after which a contract is created between the human and the goddess and stored on the Yggdrasil system as a file. The wish contract file is protected by a passcode known to the Goddess. As demons work toward the opposite end, the total happiness on Earth must remain in balance. Heaven and hell strictly abide by an agreement to work through contracts and never kill each other.
Demons have similar class and license restrictions, and are accompanied by familiars instead of angels. A seal exists between the demon world and Earth, named the Gate to the Netherworld. It was "created by the gods and can only be broken by an instrument of the gods." As such, demons require a catalyst to manifest on earth. The demons possess a system similar to Yggdrasil, named Nidhogg. Both demons and goddesses possess the power to seal beings away. The demons also operate in a fashion similar to goddesses by creating contracts with humans and offering them wishes, but often at a price.
Other elements in the Goddess universe are programs that can be constructed by either the goddesses or the demons for any number of purposes. One example is the Ultimate Destruction Program, a program written by demons to create a world for demons by destroying humanity. Countermeasures include directly destroying the program or using a vaccine, a program specifically designed to nullify its target program. Programs designed to destroy systems and with self-replicative abilities are known as viruses, much like the computer viruses in the modern world.
Other creatures that exist in the Earth plane are a multitude of spirits that are responsible for almost every aspect of life. These include the spirits of Money, Wind, Engine and such. More specific entities include Earth spirits, which are guardians over a specific area of land. Morgan le Fay, a villain from the movie, is probably a high ranking Earth spirit (or a being from another dimension, but that is less likely because her tragic love story with a human must have happened on Earth) who demonstrates great strength fighting Belldandy and Urd, even though her powers are less potent than the ones of goddesses of their level.
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 twining the thread of fate for all living beings. 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 /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 /u/ 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". In the Swedish translation of the manga, her name is Verdandi.
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.
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. In the English translation, her name is Lind.
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 Lord of Terror arc Mara utilized the urn Mao Za Haxon, which contained the Ultimate Destruction Program's bootup protocol, which eventually led Urd to summon a huge dog-spirit named Fenrir. In Norse mythology, Fenrir or Fenrisulfr is a monstrous wolf, the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, who is destined to kill Odin at Ragnarok.
In another installment an exorcist in training accidentally summons Garm. In Norse mythology, Garm is a huge dog which guards Hel, the land of the dead, alongside of Hræsvelgr. Garm was the greatest of all dogs and lived in a cave called Gnipahellir.
In the movie adaptation of Ah! My Goddess, Peorth is given the order to nullify the threat to the world-tree by using the eradiction spell Gungnir. Gungnir is the name of the enchanted spear used by Odin, the king of the Norse gods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_My_Goddess!
Manga series | Anime OVAs | Anime series | Japanese novels | Anime of 1993 | Anime of 1994 | Anime of 1998 | Anime of 2000 | Anime of 2005 | Anime of 2007 | Fantasy anime and manga | Romantic comedy anime and manga | Norse mythology in popular culture | Anime distributed by Madman Entertainment | Dark Horse Comics titles | Seinen manga | Geneon | ADV Films | Funimation Entertainment | Oh My Goddess! | Harem anime and manga
Oh My Goddess! (ああっ女神さまっ Ā Megami-sama), also known as Ah! My Goddess!, is a Japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by Kōsuke Fujishima. It premiered in the September 1988 issue of Afternoon where it is still being serialized. As of December 2009, the individual chapters have been collected and published in 40 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. The series centers on the relationship between college sophomore Keiichi Morisato and the goddess Belldandy.
As the manga's popularity increased, a five-episode original video animation (OVA) was made based on it. With the OVA's success, the stage was set for two TV series and a film to follow.
Plot
Keiichi Morisato is a good-natured, yet hapless and girlfriend-less college freshman who is often imposed upon by his elder dorm-mates and brow-beaten into taking phone messages and doing miscellaneous chores for them. One day, while alone in his dorm, he accidentally calls the Goddess Technical Help Line and a beautiful goddess named Belldandy materializes in his room. She tells him that her agency has received a system request from him, so she has been sent to grant him a single wish. Skeptical and thinking someone is playing a practical joke on him, he wishes that she stay with him forever. To his surprise, his wish is granted. Belldandy must stay with him, but as his dormitory is strictly male-only, they are both forced onto the street.
They set off on his motorcycle to find alternative shelter, eventually seeking cover in an old Buddhist temple. In the morning, they are greeted by the temple's sole inhabitant, a young monk, who welcomes them and gives them permission to stay until they can find permanent lodging. He immediately puts them to work maintaining the temple grounds, but when he sees Belldandy use her powers to save Keiichi from injury, he begins to fear that she may be a demon or sorceress. He is eventually convinced of Belldandy's intrinsic goodness when he witnesses her solicitous care of the temple premises and her perfect meditation ritual. When he decides to go on a pilgrimage to India, the priest gives the couple permission to remain in the temple so long as they continue to maintain it.
Oh My Goddess! Universe
The Oh My Goddess! universe is fashioned quite loosely around the Norse mythology. At least three worlds are apparent, including heaven, hell, and earth. However, it has been stated that many other worlds exist as well. Heaven is the realm of the Lord and goddesses; while Hell, the Daimakaicho and demons. Earth is the realm of the humans, and until recently, is largely unexposed to the presence of either goddesses or demons, as they can unbalance the happiness in the world. Reality is controlled by an enormous and complex computer system, named Yggdrasil, similar to the tree of the Norse mythology.
Each goddess has a certain designation and may or may not have an accompanying angel, depending on their skill and power. Belldandy is a Goddess First Class, Second Category, Unlimited License. Class refers to precision and power level. Second category, for example, is a commercial license; and the limit indicates what you are permitted to do. Urd is a Goddess Second Class, Administration, Limited License. Skuld is a Second Class, First Category, Limited License. Other categories include the Combat division, to which the Valkyries belong. Goddesses may be penalized for dereliction of duty, which includes suspension of their licenses. A typical suspension can last anywhere from a week for the first infraction to 50 years or more, though attending a study hall in heaven can reduce this term. A Goddess using her powers during suspension will have her license permanently revoked. The licensing division is under the Goddess Assistance Agency.
Young goddesses often do not have angels, but are given an angel's egg. When their power matures, the angel's egg hatches and the angel becomes the lifetime companion of the goddess. The angels obey the goddesses no matter what, as they are reflections of the goddesses' inner self. The angels are generally born fully mature and cognizant of the world around them. Furthermore, the goddesses typically have three blue markings on their face, two on the cheek and one on the forehead; while demons are marked similarly with red markings. More powerful beings may have more complex designs to these markings.
Despite having phenomenal powers, the Goddesses wear power limiters. It is said that a first class Goddess at full power can easily destroy the Earth. Belldandy's power limiter is the second clasp on her left ear. Goddesses also possess particular proficiency in certain magical domains; Skuld uses water magic, Belldandy uses wind, and Urd uses fire magic, though both Belldandy and Urd are capable of using lightning magic. Furthermore, Urd is ascribed to the past; Belldandy, the present; and Skuld, the future. Goddesses may also need to recharge their power via various means, especially in the case of a system malfunction: Belldandy by sleep, Urd by drinking Sake, and Skuld by eating ice cream. Their repertoire of magical skills may vary as well. The goddesses can have various means of transportation: Belldandy by mirrors, Urd by television screens, Skuld by water, Peorth by camera lenses and Lind by windows. Moreover, it's probable that these are only the preferred ways to move (apart from Skuld, as she has less experience with magic) especially for long distances. We can see a few cases in which they show alternative methods of transportation: Urd, Peorth and Marller (or Mara, in some English translations) simply appear and disappear (they probably transported themselves to nearby places) and Urd again by water. Finally, the inability to lie appears to be part and parcel of being a first class goddess.
One interesting power demonstrated by the goddesses is a form of psychometry. By focusing their powers, a goddess can identify the aura of a goddess in contact with an object previously and replay the events surrounding that time.
The lifespan appears to differ quite a bit from humans. Their childhood seems to match that of a human, but their adulthood may last hundreds of years. However, the exact measurement of time is unclear, as time in heaven can pass much slower than that on Earth. As such, it is possible that in fact they do age at the same rate as humans, just appearing slower, because they live in a different realm. So, what seems like fifty years to us, maybe be only five days to them. Furthermore, old age has not been demonstrated in the series, so their elder years are unknown. In a chapter in the manga, it is stated that they do not grow old in the human world, and they witnessed various deaths already. The goddesses' metabolism also can vary from humans and from goddess-to-goddess as well. Belldandy, for example, becomes drunk on cola, something not experienced by humans or Skuld and Urd. They do seem to be able to eat all the same foods as humans, however.
The goddesses' purpose is to bring happiness to everyone around them. Toward that end, heaven has created the Goddess Relief Agency (The Goddess Technical Help Line in the manga), designed to bring happiness to the people of Earth, especially those with great virtue but terrible misfortune. A competing institution, named the Earth Assistance Center, also is staffed by goddesses. In most scenarios, a goddess appears before one that the system has deemed worthy and grants him or her one wish. The wish must be approved by the system, after which a contract is created between the human and the goddess and stored on the Yggdrasil system as a file. The wish contract file is protected by a passcode known to the Goddess. As demons work toward the opposite end, the total happiness on Earth must remain in balance. Heaven and hell strictly abide by an agreement to work through contracts and never kill each other.
Demons have similar class and license restrictions, and are accompanied by familiars instead of angels. A seal exists between the demon world and Earth, named the Gate to the Netherworld. It was "created by the gods and can only be broken by an instrument of the gods." As such, demons require a catalyst to manifest on earth. The demons possess a system similar to Yggdrasil, named Nidhogg. Both demons and goddesses possess the power to seal beings away. The demons also operate in a fashion similar to goddesses by creating contracts with humans and offering them wishes, but often at a price.
Other elements in the Goddess universe are programs that can be constructed by either the goddesses or the demons for any number of purposes. One example is the Ultimate Destruction Program, a program written by demons to create a world for demons by destroying humanity. Countermeasures include directly destroying the program or using a vaccine, a program specifically designed to nullify its target program. Programs designed to destroy systems and with self-replicative abilities are known as viruses, much like the computer viruses in the modern world.
Other creatures that exist in the Earth plane are a multitude of spirits that are responsible for almost every aspect of life. These include the spirits of Money, Wind, Engine and such. More specific entities include Earth spirits, which are guardians over a specific area of land. Morgan le Fay, a villain from the movie, is probably a high ranking Earth spirit (or a being from another dimension, but that is less likely because her tragic love story with a human must have happened on Earth) who demonstrates great strength fighting Belldandy and Urd, even though her powers are less potent than the ones of goddesses of their level.
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 twining the thread of fate for all living beings. 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 /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 /u/ 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". In the Swedish translation of the manga, her name is Verdandi.
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.
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. In the English translation, her name is Lind.
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 Lord of Terror arc Mara utilized the urn Mao Za Haxon, which contained the Ultimate Destruction Program's bootup protocol, which eventually led Urd to summon a huge dog-spirit named Fenrir. In Norse mythology, Fenrir or Fenrisulfr is a monstrous wolf, the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, who is destined to kill Odin at Ragnarok.
In another installment an exorcist in training accidentally summons Garm. In Norse mythology, Garm is a huge dog which guards Hel, the land of the dead, alongside of Hræsvelgr. Garm was the greatest of all dogs and lived in a cave called Gnipahellir.
In the movie adaptation of Ah! My Goddess, Peorth is given the order to nullify the threat to the world-tree by using the eradiction spell Gungnir. Gungnir is the name of the enchanted spear used by Odin, the king of the Norse gods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_My_Goddess!
Manga series | Anime OVAs | Anime series | Japanese novels | Anime of 1993 | Anime of 1994 | Anime of 1998 | Anime of 2000 | Anime of 2005 | Anime of 2007 | Fantasy anime and manga | Romantic comedy anime and manga | Norse mythology in popular culture | Anime distributed by Madman Entertainment | Dark Horse Comics titles | Seinen manga | Geneon | ADV Films | Funimation Entertainment | Oh My Goddess! | Harem anime and manga
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Boys Be... (ボーイズ・ビー)
Boys Be...
Genre: Romance, Comedy, School Life
Manga: Boys Be... 1
Author: Masahiro Itabashi
Illustrator: Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
Original run: 1991 – 1997
Manga: Boys Be... 2
Author: Masahiro Itabashi
Illustrator: Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
Original run: 1997 – 2000
Manga: Boys Be... 3
Author: Masahiro Itabashi
Illustrator: Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
Original run: 2000 – 2001
TV anime
Director: Masami Shimoda
Studio: Hal Film Maker
Network: WOWOW
Original run: 11 April 2000 – 4 July 2000
Boys Be... (ボーイズ・ビー Bōizu Bī) is a manga created and written by Masahiro Itabashi and illustrated by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi, which was in 2000 adapted into a 13 episode anime series by Hal Film Maker.
Three different Boys Be... manga series were serialized by Kodansha in Shukan Shōnen Magazine. In 2009 Kodansha announced a fourth series, Boys Be... Next Season, starting in the November 2009 issue of Magazine Special. The second manga series is licensed in North America by Tokyopop and the anime is licensed by The Right Stuf International. The anime, first aired on WOWOW (with a matching fanline email address courtesy of Lycos Japan), is licensed in Singapore by Odex. The first DVD volume of the series was released in North America on February 28, 2006. Comcast and several other cable providers are currently showing 'Boys Be' On Demand in the United States through the Anime Network. This series was aired on AXN-Asia before it handed all anime broadcasting duties to ANIMAX Asia, and, unlike other AXN anime making it to ANIMAX, was never retained.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Be
Genre: Romance, Comedy, School Life
Manga: Boys Be... 1
Author: Masahiro Itabashi
Illustrator: Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
Original run: 1991 – 1997
Manga: Boys Be... 2
Author: Masahiro Itabashi
Illustrator: Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
Original run: 1997 – 2000
Manga: Boys Be... 3
Author: Masahiro Itabashi
Illustrator: Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
Original run: 2000 – 2001
TV anime
Director: Masami Shimoda
Studio: Hal Film Maker
Network: WOWOW
Original run: 11 April 2000 – 4 July 2000
Boys Be... (ボーイズ・ビー Bōizu Bī) is a manga created and written by Masahiro Itabashi and illustrated by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi, which was in 2000 adapted into a 13 episode anime series by Hal Film Maker.
Three different Boys Be... manga series were serialized by Kodansha in Shukan Shōnen Magazine. In 2009 Kodansha announced a fourth series, Boys Be... Next Season, starting in the November 2009 issue of Magazine Special. The second manga series is licensed in North America by Tokyopop and the anime is licensed by The Right Stuf International. The anime, first aired on WOWOW (with a matching fanline email address courtesy of Lycos Japan), is licensed in Singapore by Odex. The first DVD volume of the series was released in North America on February 28, 2006. Comcast and several other cable providers are currently showing 'Boys Be' On Demand in the United States through the Anime Network. This series was aired on AXN-Asia before it handed all anime broadcasting duties to ANIMAX Asia, and, unlike other AXN anime making it to ANIMAX, was never retained.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Be
Cafe Kichijoji de (Cafe吉祥寺で)
Cafe Kichijoji de (Cafe吉祥寺で)
Manga
Genre: Comedy, Supernatural
Author: Yuki Miyamoto
Illustrator: Kyoko Negishi
Original run: 2000 – 2002
TV drama
Network: TV Tokyo
Original run: September 29, 2008 –
Cafe Kichijoji de (Cafe吉祥寺で, Cafe Kichijōji de) is a manga written by Yuki Miyamoto and illustrated by Kyoko Negishi. The story surrounds five bishōnen and their rather unlucky manager as they go about their daily routine at their cafe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafe_kichijoji_de
Manga series | Japanese television dramas | Comedy anime and manga | Supernatural anime and manga
Manga
Genre: Comedy, Supernatural
Author: Yuki Miyamoto
Illustrator: Kyoko Negishi
Original run: 2000 – 2002
TV drama
Network: TV Tokyo
Original run: September 29, 2008 –
Cafe Kichijoji de (Cafe吉祥寺で, Cafe Kichijōji de) is a manga written by Yuki Miyamoto and illustrated by Kyoko Negishi. The story surrounds five bishōnen and their rather unlucky manager as they go about their daily routine at their cafe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafe_kichijoji_de
Manga series | Japanese television dramas | Comedy anime and manga | Supernatural anime and manga
Sunday, April 8, 2001
Hanaukyo Maid Tai (2001~)
Hanaukyo Maid Tai

Genre: Harem, Romantic comedy

Manga
Author: Morishige
Publisher: Akita Shoten
English publisher: Studio Ironcat
Demographic: Shōnen
Magazine: Shōnen Champion
Original run: 2000 – 2006
Volumes: 13
TV anime
Director: Yasunori Ide
Studio: m.o.e.
Licensor: Geneon
Network: WOWOW
Original run: 8 April 2001 – 29 June 2001
Episodes: 12
Original video animation
Director: Yasunori Ide
Studio: m.o.e.
Released: 2001
Episodes: 3
TV anime: Hanaukyo Maid Team: La Verite
Director: Takuya Nonaka
Studio: m.o.e.
Licensor: Geneon
Original run: 4 April 2004 – 20 June 2004
Episodes: 12
Hanaukyo Maid Team (花右京メイド隊 Hanaukyō Meido Tai, lit. Hanaukyō Maid Corps) is an anime and manga bishōjo series created by Morishige.
Hanaukyo Maid Team is about a young boy, Taro Hanaukyo, who has inherited a vast family fortune and, more importantly, the hundreds of employees working at the family mansion. While dressed and referred to nominally as 'maids', there are discrete albeit sometimes unusual departments for most of the employees (including Defence, Science, Catering, etc.). Presumably the various extensive projects in the house pay for most of its expenses.
The original anime, which aired as part of the omnibus program Anime Complex, was cut short when the series ran into production issues. Continuity was later rebooted for the new series Hanaukyo Maid Team - La Verite (Hanaukyō Maid Tai - La Verite in Japan). Many of the early episodes mirror each other closely, with some variations. Both anime versions use the same voice actors.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanaukyo_Maid_Tai
http://browse.minitokyo.net/215/hanaukyo-maid-tai/
Manga series | Anime series | Anime OVAs | Anime of 2001 | Anime of 2004 | Geneon | Manga of 2000 | Shōnen manga | Harem anime and manga

Genre: Harem, Romantic comedy

Manga
Author: Morishige
Publisher: Akita Shoten
English publisher: Studio Ironcat
Demographic: Shōnen
Magazine: Shōnen Champion
Original run: 2000 – 2006
Volumes: 13
TV anime
Director: Yasunori Ide
Studio: m.o.e.
Licensor: Geneon
Network: WOWOW
Original run: 8 April 2001 – 29 June 2001
Episodes: 12
Original video animation
Director: Yasunori Ide
Studio: m.o.e.
Released: 2001
Episodes: 3
TV anime: Hanaukyo Maid Team: La Verite
Director: Takuya Nonaka
Studio: m.o.e.
Licensor: Geneon
Original run: 4 April 2004 – 20 June 2004
Episodes: 12
Hanaukyo Maid Team (花右京メイド隊 Hanaukyō Meido Tai, lit. Hanaukyō Maid Corps) is an anime and manga bishōjo series created by Morishige.
Hanaukyo Maid Team is about a young boy, Taro Hanaukyo, who has inherited a vast family fortune and, more importantly, the hundreds of employees working at the family mansion. While dressed and referred to nominally as 'maids', there are discrete albeit sometimes unusual departments for most of the employees (including Defence, Science, Catering, etc.). Presumably the various extensive projects in the house pay for most of its expenses.
The original anime, which aired as part of the omnibus program Anime Complex, was cut short when the series ran into production issues. Continuity was later rebooted for the new series Hanaukyo Maid Team - La Verite (Hanaukyō Maid Tai - La Verite in Japan). Many of the early episodes mirror each other closely, with some variations. Both anime versions use the same voice actors.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanaukyo_Maid_Tai
http://browse.minitokyo.net/215/hanaukyo-maid-tai/
Manga series | Anime series | Anime OVAs | Anime of 2001 | Anime of 2004 | Geneon | Manga of 2000 | Shōnen manga | Harem anime and manga
Labels:
2000,
2001,
2004,
Anime,
Anime Network,
Hanaukyo Maid Tai,
Harem,
Japan,
Manga,
OVA,
Romantic Comedy,
Takuya Nonaka,
TV,
Yasunori Ide
Friday, September 8, 2000
Air (visual novel, 2000-)
Air (visual novel, 2000-)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 18+ (Original PC)
Game
Developer: Key
Publisher: Visual Art's (PC), NEC Interchannel (DC/PS2)
Prototype (SoftBank 3G/PSP/FOMA)
Genre: Eroge, Visual novel
Rating: 18+ (Original PC), CERO: C (15+, PS2, PSP)
Released: September 8, 2000 (PC-limited)
Manga
Author: Key
Illustrator: Yukimaru Katsura
Original run: August 10, 2004 – February 10, 2006
TV anime
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Original run: January 6, 2005 – March 31, 2005
TV anime: Air in Summer
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Original run: August 28, 2005 – September 4, 2005
Air is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released as an adult game on September 8, 2000 playable on personal computers (PC) as a CD-ROM. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold playable on the PC, Dreamcast, and PlayStation 2. The PC version with adult content was re-released with added support for Windows 2000/XP under the name Air Standard Edition on April 8, 2005. Air was made available to play on the PlayStation Portable, and SoftBank 3G and FOMA cell phones in 2007. Key re-released Air compatible with Windows Vista in July 2009 and an Air Memorial Edition compatible with Windows 7 will be released in May 2010; the Vista/7 editions were rated for all ages.
The gameplay in Air follows a plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the differing scenarios of the three female main characters. The game is divided into three segments—Dream, Summer, and Air—which serve as different phases in the overall story. One of the goals of the original version's gameplay is for the player to enable viewing of hentai scenes depicting the protagonist and one of the three heroines having sexual intercourse. The title of the game is meant to reflect the prominent themes of the air, skies, and use of wings throughout gameplay.
Air has made transitions into other media. A manga series based on the visual novel was first serialized in the Japanese magazine Comptiq and published by Kadokawa Shoten; the manga ran between August 2004 and February 2006 and was illustrated by Japanese artist Yukimaru Katsura. A thirteen-episode anime series created by Kyoto Animation aired in Japan between January and March 2005. A subsequent release of two episodes entitled Air in Summer aired in August and September 2005. While the anime was still airing, an Air film by the animation studio Toei Animation hit theaters in Japan in February 2005. The anime series, plus the two-episode Air in Summer and the film were initially licensed and released in North America by ADV Films, but the license for these titles was transferred to Funimation in July 2008. A set of nine drama CDs were also released, published by Lantis between August 2005 and January 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_(visual_novel)#Anime
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_(film)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 18+ (Original PC)
Game
Developer: Key
Publisher: Visual Art's (PC), NEC Interchannel (DC/PS2)
Prototype (SoftBank 3G/PSP/FOMA)
Genre: Eroge, Visual novel
Rating: 18+ (Original PC), CERO: C (15+, PS2, PSP)
Released: September 8, 2000 (PC-limited)
Manga
Author: Key
Illustrator: Yukimaru Katsura
Original run: August 10, 2004 – February 10, 2006
TV anime
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Original run: January 6, 2005 – March 31, 2005
TV anime: Air in Summer
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Original run: August 28, 2005 – September 4, 2005
Air is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released as an adult game on September 8, 2000 playable on personal computers (PC) as a CD-ROM. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold playable on the PC, Dreamcast, and PlayStation 2. The PC version with adult content was re-released with added support for Windows 2000/XP under the name Air Standard Edition on April 8, 2005. Air was made available to play on the PlayStation Portable, and SoftBank 3G and FOMA cell phones in 2007. Key re-released Air compatible with Windows Vista in July 2009 and an Air Memorial Edition compatible with Windows 7 will be released in May 2010; the Vista/7 editions were rated for all ages.
The gameplay in Air follows a plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the differing scenarios of the three female main characters. The game is divided into three segments—Dream, Summer, and Air—which serve as different phases in the overall story. One of the goals of the original version's gameplay is for the player to enable viewing of hentai scenes depicting the protagonist and one of the three heroines having sexual intercourse. The title of the game is meant to reflect the prominent themes of the air, skies, and use of wings throughout gameplay.
Air has made transitions into other media. A manga series based on the visual novel was first serialized in the Japanese magazine Comptiq and published by Kadokawa Shoten; the manga ran between August 2004 and February 2006 and was illustrated by Japanese artist Yukimaru Katsura. A thirteen-episode anime series created by Kyoto Animation aired in Japan between January and March 2005. A subsequent release of two episodes entitled Air in Summer aired in August and September 2005. While the anime was still airing, an Air film by the animation studio Toei Animation hit theaters in Japan in February 2005. The anime series, plus the two-episode Air in Summer and the film were initially licensed and released in North America by ADV Films, but the license for these titles was transferred to Funimation in July 2008. A set of nine drama CDs were also released, published by Lantis between August 2005 and January 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_(visual_novel)#Anime
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_(film)
Labels:
15+,
18+,
2000,
2004,
2005,
Air (Ani),
Anime,
CERO: C,
Drama,
Fantasy,
Game,
Japan,
Key,
Kyoto Animation,
Romance,
Tatsuya Ishihara,
Visual novel,
Yukimaru Katsura
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