Watched Ah! My Goddess: The Movie a week or two back. The original 5-part video series is one of Margie’s and my favorite bits of anime. We’re incurable romantics, and the story is all about romance, well-leavened by humor and magic, all gorgeously animated.
The movie, a new production, was a little bit of a disappointment. Part of what makes the AMG videos so appealing is the domestic nature of their situations and comedy. The Movie, on the other hand, tries to be Big and Cosmic, and ends up losing sight of that down-to-earth aspect that defines AMG.
Or, put another way, AMG‘s core character is not Belldandy. It’s Keichi. Lose Keichi (as happens for most of this film), and you’ve lost the heart of AMG.
Not that it’s a bad flick. AMG: The Movie is much better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Seeing the Goddesses in action in their own idiosyncratic ways was loads of fun. And it was even kind of interesting seeing a bit more “behind the scenes” of Heaven. But ultimately it’s missing some of the heart of the original. And I just don’t see it as a centerpiece of Valentines Day or Wedding Anniversary the way the original animated series has been for us.