I'll just come right out and say it. I like this movie. Films like this are the reason I became an anime fan, and the reason why I continue to be one. That said, let's get down to business. Ah! My Goddess features the artistic and writing talents of Kousuke Fujishima, animation by AIC, and the musical talents of Shiroh Hamaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu. The film is loosely based on the five episode OVA, but viewing the OVA is not a prerequisite requirement for viewing and enjoying the movie. The movie carries over the light-hearted and fun nature of previous works, but has a more serious premise than the former. What makes the movie shine is its sense of style. It's rather unique in its presentation, sporting a surprising amount of detail and fluidity.

The story of Ah! Megami-sama begins in the OVA. Keiichi Morisato is just a normal college student, but with the kind of luck every guy wishes he had. When trying to order takeout, he dials a wrong number and gets the "Goddess Hotline". He tries to explain that he got a wrong number, but before he knows it, a woman is peeking out of the mirror. She says her name is Belldandy, and that she can grant him one wish. Thinking it's a prank by his roomies, he decides that his wish is for her to be his girlfriend forever. Well, as it turns out, it wasn't a joke, and Morisato has just hooked himself up with the cutest girl ever!

Now, fast-forward to the time of the movie. Keiichi and Belldandy have been living happily together for some time now. During a nightly stroll, they happen upon a strange man named Celestin, whom Belldandy identifies as her mentor. He says he's taking her away, and then he puts her to sleep and disappears. Keiichi and Co. must now find out what he's done to her, and how to get her back to normal. The story focuses more on the serious issues surrounding love, including co-dependency and loss, and most importantly, the strength of that bond. The secondary focus of the film is what could be considered politics. Celestin is unhappy with the hierarchy governing Heaven and Earth and is determined to change it. Aiding Celestin is a character named Morgan, who was herself a victim of Heaven's "atrocities". This is one of the most emotionally charged stories I've experienced in a film. Perhaps the only drawback is that the film is somewhat lacking in humor. The quality and depth of the story is worth that trade-off though.

The spirit form of a Goddess is an interesting addition to the original character designs.	The level of detail in this film is spectacular.

To best describe the music, suffice to say that it fits, perfectly. You notice it when you're supposed to, and don't when you're not. I like what I heard in this soundtrack. It will be interesting to find out what Uematsu has to offer to film in the future. One song that deserves special mention is "coro di dea Megamitachi no Utagoe", which plays near the end. The song is in the spotlight during this particular scene and is sung by Belldandy and her sisters, Skuld and Urd. The scene is truly magical, and one of the most uplifting and inspiring moments I've had the privelege of witnessing in a film. The ending song, "Try To Wish", is also a nice song.

The animation in this film is about par for AIC (translation: It's very good). Worthy of mention though is that sometimes the CG wasn't very well integrated with the hand-drawn elements. This is a minor thing, however, and only appears in a couple short scenes.

The character designs are simply beautiful. Even the more plain designs like Megumi and Keiichi have an incredible amount of detail. The Goddesses all have an angelic looking spirit form, which appears out of their backs from time to time. These are possibly meant to represent the divine spirit or power within the goddess. This addition to the character designs does not appear in the OVA.

The packaging for the DVD is chock full of glorious eye candy. The included insert contains more of said eye candy, and some character descriptions. Also included with the DVD is a pencil board with some nifty artwork on it. English and Japanese audio tracks are available in stereo and 5.1 channel surround. The dub is very well done, which is quite normal for Pioneer. Lip movements are followed pretty well, and the script is decent. Extras on the disc include an image gallery containing 32 pictures, the various Japanese trailers for the film, and an episode of "The Adventures of Mini-Goddess".

With a great cast, fantastic artwork, and great music, Ah! My Goddess is a definite must-see. It will not disappoint.

Distributor: Pioneer Animation
Creator: AIC
Released: 2000

Plot: A-
Character Design: A+
Animation Quality: A-
Music: A+
Overall: A+
Distributor: Pioneer Animation
Creator: AIC
Released: 2000