AH! MY MINI GODDESS
Cell phones aren't the only things getting smaller
Review by: Craig "Mini-Me" Norris
Length: 48 5-minute episodes
Genre: Comedy
Watched: All, subbed
The very idea of taking some of the most beloved characters from one of the most heralded romance anime of our time, chibifying them, and placing them into short cartoons of situational comedy was so distasteful to me that I wanted to buy up all of its DVDs just so I could take them to the skeet range. However, along the way I decided to check out just how badly it turned out. Now, having watched every single episode, I'm still waiting to see anything bad about it.
Plot synopsis: When Keiichi's away, the goddesses will play! Apparently having nothing better to do during the day, Belldandy, Urd and Skuld make themselves about eight inches tall and do... stuff. Whether it be treasure hunting, going on diets, or foiling the plans of the sinister demon Mara, the goddesses, along with their rat friend Gan-chan, make sure that every lazy afternoon turns into a memorable day.
Artwork: Approximately the same as the OAV that spawned it, with only a slight downgrade in production values. Because the goddesses are all small and roam about the house with a bug's eye view, a lot of emphasis was placed on backgrounds, as everything from refrigerators to computers seems larger than they actually are. Use of color is excellent, with the ambience considerably brighter than in the OAV, matching the comedic tone perfectly. For a bunch of shorts the animation is more than adequate, even if falling short of its parent series in numerous technical aspects.
Music: When listened to by itself, the soundtrack may seem like a hodge-podge of fluffy and pointless melodies. However, when the music becomes integrated into the episodes, it is no less than perfect. Each track is used to its optimum potential, and sets the tone flawlessly for every last scene. The two ending themes are fairly descent, and represent some of the few times vocals make their way into the mix. The long and short of the soundtrack is that it cannot coexist without the visuals, and vice versa.
Characters: For comedic affect, the personalities of the goddesses were accentuated. Urd is even more of a quick-fix artist, Skuld is even more of a gear-head, and Belldandy is even more demure and tolerant (almost to the point of being air-headed). Basically, their personalities (like their bodies) are condensed, in order to best represent their core components without the need for character development. Gan-chan is a rat that has befriended the goddesses and accompanies them on their (mis)adventures. Since he has no divine powers of his own, he often winds up on the short end of most situations. As a result, he can be rather jittery. Halfway through the series we are introduced to Mara, a powerful demon who played a large part in the manga, but for some reason was left out of the OAV. She is shown here as an inept screwball that cannot be taken seriously, especially since she doesn't do away with the goddesses in the surest way possible (growing back to her normal size and stepping on them). Still, she introduces a dynamic that injects a little energy into the show. Though, the show didn't need more energy any more than I need another chin.
Plot: As opposed to a centralized plot, each short is self-contained and features the goddesses and Gan-chan doing... stuff. There are some episodes that have Urd and Skuld make more ordinary activities, like baseball and fixing an air conditioner, into major adventures. Then there are episodes that place them in much stranger situations, like investigating alien cuisine and helping Gan-chan run for election. Through it all there is a healthy amount of fourth-wall breaching, and humor that is surprisingly well-paced, considering the short length of the episodes. Because of this organization you can take the series in small bites, or you can breeze through the whole thing in about four hours.
CHICKS!: Well, I've seen the goddesses life-size, and their current stature just can't measure up (no pun intended). At the very least they are cute, in a carnival prize sort of way. However, being chibis, their bodily proportions are skewed, particularly concerning head size. I would definitely wait until they returned to their normal size before I started snapping candid photos of them.
Overall: Every single one of my preconceptions about this series was totally wrong. In fact, watching this was the most fun I've had watching anime since Excel Saga. If you are depressed, a few episodes of this are guaranteed to cheer you right up. It's fun, charming, and a delightful way to spend five minutes at a time.
IN A NUTSHELL:
+ Lots of fun
+ A unique expansion of the franchise
+ Short and sweet
- May be too "kiddie" for some
Rating: 9/10
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