On DVD: Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy: Season Two Volume 1

Directed by Hiroaki Goda

I can almost hear all of the Ah! My Goddess fans’ jumping for joy that ADV Films is releasing the first volume of the second season on DVD.

The Series

As the second season begins, Keiichi is still in love with the goddess Belldandy. He is still reckoning with Belldandy’s two sisters, Urd and Skuld, which seem to cause a lot of trouble.

However, at the end of the first season, Keiichi, Belldandy , Urd and Skuld just barely survived their encounter with the Lord of Terror. But, the Lord of Terror’s attack has some long lasting affects: the contract between Keiichi and Belldandy has been lost. If they do find the contract and have Keiichi repeat his original wish for Belldandy exactly as he did that first time, Belldandy and her sisters have to pack their bags and head back to heaven.

Dealing with the Lord of Terror is only one of the conundrums that Keiichi and Belldandy have to contend with. Sayoko is up to her old tricks, right at Christmas time and she wants to ruin their holiday, as usual. Things also get bumpy around New Years as Sayoko is having a New Year’s bash and for some reason, she has invited Keiichi and Belldandy have been invited as guests. And if this wasn’t a strange evening in and of itself, fans of the series can finally say that they know what Belldandy would be like if she were intoxicated.

This is just a few of the adventures that the second season of the popular anime season has in store for Keiichi and Belldandy.

Fans of the original series, the films, and the OVA will continue to love this charming anime series. Keiichi and Belldandy are still cute as a button, Urd and Skuld, while mischievious, are still well intentioned. Sayoko is irritating but possibly not as bad as you might think. The story of Keiichi and Belldandy is a universal one: young love that must struggle to survive. I think that is why this anime series is so popular. The original manga series continues to be popular as well and has published their 26^th volume. I don’t think the juggernaut that is this anime series shows any sign of slowing down or losing popularity anytime soon.

The character design is exquisite and eye popping. The original voice work and the English dub are first rate although no self respecting Otaku would watch anything but the subtitled version.

While I prefer my anime more in the neighborhood of Miyazaki’s work, Akira or Hellsing, I can see how the continued tales of Keiichi and Belldandy continue to intrigue and charm fans of this series. So, is there any doubt that this volume of episodes is going to find it’s way onto your DVD shelf and into your heart?

7/10

The Video

Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy: Season Two is presented in its original full frame aspect ratio. This is a nice transfer with colors suitably vibrant. I did not notice any instances of grain or artifacts.

7/10

The Audio

Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy: Season Two is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in the original Japanese Language with English Subtitles or an English Language Dub. In both mixes, the dialogue is crystal clear.

7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features

Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy: Season Two is presented in a standard amaray case with artwork appropriate for the series presented.

There are a few nice bonus features to explore on this release. First up, there is commentary on episode one with English voice actors Drew Aaron and Eileen Stevens. Fans of the series are going to love this commentary as the duo talk about how they capture the emotion between Keiichi and Belldandy.

Production art work and clean opening and closing animation sequences are also available for your enjoyment. There are also the expected previews for other ADV Film releases.

While the bonus features are not plentiful, the ones that are offered compliment this popular series nicely.

6.5/10

Overall ( Not an Average) 7/10

Suzie Lackey

The Series 7/10

The Video 7/10

The Audio 7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 6.5/10

Overall ( Not an Average) 7/10