Good things come in small doses: or at least that's the theory behind the Ah! My Goddess Mini-Goddess episodes, and in this case, they're right. But first, here's a little information. The Mini-Goddess episodes are a set of short, unrelated stories about the goddesses Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld, and their adventures while in miniature form. How short are they? Very. Each episode is only 7 minutes long with the ending included! They're so short that when they were aired in Japan, they were shown as a set of three episodes in a half-hour block. Today, we'll be seeing eight of these Lilliputian delights. As is suggested by the title, three of the main characters are the three goddesses; the fourth, surprisingly enough, is not Keiichi, but instead a rat named Gan-chan. Their adventures often take the form of parodies of popular movies, and often ignore reality completely. In a way, they're like American cartoons: short, bite-sized episodes written for humor over characterization. You often find yourself wondering why they don't solve their problems by assuming their normal size; the answer to this is a simple one. It just wouldn't be funny that way. Now, this isn't to say that the Mini-Goddesses aren't worth watching -- if nothing else, they are an amusing, well-animated, and light-hearted romp that will leave a smile on your face. Be warned, you should not start watching the Mini-Goddess episodes expecting it to be anything like the OAVs. Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld are exactly the same as they are in the OAVs, but they're in a much lighter setting. Then again, different as they may be, the Mini-Goddess episodes are as much an integral part of AMG as a whole as the OAVs are. The series is based off of the short, three-panel mini-goddess adventures from the manga, and they are a lot lighter and sillier than the OAVs. That doesn't make them bad -- far from it. We think they're wonderful. They're just... different. So sit back, relax, and enjoy, as we start off with Gan-chan and his search for the perfect bride. And remember, there is only one thing in the world cuter than Belldandy -- and that's Mini-Belldandy! Enjoy the episodes! |