Post by Timotheus on Sept 25, 2009 17:46:05 GMT -5
Ah! My Goddess – Aa! Megami-sama the movie
A Collection of Articles, Trivia Lists, and Manga Comparisons Related to the Movie Released in 2000.
First posted on August 27, 2005 – Revised on May 29, 2005, May 1, 2006, September 2007, and current revision September 24, 2009.
The following topic does not represent the beliefs and opinions of the Goddess Project Administration and is presented here for informational and discussion purposes only. All subject material is the work of Timotheus and represents his research and opinions. Please direct all questions, comments, criticisms, profanity, and death threats to him and not our beloved administrator who is getting stressed out.
The Ojiisan Clause: I should also add that it is entirely probable that Mr. Fujishima has never thought things through to this degree and is just “winging it” as he goes. This is an interpretation of what he’s shown and represents an attempt to develop a rational system of interpretation from his writings. Mr. Fujishima has more than likely developed his own ideas on the subject based on his own beliefs, readings, and experience, but feels no obligation to be consistent in their use. If he wants to change how things work in his world, he can (and has), and all I, or anyone, can do is scramble to alter our own ideas to catch up when he does.
Original Introduction
Hello again! For those who've been wondering what I've been up to lately:
Haven't been feeling too creative lately, all my good ideas for investigation wind up being heavily involved with the spoiler chapters. So I can't post them. Instead I decided to go back and bring together in one posting all the stuff I've found about the Aa! Megami-Sama movie, both my own discoveries and things from other sites. That means that most of these content have been posted before, but there are a few new items and I edited the old stuff to bring it up to date. Hopefully it'll be useful to have it all in one place, and maybe it'll inspire someone to do a little digging of their own.
.................................Required Spoiler Alert And Disclaimer...................................
There will be a great deal of references in this topic to the events depicted in “Ah! My Goddess, the Movie” Many of them spoilers if you haven't seen it because that's what it's about. So if you haven't seen the movie you might want to skip this.
The following is a collection of my researched and observed discoveries. Some items have been also pointed out or posted by other people as well, but I usually discovered this while seeking confirmation. For the most part I've found or noticed all of this on my own and am solely responsible for its accuracy (or inaccuracy). So take them for what that's worth. Fundamentally, Keiichi and Bell's world is whatever Mr. Fujishima says it is, including the movie. How and what he decided to display as part of this story was his decision and all we can do as fans is sit back, enjoy the results, and discuss what it could all mean without really knowing for sure.
1.0 - First, the chronology...
The first official movie notice was in May 1997.
Kodansha was releasing chapter 105, Goddess Invalidation,
which became Dark Horse issue 91, Unlicensed Goddess, released October 2002.
At the time, “You're Under Arrest”, the first series, was still running on Japanese TV.
The actual start of production was announced in September 1997.
Kodansha was releasing chapter 109, My Song Is Your Song,
which became Dark Horse issue 95, Missing Time, released February 2003
“You're Under Arrest”, the first series, was ending its run on Japanese TV.
So right now (at the time this article was first written in 2005) Dark Horse is releasing the issues that were made during the movie's production. So for analysis purposes, the movie really IS still in the future of the episodes we've seen here in America. This time travel aspect is one of the more complicating factors in drawing conclusions.
Originally, the movie was set for an earlier release date, but there were problems with its production so the date was set back. (According to one source the animators were having trouble making the goddesses' hair behave realistically enough and it added considerably to the production time.)
Major events in Mr. Fujishima's career while the movie was in production;
(This list is by no means complete or exhaustive.)
AMS PC-FX game released 12/12/1997
Star Ocean II for Playstation released, 1998
OMG, Mini-Goddess series starts on Japanese TV, 48 episodes, April 1998
AMS Kodansha 10th Anniversary issue, Japan, September 1998
AMS arcade game released, August 11, 1998
(Released again on 11/30/2001 as a Sega Dreamcast game)
You're Under Arrest, TV special and movie released, Japan, 1999
Hild appears in manga, October 1999
OMG OAVs on DVD released, Japan, September 2000
The movie was finally released in Japan in October 2000
It had a limited release in America shortly thereafter
Kodansha was releasing chapter 148, Let’s Dance, part 7 of the Parent’s arc,
which became part of Dark Horse’s TPB #23 issued on June 7, 2006
AMS, the movie, was released on DVD in Japan on 6/20/2001
AMG, the movie, was released on DVD in the USA on 11/27/2001
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.0 - Possibly interesting trivia, manga references, plot analysis, and translations in the movie
Presented roughly in the order they appear in the movie.
2.1 - What are those things?
2.1.1 - The opening sequence of the movie was significantly changed in production. As shown in the original story board, Morgan was going to have to fight her way through a squad of the same guardian beings on the moon that Belldandy wiped out when they tried to arrest Celestin after he attacked the Judgment Gate in the one memory flashback scene (source – Ed Chang from the old Nekomi Kodai site). The storyboard refers to them as "angels", and from that I've inferred that they were supposed to be a sort of generic, unpaired angel that hasn't been fully formed by being hosted within a god or goddess. (Angels seem to take on the eyes, facial features, and body shapes of their host goddess. Only their hair is uniquely their own.) Not as strong or versatile as their paired up cousins (who can access power directly through their companion god or goddess) they seem to be more free willed and capable of taking actions on their own.
2.1.2 - If they had appeared at the start of the movie along with their scene to arrest Celestin, they would have cast a far bigger shadow in the cast of background characters in the world of Oh/Ah My Goddess and we’d probably know a lot more about them (if only second hand from the “Field Of Goddess”). As it is, other than their strange resemblance to the Lorelei in chapters 204-206, there is little information given about them. Considering that at this point in the manga that the goddess class of Valkyries hadn’t been mentioned and probably wasn’t even thought of (2-3 years away), it seems logical that some sort of law enforcement / defenders of the heavens class of beings was needed for that role in the movie and these seem to have been created to fill that need. That they could talk and use powers shows that they were well thought out and developed as characters and the story board proves they were intended for a larger role.
2.1.3 – I’m going to mention this because I found it interesting and it does introduce my long running obsession with the phrase “Val Haid.” When these guardians do first appear in the movie it is to surround Belldandy and Celestin after Celestin has blown up the Judgment Gate. We are shown a close up of one as it (their gender is ambiguous) unfolds its hair/wings, then it utters the only words we hear them say in the movie. What is actually said is hard to say as it is heavily synthesized, but the subtitles give it as “Val Haid.” Starting from this I tried to find out what, if anything, these creatures could be and what “Val Haid” might tell me.
2.1.4 – Early research on the subject (2003-2004) lead to an old Germanic/Danish word, Vordhr (Voord-hr), which refers to a special class of beings who guided and protected dead souls on their journey to the underworld to be judged by Hel (Hyldemoer) and the gods. It appears to be similar to the source words for wand, ward, warder, or guard and would be a good name for the creatures that show up and surround Bell and Celestin. In that case, the phrase "Val Haid” could have just been their way of announcing their arrival, sort of, “Police, don't move.” (At one point I thought that “Val Haid”, if phoneticized back from English to Japanese to German/Danish might have yielded Vordhr.) But by now I’ve realized that "Val Haid" is more likely some German word or phrase such as "wahrheit" and the guardians have no title based on Teutonic/Norse origins. But I'm including this for completeness sake because hey, Vordhr is a cool name. (There will be further discussion about “Val Haid” at section number 20.2.)
2.2 - Manga references and other guest shots
2.2.1 - The bulletin board Keiichi is putting the NIT Motor Club recruitment poster on at the start of the movie has a number of other posters on it that seem to have been borrowed from the manga or Mr. Fujishima's life. Surrounding K-1's poster on the right is the one from Robot Wars (DH issue IV-1, K chapter 40, Dec. 91) announcing the robot competition that Skuld and Megumi face each other in, and the Manager Wanted poster from the NIT Women's Volleyball Club door in On A Wing And A Prayer (DH issue III-3, K chapter 24, Aug. 90). The all text one has something to do with recycling or a "Dumping Association."
2.2.2 - On the upper left is a drawing of a weird looking critter with script lettering that seems to translate as "Sea Slug Research Society". This is interesting for two reasons,
One - Back in the story "I'm the Campus Queen", Dark Horse Manga Mania #13, TPB-3, Kodansha chapter #15, Vol. 2, November, 1989, there's a scene where Urd is getting her last contest clues from a student booth. The stand has an unhappy looking student holding up a sign that says "Sea Slug Bob" followed by a series of decreasing prices and consists of a number of fish tanks containing sea slugs (but no grill to cook on). Urd also has a live sea slug in a transport bag tied to her wrist. According to Mr. Carl Horn, editor at Dark Horse, the sign originally read, "namako-sukui," or "slug scooping," a parody of the popular Japanese festival game where you try to scoop a goldfish to take home as a pet. Just the sort of booth a sea slug education club would have.
Two - In the story " The Race Gets Hot, A Goddess Gets Hotter!” Dark Horse issue 111, TPB-19/20, Kodansha chapter #125, Vol. 20. January 1999, in the scene where Keiichi has to stop in front of the women's locker room and wonders if they'd let him through if he paid a toll, there's a familiar looking weird creature on a poster to the right of the door. Dark Horse has translated the text around it to read, "Our models are sick! Technicolor Dreamcoat Sea Slug! The Sea Slug Society." How accurate this might be is debatable, but it's a close match to the same poster that's on the bulletin board in the Ah! My Goddess! movie.
This is especially noteworthy as it's the first movie reference to appear in the manga.
2.2.3 - Below this are a few posters that seem to be advertising a horse race (See the race course on it?) with the English words Blood-Horse on them. Blood Horse is the name of an international organization, magazine, and website for the breeders of thoroughbred racehorses. It also seems to be of some importance to the Japanese horse racing community, but what the purpose of having a poster with its name on it on a Nekomi Tech bulletin board eludes me. Any ideas? Has anyone heard of Mr. Fujishima or the Ah Megumi-sama crew being involved in horse racing? I wouldn't put it past him considering all his other hobbies.
Another possibility is that this poster is in some way connected to Takeda Racing Thoroughbreds, the establishment where Keiichi was offered the stable cleaning job by the Nekomi Tech placement office in chapter 95, “Live to Work, Work to Live!” (old style Dark Horse TPB Childhood’s End). If anyone can read the text on this poster and confirm a link to Takeda Racing Thoroughbreds I would truly appreciate it and give full credit.
2.2.4 - While it still seems highly probable to me that the woman featured on the row of posters at the top of the bulletin board is one of the voice actresses, Speedfreek19 has been pretty convincing that it isn’t Kikuko Inoue, especially since I couldn’t match the picture to any of her album covers or posters on the web. He feels it looks more like Yumi Touma, which isn’t unlikely, even though he felt that as a singer Aya Hisakawa might be more likely even though she too doesn’t really resemble the figure on the poster.
2.2.5 - A Japanese student friend of my daughter's came over and came up with something like, " Come visit with me in my watercolor garden." or "You *something*(can't make out kanji) world of watercolor." For the text on it while another translator came up with words that seemed to be inviting people to visit a flower show or garden. These terms could be equally in reference to a music album, a concert, or something literary or artistic, so all three are still viable, as are any other possibilities. I’m still pretty sure this is a poster for some real event or album cover, so anyone with any ideas feel free to give an opinion.
2.2.7 - Near the Robot Wars sign is a mostly text poster that seems to be about recycling and the environment, either a club or official announcement. So far I've found nothing in the manga to compare it to, but this may be a case where Dark Horse replaced the manga text of a sign with something in English. Any ideas from the Japanese literate are appreciated.
2.2.8 - And the protest-like sign the couple is carrying on the plaza reads "Movie Research Society" or "Film Education Society."
2.2.9 - In the scene right after Morgan appears and looks at the Nekomi MCC recruiting poster on the bulletin board, we get a great animated view of a terraced plaza where the various campus groups are supposedly having recruitment booths for the new students. Right at the front is a table with several people around it, one with a guitar, and a sign next to it that says Raekwon, AA Only Built 4 Cub, on sale. The one guy is obviously talking to the passersby and the guitar player is holding some sort of session. Well, this is a plug for a real CD.
The following is a transcription (modified) from a music review website.
Artist: Raekwon
Title: ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX
Manufacturer: RCA
Released: 01 August, 1995
Audio CD Features: Explicit Lyrics
Review: "Shaolins Finest. Shallah Raekwon, he's the Chef and cooks up some marvelous s#!t to get your mouth water. He drops amazing lyrics along with Ghostface Killer. When he first portrayed his skills on "Bring Da Ruckus" it was easy to see he had more talent than most of the Wu. Making arguably the BEST Wu-Tang solo album. This amazing debut from the man who calls himself the Chef showed he was one of the greater members of the Wu. He and Ghostface Killer rule the album until Nas and Method Man come and rock the mic. This album is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to ANY rap fan, whether you are a fan of the Wu-Tang Clan or not. It is a stroke of brilliance."
The album cover on the sign is the same one that's on this CD, and the crew around the table looks kind of like the group's members. So someone high up in the production crew of the movie is a big rap fan and stuck in a real rap group as a cameo in the movie, possibly as homage or as a favor.
2.3 - A plea from the Japanese impaired.
2.3.1 - There are several other posters on that bulletin board and numerous student signs on the terrace in this scene sequence, all of which are drawn clearly enough to actually be read. Unfortunately they're all in Japanese (DUH!) so I can't read them, but I’ve got a feeling there's a lot more hidden references in this scene, and not necessarily for just Oh/Ah My Goddess. If someone out there can read Japanese and has access to the movie and a DVD player with pause, I'd appreciate it if they'd take a look at the other signs and posters and post what they find.
3.0 - A translation glitch
3.1 - While I'm sure everyone who knows anything about Oh/Ah My Goddess knows this one, I'm putting it in for completeness sake. When Sora is making her announcements in front of the NCC clubhouse, the English subtitle mistakenly calls Whirlwind, Chihiro's motorcycle shop, "World Wind."
4.0 - More manga references
4.1 - The four vehicles shown by the motor club at their recruitment show are; the hill climb motorcycle from "It's lonely at the Top" (K-April 1993), the go-cart from "Winner Take All" (K-June 1990), the fuel conservation racer from "Mystical Engine" (K-Feb. 1991), and the Honda Super Cub funny bike from "Leader of the Pack" (K-Aug. 1989, all from the early years of the series.
And of course, Bell and Keiichi are driving the sidecar racer from "The Phantom Racer" arc, parts 1-4 (K-chapter 110-113, Sept.-Dec. 1997) (the year the movie was announced).
Just like with the character montage at the start of the OAV series, an effort to tie the movie and the manga together.
5.0 - Fun and games with Mr. Fujishima
5.1 - In the movie, the Nekomi Motor Club's welcome party is serving "Pizza Hot" pizza and (I think) Popsie.
5.2 - When Urd answers the phone at the start of the movie and hears Peorth's voice, she jokingly says, "If it's about a wish, I don't need one right now.” Guess what manga story arc that's a reference to (Hint – The Fourth Goddess arc).
6.0 - Unnecessary but still interesting internal dating
6.1 - The calendar over the phone in the Morisato household was dated 2001, the year the movie was released, just like the episodes are dated for the year they're released in the manga, and was for the months 3 and 4, meaning March - April. Other elements in the movie then narrow it down to roughly the second week in April. Classes start on April 1, the spring welcome ceremony is in full swing, and cherry trees blossom in early mid-April in the Chiba prefecture.
7.0 - Look! Up in the sky!
7.1 - When Urd takes off to rescue Belldandy after her phone call from Peorth, did you recognize the broom? Several people beside me have identified it as Stringfellow Hawk (houki), the flying broom from "The Goddess's Apprentice", K-chapter 80, April 1995.(Note the attached charms)
8.0 - An interesting Yggdrasil mythology reference
8.1 - I'm sure a lot of people noticed this but I'll mention it anyway. If you look carefully at the Yggdrasil command station being (wo)manned by Chrono, Ere, and Ex, you'll see the controls they're working are in the form of threads and shuttlethingys on a weaving loom. This is undoubtedly a reference to the mythological tradition of the Norns who take care of Yggdrasil being weavers.
8.2 - (Addendum - For those who aren't sure - Ex has the Grey hair, Ere has the Dark hair, and
Chrono has the Red hair.)
9.0 - Even more manga references
9.1 - I think everyone who's watched the movie at all closely and knows the manga spotted Skuld's Kyupon Inhaler-Z (from Belldandy's Tempestuous Heart, DH issue IV-4, K chapter 43, March 1992) on the floor as she attempts to restore Belldandy's memory, but did you spot her Quantum Space Expander (from Wide, Wider, Widest, DH issue 93, K chapter 106, June 1997) next to it? And the control in her hand for the memory restorer is, I believe, some sort of game controller like she used for the space expander. The gamers out there can probably ID it.
10.0 - Here's my card
10.1 - Belldandy remembering to offer Keiichi her card was actually important. Japanese business protocol requires that you exchange business cards when introduced to another person you may be doing business with. If Bell had failed to do so it would have been terribly impolite. (She and Urd give Keiichi their cards when they first meet him in the manga. It is assumed that Skuld was too young to need one and Keiichi, being still a student, wouldn't have one either.) This exchange of cards is not required for social or employment situations, but is often done anyway when the parties are at a high level of responsibility or social position. (Source, US State Department post briefing for diplomatic personnel being stationed in Japan.)
10.2 - Also, it's been pointed out that this may be a humorous reference to the anime/manga controversy. While Bell did give Keiichi her card in the manga, she didn't in the OAV anime. So having her remember in the movie that she forgot (implying back in the OAV anime) could be considered as having fun with that discrepancy.
11.0 - Remember Skuld's bicycle?
As you probably recall, at the conclusion of chapter 73, "Childhood's End" when Skuld and Bell are going home, Belldandy says they'll get Skuld a bicycle the next day. But we never hear or see anything more about it, at least until the movie. For lo and behold, in the shed next to Keiichi's broken BMW are two bicycles, one of which is definitely Bell's from that same story and the end of the Peorth arc, and a smaller yellow one leaning against the wall that is probably Skuld's.
12.0 - Still more manga references – Photo’s and a Surprise Guest
12.1 - In the scene where Belldandy goes into Keiichi's room to clean up after she's cooked that oversized breakfast, you may remember she drops a photo album she'd just picked up. It falls open as it hits the floor, revealing pictures of her past that Bell finds strangely effecting. Well, thanks to having just spent several days rereading the story for another topic, I've recognized the first two photos as being the girls in their softball uniforms from "Play The Game", K-June 1993, the story where Megumi drafts Keiichi and the goddesses to help her softball team defeat the NIT baseball team.
12.2 - Further investigation has shown that the next two photos are from the hot spring vacation in "Karaoke Hell", K-August 1993, the story that starts the "Demon Urd" Arc (check the yukata the goddesses are wearing), and the last two are from "Sorrow, Fear Not", K-July 1993, featuring Bell, Keiichi, and Marron, the dog Megumi found and asked them to look after. (The other pages seem to be just general pictures, but maybe others can spot additional connections.)
12.3 - The second hot spring vacation photo is a group shot of Urd, Bell, and Skuld, with a fourth female face to their left half obscured by the photo's frame. She has orange-bronze skin the same color as Urd's, an eye like Urd's, and wavy, curly, blondish hair. There also appears to be a shadowy triangular cheek mark. Now who do we know that was at the hot springs with the goddesses that might fit those characteristics? Unfortunately, between her hair and the degree of picture resolution, I can't see if there's a diagonal marking on her forehead.
That would cinch the identification as Mara, but there are still enough similarities to make me pretty sure that's her in the left hand corner of that photo. (If anyone has better digital/optical capabilities and wants to check this out, please do so and let me know what you find. If, as I think, I've discovered that Mr. Fujishima snuck a previously unknown picture of Mara with the goddesses into his movie after all the negative commentary about how he'd left her out of it when the movie first came out, it'll be some sort of triumph for me and whoever can help.)
12.4 - Also to be found in this scene sequence in Keiichi's room are the salvaged computer he cobbled together in Welcome, K-June 1992, a plastic Tamiya model tank kit, I believe it's a German Tiger I, and the TV with vice grips replacing the tuner knob that was last seen in the Traveler Arc, K-104-109, May through September 1997, DH - issue 91-95 (best seen in issue 95, the same issue that came out in the month production on the movie was announced) and in Shoot or Die, Kodansha chapter 172, vol. 27, February, 2003, three years after the movie.
12.5 - Continuity Glitch - If you watch carefully, you'll notice the computer vanishes in the last part of the scene. (Look behind Belldandy.)
13.0 - Yet more manga references
13.1 - In scene 16 of the movie, in the sequence where Belldandy starts having her memory cascade, if you look behind Keiichi when he's standing in his room you'll see a Hamaya (demon exorcising arrow) sticking out of the closet. While probably NOT meant to be any one of those seen in the manga, it does refer the movie back to those occasions when they were used in the manga.
14.0 - Other people's exercises in unsupported speculation, or things you can read on other forums
14.1 - In the scene in the movie where Belldandy and Celestin watch Morgan and her friend get separated by the Judgment Gate, we never learn who Morgan’s friend was. He was possibly some early European, such as a Celt, and had something on his back that might have been a harp or lute. With that evidence, someone on the Mad Board Forum with more time on their hands than me did some research and came up with a name, Myyridin. That's an early Celtic name for a mythological figure who later became Merlin. Myyridin (or Myrddin) started as a Celtic bard (ergo the harp or lute) who went mad when he lost all his loved ones in a battle. He ran off to live in the wilderness, could talk to animals, and gained the gift of prophecy. That he could be the guy with Morgan is possible, several versions of his story have him being the one who taught Morgan Le Fay her magic.
14.2 - However, a fan with a copy of Field Of Goddess, the movie production book, has scanned a better picture of Morgan and her friend from that scene which shows that the object on his back is definitely a staff, not a musical instrument, weakening the whole theory to zero support. I still think a bard would be the most likely sort of human to appeal to a fairy, but there's no evidence now.
A Collection of Articles, Trivia Lists, and Manga Comparisons Related to the Movie Released in 2000.
First posted on August 27, 2005 – Revised on May 29, 2005, May 1, 2006, September 2007, and current revision September 24, 2009.
The following topic does not represent the beliefs and opinions of the Goddess Project Administration and is presented here for informational and discussion purposes only. All subject material is the work of Timotheus and represents his research and opinions. Please direct all questions, comments, criticisms, profanity, and death threats to him and not our beloved administrator who is getting stressed out.
The Ojiisan Clause: I should also add that it is entirely probable that Mr. Fujishima has never thought things through to this degree and is just “winging it” as he goes. This is an interpretation of what he’s shown and represents an attempt to develop a rational system of interpretation from his writings. Mr. Fujishima has more than likely developed his own ideas on the subject based on his own beliefs, readings, and experience, but feels no obligation to be consistent in their use. If he wants to change how things work in his world, he can (and has), and all I, or anyone, can do is scramble to alter our own ideas to catch up when he does.
Original Introduction
Hello again! For those who've been wondering what I've been up to lately:
Haven't been feeling too creative lately, all my good ideas for investigation wind up being heavily involved with the spoiler chapters. So I can't post them. Instead I decided to go back and bring together in one posting all the stuff I've found about the Aa! Megami-Sama movie, both my own discoveries and things from other sites. That means that most of these content have been posted before, but there are a few new items and I edited the old stuff to bring it up to date. Hopefully it'll be useful to have it all in one place, and maybe it'll inspire someone to do a little digging of their own.
.................................Required Spoiler Alert And Disclaimer...................................
There will be a great deal of references in this topic to the events depicted in “Ah! My Goddess, the Movie” Many of them spoilers if you haven't seen it because that's what it's about. So if you haven't seen the movie you might want to skip this.
The following is a collection of my researched and observed discoveries. Some items have been also pointed out or posted by other people as well, but I usually discovered this while seeking confirmation. For the most part I've found or noticed all of this on my own and am solely responsible for its accuracy (or inaccuracy). So take them for what that's worth. Fundamentally, Keiichi and Bell's world is whatever Mr. Fujishima says it is, including the movie. How and what he decided to display as part of this story was his decision and all we can do as fans is sit back, enjoy the results, and discuss what it could all mean without really knowing for sure.
1.0 - First, the chronology...
The first official movie notice was in May 1997.
Kodansha was releasing chapter 105, Goddess Invalidation,
which became Dark Horse issue 91, Unlicensed Goddess, released October 2002.
At the time, “You're Under Arrest”, the first series, was still running on Japanese TV.
The actual start of production was announced in September 1997.
Kodansha was releasing chapter 109, My Song Is Your Song,
which became Dark Horse issue 95, Missing Time, released February 2003
“You're Under Arrest”, the first series, was ending its run on Japanese TV.
So right now (at the time this article was first written in 2005) Dark Horse is releasing the issues that were made during the movie's production. So for analysis purposes, the movie really IS still in the future of the episodes we've seen here in America. This time travel aspect is one of the more complicating factors in drawing conclusions.
Originally, the movie was set for an earlier release date, but there were problems with its production so the date was set back. (According to one source the animators were having trouble making the goddesses' hair behave realistically enough and it added considerably to the production time.)
Major events in Mr. Fujishima's career while the movie was in production;
(This list is by no means complete or exhaustive.)
AMS PC-FX game released 12/12/1997
Star Ocean II for Playstation released, 1998
OMG, Mini-Goddess series starts on Japanese TV, 48 episodes, April 1998
AMS Kodansha 10th Anniversary issue, Japan, September 1998
AMS arcade game released, August 11, 1998
(Released again on 11/30/2001 as a Sega Dreamcast game)
You're Under Arrest, TV special and movie released, Japan, 1999
Hild appears in manga, October 1999
OMG OAVs on DVD released, Japan, September 2000
The movie was finally released in Japan in October 2000
It had a limited release in America shortly thereafter
Kodansha was releasing chapter 148, Let’s Dance, part 7 of the Parent’s arc,
which became part of Dark Horse’s TPB #23 issued on June 7, 2006
AMS, the movie, was released on DVD in Japan on 6/20/2001
AMG, the movie, was released on DVD in the USA on 11/27/2001
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.0 - Possibly interesting trivia, manga references, plot analysis, and translations in the movie
Presented roughly in the order they appear in the movie.
2.1 - What are those things?
2.1.1 - The opening sequence of the movie was significantly changed in production. As shown in the original story board, Morgan was going to have to fight her way through a squad of the same guardian beings on the moon that Belldandy wiped out when they tried to arrest Celestin after he attacked the Judgment Gate in the one memory flashback scene (source – Ed Chang from the old Nekomi Kodai site). The storyboard refers to them as "angels", and from that I've inferred that they were supposed to be a sort of generic, unpaired angel that hasn't been fully formed by being hosted within a god or goddess. (Angels seem to take on the eyes, facial features, and body shapes of their host goddess. Only their hair is uniquely their own.) Not as strong or versatile as their paired up cousins (who can access power directly through their companion god or goddess) they seem to be more free willed and capable of taking actions on their own.
2.1.2 - If they had appeared at the start of the movie along with their scene to arrest Celestin, they would have cast a far bigger shadow in the cast of background characters in the world of Oh/Ah My Goddess and we’d probably know a lot more about them (if only second hand from the “Field Of Goddess”). As it is, other than their strange resemblance to the Lorelei in chapters 204-206, there is little information given about them. Considering that at this point in the manga that the goddess class of Valkyries hadn’t been mentioned and probably wasn’t even thought of (2-3 years away), it seems logical that some sort of law enforcement / defenders of the heavens class of beings was needed for that role in the movie and these seem to have been created to fill that need. That they could talk and use powers shows that they were well thought out and developed as characters and the story board proves they were intended for a larger role.
2.1.3 – I’m going to mention this because I found it interesting and it does introduce my long running obsession with the phrase “Val Haid.” When these guardians do first appear in the movie it is to surround Belldandy and Celestin after Celestin has blown up the Judgment Gate. We are shown a close up of one as it (their gender is ambiguous) unfolds its hair/wings, then it utters the only words we hear them say in the movie. What is actually said is hard to say as it is heavily synthesized, but the subtitles give it as “Val Haid.” Starting from this I tried to find out what, if anything, these creatures could be and what “Val Haid” might tell me.
2.1.4 – Early research on the subject (2003-2004) lead to an old Germanic/Danish word, Vordhr (Voord-hr), which refers to a special class of beings who guided and protected dead souls on their journey to the underworld to be judged by Hel (Hyldemoer) and the gods. It appears to be similar to the source words for wand, ward, warder, or guard and would be a good name for the creatures that show up and surround Bell and Celestin. In that case, the phrase "Val Haid” could have just been their way of announcing their arrival, sort of, “Police, don't move.” (At one point I thought that “Val Haid”, if phoneticized back from English to Japanese to German/Danish might have yielded Vordhr.) But by now I’ve realized that "Val Haid" is more likely some German word or phrase such as "wahrheit" and the guardians have no title based on Teutonic/Norse origins. But I'm including this for completeness sake because hey, Vordhr is a cool name. (There will be further discussion about “Val Haid” at section number 20.2.)
2.2 - Manga references and other guest shots
2.2.1 - The bulletin board Keiichi is putting the NIT Motor Club recruitment poster on at the start of the movie has a number of other posters on it that seem to have been borrowed from the manga or Mr. Fujishima's life. Surrounding K-1's poster on the right is the one from Robot Wars (DH issue IV-1, K chapter 40, Dec. 91) announcing the robot competition that Skuld and Megumi face each other in, and the Manager Wanted poster from the NIT Women's Volleyball Club door in On A Wing And A Prayer (DH issue III-3, K chapter 24, Aug. 90). The all text one has something to do with recycling or a "Dumping Association."
2.2.2 - On the upper left is a drawing of a weird looking critter with script lettering that seems to translate as "Sea Slug Research Society". This is interesting for two reasons,
One - Back in the story "I'm the Campus Queen", Dark Horse Manga Mania #13, TPB-3, Kodansha chapter #15, Vol. 2, November, 1989, there's a scene where Urd is getting her last contest clues from a student booth. The stand has an unhappy looking student holding up a sign that says "Sea Slug Bob" followed by a series of decreasing prices and consists of a number of fish tanks containing sea slugs (but no grill to cook on). Urd also has a live sea slug in a transport bag tied to her wrist. According to Mr. Carl Horn, editor at Dark Horse, the sign originally read, "namako-sukui," or "slug scooping," a parody of the popular Japanese festival game where you try to scoop a goldfish to take home as a pet. Just the sort of booth a sea slug education club would have.
Two - In the story " The Race Gets Hot, A Goddess Gets Hotter!” Dark Horse issue 111, TPB-19/20, Kodansha chapter #125, Vol. 20. January 1999, in the scene where Keiichi has to stop in front of the women's locker room and wonders if they'd let him through if he paid a toll, there's a familiar looking weird creature on a poster to the right of the door. Dark Horse has translated the text around it to read, "Our models are sick! Technicolor Dreamcoat Sea Slug! The Sea Slug Society." How accurate this might be is debatable, but it's a close match to the same poster that's on the bulletin board in the Ah! My Goddess! movie.
This is especially noteworthy as it's the first movie reference to appear in the manga.
2.2.3 - Below this are a few posters that seem to be advertising a horse race (See the race course on it?) with the English words Blood-Horse on them. Blood Horse is the name of an international organization, magazine, and website for the breeders of thoroughbred racehorses. It also seems to be of some importance to the Japanese horse racing community, but what the purpose of having a poster with its name on it on a Nekomi Tech bulletin board eludes me. Any ideas? Has anyone heard of Mr. Fujishima or the Ah Megumi-sama crew being involved in horse racing? I wouldn't put it past him considering all his other hobbies.
Another possibility is that this poster is in some way connected to Takeda Racing Thoroughbreds, the establishment where Keiichi was offered the stable cleaning job by the Nekomi Tech placement office in chapter 95, “Live to Work, Work to Live!” (old style Dark Horse TPB Childhood’s End). If anyone can read the text on this poster and confirm a link to Takeda Racing Thoroughbreds I would truly appreciate it and give full credit.
2.2.4 - While it still seems highly probable to me that the woman featured on the row of posters at the top of the bulletin board is one of the voice actresses, Speedfreek19 has been pretty convincing that it isn’t Kikuko Inoue, especially since I couldn’t match the picture to any of her album covers or posters on the web. He feels it looks more like Yumi Touma, which isn’t unlikely, even though he felt that as a singer Aya Hisakawa might be more likely even though she too doesn’t really resemble the figure on the poster.
2.2.5 - A Japanese student friend of my daughter's came over and came up with something like, " Come visit with me in my watercolor garden." or "You *something*(can't make out kanji) world of watercolor." For the text on it while another translator came up with words that seemed to be inviting people to visit a flower show or garden. These terms could be equally in reference to a music album, a concert, or something literary or artistic, so all three are still viable, as are any other possibilities. I’m still pretty sure this is a poster for some real event or album cover, so anyone with any ideas feel free to give an opinion.
2.2.7 - Near the Robot Wars sign is a mostly text poster that seems to be about recycling and the environment, either a club or official announcement. So far I've found nothing in the manga to compare it to, but this may be a case where Dark Horse replaced the manga text of a sign with something in English. Any ideas from the Japanese literate are appreciated.
2.2.8 - And the protest-like sign the couple is carrying on the plaza reads "Movie Research Society" or "Film Education Society."
2.2.9 - In the scene right after Morgan appears and looks at the Nekomi MCC recruiting poster on the bulletin board, we get a great animated view of a terraced plaza where the various campus groups are supposedly having recruitment booths for the new students. Right at the front is a table with several people around it, one with a guitar, and a sign next to it that says Raekwon, AA Only Built 4 Cub, on sale. The one guy is obviously talking to the passersby and the guitar player is holding some sort of session. Well, this is a plug for a real CD.
The following is a transcription (modified) from a music review website.
Artist: Raekwon
Title: ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX
Manufacturer: RCA
Released: 01 August, 1995
Audio CD Features: Explicit Lyrics
Review: "Shaolins Finest. Shallah Raekwon, he's the Chef and cooks up some marvelous s#!t to get your mouth water. He drops amazing lyrics along with Ghostface Killer. When he first portrayed his skills on "Bring Da Ruckus" it was easy to see he had more talent than most of the Wu. Making arguably the BEST Wu-Tang solo album. This amazing debut from the man who calls himself the Chef showed he was one of the greater members of the Wu. He and Ghostface Killer rule the album until Nas and Method Man come and rock the mic. This album is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to ANY rap fan, whether you are a fan of the Wu-Tang Clan or not. It is a stroke of brilliance."
The album cover on the sign is the same one that's on this CD, and the crew around the table looks kind of like the group's members. So someone high up in the production crew of the movie is a big rap fan and stuck in a real rap group as a cameo in the movie, possibly as homage or as a favor.
2.3 - A plea from the Japanese impaired.
2.3.1 - There are several other posters on that bulletin board and numerous student signs on the terrace in this scene sequence, all of which are drawn clearly enough to actually be read. Unfortunately they're all in Japanese (DUH!) so I can't read them, but I’ve got a feeling there's a lot more hidden references in this scene, and not necessarily for just Oh/Ah My Goddess. If someone out there can read Japanese and has access to the movie and a DVD player with pause, I'd appreciate it if they'd take a look at the other signs and posters and post what they find.
3.0 - A translation glitch
3.1 - While I'm sure everyone who knows anything about Oh/Ah My Goddess knows this one, I'm putting it in for completeness sake. When Sora is making her announcements in front of the NCC clubhouse, the English subtitle mistakenly calls Whirlwind, Chihiro's motorcycle shop, "World Wind."
4.0 - More manga references
4.1 - The four vehicles shown by the motor club at their recruitment show are; the hill climb motorcycle from "It's lonely at the Top" (K-April 1993), the go-cart from "Winner Take All" (K-June 1990), the fuel conservation racer from "Mystical Engine" (K-Feb. 1991), and the Honda Super Cub funny bike from "Leader of the Pack" (K-Aug. 1989, all from the early years of the series.
And of course, Bell and Keiichi are driving the sidecar racer from "The Phantom Racer" arc, parts 1-4 (K-chapter 110-113, Sept.-Dec. 1997) (the year the movie was announced).
Just like with the character montage at the start of the OAV series, an effort to tie the movie and the manga together.
5.0 - Fun and games with Mr. Fujishima
5.1 - In the movie, the Nekomi Motor Club's welcome party is serving "Pizza Hot" pizza and (I think) Popsie.
5.2 - When Urd answers the phone at the start of the movie and hears Peorth's voice, she jokingly says, "If it's about a wish, I don't need one right now.” Guess what manga story arc that's a reference to (Hint – The Fourth Goddess arc).
6.0 - Unnecessary but still interesting internal dating
6.1 - The calendar over the phone in the Morisato household was dated 2001, the year the movie was released, just like the episodes are dated for the year they're released in the manga, and was for the months 3 and 4, meaning March - April. Other elements in the movie then narrow it down to roughly the second week in April. Classes start on April 1, the spring welcome ceremony is in full swing, and cherry trees blossom in early mid-April in the Chiba prefecture.
7.0 - Look! Up in the sky!
7.1 - When Urd takes off to rescue Belldandy after her phone call from Peorth, did you recognize the broom? Several people beside me have identified it as Stringfellow Hawk (houki), the flying broom from "The Goddess's Apprentice", K-chapter 80, April 1995.(Note the attached charms)
8.0 - An interesting Yggdrasil mythology reference
8.1 - I'm sure a lot of people noticed this but I'll mention it anyway. If you look carefully at the Yggdrasil command station being (wo)manned by Chrono, Ere, and Ex, you'll see the controls they're working are in the form of threads and shuttlethingys on a weaving loom. This is undoubtedly a reference to the mythological tradition of the Norns who take care of Yggdrasil being weavers.
8.2 - (Addendum - For those who aren't sure - Ex has the Grey hair, Ere has the Dark hair, and
Chrono has the Red hair.)
9.0 - Even more manga references
9.1 - I think everyone who's watched the movie at all closely and knows the manga spotted Skuld's Kyupon Inhaler-Z (from Belldandy's Tempestuous Heart, DH issue IV-4, K chapter 43, March 1992) on the floor as she attempts to restore Belldandy's memory, but did you spot her Quantum Space Expander (from Wide, Wider, Widest, DH issue 93, K chapter 106, June 1997) next to it? And the control in her hand for the memory restorer is, I believe, some sort of game controller like she used for the space expander. The gamers out there can probably ID it.
10.0 - Here's my card
10.1 - Belldandy remembering to offer Keiichi her card was actually important. Japanese business protocol requires that you exchange business cards when introduced to another person you may be doing business with. If Bell had failed to do so it would have been terribly impolite. (She and Urd give Keiichi their cards when they first meet him in the manga. It is assumed that Skuld was too young to need one and Keiichi, being still a student, wouldn't have one either.) This exchange of cards is not required for social or employment situations, but is often done anyway when the parties are at a high level of responsibility or social position. (Source, US State Department post briefing for diplomatic personnel being stationed in Japan.)
10.2 - Also, it's been pointed out that this may be a humorous reference to the anime/manga controversy. While Bell did give Keiichi her card in the manga, she didn't in the OAV anime. So having her remember in the movie that she forgot (implying back in the OAV anime) could be considered as having fun with that discrepancy.
11.0 - Remember Skuld's bicycle?
As you probably recall, at the conclusion of chapter 73, "Childhood's End" when Skuld and Bell are going home, Belldandy says they'll get Skuld a bicycle the next day. But we never hear or see anything more about it, at least until the movie. For lo and behold, in the shed next to Keiichi's broken BMW are two bicycles, one of which is definitely Bell's from that same story and the end of the Peorth arc, and a smaller yellow one leaning against the wall that is probably Skuld's.
12.0 - Still more manga references – Photo’s and a Surprise Guest
12.1 - In the scene where Belldandy goes into Keiichi's room to clean up after she's cooked that oversized breakfast, you may remember she drops a photo album she'd just picked up. It falls open as it hits the floor, revealing pictures of her past that Bell finds strangely effecting. Well, thanks to having just spent several days rereading the story for another topic, I've recognized the first two photos as being the girls in their softball uniforms from "Play The Game", K-June 1993, the story where Megumi drafts Keiichi and the goddesses to help her softball team defeat the NIT baseball team.
12.2 - Further investigation has shown that the next two photos are from the hot spring vacation in "Karaoke Hell", K-August 1993, the story that starts the "Demon Urd" Arc (check the yukata the goddesses are wearing), and the last two are from "Sorrow, Fear Not", K-July 1993, featuring Bell, Keiichi, and Marron, the dog Megumi found and asked them to look after. (The other pages seem to be just general pictures, but maybe others can spot additional connections.)
12.3 - The second hot spring vacation photo is a group shot of Urd, Bell, and Skuld, with a fourth female face to their left half obscured by the photo's frame. She has orange-bronze skin the same color as Urd's, an eye like Urd's, and wavy, curly, blondish hair. There also appears to be a shadowy triangular cheek mark. Now who do we know that was at the hot springs with the goddesses that might fit those characteristics? Unfortunately, between her hair and the degree of picture resolution, I can't see if there's a diagonal marking on her forehead.
That would cinch the identification as Mara, but there are still enough similarities to make me pretty sure that's her in the left hand corner of that photo. (If anyone has better digital/optical capabilities and wants to check this out, please do so and let me know what you find. If, as I think, I've discovered that Mr. Fujishima snuck a previously unknown picture of Mara with the goddesses into his movie after all the negative commentary about how he'd left her out of it when the movie first came out, it'll be some sort of triumph for me and whoever can help.)
12.4 - Also to be found in this scene sequence in Keiichi's room are the salvaged computer he cobbled together in Welcome, K-June 1992, a plastic Tamiya model tank kit, I believe it's a German Tiger I, and the TV with vice grips replacing the tuner knob that was last seen in the Traveler Arc, K-104-109, May through September 1997, DH - issue 91-95 (best seen in issue 95, the same issue that came out in the month production on the movie was announced) and in Shoot or Die, Kodansha chapter 172, vol. 27, February, 2003, three years after the movie.
12.5 - Continuity Glitch - If you watch carefully, you'll notice the computer vanishes in the last part of the scene. (Look behind Belldandy.)
13.0 - Yet more manga references
13.1 - In scene 16 of the movie, in the sequence where Belldandy starts having her memory cascade, if you look behind Keiichi when he's standing in his room you'll see a Hamaya (demon exorcising arrow) sticking out of the closet. While probably NOT meant to be any one of those seen in the manga, it does refer the movie back to those occasions when they were used in the manga.
14.0 - Other people's exercises in unsupported speculation, or things you can read on other forums
14.1 - In the scene in the movie where Belldandy and Celestin watch Morgan and her friend get separated by the Judgment Gate, we never learn who Morgan’s friend was. He was possibly some early European, such as a Celt, and had something on his back that might have been a harp or lute. With that evidence, someone on the Mad Board Forum with more time on their hands than me did some research and came up with a name, Myyridin. That's an early Celtic name for a mythological figure who later became Merlin. Myyridin (or Myrddin) started as a Celtic bard (ergo the harp or lute) who went mad when he lost all his loved ones in a battle. He ran off to live in the wilderness, could talk to animals, and gained the gift of prophecy. That he could be the guy with Morgan is possible, several versions of his story have him being the one who taught Morgan Le Fay her magic.
14.2 - However, a fan with a copy of Field Of Goddess, the movie production book, has scanned a better picture of Morgan and her friend from that scene which shows that the object on his back is definitely a staff, not a musical instrument, weakening the whole theory to zero support. I still think a bard would be the most likely sort of human to appeal to a fairy, but there's no evidence now.