Oh My Goddess! Vol. 16: Mystery Child [Paperback]

Kosuke Fujishima (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2003

When Belldandy's goddess sisters, Urd and Skuld, are called away to investigate a problem with the universe's time management, young hero Keiichi is left alone with Belldandy at last! But a not-quite-human little boy suddenly appears out of nowhere - and treats Belldandy like his long-lost lover. This is the latest collection of the long-running, highly popular manga series.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Keiichi's life is complicated once again as two of the goddesses sharing his house are called away on divine business, and the third, his girlfriend Belldandy, is targeted by the titular character, a strange boy who is the cause of a disturbance in time. If allowed to continue, time will stop. This is the 16th volume of the series, and it just gets better with age. The storytelling and the characterization are subtle, with detail building upon detail. Fujishima also has excellent comic timing, especially as the essentially powerless Keiichi does what he can to help the goddess he loves. The art is delicate and beautiful, with imaginative designs and attractive characters.
Susan Salpini, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (May 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569719500
• ISBN-13: 978-1569719503
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,075,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book 16 -- Enter Welsper (Velsper), June 3, 2003

By 

AstroNerdBoy "AstroNerdBoy" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oh My Goddess! Vol. 16: Mystery Child (Paperback)

This graphic novel of the popular "Oh My Goddess" series covers original manga volumes volume 16 chapter 94 through volume 17 chapter 101. This is an 8-part story covering the "Welsper" arc (or as Dark Horse calls him, Velsper).

The first part has the 4th goddess Peorth losing an aerial with an unknown attacker and attempting to warn Belldandy. Urd and Skuld are recalled to the heavens to deal with a problem while a young boy who knows Belldandy visits her and Keiichi. The second part has the boy come by Bell's and Keiichi's shop, then charm their boss Chihiro. The third part has the boy coming to stay at the Morisato residence. Belldandy begins to have bizarre dreams and time seems to be going awry.

The forth part has Skuld and Urd fighting a corruption in the Yggdrasil system. Belldandy and the boy have a strange connection and the boy reveals his true nature. The fifth part has the return of Peorth as she defends Keiichi from attack. The boy reveals his plan and reason for being on Earth. The sixth part has Skuld, Urd, and their helpers in the heavens losing their battle against time stoppage while Peorth, Belldandy, and Keiichi make a choice.

The seventh part has Belldandy reverting to childhood while the boy's plans begin to go astray. The final part has Belldandy remember the boy's name which was what he wanted all along. However, he must now pay the price for tampering with the Yggdrasil system.

Bottom line: The standard great artwork from Fujishima-san is here. Having Peorth return is a great addition even if her role is limited. There's not as much humor in this issue, but we do learn a lot more about the heavens and get to see Demon Central for the first time. There is one complaint which I've never made before. Since Dark Horse converts these comics from their original Japanese form (which is a right-to-left format), nearly everything you see is the reverse image of the original. However, there are times when DH cannot do this; so there are blaring instances where a characters hair will be parted one way in one frame and another way in the next frame. It can be a jarring distraction, but I have not allowed that to stop my purchases. I am asking Dark Horse to do future OMG graphic novels in the Japanese style to avoid this problem.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First the Norns, then Peorth, and now..., May 22, 2003

By 

"mangaqueen16" (the States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oh My Goddess! Vol. 16: Mystery Child (Paperback)

Belldandy was the first to come on the scene when Keiichi made his misguided wish. Urd followed soon after, and because of her sabotage of Yggdrasil, she has stayed. Skuld came to take Belldandy home, and has moved in, although I'm sure Keiichi would wish otherwise if he could. Peorth arrived much the same way as Belldandy, but left when the contract was fulfulled. Now, here comes a little boy who treats Keiichi like a kid and Belldandy like his long-lost lover. Belldandy senses something about the boy, but can't put a finger on it. And they are running out of time--all of them.

Who is this boy, and why is he here? Is he going to take Belldandy away from Keiichi?

You'll have to read the book now, won't you?

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep, December 16, 2003

By 

Grace (Alameda, US, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Oh My Goddess! Vol. 16: Mystery Child (Paperback)

This is is beautifully illustrated and intricately plotted volume. There's so much depth to the characters, and their feelings and personalities really come out, especially near the end (when it gets VERY sweet and exciting). I love how Fujishima is able to show his characters' every emotion on their expressions and in their poses. THIS is Japanese animation, folks, so much more than those Marvel and DC comics superheroes can do, even with their over-flaunted muscles. Also, check out Ayashi no Ceres by Yu Watase. The illustrations are just as beautiful (but in a different style, of course), and the story is absolutely gripping and touching. Both of these manga have a tendency to get dark at times, but that's when the characters really show their true selves, and who would want a manga that has a happy storyline all the time? That's not how real life goes, and in any case, the characters BECOME more human to the readers because of what they go through and how they react to their problems. This is one of the best in the Oh My Goddess! series so far. THANK you, Kosuke.