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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Specialist or mass market, October 27, 2001
The megamisama movie is beautifully drawn, with fluid motions and bold use of colour (see the scene when Celestine appears in front of Belldandy). The character design is true to the latest style of Fujishima sensei's drawing, which is distinctly different from the OVA. The plot itself is twisty and focuses a lot on Belldandy and Keiichi battling through their emotional problems. A true masterpiece. Although viewers who are used to the extrovert Holywood style are advised to glue their eyes on the screen for the subtle changes in facial expression and voice pitch, which is typical of Japanese story telling.However it does have a few problems. First of all, for fellow viewers in the US who probably have seen the OVA, but generally do not have access to all (the latest) 22 volumns of the manga; you might be wondering who Chihiro and Peroth are, and the movie never attempts to explain these major characters from the manga. And for those who know Fujishima sensei's story well, you'll notice there is a discrepancy in the time line - in the movie, Keiichi is still a student while Chihiro's garage has already opened. This discrepancy probably doesn't matter too much for the movie's plot, but it's irritating for a fan like me, who keeps wondering while watching, how come Chihiro's shop could open without Keiichi and Belldandy working for her. Who's changing the oil? Who's keeping the cash register? The movie also seems at times to bring in characters just to please the fans. (I do admit seeing familiar characters on the movie screen is quite a treat) But honestly I don't find it necessary to bring in Megumi or Chihiro in the plot. And the one thing that really irritates is the appearance of Noble Scarlet. Everybody familiar with the story knows Skuld's angel is Noble Scarlet, but everybody familiar with the story also knows that Skuld doesn't have an angel (digest this!). The sole purpose of her appearance is to please the fans and make the scene look good with all three angels (from all three goddess)battling out with Morgen. Although there are a few reservations from a fan's point of view, it shouldn't stop anybody from enjoying this wonderful film, whether you're familiar with the manga's story or not. I'm sure everybody will find it rewarding to watch.
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