May 27, 2005:

There isn't any way to discuss episode 20 without revealing a massive spoiler to those who have not read the manga, so I'll just come right out and say it. Keiichi turns into a girl.

Keiichi is taking this rather well. Belldandy? Not so much.

I was wondering if the anime was going to include this bit. It makes for some amusing moments, but this close to the end of the season, I think they could have passed it up entirely. It just isn't as funny in execution as the idea might appear in theory. Either the softball club versus baseball club story or the old motorcycle story would have been better.

C'mon, who didn't see this coming?

I guess this "Keiko" story worked better towards advancing the romance plot. (You'll see.) It's not as successful at it as I would have liked, though.

June 03, 2005: Aa! Megami-sama 21

Looks like they're setting up the final arc of the series now. Aa! Megami-sama episode 21 is about the goddesses' angels, or lack thereof as the case may be. There are flashbacks to Urd's youth, including her meeting with Belldandy, and quite a bit of backstory to set up what will surely be the main focus of the final episodes.

I wonder where Urd shops for furniture?

Naturally, it is no coincidence that the title card and flashback sequences are all in black and white.

There's also a sequence in this episode about Skuld listening to Belldandy singing before a tree. It's very similar to a sequence from the movie. Likewise, the previous episode featured Belldandy singing a laundry song that was very much the spiritual successor to the OAV's cooking song.

June 18, 2005: Ah! My Goddess

Marla is up to her old tricks again

Well, they're winding down the first season of the Ah! My Goddess television series. (I say "first" season because additional seasons are promised if the DVD sales do well.) As expected, the story has moved on to an Urd-heavy arc.

Keiichi gets a surprise

I'm guessing they're going to ride out this bit through the final episode of the season—episode 24. Maybe they'll work in some kind of resolution or plateau for the Keiichi/Belldandy relationship story in the final episode.

Belldandy and a Venn diagram. I love Venn diagrams.

Oh, there was a bit early in the episode that reminded me of the Top wo Nerae science lessons.

June 25, 2005: Ah! My Goddess

Episode 23 of Ah! My Goddess contains the second part of the "Terrible Master Urd" storyline.

Standing in Circles magik is so fresh.

One of the plot points involves Belldandy going all LIMITER RELEASED and removing the restrictions on her power. This process involves her speaking in tongues again, which I find oddly captivating. Inoue Kikuko working the mojo is always good to hear.

"Belldandy, did you change your hair?"   Translation: "ZOOM."

Oh, one of the side effects of Belldandy bypassing her restrictions is bigger boobs. Sounds perfectly logical to me.

There is some new music introduced this episode which I'm fairly ambivalent towards.

I liked the segment about Skuld's telephone call.

You know, there's something different about Urd, too....

We get to see what it's like to travel by mirror.

Needs more Peorth.

July 12, 2005: Ah! My Goddess TV

Oh yeah, the first season of the Aa! Megami-sama television series ended. I was kinda losing interest towards the end, but it had its moments as a whole. I'm not sure I would recommend the entire series to someone who wasn't already familiar with the Ah! My Goddess basics, but the television series turned out to be an interesting retelling of the manga, at least. Anyone curious about the Ah! My Goddess canon should head for the manga first, but the early episodes of anime are a good source to get the basics, and have their own charm.

Belldandy gets worked by Rind

The season finale completed the Lord of Terror arc that started a few episodes ago with Urd going sort-of Dark Phoenix on Belldandy and Company. The final episode also solidly addressed the relationship story between Belldandy and Keiichi, although you shouldn't expect to see them tearing each other's clothes off anytime soon.

A lot of the episode was fairly predictable, even if you haven't read the manga. However, Rind (or Lind...sigh) tearing shit up happens quite a bit ahead of schedule, if I remember correctly.

Skuld likes building stuff

The episode also had Skuld whaling on a metalworking project with her mallet.

HOLY SMOKES, IT'S PEORTH

Oh, and there was PEORTH. Well, sort of. I tell you, though, if there is a second season, it better be wall-to-wall Peorth.

Incidentally, those three ninjas in the OP never did get their appearance.