Manga Review – Oh My Goddess, Vol. 3

Oh My Goddess is starting a new year of its own with the introduction of a new character trying to butt in to Belldandy and Keiichi’s relationship.

Title: Oh My Goddess, Volume 3
Story and Art by Kousuke Fujishima
Translation by Dana Lewis, Alan Gleeson, and Toren Smith
Published by Dark Horse Comics

The Premise

The new year is coming, and with it the end of the term, and New Year’s parties. Also coming with the new year is Sayoko Mishima’s cousin, Toshiyuki, who wants to break up Keiichi & Belldandy, so he can have Belldandy for himself.

High Points

We have another race this volume, and as with the last volume, the action is drawn very well.

Low Points

Toshiyuki goes beyond the relatively innocent douchebaggery of similar characters like Tatewaki Kuno from Ranma 1/2 to actually attempting to rape Belldandy. To be clear, he didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in the sun’s corona of succeeding, and it ends in confusion and embarrassment for Toshiyuki (he ends up floating on a bed in the middle of a bay with no understanding of how he got there), but still, that’s crossing a line.

Scores

Originality: Toshiyuki is like a male version of Sayoko without the redeeming features, and this volume also wraps up with a race. The only part that’s really different is chapters around the New Year’s celebration. 2/6

Artwork: Fujishima has matured as an artist in this volume, as far as his personal style is concerned. 4/6

Story: The plot of Sayoko and Toshiyaki trying to figure out what Belldandy is, is nicely done, though the part leading up to this with the attempted rape, a little less so. 4/6

Emotional Response: Some of the comedy works. Other bits, like Keiichi’s attempted dinner date with Belldandy) end up being too silly and crossing the line into tiresome. Oh, and there’s also the low point. 3/6

Characterization: Urd is unfortunately two-dimensional this volume. Toshiyuki is loathsome, but in an a fashion which is almost regrettably realistic. Sayoko is more sympathetic, in that she wants to break up Keiichi and Belldandy, but she isn’t as nasty about it as her cousin is (Toshiyuki explicitly wants to break Belldandy’s heart, though as he doesn’t know that the’s an actual Goddess, he doesn’t quite understand what that would entail). 4/6

Flow: 6/6

Overall: Not every volume can be a winner, and occasionally you get one that is mediocre, like this one. 3/6

In total, Oh My Goddess Volume 3 gets – 26/42