September 28th, 2011 
AstroNerdBoy Ah! My Goddess: Hunters & Hunters/ああっ女神さまっハンターズ&ハンターズ
Ah! My Goddess: Hunters & Hunters (OAD)
Keiichi is enjoying a soda and offers some to Belldandy when an angry Skuld bursts in to put a stop to it because of the effect it has on Belldandy. Urd teases him about wanting a drunken Belldandy, which has him thinking of a willing and inviting Belldandy in bed, so he pops a piece of hard candy (Mentos). Urd tries some candy and likes it but tries to war Skuld off. Skuld tries some and finds it absolutely nasty. The group is interrupted by two young goddesses who burst in before announcing their arrival (Japanese style). They are somewhat offended at their behavior being deemed by Keiichi as rude since they had studied Earth custom, but they are insisting on seeing Belldandy.
When Skuld gets angry with them and summons Banpei-kun, the two destroy the robot easily, leaving Skuld to pick up the pieces and make repairs. At Belldandy’s request, they give their names as Eir and Saga, whom Urd identifies from their uniform as being from the Seizu Girl’s Academy. Eir and Saga are here to challenge Belldandy to a shell gathering competition as she is the current champ. Their reasoning is that if they can defeat Belldandy, they can easily get jobs. When Belldandy hears that the Illusionary King of Low-Tides may appear, she agrees to the competition (and Keiichi offers to help) as she and Urd realize this is a serious situation.
As the competition is the following day, the foursome pack a cooler and Belldandy has bentos and they head to a special beach. The sisters go to change and Keiichi realizes there are some things he doesn’t know. He fantasizes about Belldandy in a bikini when a giant crustacean appears. Belldandy arrives in a battle swimsuit and defeats it with a spear, calling the creature “Low-Tide.” It is then that Keiichi realizes that human “shell gathering” (for clams and such) is not the same as heavenly “shell gathering.” Skuld explains about bugs in Yggdrasil and the problems that could cause. So, once a year, they have to debug the system and to make it interesting, bugs are turned into monsters called “Low-Tide” and hunted on an electronic beach.
Eir and Saga arrive, having raided the cooler for Skuld’s ice cream, and taunt Skuld and her modified Banpei-kun. When another Low-Tide emerges, the two do another combination attack to defeat it. They stated that being a pair makes it somewhat unfair, but Belldandy points out that she has Keiichi. He’s not sure about this (nor is Urd), but he agrees to help anyway he can. Peorth and Lind arrive as Lind takes the possibility of the Kind of Low-Tides showing up to be a big threat. Eir and Saga frustrate Peorth by saying they don’t know her as another Low-Tide shows up. Lind punches it and Peorth takes it out, causing Eir and Saga to realize they have another threat to deal with.
The competition begins and the twins go at it with gusto. Peorth and Lind take off and Belldandy assures Keiichi that he can be of help. Using his clam rake, he’s able to somehow bring out Low-Tides for Belldandy to exterminate. Skuld attempts to use Banpei-kun and traps, but ends up destroying Banpei-kun and setting off all her traps. Urd relaxes under a beach umbrella and remarks on how well Keiichi is doing in finding Low-Tides, something that frustrates Skuld, who tosses lemons at a Low-Tide and is surprised that lemons defeated it. Eir and Saga are frustrated because Belldandy and Keiichi are ahead of them in the competition and get into an argument. However, when Saga tosses her sword into the ground, it causes the King of Low-Tides to emerge.
Eir and Saga attempt to take it on, but are thwarted and they are unwilling to do things without being in sync like normal. Keiichi, with a water gun filled with lemon juice, discovers he’s out and Belldandy finds she can’t reach the King’s horn to defeat it. Keiichi has an idea and tells Belldandy to wait as he runs off. The twins think he’s running away, but Belldandy says that Keiichi isn’t doing that and that she believes in him. Keiichi returns with a 2-liter bottle of soda and candy (Mentos), which he uses as a weapon to stun the King with a stream of soda-candy, allowing Belldandy to tap it out. The twins are amazed and Belldandy is drunk from getting a little bit of soda, but she and Keiichi win the competition.
The twins realize they have much to learn, so they return to Earth and ask “Belldandy-oneesama” and “Keiichi-oniisan” to allow them to stay and study on Earth.
If one wanted something cute, somewhat fanservicey (with imaginations of Belldandy in nightwear, a bikini, and then the goddesses in battle swimwear), but otherwise fun Ah! My Goddess episode, this was the one.
The plot is pretty much by the numbers, but it does what it is supposed to do. The writers bring back bugs and turn them into “Low-Tides,” but in doing so, retcon things. Wasn’t it Skuld’s job to deal with bugs? If so, then why is there a yearly hunt for them on a beach going back pre-Skuld?
The episode also brings back the mentions of ice cream for Skuld, shows liquor for Urd, and mentions soda as something that gets Belldandy drunk. Was that in the manga or just in the anime? I can’t remember.
The episode also brings back the beloved Peorth and Lind for what amounts to an extended cameo. Nice to see them even if they don’t serve a purpose to the story.
As to the two new goddesses, there was something very familiar about their acting in unison, but I can’t quite place my fingers on it. Pretty much, they were stock, cocky characters who needed to learn the true meaning of teamwork. I did get a kick out of their wanting to move in with “Belldandy-oneesama” and “Keiichi-oniisan” at the end though. ^_^
The less said about the stupidity of the Mentos in soda thing (for which the Japanese even put a warning saying, “DON’T EVER DO THIS!”), the better. However, the writers had to have some way of trying to make Keiichi useful.
I didn’t remember this on the first OAD episode, but this one’s ending showed color (and I believe manga cover) artwork from Fujishima-sensei. I know the Negima! OAD’s were long doing this and it does make for a cost-effective ED sequence.
So, a pretty light, fluffy episode that attempts to cash in on long-time fan nostalgia and probably does so pretty effectively despite a couple of plot holes and some other minor issues.
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wha WHAT?!? Where did you find this? *searches frantically*
Did you find it? ^_^;
Lan, if you haven’t found it yet send me an email and I will send you the URL.
CaliforniaPsychopomp@gmail.com
I found it not long after posting my 1st comment.
The TV series was hit and miss, with some episodes being a bore and some being as great as the OVA series (which to me is superior between the two versions, despite being only 5 episodes long).
This episode was a great one, and we haven’t had something like this in a long time. It was basically fanservice, but the site of near naked goddesses was overshadowed by a decent storyline fitting for this show.
I love how they keep in the TV series BGM from the 1st series. this is a great way of going back in time to when i watched this originally (I never watch repeats of anything i ever watch).
if anything, this gives me a lot of hope that a third series will be made at some point. unlike other anime continuations that are left hanging.
“Wasn’t it Skuld’s job to deal with bugs? If so, then why is there a yearly hunt for them on a beach going back pre-Skuld?”
Yes, thats Skulds job. If you think about it though, for a goddess she is very young, and so wasnt always around. Higher ups probably only started hiring for a bug hunter when they became a more of a threat.
“The episode also brings back the mentions of ice cream for Skuld, shows liquor for Urd, and mentions soda as something that gets Belldandy drunk. Was that in the manga or just in the anime?”
Both. I wish Bell would get drunk more often ;P
I believe that Nekomi is located somewhere in the Tokyo/Yokohama area. Yet they hold this contest in a beautiful (and deserted) beach that is within walking distance of the temple???
Here’s an idea – hold the contest in an isolated area where all the contestants need to use magic to get to it. Or have the contest in Heaven!
I would love to see Keiichi have a good look at the place where the Norns come from, but this has yet to take place! Why is that?
The TV series was hit and miss, with some episodes being a bore and some being as great as the OVA series (which to me is superior between the two versions, despite being only 5 episodes long).
The thing that I loathed about the first (and I think the second too but I can’t remember for sure) TV series was making Belldandy dumb as rocks and not sticking to adapting the manga, making modifications ONLY to remove plot holes and continuity issues (like Holy Bell).
if anything, this gives me a lot of hope that a third series will be made at some point. unlike other anime continuations that are left hanging.
I’m not sure they will. Kodansha has discovered that OAD’s are apparently quite profitable and so no need for TV series. Look at the history — Negima!, xxxHOLiC, Tsubasa, and now Ah! My Goddess.
Yes, thats Skulds job. If you think about it though, for a goddess she is very young, and so wasnt always around. Higher ups probably only started hiring for a bug hunter when they became a more of a threat.
Well, that works as an explanation. ^_^
Both. I wish Bell would get drunk more often ;P
Its been so long since I reread the manga, I couldn’t remember.
I believe that Nekomi is located somewhere in the Tokyo/Yokohama area. Yet they hold this contest in a beautiful (and deserted) beach that is within walking distance of the temple???
Actually, they crossed dimensions, or so it seemed to me. Remember, there was that moment where they were walking, then the screen went black for a moment and then they emerged on the beach? Crossover.
Question is, why allow a human there?
I would love to see Keiichi have a good look at the place where the Norns come from, but this has yet to take place! Why is that?
Different realms, though this episode appears to have Keiichi going to one so…^_^;;;
It could have been the 1st time we have seen K1 cross dimensions in the TV series. I’m struggling to think of other occasions. The movie doesn’t count, as apparently its still set in the mangas (and therefore the TV series) future. BTW I’ve read up to manga volume 18, so if K1 has crossed dimensions after volume 18 please dont spoil it for me.
Belldandy in the 1st TV series in particular acted like a dumb ass. very OOC from the manga version. erghhahahaaaa this is one of the reasons i dont rewatch it.
Belldandy in the 1st TV series in particular acted like a dumb ass. very OOC from the manga version. erghhahahaaaa this is one of the reasons i dont rewatch it.
That’s the reason I don’t own it (though I do own the 2nd series for some reason).
Belldandy said the King of Low-Tides appears once every 2000 years and that she’s faced him once before. Does that make her >2000 years old?
In the anime, yeah. However, the anime is not canon so its whatever is established in the manga (and I don’t think it has been established).
can i watch this online or i need to buy a DVD or something?
I don’t know about the online situation. Certainly, fansubs were made, but I’m not sure if it was licensed.
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Yeah, I know — I have yet to watch OAD 3. ^_^;;;
was this a japan only release? cant find any reference to it in english
Yeah, unfortunately, OAD videos are exclusively sold with limited edition versions of whatever manga tankoubon they are released with. I can’t remember which manga volume this was for off the top of my head.