There's a certain appeal to seeing an animated figure win the heart of a full-fledged goddess (albeit accidentally), even though it's next to impossible for a Japanese schoolboy to do the same in real life. However, anime fans have come to expect the impossible from the cartoon medium; if little else, the cartoon serves to examine what would violate the laws of science (several other fields notwithstanding) in reality. Needless to say, Ah! Megami-sama has endured as a classic show, even though it only lasted for five shows. The Adventures of Mini-Goddess is not included in this list for one primary reason: it's a direct spin-off that involves the same characters, including newcomer Gan-chan the rodent and minus Keiichi (he's strangely absent from the series). Either case, it's best to note why this show in particular has become a perennial.

The show follows hapless Negomi Tech student Keiichi Morisato (using the Romanized version of his name), who is the unlikely recipient of three goddesses living in his domicile. Keiichi, in a bout of hunger, attempts to order out, and accidentally reaches the hotline after a few misses. Belldandy, the middle child of the three goddesses you are introduced to, responds to his call by appearing through the tall mirror in Keiichi's dormitory and offers to grant any one wish. Flabbergasted by the sudden appearance of the goddess (and perceiving the situation as a prank pulled by his senpais), Keiichi decides that he wants Belldandy as his girlfriend. However, his wish is fulfilled, and a contract binds the two.

Forced out of his dormitory for violating the dorm rules, Keiichi locates a run-down shrine for his new residence. Belldandy renovates the shrine, using her divine powers of healing; thus begins the story of Keiichi's life.

Other goddesses are soon to follow. Urd, Belldandy's big sister, appears next, attempting to intervene in the love affair between her little sister and Keiichi by providing the latter with a potion designed to make him more passionate. The final, third goddess, Skuld, descends on Keiichi when he is taking a bath.

The art style of Ah! Megami-Sama is rather beautiful, and reflects the style of the early '90s, which is more or less a transitional period between the old '80s sketchy style (exemplified in shows such as Macross/Robotech and the original Mobile Suit Gundam) and the intricate, more fluid anime of today that is more heavily dependant on computer graphics (such as can be seen in Blue Submarine #6, Witch Hunter Robin and Licensed by Royal). The theme is uplifting, with love dominating over pressure, which carries over to the movie involving Belldandy's mentor, Celestin. As for the characters, the unfortunate part is that in the show, since there are so few episodes, you are not given enough time to connect to the characters, and the chances of developing their personalities are diminished greatly. However, the mangas provide the necessary information for that; the show is more of an introductory course on the three goddesses.