Oh My Goddess! Vol. #29

By Matthew Alexander     September 19, 2008
Release Date: April 30, 2008

Creative Talent
Writer/Artist: Kosuke Fujishima
Translated by: Dana Lewis
Adapted by: Dana Lewis

What They Say
When Belldandy races Stringfellow against Hild's, er, broom, to win the secret of curing Velsper's magical mange, she learns it's really such a simple matter - so simple, only her sister goddesses Urd and Skuld could possibly mess it up! Thoughts on the power of names run alongside the chase through the streets and alleyways of town in this volume of Oh My Goddess!

The Review
Both Hild and Belldandy have fast brooms, but who has the most guts when it comes to making risky decisions in the heat of the race that will decide the fate of the goddesses on earth? The last leg of this race proves why Belldandy always wins; because she believes in those around her. Hild uses her broom as a tool, telling it what to do and how to do it. Belldandy asks her broom to try its best and agrees to trust its decisions. Ultimately, these decisions contribute to the outcome of the race.

Once the race is over, Velsper learns she just has to name her demon familiar to successfully merge with it. I really enjoyed this part of the story as it becomes a discussion of how naming an object gives it power. Somewhat like the power of being, naming an object or child gives that thing the power of existence. Of course, along the way Skuld and Urd have to create problems for Velsper, which usually ends in causing problems for Keiichi. Their antics are just as funny as usual.

The real juicy tidbit at the end of this volume is Urd’s chance to become a First Class Goddess. This is something Urd desperately wanted when she was younger, but now she isn’t so sure. The power of a First Class Goddess, such as Peorth or Belldandy, is immense and Urd has had some identity problems in the past. It is a sign of her maturity that she questions whether she should take the First Class Exam. Skuld confronts Urd, calling her crazy for not wanting to take the test. This only reminds Urd of the way she was at Skuld’s age and it provides a nice view of Urd’s past. Urd eventually accepts and passes the first stage of the exam in classic Urd-style; things go BOOM! This allows Belldandy to release the First Class limiter placed on Urd. Will Urd be able to control the immense power of a First Class Goddess? Will this open another opportunity for Hild to attack the goddesses by trying to manipulate Urd and her new power? Will Urd be able to complete Peorth’s final question of the exam? I’m not sure, but I do know heaven is more than a little scared of Urd’s potential.