Tong: Ah! My Goddess The Movie

So this week we have left the ancient Japan of 'Princess Mononoke' and transitioned to the modern-mystical world of 'Ah! My Goddess'. The movie seems to take place some time after the actual introduction of the major characters, because the relationships between all the major characters are already established by the start of the film. The first scene is of someone getting released from a prison on the Moon, and then we're introduced to a group of friends that consists of supernatural beings (and no one finds it odd). It's soon revealed that Keiichi is a normal teenage boy who encountered a goddess named Belldandy some time before the events of the film. The goddess granted Keiichi one wish, which was for the goddess to stay with him forever. So now, at the start of this film, Keiichi and Belldandy are in a heavily-invested relationship; the two are lovers, companions, partners. Other major characters consist of two other goddesses, Belldandy's older half-sister, Urd, and her younger sister, Skuld. It's soon revealed that the escaped prisoner is Belldandy's past mentor, Celestin.

Tong: Princess Mononoke

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most important and influential Japanese animators in the history of animation. His feature-length animated films have all garnered nearly universal acclaim, and his track record with fantastic films matches that of Pixar Animation Studios. 'Princess Mononoke' is perhaps Miyazaki's most famous work, and there's no question as to why it is. The film's balance of great storytelling, beautiful hand-drawn and computer-generated imagery, and insightful morals and themes, makes it an especially unique experience.