Belldandy

For the Norse mythology goddess, see Verðandi.

Belldandy
Oh My Goddess! character
Belldandy and her angel Holy Bell in the anime adaptation
First appearanceChapter 1
Created byKōsuke Fujishima
Voiced by
Japanese
Kikuko Inoue
Akemi Okamura (Mini-Goddess eps 1-13)
Yumi Tōma (Young Belldandy in OVA)
Mio Shionoiri (Young Belldandy in movie)
English
Juliet Cesario (OVA)
Bridget Hoffman (Movie, Mini-Goddess)
Chloe Thornton (Young Belldandy in Movie)
Eileen Stevens (TV)
In-universe information
GenderFemale
RankFirst class, second category, unlimited license, Valkyrie License
Dimension10th (Yggdrasil)
Elemental AffinityWind, Air
AngelHoly Bell,
Blue Lance (temporary)

Belldandy (ベルダンディー, Berudandī; transliterated: Verðandi (Old Norse), meaning "Norn of the Present") is a fictional character in the popular anime and manga series Oh My Goddess!. She was created by Kōsuke Fujishima as one of three Goddesses who come to Earth to reside with Keiichi Morisato, and she serves as his love interest. She is depicted as a beautiful and powerful young woman, with strong nurturing tendencies, a trusting and innocent character, and an extremely kind heart. Belldandy is accidentally summoned from heaven by Keiichi in order to grant him a wish and stays when Keiichi wishes for "a goddess like you to be by my side forever".[1] The stories follow Belldandy as she builds a relationship with Keiichi, using her powers (which include teleportation, telekinesis, telepathy, and levitation) to help both Keiichi and his friends while keeping her true identity a secret.[2]

Her first appearance was in Afternoon in August 1988.[3] Belldandy has also featured in a novel, two TV series, a movie, and three OVA series. The character has gained considerable respect throughout the various formats, as evidenced by her appearance as one of the most popular characters in the Newtype[4] and Animage[5] polls. The concept of Belldandy draws loosely from Norse mythology, with "Belldandy" being a transliteration of the Old Norse Verðandi, one of a trio of Norns. She is joined by characters representing the other two of the trio of Norns—her sisters Urd and Skuld.[6]

Belldandy is regarded by commentators as an example of the magical girlfriend character,[7] and comparisons have been drawn with the characters of Samantha from Bewitched and Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie.[2][8] The character's very conservative nature, however, which almost completely subordinates her to her fictional boyfriend, Keiichi,[9] has led to some concerns from critics and has polarized the audience.[10]

  1. ^ Fujishima, Kōsuke (2005). "The Number You Have Dialled Is Incorrect". Oh My Goddess! (manga). Vol. 1. Dark Horse Manga. p. 11. ISBN 1-59307-387-9.
  2. ^ a b Lavin, Michael R (1998). "A librarian's guide to dark horse comics". Serials Review. 24 (3–4): 92. doi:10.1016/s0098-7913(99)80008-2.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference McCarthy95 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference NewtypeTop10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Stephens50 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Napier, Susan J. (2005). Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 195.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Newitz4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Newitz5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bertschy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).