There’s something about goddess-centric stories within the harem genre that just works. I have a real distaste for harem anime and their treatment of female characters, and yet, I found Ah! My Goddess! and The World God Only Knows nothing short of charming.
I already gave my two cents on the former and its anti-villainess Urd, so this time, I’ll be shifting the spotlight to the lesser known The World God Only Knows.
Tamiki Wakaki’s rom-com manga with a supernatural twist was adapted for television by Manglobe Inc. of anime original Samurai Champloo fame from 2010 to 2013 (two years before the studio unfortunately had to file for bankruptcy).
The World God Only Knows follows high school student Keima Katsuragi, the so-called ‘God of Conquests,’ as he’s torn from his otaku lifestyle to conquer evil spirit-possessed girls (via their hearts) at the behest of a good demon named Elsie… for fear of execution.
What makes the show unique from others of the same ilk is the fact that the detached and logical Keima isn’t your typical harem protagonist and the ladies are all treated as individuals worthy of respect.
Seasons 1-2 follow this formula with each episode (or three) featuring a new girl in need of saving until Season 3 shakes things up by means of a goddess-searching plot.
As it turns out, six of Keima’s previous ‘conquests’ also host the goddesses responsible for sealing off Old Hell in lieu of a righteous New Hell, the place from which Elsie hails.
Season 3 consists of Keima and Elsie tracking down said potential hosts, their only lead being that these girls will remember the time they spent with Keima in Seasons 1-2.
If it were up to me, I would have saved the ‘Goddesses’ arc for Season 4 as the sixteen girls saved between Season 2 and Season 3 are only shown via a single flashback. The eldest and second youngest ‘sisters’ of the Jupiter Sisters, Vulcan (hosted by Tsukiyo Kujyō) and Mars (Yui Goidō) are also included as casualties of this flash forward.
With that said, I’ll be discussing the four sisters who were given proper screen time.
While I’d normally include ‘Transformation’ as a category in rating magical girls, the six girls-turned-goddesses don’t transform in the classic magical girl way.
Ayumi Takahara/Mercury
Design
The athletic and outgoing Ayumi has the honor of being the first of Keima’s targets, the demonic ‘loose soul’ seeking to possess her drawn to the ire of upperclassmen jealous of her talent.
Ayumi has a simple design befitting a tomboy while her goddess, Mercury, rocks a ‘red eyes and white hair’ combo that never fails to please. The contrast between the two is the most stark among the Jupiter Sisters.
Score: 10/10
Powers
While the sisters share a general pool of powers (i.e flight and projection onto surfaces), Mercury specializes in unconventional spells.
Score: 8/10
Personality
Ayumi is a hardworking girl who serves as the template by which most of the future girls are judged with her no-nonsense attitude towards Keima. Mercury, on the other hand, is the picture of calm.
Score: 8/10
Goal/Motivation
Ayumi’s arc does not end with Episode 1. Thanks to her bond with Keima’s sixth target, ‘background character’ Chihiro Kosaka, she’s very much relevant even in Season 3.
At first, her arc comprises standing her ground against peer pressure and self-doubt. In Season 3, she proceeds to test the lengths Keima will go to complete his mission.
Score: 9/10
Final Score: 35/40
Shiori Shiomiya/Minerva
Design
Shiori is the bookworm of a fourth target whose hair ribbons and sad eyes cement her demure look. Shiori’s goddess Minerva is a blue long-haired variant of her host.
Score: 8/10
Powers
Minerva’s specialty lies in force fields and supporting her sisters with ‘buffs.’
Score: 8/10
Personality
Shiori may be shy, but this lack of communication stems from her thoughtful nature. She has a lot going on inside her head and her passion for books is second to none. Though frustrating at times, her arc was one of the most satisfying to watch.
Minerva is the perfect fit for Shiori with her own reluctance to speak to others.
Score: 9/10
Goal/Motivation
Shiori’s arc focuses on her overcoming the inability to speak her mind so as to preserve and protest the digital replacement of the local library’s physical collection.
Score: 8/10
Final Score: 33/40
Tenri Ayukawa/Diana
Design
Tenri is our second resident shy girl as well as a childhood friend of Keima’s who’s long harbored a crush on him (as is the fate of many in shoujo and shounen alike).
I’m not the biggest fan of Tenri’s ‘ring’ hairdo, but I think the oversized ribbons save her design.
Diana’s one feature independent of her host is her serious gaze.
Score: 7/10
Powers
Diana’s specialty lies in good old-fashioned strategy.
Score: 8/10
Personality
Tenri and Diana’s strengths as a duo stem from their often comical differences.
Despite her constant shying away, Tenri’s earnest and honest to a fault. She loves corny magic tricks and is always looking to help Keima. Diana, on the other hand, is observant and proud, her role as the first goddess to manifest being invaluable to Keima’s mission.
Score: 10/10
Goal/Motivation
Being the more passive of the two, Tenri is content to follow Diana’s lead in spite of her own desire to reconnect with Keima. The whole goddess situation takes priority.
In the span of two OVAs (‘Reunion’ and ‘Chance Meeting’) preceding Season 3, Diana quickly propels the plot with insider’s knowledge on the other goddesses…as well as the consequences should Keima and Elsie fail to protect them.
Score: 10/10
Final Score: 35/40
Kanon Nakagawa/Apollo
Design
Kanon is our obligatory pop idol-turned-student character and Keima’s third target. She continues Shiori and Tenri’s ‘ribbon’ train all the while standing out from the otherwise grounded designs of the show with her bright pink hair.
Like Diana, Apollo’s presence is marked by a single change in the form of pointy facial markings.
Score: 9/10
Powers
Apollo’s specialty lies in healing.
Score: 9/10
Personality
Kanon may not be this writer’s cup of tea, but she does have a lot going for her in terms of background and conflict.
To put it simply, Kanon is starved for attention.
As a younger girl, Kanon was oft forgotten, a nobody in the eyes of her classmates. This was never taken to a malicious degree, mind you, but it was enough to damage Kanon’s sense of self.
In order to reinvent herself as a somebody worthy of love and validation, she pursued a music career with two friends as the pop idol group Citron. However, the pink-haired girl proved the most marketable of the trio and was sent down the path of a solo performer.
It is this baggage that leads to Kanon fixating on Keima’s indifference towards her and non-dating sim pop idols to an aggressive, obsessive, degree.
It’s clear that the girl wrestles with guilt, stress, and the inevitable end to her solo career (no matter how far off it may be), and with it, the loss of her fans. This aside, she’s open and polite.
I just don’t agree with the way she treats our protagonist as it’s unhealthy.
Apollo mirrors her host’s childishness, albeit to an exaggerated degree.
Score: 9/10
Goal/Motivation
As mentioned earlier, Kanon’s initial goal has to do with getting Keima to notice her. But with the conclusion of her arc, she starts to work towards improving her self-esteem.
Score: 7/10
Final Score: 34/40
