Reviews

Dec 6, 2013
After having watched the first two seasons, I was wondering where this could possibly lead to. Not having read the manga or anything, I had no clue what I could expect other than the same thing. That is, the classic story of the guy conquering girls with his dating sim skills. And well, it sort of is, but not really. Instead of the usual, we get it served on a completely different platter, putting not only the story, but the characters in a completely different light, and making this season seem more realistic and gripping than anything that has happened so far.

"The World God Only Knows : Goddesses Arc" (or the Japanese title, whatever suits you best) is the third season of the Kami Nomi series. While I'm writing this review, this season is currently the highest ranked out of the three, and with good reason. In my review of the first season I wrote that it was silly and funny, with a hint of romance. This however appeals to only a part of the anime community, while the other part simply ignores it and moves on to more serious anime. This season feels like it sort of compensates for the goofy encounters and whatnot from the first two seasons, by providing us with actual relationships and returning characters who feel more solid than ever before, along with a more solid story.

Art:
The art is pretty much the same as the previous two seasons/OVAs, but with more flair added to it. You could consider calling them "special effects", but it does seem like more effort was put in the animation than before, along with some CG effects to add to the atmosphere. In overall, it felt more gripping, and at times it was quite stunning. The lighting in certain scenes was also excellently done, and provided a nice addition to the mood the scene was set in.

Music:
Different. This season was definitely meant to be taken far more seriously than the others, so the music had more of a thrill to it, and it succeeded quite well in moving me personally. Although I got to admit... I prefer the old OP, ED and BGM more. But that's my opinion as a RomCom SoL fan. If I were to look at it in the perspective of a more serious anime fanatic, I would say that it was great, and sometimes beautiful to listen to. (And yes, the last song moved me more than it should have, to those who have seen it.)

Story (Contains minor spoilers):
Assuming you're already familiar with the first two seasons and the OVAs (and if not, then I'd suggest you watch those first before even reading a review on this), the base of the story is still somewhat the same. We still have our main character (Katsuragi), his partner (Elsie), and the side cast from before. Some new characters were introduced, some rather rushed (due to shortening the story and leaving behind some backstories), and others more properly. We also get introduced to a few new groups: The Goddesses, who have taken refuge in the hearts of Katsuragi's previous "conquests", and Vintage, an evil group from Hell who wants to kill them.

I'm going to be honest here, this story was far more complicated than ever before. Due to the more active casting, and giving the side-characters more screentime (at least, that's what it felt like to me), it gave the story a lot more depth than it usually has. Combine that with the attitude and struggles of the main character, and you get something that doesn't really look like a Kami Nomi season, but sure as heck feels like it. It had this edgy undertone to it, with people actually being in danger this time and whatnot, but it wasn't all that unexpected. In fact, it was a great change of pace, and it all felt like it was building up to this season so far, using everything the first two seasons provided, and creating an arc that goes very well with the overall story.

Characters:
Like I said, the casting is very much the same, with the inclusion of the goddesses and the evil gang (which unfortunately doesn't get nearly the amount of screentime it deserves and needs). However, thanks to the character development this series had for over 25 episodes, they had a lot more depth to them. Which is good, otherwise you couldn't possibly take this plot seriously. Because as good as an arc it is, it relies mostly on the characters performing properly, otherwise it all falls apart into a messy piece of a RomCom. After all, and especially in this case, it's the characters that make the anime.

Conclusion:
What I personally liked about this anime, is that things didn't go nearly as smooth as it used to. The main character faces an old foe in a new jacket, as you might say, and every plan he used to have no longer works the way he wants it to. That's what makes the "Goddesses Arc" far more appealing to those who like to be surprised, and are tired of the same old stuff, while at the same time satisfying those who loved the anime from day 1, cause of its everlasting sillyness that exists even in this season, with the goofiest things happening at the most serious of times, allowing the audience to take a breather and smile. The third season combines the comedy we experienced before with a dose of drama it needed to balance itself out. A lot of anime have experienced the fate of repetitiveness, and it's thanks to this arc that this anime did not experience the same thing.

I was glad I watched this anime, and very satisfied with its (current) ending. If you haven't watched this season yet, I seriously recommend it. If you haven't watched the anime yet, and still bothered to read this review, go watch it, it's well worth your time. "The World God Only Knows" kept me at the edge of my seat, wanting to finish each season as soon as possible, simply because I enjoyed every minute of it. It never really disappointed me, and I hope that you'll feel the same thing when you watch it. After all, who doesn't want to take a peek in that world?
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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