Because I'm the Goddess

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Because I'M the Goddess!

神様だもの
(Kami-sama da Mono)

Genre

Magical girl, parody

Manga

Author

Shamneko

Publisher

Wani Books

Other publishers:
TOKYOPOP

Demographic

Seinen

Magazine

Comic Gum

Original run

25 November 2003 – December 24, 2004

Volumes

3 ^[1]

Because I'M the Goddess! (神様だもの, Kami-sama da Mono^?) is a comedy manga series created by Shamneko and published in Japan by Wani Books. A 3-volume English translation has been released by Tokyopop. The series uses some of the plot devices of the magical girl genre, but is largely a bawdy satire on that genre and on series such as Oh My Goddess! which portray divine women in their dealings with mortal men. The conclusion of the story also borrows elements from Greek mythology.

1 Plot summary
2 Characters
3 Gifts and their Slaves
4 Themes
5 References

[edit] Plot summary

[edit] Characters

The Goddess Pandora was created to be the epitome of everything mortal men desire. She appears on Earth as a busty blonde with a bubbly personality and the intellectual capacity of a typical household appliance. She exudes an aura of desirability so powerful that all men she encounters will eagerly do anything she wishes, with Aoi and Maya being the only exception. Women are not affected by this power, and in fact find her rather unpleasant. She also speaks in third person exclusively.

As an adult, Pandora can do almost anything with her divine power, which makes her especially dangerous when combined with her poor impulse control. Her special ability, the Goddess Wish, channels her divine energy into a Wish that she usually doesn't specify-- in Volume 2 she changes a store owner's entire shop into solid gold as a thank you for helping her. When Pandora uses a Wish, she is reverted to a "lolita" form, where she looks and acts like a more well-behaved ten year old girl. To change back, Pandora always needs her slave Aoi around to kiss her and restore her powers.

Pandora's adult form can also "see" when a man is enslaved to a Gift and when a woman is possessed by one. This usually takes the form of an invisible chain around the man's neck, held by the Gift's host. By kissing Aoi and using the spell "Asich Ergalion!", Pandora can transform Aoi's soul into a giant mystical tool (such as an axe, gloves, fan, spoon, etc.) to "break the chain" and free the victims, who have little memory of their possession. The Gift takes the form of a putto, which Pandora absorbs into her own body with no ill effect.

Not long after they first met, Pandora declared Aoi was her manservant, and her repeated affirmations show it's an important thing to her. She promoted him from manservant to special manservant in Volume 1, finally culminating in the end with her admitting she loved him. She gets extremely jealous of anyone giving romantic attention to Aoi, and it sometimes makes her fly off the handle.

Aoi is a high-school graduate who, despite his punk-like appearance and manner of dress, is well-educated. He finds the adult Pandora's behavior extremely annoying, especially her habit of clinging to him constantly and her lack of any concepts of privacy, personal space, or feminine modesty. However, he recognizes that the Goddess is completely dependent upon him. He actually finds Pandora's child form much more agreeable company, since it brings out his brotherly protective instincts. He is on the run from his family, which is not only wealthy and prestigious but bears an as-yet unknown connection to the Gifts, though he says he isn't related to them by blood.

When he is transformed into a battle object by Pandora, Aoi's soul takes the form of the object while his actual body is rendered inert. In this form, Aoi also possesses an awareness that enables him to see the "chain" that signifies the presence of a Gift. However, he cannot move on his own; Pandora must wield his form in order to sever the "chain".

While he often gives in to Pandora's nutty ideas, it's clear he's actually very fond of her, although he cannot stand being called a manservant.

He also does not seem overly fond of Matsun.

Matsun/Matsuyuki is Pandora's guardian/mascot. He is a white cat whose only unique ability appears to be speech and an intelligence much higher than Pandora's. He has the speech, mannerisms, and personality of a flamboyant, chain-smoking drag queen. He divides his time between trying to vainly convince Pandora to focus on her mission and trying to help Aoi cope with his situation by giving him sound, if snidely-delivered, advice. Matsun can also "see" the chains between a man and woman that signify the presence of a Gift. In Volume 3 of the manga, Matsun is revealed to be an incarnation of the Greek legend Prometheus.

Maya Amagi is a novice Buddhist monk (apparently 13 or 14 years old) who had been enslaved to a Gift. After he was freed, he decided to assist Pandora and Aoi in their quest. Maya has a surprisingly effeminate appearance, which is compounded by the fact that unlike most monks he does not shave his head. Since he grew up in an all-female convent, he also exhibits some effeminate behavior despite his insistence that he is male. (Compare with Shun Kisaragi of Here is Greenwood.)

Suzuran Kabahara is the high-school senior niece of an elderly shopkeeper who shelters the quartet in Volume 2 of the manga. About Aoi's age, she exhibits a split personality: while she wears her eyeglasses, she's a properly-behaved schoolgirl; with her glasses off she exhibits a tough, rude, delinquent side. This latter personality regards Aoi as a dog and refers to him as "Jon", but despite her initial dislike of Pandora she eventually is able to befriend her.

Shunran Ibara is the younger Ibara sister and a famous singer. She is a sadist who has an obsession with eating the flesh of loved ones-- during a nightmare of Aoi's, we see a flashback of her saying she ate her parrot and even one of her maids. In person, she is polite and gentle; even Aoi acknowledges this. Shunran only started her singing so Aoi would hear her voice... but this love turns out to be part of Shunran's obsession. Expressing her desperate desire to "gobble him all up", Shunran accuses Pandora of 'corrupting' Aoi and keeping him away from his family. Shunran takes her on in battle with her Slave and defeats Pandora quite easily... though when Pandora goes to rescue him from the estate, they do battle again. This time Shunran loses and her Slave Bond is severed. Shiran takes her sister away, while Shunran spends the rest of the series as a kind of brainwashed/mindless doll controlled by Shiran's puppeteer, tragically ending her part in the plot.

Shiran Ibara is the older Ibara sibling and a well-known Japanese model. More cool and collected than her sibling, she is also very busy most of the time. Shiran was one of the choices for Aoi to marry when he came of age, though it seems he is and always has been closer to Shunran, though Shiran has shown a caring side towards her siblings. A while after Shunran is defeated and more Gifts have been dealt with Shiran takes the stage herself proclaiming that Aoi seems to constantly force her hand which is tiresome. Shiran was apparently responsible for turning Shunran in to a brainwashed doll before she took on Pandora with a similar sword to Shunran (Shirans is longer and thinner). The stronger Pandora was able to damage Shiran's blade, but found herself in a tight spot because Shiran laid down her weapon and goaded Pandora to kill her. When Pandora refused in panic, Shiran coldly stabbed her in the ribs calling her "A sweet fool". Despite her wounds Pandora was able to disarm Shiran and shatter her sword, thus severing her Bond, though Shiran remained defiant to the end. After her defeat she and Shunran are 'disposed of' by Sotaro and not seen again.

[edit] Gifts and their Slaves

The Gifts Pandora seeks are beings that possess women, accentuating their will to dominate (especially sexually) and causing those women to take men as their slaves. The slaves, once they are linked to the Gift, will obey her without question regardless of danger or humiliation. Each Gift is an individual being, whom Pandora knows by name.

Beginning with Volume 2 of the manga, the Gifts' possessors can also transform the souls of their slaves (along with the "chains" binding them) into mystical weapons with which to do battle with Pandora. A breaking of concentration will revert the slaves back into their original bodies and re-manifest the "chains", which are now vulnerable to Pandora's attack.

[edit] Themes

In her appendix of the first volume, Shamneko recalls coming up with the final title of the series (which had been dubbed Pandora-chan up to that point) while on her exercise bike and taking inspiration from the American sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.
IGN reviewer A.E. Sparrow cites the term lolicon in his article, expressing discomfort with Aoi preferring the company of the child Pandora over the adult one. However, there is no evidence at least in the material released so far in English of any sexual interest on Aoi's part, and some evidence of him viewing himself as a protective older sibling.
Transforming from a small girl into an older girl by a kiss is also a theme in UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie.