Well, I can see how people might see Belldandy as less realistic than
Urd, but although I can see it, I have to disagree with it.  I think that
most people here are mistaking reality for rarity.  Sure girls like
Bell-chan, who are more gentle and sweet than forward and direct, are a
scarcity.  And you can't argue that, the nature of beauty being what it
is, finding a -beautiful- girl who's still gentle and sweet is even more
difficult.  But such girls do exist.  Unfortunately we can't all have
them, but they are out there.
   Urd is a well-rounded character in that we see her impulsive side
tempered by a benevolent, if mischevious, eagerness to help.  She wants to
do the right thing, only sometimes---or most of the time---she manages to
mess up, not due to ill-intent, but ill-execution.  You can see this
teasing helpfulness in the manga in several instances, such as during
Belldandy and Keiichi's rally, wherein Urd helps Keiichi to recharge
Belldandy's power.  ("If you lose after doing -this- you ain't never going
to hear the end of it!")  In the anime it manifests in the fifth OAV, in
which Urd tells Belldandy to "go, you would anyway.  Come back safe," from
Keiichi's subconcious mind.  Even Urd's voice actress Touma Yumi remarked
on the fact that she liked the fifth OAV the best because Urd acted like a
caring big sister, a side of her we hadn't seen.
   However, I'd argue that Belldandy shows an equal believability.
Although she lacks the mischeviousness of her big sister, her personality
is equally well-developed.  It is impossible to prove, of course, short of
an interview with Fujishima-sensei, but watching and reading Belldandy in
action, it shouldn't be hard to speculate as to the circumstances which
might create such a personality, nor believe in the depth of that
personality either.  Belldandy is a quiet young woman who grew up in
perhaps the most sheltered of surroundings.  As such, her reserved mien is
hardly out of place.  Also, she shows a timidity in revealing her own
feelings which I think most, if not all, of us can relate to.  Keiichi is,
as far as I know, Belldandy's first love (and True Love, or at least I
like to think so, and have reason to believe Fujishima-sensei won't
contradict me on this one,) and reading and watching the way the two of
them interact reminds me of my own experiences.  Doesn't it remind you
guys of yours?  The uncertainty, the embarrassment.  In the manga, (and
I'm citing the American version because I've only just started collecting
the japanese,) issue "Valentine Rhapsody" when Belldandy saw Urd coming on
to Keiichi and she declared "Even if you're my sister, I can't let you
take my Keiichi!"  But still couldn't say it...  "He's my...my... my....."
my heart went out to her like no other anime character ever with the
possible exception of Akane sitting on the ice with Ranma's hand in hers
during the match with the Golden Pair.  (Much better in the manga, btw.)
If that's not believability, I don't know what is.  Characters create that
level of empathy because they create a link between themselves and the
reader, and you have to believe in the reality of that character to
believe they can be happy, sad, or hurt, and to care if they are.
   Anyhoo, sorry to rattle on.  I think that Belldandy's great, obviously.
Of course it goes without saying that she's my favorite character. ^_-

Signed,

JBPendragon
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"Raven dark but brilliant...in a malevolent sort of way,
With eyes glittering onyx and not a decent thing to say.
She dances in the shadows where others fear to tread.
And though she's a killer, it's her love that you should dread."

                                           email: bellsj01@student.ucr.edu
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