Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, HOW!? Options

[Shmeckie]

Okay, someone explain this to me: how can you take a series that is built from all the worst ingredients an anime can have, and make it so motherfucking great?! It's an anime by GAINAX... Hayao Miyazaki created the concept... Hideaki Anno directed it... So why the fuck is it balls-to-the-wall excellent?! I mean, hell, this is a GAINAX anime, and the fanservice is fucking MINIMAL! 3 or so episodes out of fuckin' 39 have any to speak of!

Okay, it might have something to do with the fact that the series is old as hell.

Back during the halcyon days before Anno snapped and turned all emo, and before GAINAX's sexual repression and batshit insanity took over their minds, they produced this gem. Set in the 1800's, and loosely based on the works of Jules Verne (mostly 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea), the series immediately evokes a Miyazaki idea by starring children. Specifically, Jean, a young french inventor, and Nadia, a mysterious dark-skinned girl possesing a gem known as the Blue Water. The series initially seems simple, as Jean quickly has eyes for Nadia, sees she's in a bad situation, and wants to help. Soon, she's pursued by Team Rocket-esque Grandis Granva and her two henchmen, Hanson and Sanson. Saving Nadia from them quickly leads Jean into further shinanegans, which quickly turn serious when they're rescued by the futuristic submarine, the Nautilus, and in their attempts to return to France, find themselves stumbling upon the Neo-Atlanteans, led by an uber-evil, badass mutha known as Gargoyle. These guys are fuckin' beautifully evil, and Gargoyle just oozes "dark suave," even with his Ku Klux Mime mask. Even Grandis and her boys find themselves entagled against these people, and old foes must join forces to escape Gargoyle and his apocalyptic super-weapon, the Tower of Babel.

However, all does not go as expected. The Nautilus, whose crew has been pursuing Gargoyle, appears at the island as Granvis, her henchmen, and Jean mount a rescue for Nadia, and the young girl Marie. Gargoyle's attempt to finish off his old foe ends with the Tower being destroyed after its cracking power core explodes, wiping out the island. Gargoyle escapes, and after some events follow, Nadia, Jean, and even Grandis and her men join the Nautilus crew. And that's only the first few episodes!

The storytelling in this is fabulous! Even characters that appear cliche in the beginning quickly develop rich personalities. For a trio that started out as Team Rocket wannabes, Grandis, Hanson, and Sanson quickly become deep and entertaining characters, while never straying from being the same three people we saw in the beginning (save their hatred for Jean and Nadia, which quickly goes away after the Gargoyle incident). Hanson and Sanson especially become fantastically developed. Never have henchmen been so entertaining and well-written! One of the best things about this series' storyline is that it takes things we've seen before, or could predict episodes in advance, and presents them in ways that still make us say "oh shit" when the bombs drop. Even if you called it from day one, you're still getting a rush when they say it.

Even the kinds of characters I would normally hate are great simply because of how they fit in the cast, and how they play off each other. Marie is your typical playful child who giggles alot, and doesn't understand adult matters. Normally, I would pray daily for her death, but her interactions with Sanson, and how it develops him as a character, are irreplacable. Nadia quickly becomes grating with her super-hippie ways. Eating animals is bad, you should never kill NO MATTER WHAT, science is bad, you name it. However, probably the biggest reason I don't despise this chick is for four reasons: she clashes with Jean's beliefs in a way that adds a dynamic to their interaction; she begins to see how the world really works, and her gradual change in several aspects of her personality make for good character development; many of her outburst later on are clearly her trying to convince herself more than lecturing others, which, again is good character development...

Probably the biggest thing that kept me from thuroughly hating this chick was something one of the characters said. Just as Nadia was becoming intolerable, Captain Nemo remarked that she "never had anyone to teach her how the world works." That one sentence put all her bullshit into perspective. Although she continued to irritate, I didn't hold it against her after that. The occasional slap to her face by a few characters during some of her more retarded moments didn't hurt, either.

And Gargoyle... Oh, Gargoyle... For a villain to come along and reach such super-special-awesome status, well... Well... *sniff*... I mean, TEASING a super-pacifist with death... Killing people in front of her, forcing her to watch him annihilate an entire island... Oh god, and the brilliant traps and attacks against the Nautilus... Not since Naraku or Sir Crocodile has a villain set up schemes that were just like beautiful art to watch.

Now, some people may be put off by the dub. It's old, and the acting is sketchy in the first few episodes. Jean's french accent is probably going to give some dorks on the internet a reason to bitch. However, it's not thick enough to be a problem, and becomes rapidly less cheesy as the series goes on. Grandis, Hanson, and Sanson may sound like 4Kids stereotypes at first, but as their VAs get to stretch their acting chops, those initially silly voices add worlds of character to them. Especially Sanson, who really makes that "pompous cartoon rich guy droll" voice really fuckin' endearing. The BGM also carries the series very well. It envokes the time period very well (I love the jazz number that acts as Grandis, Hanson, and Sanson's theme), and sets the mood very well. There's this acoustic guitar piece that plays during emotional moemnts that still sticks with me. Fantastic track!

So, people, do what you can to see this series! Buy it, download it, rent it, but preferably buy it!

This post has been edited by Shmeckie: Aug 22 2008, 05:01 PM

[Joker]

Is this the anime that Disney supposedly ripped off with their Atlantis movie? Yeah, I've heard tons of good stuff about this one. I'll have to hunt it down sometime. Do they still sell the DVDs in stores, or am I gonna have to look around online?

[Shmeckie]

Yeah, that's the one. And I dunno where one can get it. I downloaded it.

Also, I forgot to mention that the "island filler" sucks balls. Basically, due to popularity, the series was extended from its intended 30 episodes to 39, and in doing so got stuffed with horseshit done by a different director that, well, is ass. It sucks, though, because it actually ties in with the plot, and therefore isn't skippable... Episodes 30 and 31 are the only ones that mean a damn, but require the context of all the others.

At least the appearance of the Grandis gang makes it a little more tolerable, but damn does that chunk of episodes suck... A stain like that on such a great series is a crime against humanity, I say! But, at least it ends... And then things get good again!

I mean, damn, Nadia herself is just nucking futs in those episodes! To think that Hideki Anno would be the GOOD one in this situation...

[Yaoi Huntress Earth]

I've heard of this one, too. Where did you find the download, Shmeckie?

[Sans Rival]

This sounds familiar. Does this series happen to have an episode involving the invention of an escalator, or an episode where the two main characters get stuck on some island and the boy eats poisonous mushrooms?

[Shmeckie]

Yup. The latter was part of the island filler crap. Also, I downloaded it from a torrent site. Forgot which one; I sat on this gem for months before I decided to watch it.

Also, it's kind of funny; aside from episodes 30 and 31, the rest of the horseshit seems to have been largely disregarded once the series gets good again. Even the shitty two-episode Africa bits, which is good, because Nadia's sudden and brief crush on that native boy was pointless and retarded.

Also, even before he lost his mind, Anno had that habit of making "that one wierd episode". This one being interspliced with songs sung by the characters. Thankfully, all but one have nothing to do with the plot, and are easily skippable. And yay for the character devlopment at the end of that one.

Also, the more I watch, the more I love the Grandis gang.

This post has been edited by Shmeckie: Aug 23 2008, 12:40 AM

[Master of AFTER]

Never in a million years would I have guessed you'd like this series, Shmeckie. I've seen a couple of the beginning episodes just because Nadia ranks up there with DBZ and Akira as "essential" early anime, and even though I didn't think about it at the time, looking back, this really does seem like a show invented for the sole purpose of giving you something to hate. Even the feel of the series itself is very Miyazaki-ish, which I would have thought would be enough to turn you off after one episode. Glad you gave it a chance, though. I remember what I saw of the show being pretty good, and your review makes me want to see more of it.

[Joker]

Found the article that compares Nadia to Atlantis: http://www.newgrounds.com/lit/atlantis.html Though I should put up a warning that I think that article spoils a lot of the series.

This post has been edited by Joker: Aug 23 2008, 11:04 AM

[Serra]

Hmm. I'll see if there's anyway to download it if I ever get a laptop.

I kinda liked the Disney movie of Atlantis, but now I've seen the comparison I feel bad for liking it.

[Shmeckie]

OH! MY! GOD!

I just finished watching the ending! Holy shit on a cracker that may be one of the best endings for a series in awhile.

Spoilers below, but vague ones. I won't give details, but if you're super finicky, don't mouse over this next part...

The four part finale was excellently done, and the final struggle with Gargoyle was amazing. The end of the final episode was immensely satisfying, doing a "many years later, where are they now" kinda deal. A fine and happy ending, and you gotta love how things turned out for everyone. Even someone like me! I was hugely suprised with what happened to Sanson, though. Did NOT see that coming AT ALL. Nadia and Jean's outcome was very satisfying for a series like that (plus, get me into characters enough, and I'm a sucker for things turning out perfect in the end for them), and I impulsively gave a little "yay-YAY" fist bump for Hanson. Very nice ending for him.

Still floored by Sanson's future, though. It's not bad, but if you asked me to guess what his future was gonna be, that would NOT have been it AT ALL.

I cannot believe GAINAX was once capable of making a sensical, let alone immensely satisfying, conclusion. This series really is their last hurrah of sanity. And what a hurrah it is! Definately one of the better series I've seen in a long, long time. Even with those island and Africa episodes. Pretty sure the only time I've seen a better ending than that one was Cowboy Bebop.

Good, good shit! The kind of show I'm happy exists, and I'll be rewatching again and again. Definately gonna buy the boxsets so I can enjoy it on my big-ass TV. Plus, it'll be another great show to play when I draw.

EDIT: Because I love you, and because I got the soundtrack, here's a few pieces you folks just GOTTA have...

That beautiful piece I mentioned earlier. GOD it's good...

The Grandis Gang's theme. If this doesn't get your toes tapping and fingers snapping, kill yourself.

This post has been edited by Shmeckie: Aug 23 2008, 07:25 PM