Set in 1889, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is about an orphaned 14-year old
girl named... Nadia. She makes a living as a circus acrobat, and her past is a mystery even to
herself. Nadia has in her possession a gem called Blue Water which is much sought after
by a bunch of thieves.
We first meet Nadia as she is fleeing from the thieves and rescued by a French
boy named Jean, a 14-year old inventor who basically fell in love with Nadia
at first sight. Jean decides to be her guardian and constant companion henceforth.
The chase eventually leads to the Atlantic Ocean where they are picked up by
Captain Nemo. Much adventure (and some romance) ensues, as the fate of the world
hangs in the balance until the Secret of Blue Water is revealed...
Review: Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is very loosely based on the Jules Verne
classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". I can assure you there is no Nadia or Jean in Verne's novel.
Captain Nemo and his high tech submarine the Nautilus are there but that's
about it, most elements of Verne's story have been jettisoned in favor of
Gainax's own concepts.
This is not such a crass idea though as Gainax did have a good story to tell,
and Disney had already made a classic live action movie in the 60's based on
Verne's novel, so an anime version of the same would seem superfluous.
Nadia is a very entertaining and wholesome series. It is quite addictive as it
is one continuous saga rather than episodic in structure, and the
well-developed characters are worth rooting for.
The lead characters are appealing and more complex compared to those in most
anime series.
I am particularly fond of Jean, who is honest, dedicated, clumsy, naive and
yet at the same time very bright.
Nadia herself is temperamental, stubborn, and yet has a sweet and caring
nature (very pretty too, I think ^^).
There are many unexpected twists and turns throughout the series and the
characters that we are initially led to believe are "bad guys" turn out
to be not so bad after all, and are in fact very amusing.
When the real hyper-dastardly villain does show up, he makes Saddam Hussein
look like Santa Claus.
A lot of humor is infused throughout the series, except in the last few
episodes when the world is in serious peril and nobody is in the mood to goof
around.
The middle of the series does sag a little at times, especially when they are
all cooped up in the Nautilus, but something new is always happening to
resuscitate our wavering attention.
The art and animation are excellent, as is characteristic of a Gainax-produced
anime. The way the characters are drawn is slightly similarity to the style employed
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Miscellanies: Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water
Evangelion fans who may be looking for profound life-changing subtexts are unlikely
to find any such enlightenment here.
I'd suggest reading the I-Ching, Freud, or the Bible instead. Nadia spans 39
episodes.
Fushigi no Umi no Nadia (Nadia: Secret of Blue Water) | |
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 39 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Apr 13, 1990 to Apr 12, 1991 |
| Producers | NHK, Sogo Vision, Streamline Pictures |
| Studio | Gainax |
| Rating | PG-13 - Teens 13 or older |
| Themes | Historical |
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