Rebecca's Secret

Starring:Amy Rochelle, Michael Baci, Lauren Hays, Avalon Anders, Estelle Bermudez, Charlie Curtis, Valerie Bird, Tony Sawyer Horton, Brenda Stone, Christopher Bennett
Director: Ellyn Michaels
Studio: DVD Ltd
Product Type: DVD

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Battleground (Vol. 4)

Average customer rating:

Gainax' finest work.
Reviews For Volumes 4 & 6
Get the real stuff!!!

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Battleground (Vol. 4)
Starring: Yoshino Takamori , Noriko Hidaka , Yûko Mizutani , Toshiharu Sakurai , and Akio Ôtsuka
Director: Hideaki Anno , and Shinji Higuchi
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

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( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nemo's Fortress (Vol. 5)
Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Dark Kingdom (Vol. 2)
Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - Aboard the Nautilus (Vol. 3)
Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Adventure Begins (Vol. 1)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nadia's Island (Vol. 7)

ASIN: B00005QAOX
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Description

In this volume, Captain Nemo orders the crew of his amazing submarine, The Nautilus, to gather food and water on a nearby island. Marie and King, a lion cub, take the opportunity to have a little fun in the sun, but they soon find themselves being chased by minions of the evil Gargoyle! A narrow escape from one dangerous situation leads the valiant crew of The Nautilus into a deadly battle with a gigantic Garfish, an enormous sea creature. To make matters worse, the American Fleet, who still believe that Nemo's submarine is a mysterious sea monster responsible for the sinking of numerous trans-oceanic vessels, continuously pursues The Nautilus. Join Jean, Nadia, and the crew of the Nautilus as they continue their underwater journeys in this exciting new chapter of this beloved classic produced by Gainax, the creators of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Customer Reviews:

Gainax' finest work........2002-05-31

Gainax Studios is something of a legend in anime circles, and deservedly so. Started when a couple of fanboys decided to go beyond being mere fans, it first created a couple videos for the large convention "Daicon", and then shifted into high gear, producing four works that are generally considered classics of the anime world: Wings of Honneamise, a startlingly realistic depiction of an alternative space program on an Earth that COULD have happened; Gunbuster:Aim For The Top!, a mecha-space opera which reaches scales of conflict beyond anything before or since; Otaku no Video, a self-parody and incisive look at the fanboy world; and Nadia: Secret of Blue Water (actual title would translate more as "Nadia of the Mysterious Sea").

Based on the world of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and using an outline created by Hayao Miyazaki (known for his magnificent works like Totoro, Laputa, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki's Delivery Service), it takes place in 1899, at the World's Expo in Paris. Young Jean, a genius inventor obsessed with flight, is present to compete in the heavier-than-air flight challenge. He is, however, smitten when a mysterious, dark-skinned girl goes by, and he chases after her. The girl, Nadia, knows nothing of her own past, not even sure of where she comes from originally; the only remainder of her past life is a huge jewel called the Blue Water. Unfortunately, the Blue Water is being sought out by a number of forces, and pursue Jean and Nadia from Paris to the open sea to hidden fortresses. Their adventures feature gadgetry ranging from simple gliders to a multi-formed Victorian steam-tech transforming gadget called the Gratan, and weapons from normal bullets to the mighty Tower of Babel, a super-weapon capable of wiping cities from the earth. Captain Nemo and his Nautilus play a large part, though their origin is different from that of Verne's original.

The music is first-rate, and most of the episodes are wonderful as well, with some being pure character interaction and others slam-bang action second to none. The only flaw in the series is the infamous "island sequence" which not only doesn't advance the plot but features second-rate animation and truly stupid plot (if it can be called that); this was apparently due to Gainax realizing they were running short of money and needed to save some for a while in order to be able to make the finale of the series live up to the beginning.

Nonetheless, this is a top-notch anime series, good for any age range, and worth viewing whether you're 9 or 90.

Reviews For Volumes 4 & 6.......2002-02-16

This page oddly is identical, review-wise, to that of Volume 6, so I'll review both volumes here instead. I will say, though, that the technical, aural, and voice acting aspects on both language tracks improve with each volume. The content for these two DVDs, however, are what distinguish them from one another:

VOL. 4: BATTLEGROUND: ***** out of *****

This is the third best of the NADIA DVDs; we are treated to more touching character development (Nadia disrespecting other people who have opinions different from hers about killing and eating meat, Jean's insatiable curiosity and love for technology and Nadia), terrific action sequences (a wonderfully paced and executed chase sequence in Episode 13 where Marie and Sanson outrun a mechanical walker), heartfelt moments (Jean painfully getting a glimpse of the dangers of technology when it claims the life of a new friend of his, as well as he and Nadia bonding throughout the volume, especially the last episode), and some truly imaginative artwork (the lost kingdom of Atlantis on the last episode). Definitely a nice pickup after Vol. 3, although not as strong as Vol. 2 or emotionally satisfying as Vol. 10.

VOL. 6: THE DEEP BLUE SEA: ***1/2 out of *****

The first two episodes are some of the best ever made in NADIA. They conclude the Nautilus episodes, and feature technically spectacular animation (an amazing feat for a late 1980's show), terrific music, and an emotionally charged climax which will leave one stunned. Unfortunately, the volume goes downhill in the second half, for we come to the studio-imposed filler episodes, ranging from mediocre to just plain awful. These first two episodes -- which begin a useless arc called "Lincoln Island" -- are filled with disjointed plotting, uneven animation, occasionally bland artwork, and some uncharacteristic antics from our characters. Although it might initially seem like a nice idea to extend the episode count from 26 to 39, the results here make one wish that the creators did exactly the opposite, for they threaten to sink (pun intended) the show. Not only do these filler episodes not suit the story, but screw up character development, waste time, and feature one too many pointless sequences for even any funny ones to hold their own ground. Be careful with this one.

OVERALL: **** out of *****

Volume 6 is obviously weaker than Volume 4, but don't let me stop you from collecting both DVDs, especially if you've been following the show thus far.

Get the real stuff!!!.......2001-11-27

This Anime-series is great!!!!! The story is a mix from 18th century lifestyle, upcoming 19th century technique, the story: 20.000 Leagues under the Sea from Jules Verne and a good portion Si-Fi.....
You get it all! The love, the submarine, the action, the fun and the tension of a fast-paced, hard-hitting storyline!
Thats FUN!! Get into the world of Jean and Nadia!!

Description

In this volume, The Nautilus journeys to the frozen shores of Antarctica. On board Captain Nemo's amazing submarine, Jean throws himself into his work in order to earn the crew's respect while he desperately tries to distract a distraught Nadia. For Jean knows full well that once they reach Antarctica, Nadia must confront Nemo regarding her own mysterious past, while still evading the dangers posed by the evil Gargoyle. Join Jean, Nadia, and the colorful supporting cast of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water as they continue their underwater journeys in this exciting new chapter of this cherished classic produced by Gainax [creators of Neon Genesis Evangelion].

Customer Reviews:

A few slow spots, but well-told and executed throughout........2002-03-14

Not as much of a masterpiece as Volume 4, but leaps and bounds ahead of the later weaker installments, the fifth addition to the NADIA series continues to be enjoyable and engrossing at the same time. Although the content here concentrates more on character development rather than advancing the plot, the entertainment value the first four volumes remains intact.

The first episode, "Jean's New Invention" may seem like a slow-going sidebreak in the story, but, unlike the dreadful filler episodes which plagued the show much later on, this one is effectively told, funny, and moving. We get to see more of the character's relationships unfold, particularly that of Nadia's with Jean. Nadia clearly cares very deeply about him, even if she doesn't know how to admit it (to herself or him); it is she who suggests Jean to build an aircraft (partially to bring him out of feeling upset about the events that made him miserable in the last volume), and, after scolding him for missing dinner (he had been working on the aircraft for her), she feels guilty and decides to bring him something to eat (a dish of seaweed, which Jean accepts... what a sweet boy he is!). And Jean, always cheerful yet trying to deal with a problem about whether to be a little more "grown-up" or seek advice from people he can trust, always has the answers to his dilemmas, thanks to some serious brain power and self-evaluation. He is the sort of boy ANYBODY would want as a best friend, and yes, a love interest. The episode ends with a touching airborne trip where a now confident Jean takes Nadia on his newly completed gyrocopter into the skies, and makes it clear that he will do everything in his power to take her to Africa... much to her delight.

The next two episodes are the highlight of the fifth DVD: a trip to Captain Nemo's secluded base in Antarctica. Here, the animators let their imaginations run wild. In the first of the Antarctica episodes, the Nautilus journeys to its destination, traveling through underwater icebergs and volcanoes, and, later on, going up against an aggressive Nautilus shellfish! (Hence the episode's appropriate title, "Nautilus vs. Nautilus".) In the second episode we're treated to more entertaining character interactions, but also on a spellbinding tour of the base. There are wonders to behold, including an ice chamber full of penguins, a breathtaking Aurora in the dark, icy heavens, and a museum of frozen prehistoric beasts which Nemo describes as "Homodinasonics... Saurians." The highest point of the trip is when Nadia is taken to meet Nemo's closest friend, an ancient (read: 20,000 years old!) whale whom she finds fascinating to talk to. She not only learns, from him, about humanity as a race, but an important clue which will become vital later on. This sequence rivals that of the Atlantis trip in the previous volume in terms of its striking visuals, imaginative marvels, and interesting twists on Biblical stories on the world's creation. It is moments like this which is what makes NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER such a fun show when it's on target.

If there's anything unsatisfying about the fifth entry, it may probably be the last episode. Is it terrible? No, it actually sets up the next two episodes which will eventually close the Nautilus arc, and it's nice to see Nadia overcoming her jealousy of Jean's friendship with Electra, especially when she has a conversation with the latter in a bath where she not only learns more about the Nautilus but also that she [Electra] considers Jean the equivalent of a brother she lost years ago. The problem is that it stops much too soon, ending at a buildup with no resolution and more cliffhanging, which is not terrible, but it does produce an effect that is good and bad. Good, because we get to see an even better two episodes on the next volume, but bad because it feels like an abrupt ending to such a fun volume. Plus, the fact that after these next two episodes on Volume 6 the show goes downhill, it does leave one feeling a bit cold and cheated.

Due to these above faults, the fifth entry of NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER is probably THE last volume of greatness to expect from the show until the closing episodes. So enjoy this addition all you can, folks, because it'll be disappointing to discover that the remainder of the show, save the finale, doesn't match up to what came before it.

Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Dark Kingdom (Vol. 2)

Average customer rating:

Action, drama, excitement, and more!
A 5 STAR DVD!
A 5 star DVD!

Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Dark Kingdom (Vol. 2)
Starring: Yoshino Takamori , Noriko Hidaka , Yûko Mizutani , Toshiharu Sakurai , and Akio Ôtsuka
Director: Hideaki Anno , and Shinji Higuchi
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Adventure Begins (Vol. 1)
Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - Aboard the Nautilus (Vol. 3)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - The Deep Blue Sea (Vol. 6)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nemo's Fortress (Vol. 5)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nadia's Island (Vol. 7)

ASIN: B00005MEUT
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Amazon.com

The second installment of this anime adventure gets even grittier than the first. Our intrepid preteen inventor Jean and his charge Nadia are sea bound after their first run-in with the Nautilus. A small island looks like paradise until they are shot down. They find a dark kingdom full of warlords turning the island into a giant power station while enslaving or killing the island's residents. One lone survivor is little Marie, who quickly joins our adventurers as they try to escape. The armed-to-the-teeth baddies make the bumbling Grandis (also stuck on the island) seem even more cartoonlike. Chases, gunfights, captures, and escapes are all part of these four episodes (numbers 5 to 8), but by the end we will have a new villain to contend with and a few secrets will be revealed about the highly prized blue water necklace that Nadia wears around her neck. Ages 10 and up. --Doug Thomas

Description

The last few days have been pretty hectic for young inventor Jean Ratlique. After rescuing Nadia and her pet lion King from the villainous Grandis, he's been chased; shot at; rescued by an American battleship; swept overboard; menaced by a sea monster; and rescued again, this time by a futuristic submarine named the Nautilus. Now he and Nadia are aloft once more, and headed for Africa. But the nearby deserted island isn't as deserted as it looks. And Grandis is still after Nadia's Blue Water gem. The adventure is just beginning!

Customer Reviews:

Action, drama, excitement, and more!.......2002-01-19

The second installment of NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER is arguably the best of the ten volumes (until Volume 10), and, even if one decides to stop watching the show by the time Volume 2 comes to an end, he/she will feel as they've watched truly first-class entertainment. There's action sequences, truly maniacal villains, and just enough emotional trauma to keep viewers engrossed. And each episode only builds one's interest, encouraging him/her to keep on watching until the grand climax.

It starts off with Nadia, Jean, and King (her pet lion cub) getting shot down from their aeroplane over a strange island. The two seem to be falling for each other as they work together to survive in this mysterious new world which happens to be filled with danger. Little do they know that Grandis, Sanson and Hanson have also ended up on the island and are continuing to pursue them. But the tables become abruptly turned when it is revealed that an evil cult organization is governing the island.

This organization is Neo-Atlantis, whose inhabitants constantly go around wearing menacing-looking masks, almost to suggest the Nazis or any other powerhungry army in real life. Its leader, Gargoyle, is one of the most unusual villains in any Anime I've seen to date. Like his fellow soldiers, he, too, hides his face behind a mask, covers his head in a tall hood, but he wears a red suit and black tie. He's not an over-the-top monster like, say, Wagnard from RECORD OF LODOSS WAR, but a cruel, calculating, misanthropic fiend obsessed with world conquest. He's also manipulative, sarcastic, and very deadly -- he threatens to kill anybody he pleases, and taps into other people's weaknesses in order to make them do his bidding. He even employs a supercharged weapon, the Tower of Babel, which can wipe out an entire island in one blast... much to his glee and delight. "It is glorious! The world will know the wrath of God once again, and they will kneel in fear to our authority!" he gloats as he observes the destruction of one such island, demonstrated by the power of his weapon.

In their efforts to stay alive, Nadia, Jean, and King encounter a little girl named Marie (an absolutely adorable cutie who is the spitting image of Mei from MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO), whose parents, we find out, have been gunned down by the Neo-Atlanteans. Marie and King are both captured by the soldiers, and Nadia and Jean sneak into the secret base to rescue them, only to have Nadia be captured herself. In Gargoyle's clutches, Nadia is brutally interrogated and almost forced to betray Jean by revealing that she left the Blue Water with him before turning herself in. Jean nevertheless is determined to rescue her, and, in doing so, finds unlikely allies in Grandis, Sanson, and Hanson, who are also captives at the base.

To reveal anything more would be giving major spoilers, but the buildup in this volume is so spectacular you'll wish it would stay that way throughout the show. (More on that in a later review, however.) The artwork is imaginative and spectacular for a 1990 Anime TV series, and the music, which started out as a bit bland, turns dark and mysterious, like the show. What makes this volume stand above the rest is that it can be watched as an individual adventure *without* seeing the first installment. It's suspenseful, action-packed, and full of interesting twists and turns which will leave you dangling on the edge of your seat.

ADV Films' second DVD continues to share the same great qualities as its predecessor, video and audio wise, even though the extras have remained unchanged. I spotchecked the Japanese language track, and while it's good for the most part, I'm not sure if I liked the voices of Marie or Sanson. Marie sounded too high-pitched and Sanson too deep. Fortunately, the dub does not suffer from this problem. The principals from the first volume continue to display great work (even Jean's French accent becomes less distracting as the show goes on), and the voices for the new characters introduced are well matched. Eleven-year-old Margaret Cassidy -- the third of the child performers which make the dub special -- plays Marie, and she does an excellent job sounding like a cute little girl. Her childish voice is convincing, her giggling endearing, her cries mournful, and she offers some of the best lines too. Cassidy's biggest moment, however, is to sound stressed and frightened as she recalls the death of her parents. This is a very demanding scene which requires a lot of emotion to pull off, and Cassidy truly shines here -- a rare feat for child actresses at any age. Gargoyle's English VA, David Jones, was the one voice that I found to be questionable. The problem isn't that Jones doesn't do a good job, but his inflections of Gargoyle are a rather different contrast to that of Motomu Kiyokawa. Rather than sounding menacing and scary, Jones instead comes off as casual, sarcastic, and arrogant. However, this is all in line with the character. If the dub directors were trying to emphasize his attitude a little bit more, then Jones succeeds in doing so. Despite this debatable performance, Monster Island's dub of NADIA is good work, and probably one of their most underrated efforts.

The quality of the show varied after this volume (the Nautilus episodes are on the same level as these four episodes, however), but the second addition to NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER remains a classic.

A 5 STAR DVD!.......2001-08-16

This is the best DVD i ever bought! The story is good! The characters are good! every thing is great! that's why this is a 5 star DVD!

A 5 star DVD!.......2001-08-16

This is the best DVD i ever bought! The story is good! The characters are good! every thing is great! that's why this is a 5 star DVD!

Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Adventure Begins (Vol. 1)

Average customer rating:

Good start!
The Secret of Blue Water
From simple beginnings ...
Promising beginning to an uneven (turbulent?) series.
On DVD at last. A must for Anime fans.

Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Adventure Begins (Vol. 1)
Starring: Yoshino Takamori , Noriko Hidaka , Yûko Mizutani , Toshiharu Sakurai , and Akio Ôtsuka
Director: Hideaki Anno , and Shinji Higuchi
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Dark Kingdom (Vol. 2)
Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - Aboard the Nautilus (Vol. 3)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - The Deep Blue Sea (Vol. 6)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nemo's Fortress (Vol. 5)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nadia's Island (Vol. 7)

ASIN: B00005BJEC
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Amazon.com

These first four episodes introduce a long, involving anime series that should provide a wonderful stepping stone for youngsters being weaned from Pokémon. Based partially on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water begins as Jean, a young French boy who builds airplanes, teams with his uncle to enter a flying competition at the 1899 World's Fair in Paris. It's there that the preteen Jean meets and immediately falls for the exotic Nadia, who leads an unhappy life as a circus performer. Jean turns protector when Nadia is chased by a trio of bumbling villains who are after the mysterious "blue water" in Nadia's necklace. Their pursuit leads to the open sea, where Jean and Nadia board an American battleship searching for a vengeful sea monster, ultimately revealed as Captain Nemo's submarine, Nautilus. This first series from Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) has some of the charm and rich detail of the films of Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke) but features cardboard villains that could be distant cousins of Pokémon's Team Rocket. Nadia, Secret of Blue Water stepped into the limelight in 2001, 12 years after its original production, thanks to myriad similarities to Disney's ambitious animated feature Atlantis: The Lost Empire, including period setting, design, characters, story, and a mystical blue necklace. Nadia has the added benefit of its scope, 39 episodes spanning 16 hours, affording fans many more adventures ahead. Rated 12 and up for violence, but suitable for ages 7 to teens. --Doug Thomas

Description

The World's Fair, Paris, 1889: a young inventor crosses paths with an enigmatic girl and her pet lion. Suddenly they find themselves pursued by a villainous trio intent upon stealing the magical Blue Water. Thus begins an epic adventure inspired by Jules Verne's masterpiece "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Join Nadia and Jean as they travel the high seas in search of Nadia's homeland and her past, their only clue the mysterious jewel Nadia wears. Can they unravel the Secret of the Blue Water before it is too late?

Customer Reviews:

Good start!.......2004-05-29

Before EVANGELION, the anime for which Gainax was best-known was probably FUSHIGI NO UMI NO NADIA ("Nadia of the Seas of Wonder"), a TV series which aired on NHK during 1990-91. The series was a huge hit in Japan at the time, but has since been overshadowed by the more well-known EVA, which is a shame since NADIA is a better example of all-around entertainment than EVA. Streamline Pictures made the first attempt at an English release of the series in the mid-1990s, but for some reason they didn't finish it, and so A.D. Vision - the U.S. distributors of EVANGELION - tackled the job of translating the series anew in 2000. And I think it turned out great - I've only seen the first four episodes, which I rented from my public library, but they've left me hungry for more.
I've seen a lot of complaints about the dub here. Yes, Nathan Parsons needs work with his French accent as Jean, and Meg Bauman's Nadia sounds a bit green in parts too (albeit very good overall), but keep in mind they were still kids when they recorded these parts - no one expects a 14-year-old to be a Shakespeare-caliber actor, and personally I think it was innovative of A.D. to cast actual kids as Nadia and Jean, rather than adults pretending to be kids. I don't believe that their performance makes the show "unwatchable" at all - I think it makes the characters seem more believable. But the best voice talent among the whole bunch is Sarah Richardson, the voice of Grandis Granva. Grandis is definitely my favorite character - even if she is supposedly a "villain," you can't help but love her. I also love Shawn Sides' purrs and growls as King, who is one of the most adorable anime characters I've ever seen.
The show itself might be a bit too intense for very young children, but audiences 10 and older might get a kick out of it. This definitely isn't your typical sugary, syrupy-sweet kids' show. It deals with a lot of issues you wouldn't ever see in, say, "Rugrats," particularly in the personality of Nadia, who is a strict vegetarian and a strong believer in animal rights. (In episode three where the ship is being attacked by a supposed sea monster, Nadia is concerned mainly for the safety of the sea monster.) There are also a few situations adults and those old enough to understand will get a chuckle out of, including a shower scene in which Nadia smacks Jean for trying to peep into her stall.
As for the production values, they're great. The animation has aged very well and doesn't look at all dated, and like his work on Gainax's later hits EVANGELION and KARE KANO, Shiro Sagisu's music is superb. The theme song is relentlessly catchy and has that late '80s/early '90s "feel" to it - it sounds a bit Paula Abdul or Madonna-ish - and the pseudo-English lyric "Don't forget to try in mind" always makes me crack a smile.
All in all, a very enjoyable series thus far. It's a children's series, but it's sophisticated enough that adults can enjoy it too. Recommended.

The Secret of Blue Water.......2003-09-17

The Series: "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water" is a lot of fun, but not without its flaws. The animation is very well executed, but also obviously done on a tight budget, with a lot of scans and loops. The characters are lovable, but tend to bicker amongst themselves too much. The story is interesting, but the writing occasionally goes south, especially in the dismal Lincoln Island episodes. All and all, though, it's a wonderful, innocent adventure, and it makes me very happy. While, at 36 episodes on ten discs, it's a serious investment in time and money, it will richly reward those who stick with it. The ending is one of the best I've seen in an Anime series, and there are a lot of wonderful moments along the way. It will also interest fans of "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "His and Her Circumstances", since this is the first series Hideaki Anno directed, and it's interesting to see the themes that will show up in his later work evolving here.

This Disc: The series gets off to a good start. Jean, a young French inventor, meets Nadia, a beautiful but temperamental circus acrobat with a pet lion cub and a necklace with a blue jewel (the titular Blue Water) that glows when she's in danger. Jean rescues Nadia from a gang of jewel thieves who want Blue Water with the help of a series of fantastic, if slightyl anachronistic, vehicles. These episodes aren't the best in the series, and the scale is a lot smaller and the stakes a lot lower than they will be later on, but they introduce most of the `good guy' characters, have a lot of great moments, and give a pretty good feel for what the rest of the rest of the series will be like.

From simple beginnings ..........2002-08-30

..., suffice to say this is the best cartoon/anime series I have seen so far. I am new to anime having only viewed Sailor Moon, Saint Tail, The Castle of Cagliostro and Cardcaptor Sakura before this. I have just finished the final volume and can only compare the story arc (being primarily a huge sci-fi fan) to Babylon 5's. Not in plot elements but in the way the story unfolds. It is a kids show and has some wacky moments to cater for them, however the story line which starts from the simple plot of a young circus girl pursued by jewel thieves unfolds into something incredible by the final volume. You end up actually really caring what happens to the main characters, Nadia & Jean and the rest of the cast. By the way, I loved the music and the "new" voices mentioned previously (having never heard the original), all were perfect to me with the exception of Grandis ... and Gargoyle's was brilliant, the sheer arrogance and belief in his own superiority shines through. A sequel series - please !!!

Promising beginning to an uneven (turbulent?) series........2002-01-19

A longtime fan favorite for many years, this 39-part TV series has quite a bit of secrets of its own, one of which I'll talk about before I start my review. In the mid 1970's, prior to obtaining his well-deserved status as Japan's greatest animator ever, a young Hayao Miyazaki was hired by Japanese movie giant Toho to develop ideas for TV series. One of these concepts was "Around the World Under the Sea", based on Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, in which two orphan children pursued by villains team up with Captain Nemo and his mighty submarine, the Nautilus. Although it was never produced, Toho nonetheless kept the rights to the story outline. Miyazaki would reuse elements from his original concept in later projects of his, notably the Sci-Fi series FUTURE BOY CONAN and the action-adventure feature CASTLE IN THE SKY.

Flash forward about ten years later. Animation studio GAINAX was appointed by Toho in 1989 to produce a TV series which would be broadcast on the Japanese educational network NHK (the equivalent of PBS). Miyazaki's outline for "Around the World Under the Sea" was the one which captivated GAINAX the most. Under the direction of brilliant but angst-ridden Hideaki Anno, the animation studio took the central story and setup Miyazaki had developed and touched it up with their own creativity. Thus, NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER was born. (Incidentally, Anno had previously worked for Miyazaki as an animator on projects such as NAUSICAA.) The show was a tremendous success in its initial 1990 Japanese broadcast; the title character, Nadia, showed up on the Japanese Animage polls as favorite Anime heroine, dethroning Miyazaki's own NAUSICAA, the previous champion.

The story, set in 1889 Paris, follows the adventures of Nadia, a brooding, dark-skinned circus acrobat who has grown up to become a suspicious, strong-willed girl with no clue of her past other than her jeweled necklace, the Blue Water. She refuses to trust anybody other than animals or the diamond, and acts aloof and uninterested when, on a chance day at the Eiffel Tower, she happens to meet a boy her age known as Jean. An ever-lovable, eager-to-please, precocious aviator-wannabe, Jean is easily the most likable character in the show; the sort of best friend or love interest ANYBODY would ever want to have. Nadia, by contrast, is not always lovable; as mentioned, she does not respond to Jean's friendly overtures when they first meet. But Jean, unwilling to take no for an answer, earns her trust when he rescues her from a comic trio of bandits -- the Grandis Gang (a smashingly funny trio consisting of the red-haired, short-tempered Grandis Granva, and her two accomplices, vain Sanson, and mechanic Hanson who threaten to steal the show) -- and unabashedly shows Nadia that he'll do anything to make her happy. Needless to say, Nadia's self-centered, anti-social nature slowly begins to change through her newfound relationship with Jean. The pair are soon thrust into an even bigger adventure when they set off to find Nadia's birthplace, supposedly located in Africa. Rescued by a US battleship hunting down sea monsters, and later taken aboard the Nautilus, the two, already fast friends, will have a lot to deal with during the course of their surprising adventure.

The above synopsis sets the stage for a promising beginning to a TV series which unfortunately doesn't always stay afloat. NADIA has twenty-two terrific episodes and the last five ones are equally fantastic, but the remaining episodes vary in quality. However, this is merely another story, as the show still manages to pull enough goodies out of the bag to keep us interested. Plus, the first DVD has tremendous entertainment value, so no problems there. The animation is quite excellent, bursting with wit and imagination, considering that this is a 1989 Anime TV show (most Anime TV series have, at the time, had smaller budgets resulting in choppy frame rates). Shiro Sagisu's music has its occasionally bland moments, but it somehow suits the show. Plus, the opening and ending theme songs (sung by Miho Morikawa) are gorgeous, too.

In July of 2001 (ironically, the same time Disney unveiled ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE), ADV Films released the first DVD in the series for new fans to discover. The visual transfer is very good, despite some minor nicks at points, and the audio is competently mixed. However, the extras aren't really anything special, just the creditless opening and ending as well as trailers for other ADV Films releases, which aren't bad, but they just don't feel like enough.

I should also mention that while serious hardcore fans would rather watch the series in Japanese, the English dub made by ADV Films' Austin-based Monster Island studios isn't bad at all for what it is. It was a very nice idea to cast actual children to play the roles of Jean and Nadia, and the results are quite pleasing. Fourteen-year-old Meg Bauman makes a wonderful Nadia, capturing much of her multi-faceted personality and determination. I also liked twelve-year-old Nathan Parsons, who plays Jean. His French accent isn't the greatest, but his enthusiasm shines through, making his performance very enjoyable, despite his slippery dialect. The two youngsters do great chemistry alongside the more experienced adult members of the cast. Sarah Richardson (Grandis), Martin Blacker (Sanson), Corey Gagne (Hanson), Ev Lunning, Jr. (Captain Nemo), Ed Neal (Jean's Uncle), and Jennifer Stuart (Nemo's First Officer Electra) all deliver good, solid performances. Lowell Bartholomee's adaptation maintains the spirit of the show and actually outshines the unpolished, awkwardly translated subtitle script. Granted the dub is not perfect -- aside from the accents, some of the incidental characters sound like they're warming up -- but on the whole, this is a commendable English track, and one to which I don't mind listening.

NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER may be longer than it was originally supposed to be, but there's enough to enjoy, particularly this first volume. It's quite a lot of fun.

On DVD at last. A must for Anime fans........2002-01-09

I first saw Nadia when it aired on TV in Japan at the end of the 80's. I was mesmerized then, and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy once I got back to the states. Only volume one was available on LD, and I thought that was the end. But now it's on DVD! I am thrilled.

Taking elements from "20,000 leagues under the sea", "Fushigi no Umi no Nadia", or "The Secret of Blue Water", as it's also known, is a wonderful adventure involving Jean, a genius inventor, Nadia, a mysterious girl whom he befriends, and the "Blue Water"--a jeweled pendant which Nadia keeps.

Description

In this volume, after months of playing cat and mouse, Gargoyle's forces have finally closed in on the Nautilus. From aerial battleships, the evil despot stands poised to crush the only opposition to his plans for world domination. Cornered by a fleet of Garfish and threatened from above, Nadia, Captain Nemo, and the crew of the Nautilus hover on the brink of disaster. Join Nadia and Jean as they continue their underwater adventures in this electrifying new chapter of the beloved series produced by Gainax -creators of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Customer Reviews:

Gainax' finest work........2002-05-31

Nonetheless, this is a top-notch anime series, good for any age range, and worth viewing whether you're 9 or 90.

Reviews For Volumes 4 & 6.......2002-02-16

VOL. 4: BATTLEGROUND: ***** out of *****

VOL. 6: THE DEEP BLUE SEA: ***1/2 out of *****

OVERALL: **** out of *****

Volume 6 is obviously weaker than Volume 4, but don't let me stop you from collecting both DVDs, especially if you've been following the show thus far.

Get the real stuff!!!.......2001-11-27

Customer Reviews:

Only two out of four episodes are watchable on this DVD........2002-08-28

Well, the previous volume of NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER was truly dreadful to watch (though the non-existant "plot" DID go somewhere toward the end) and a slapping insult to the show. This next entry has its moments (not to mention very nice extra: a text interview with Meg Bauman, the thirteen-year-old actress who plays Nadia in the English dub which warrants a read), but overall, it's barely an improvement over Volume 7.

Although the voice casts on both the English and Japanese tracks try their best, their efforts cannot compensate for the artistic, plotting, and scripting flaws the last volume shared which sadly still exist here. Although there are some lines which come off as funny, the dialogue is mostly stupid; the first 22 episodes had much better writing. (Add to the fact that the narration recaps are totally STUPID: whoever wrote these recaps which say stuff that didn't even happen in these episodes should have been fired. No offense to the English dub team, of course. The problem lies with both with writers Hisao Okawa and Kaoru Umeno as well as the NHK executives who forced the poor guys to write such terrible stories in the first place.)

As far as the content goes, only two out of the four episodes on this DVD are watchable (Episodes 30 & 31); the first one not only doesn't add anything to the plot, but just an excuse to show off more character stupidities and pointless sequences. Here, we see Sanson and Hanson constantly bickering like children whose cold war turns into a race involving two mechanical lions resembling King(!). Although some interesting information is provided at one point about why Nadia is such a strict vegetarian (and one amusing "999,999,999,999,999" line), this episode overall is wasted, misplaced, dragging filler crap. Grandis sums it up best: "This is getting ridiculous!"

The second and third episodes, although not without some silly moments and fourth-rate animation (Jean's eyes popping out of his head at the sight of mosquito bites on Nadia's legs; Grandis being seduced by Ayerton for wine; the pointless construction of a mechanical chariot pulled by boars), are at least not as offensive as the horrible Lincoln Island arc. Where things *really* get interesting is when Nadia and Jean venture into some sort of long-forgotten factory where it becomes clear that there is more to their island home than they thought. In a spellbinding sequence, Nadia becomes entranced by an invisible force and disappears into a dull wall, leaving her clothes in Jean's arms! Behind this wall is some sort of monotone alien-robot-computer voice which identifies itself as Red Noah, who has a lot to reveal to Nadia -- including the origins of her identity and the Blue Water. To reveal anything else about what new information is given in this engrossing episode would be giving spoilers. However, it may be daring to say that it culminates with a superbly plotted finale where Jean dashes to rescue Nadia while Grandis and the others take off in their Gratan. All the while, the island shakes in terrible tremor and starts to submerge. This is the highest point of the volume, and is enough to make one believe that the show will finally get back on target.

But then along come the Africa Episodes (Episodes 32 & 33). My God. I could not believe the show could actually get worse all over again after a brilliant episode, but regrettably, it does. The African village that our heroes land in is very poorly depicted: did the animators even *visit* an African village? Even more disturbingly, the new characters are *caricatures*, not real characters (especially Grandis's ex-fiancee, who is so one-dimensional that one wonders why Grandis even fell for him in the first place). Add to this a completely STUPID and totally irrelevant (not to mention utterly hopeless) plot and uncharacteristic antics far worse than anything that's come before, and you have the ROCK-BOTTOM episodes of NADIA. On a personal note, I really, really despised the way Nadia was portrayed here: as with the Lincoln Island episodes, her actions in the African arc completely contradict everything that she's ever done in Episodes 1-22. However, what really make these episodes stink is that the writing is bad. Not laughably bad. Not even painfully bad. I mean EXCRUCIATINGLY BAD. Wow, what a pointless sidestory. I personally wish that ADV Films had cut this part of the story (in addition to the worst of the filler episodes) out of the DVD release altogether. This is absolutely the HUGEST insult to an otherwise brilliant series. And the way that these episodes are tied up (in the first episode of Volume 9) makes the fact that they were ever written all the more ludicrous.

Description

With Gargoyle's terrible weapon destroyed, Jean, Nadia and the rest find themselves once again rescued by the Nautilus. Hot on the trail of a fleeing Gargoyle, the pursuers become the pursued. Will Hanson and Sanson be able to save the ship alone? Why was Captain Nemo so shocked to meet Nadia? What are the memories the Nautilus has triggered within Nadia? Episodes 9-12.

Customer Reviews:

Welcome aboard the Nautilus Episodes!.......2002-02-16

Although one may feel tempted to stop watching NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER after Volume 2, especially since it comes to a rather suitable closure, they'll be missing out on the real adventure that is just beginning. Yes, there's more to this tale than meets the eye. The third volume in the series begins the Nautilus episodes, which are ultimately what make NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER not only a pleasant inspiration on Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA but where it's heart lies. There are a total of fourteen episodes which span three-and-a-half volumes, and while they are much slower than the two-volume long opening and the five last episodes, they're certainly leaps and bounds above the filler garbage which plagues the show for about three volumes.

But what also makes the Nautilus episodes worth watching are not only because they're simply engaging and full of surprises, danger, and exploration, but we also get to see the characters and their relationships unfold. It starts out with Jean, Nadia, Marie, and their foes-turned-allies (the ever-funny trio of Grandis, Sanson, and Hanson), having escaped from Gargoyle's island, being taken aboard Captain Nemo's fantastic machine. Although they're at first kept within cabins and denied access around the submarine, everyone nevertheless comes to find a special place of their own on the Nautilus. Jean, in particular, is extremely excited -- after all, what better place is there to learn about technology and wonders beyond his imaginations than the Nautilus? He continues to be extremely outgoing and friendly, and makes friends with all the crew members, including Electra (with, in the English dub, a British accent to "accentuate" her proper, controlled attitude), who treats him like a little brother, and eventually Captain Nemo himself. Nemo (voiced with a mixture of remorse and moodiness by Ev Lunning, Jr.) is more obsessed with his struggle against Gargoyle and has no interest in children or new recruits, but Jean's ever cheerful personality warms his tormented heart and he comes to find a supplementary son in the young lad. Hanson, too, is excited, especially since he, like Jean, is a mechanic who wants to learn more about scientific marvels. He also has an eye for Electra -- even if she doesn't feel the same way about him. Even Grandis changes her initially harsh opinion about the Nautilus when she falls head over heels in love with Captain Nemo! She attempts to catch his eye (unsuccessfully) by cooking a bizarre platter of fish in one episode, then, in another, dons a rather daring (by 1880's standards) bikini. Unfortunately, this also ignites a series of heated catfights with Electra, who is jealous not only of Nadia, but Grandis as well. Their arguments are probably among the funniest moments of the entire show, and it's obvious that Sarah Richardson (Grandis) and Jennifer Stuart (Electra) are having a fun time hamming it up in these scenes.

Not that everybody else is pleased, however. Marie and King both get reduced to having a school session with Electra, which infuriates the former because the latter beats her to solving math problems (another fine moment for Margaret Cassidy and Shawn Sides, whose growls as King are nothing short of funny). Sanson's only concern, aside from looking out for Grandis's welfare, is showing off his new suit (even though all of them look the same). He also has a strong detestation of the rather redundant menu of meals on the Nautilus, as expressed in probably his best line on the volume: "Fish for breakfast! Fish for lunch! More fish for dinner! Every day it's the same thing over and over: grab a plate and eat fish, fish, fish, fish, fish, FISH!!!!!!!!!!! Overall, I... have to say I'm a bit tired of fish." Actually, most of the humor from Sanson's lines are made all the more hilarious by Martin Blacker's over-the-top goofy performance.

Aside from the somewhat slow pace, there are two other minor shortcomings with this volume. First, the last episode, although well told, ends on an unsatisfying cliffhanger which makes one greatly anticipate the next volume (especially if you've just collected this one and have not purchased the remaining seven). Second, (this is a personal gripe), Nadia herself can be annoying at times, particularly when she shows suspicion toward *everybody* on the Nautilus, especially Captain Nemo and occasionally throws temper tantrums for no good reason at Jean, who obviously doesn't deserve them. Fortunately, Nadia is intelligent enough to recognize whenever she's out of line with Jean (after all, she *does* trust him along with Marie and King), and does more than one reconciliatory thing to show that she cares deeply for him. The most moving part of all this is how patient Jean is -- he never gets angry back but instead forgives her instantly because he recognizes that she has her faults and needs to experience true friendship. This, to me, is where NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER's central heart really lies -- how Jean's constant kindness slowly teaches Nadia how to be a good person herself.

That said, the third volume in NADIA is among the "must-see" gems of this show, as there's plenty of character development, great artwork, and one great action sequence (Hanson and Sanson struggling to clear the Nautilus out of a deadly mine field set up by Gargoyle) which are too good to miss.

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nadia's Island (Vol. 7)

Average customer rating:

"Worst...animation...everr." (Imagine Comic book guy)
The Mediocre Island Episodes, Continued.
What happened to the quality control ???
great series

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nadia's Island (Vol. 7)
Starring: Yoshino Takamori , Noriko Hidaka , Yûko Mizutani , Toshiharu Sakurai , and Akio Ôtsuka
Director: Hideaki Anno , and Shinji Higuchi
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - The Deep Blue Sea (Vol. 6)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nadia in Love (Vol. 9)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - The Secret Cave (Vol. 8)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - The Prophecy Fulfilled (Vol. 10)
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Nemo's Fortress (Vol. 5)

ASIN: B00005UW7B
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Customer Reviews:

"Worst...animation...everr." (Imagine Comic book guy).......2003-10-20

Mon Dieu! (Heh, I'm not even French) Let me just begin by saying that the only thing that saved this Nadia DVD from getting 2, 1, or even NO stars is the fact that it's "NADIA" and I will stay loyal to the characters no matter what. However, this is near unforgivable in terms of animation quality, and, even worse, the awful concepts for the episodes.

I'd heard all kinds of complaints about these episodes online (I went on a HUGE Nadia kick for about a month, in which I went out and literally blew all my money on Nadia DVDs every week, and I'm happy I did it because I'm finished the series now), but I never thought it would be this bad. As I opened the shrink wrap, I thought, "Ah, how bad could it be? Maybe it'll just be really funny or something...Bad animation? Yeah right! I'll bet it's just dated-looking." My response to that now is: "What was I thinking? I'm an idiot for being so naiive!!!"

The first episode rather frightened me. It was alright through the beginning, with some funny moments regarding Nadia, Jean, and Marie's problem of finding water and food. However, I nearly choked on my own saliva when, out of NOWHERE, Jean eats these brightly colored mushrooms for no reason other than the fact that it was most likely a reference to some kind of hallucinoginic (sp?) drug. Dear god. The spores don't even move! I dealt with the fact that Jean/Marie/Nadia's hair colors and designs changed every other frame, but for mushrooms to be animated so poorly...*sarcastic* Just awful. ^^;;; In more than one frame, you can actually see paint smudges in the cels. I kid you not. Just watch Nadia's hair- sometimes, the glare of the camera that took the photo of the cel is showing on the painted surface of that cel. It's laughable. The kiss shared by Nadia and Jean after the episode kind of saved it, but not really. I was just in shock, and couldn't enjoy any bit of the humor or romance (whichever you think it was. ^^ I can't tell)

The next episode was a bit better, with Jean and Nadia kissing again, this time Jean was NOT high. Yee hah. However, he didn't remember the first kiss, and this threw Nadia into a very bad fit. *sigh* I enjoyed this episode the best, just because it left out most of the bad hijinks. Oh wait, I'm forgetting the incoherent and very strange sequence in which Jean falls from a cliff (what the-? I thought he was supposed to be smart!) and imagines a whole sequence where he invents a huge bomb (!) and a jet. Oh...please help me. I was so confused, and all I could think was "No way...he didn't just imagine that, did he? Jeez, this is awful. I think that those mushrooms are still taking affect."

Well, I'm going to cut myself off here, because this would go on forever if I don't stop now. You get the idea; "NADIA" is a wonderful series, with great characters and storyline, however this volume is degrading to the series as a whole. I can assure you; immediately after I viewed this, I was in such a state that I grabbed a piece of paper, scribbled "Worst animation EVER!" on it, and placed it between the plastic cover and the insert showing the title, so that I would remember not to watch it ever again. (See, it's bad, but I couldn't resist taking it with a little bit of humor) *blinks* *facefault* Anyway, I suggest skipping this unless you are a die hard fan. And I mean DIE HARD, because this tested my patience for "Nadia" more than I even thought possible.

The Mediocre Island Episodes, Continued........2002-08-28

At one point on this volume, Marie complains, "this is getting ridiculous!" She may as well be speaking for everyone else who has to sit through the seventh entry in the NADIA series. It happens to be the (first) weakest thus far, as the content consists of four more of the infamous "island episodes", which slow down everything and delay the important plot points.

The first eight episodes (and the Nautilus episodes) were slowgoing, yes, but they had their reasons, and were engaging to watch with deeply moving character interactions, exciting action sequences, an engrossing plot which maintains one's interest as each episode progresses, an ever-present sense of danger and imaginative marvels to behold. All that is gone in the island episodes, which consist of third-rate writing, uncharacteristic antics from our pals, and pointless sequences which not only don't suit the story, but threaten to sink the show, too. The animation quality, in addition, no longer has the rich, high-quality production values the aforementioned episodes have, but now look like the kind of stuff you'd see on a poorly made Saturday Morning Cartoon. Normally, I am not bothered by this, but in the case of NADIA, where it was aiming for higher qualities earlier, it is disappointing to see the same fate befall the artwork. This problem came about because GAINAX subcontracted the animation to other studios in Japan and Korea. Unfortunately, it also becomes an even more insulting characteristic of this DVD too.

There's barely any story to this arc other than just some badly drafted garbage written to kill time. While there are some moments that come off as undeniably funny (Jean getting intoxicated from hallucinogenic mushrooms) or endearing (a cute, yet not stimulating screen kiss), these are few compared to the more outrageously offensive "plot" the writers were forced to come up with. And where does this story go? Nowhere. All it does is reduce the characters to stupid antics -- Jean starts doing these goofy gags similar to a LOONEY TUNES cartoon, such as eyes popping out of his head when he realizes he has just stepped off a cliff... but doesn't fall until about ten seconds later. King spends much of the time dancing on a distant rock, waving palm tree leaves, by some sort of statue as if to pray for rain (What the Hell?!), and Marie, shockingly, chases the lion cub around the beach sadistically, swinging him by the tail and tossing him sky high -- RIGHT INTO THE SUN! (Problem: since when has Marie shown such malice six volumes ago?) Worst of all, Nadia is portrayed as a selfish, crazy, unappreciative brat, spending about half the entire volume bitching about how "eating meat makes you evil" and showing no gratitude nor paying any attention to *anything* Jean tries to do for her -- not even risking his life to find a cure for her fevers and stomach pains (all received from eating a decaying spinach can). She even becomes stupid enough to kiss Jean *while* he's stoned from the mushrooms, only to throw a tantrum uncharacteristic to anything we saw previously after discovering that he doesn't even know about it. (Hey, he was drugged while trying to save you, Nadia!) This out-of-character behavior also spoils a romantic interlude where Jean and Nadia are sitting under the stars with the telescope. It is also a far cry from what she was portrayed as in the first 22 episodes. There's even one silly dream sequence where Jean dreams that he's unveiling invention after invention before Nadia and Marie, who squeal excitedly (and repeatedly), "Amazing! You certainly are a certified genius, Jean! Great job!" None of this keeps in spirit with the story, much less work.

Doesn't all this just sound awful? Seeing it is actually far worse than even summing it up. If anything, this wretched Lincoln Island sequence (the first two episodes -- and part of the third episode on this DVD) could -- no, SHOULD -- very well have been cut from the story altogether. It does nothing to add to the show other than just weigh it down with a mess of futile waste.

Surprisingly, the remaining material is somewhat more interesting -- our pals discover a strange island floating on the waters where they run into Ayerton, the scientist from the U.S.S. Abraham. After doing a humorous (and tedious) recap of the battleship incident, he talks about how he ended up on the island and even describes the "Kings of Terror" he ran into. Of course, they turn out to be none other than Grandis, Sanson, and Hanson! There's even a hilarious "dummy" argument Sanson and Ayerton get into. And at least the plot goes *somewhere* -- the kids decide to stay with the gang. Unfortunately, the last bit of the episode then returns to the stupidities. Although some of them are quite funny, like Sanson's advice to Jean on how to handle Nadia (Sanson: "Do you know the one thing men have that women are looking for?" Jean: "A moustache?" Sanson: "NO!!! Power!"), others are depressingly bad and just don't cut the mustard. Sure, it's nice that Nadia tries to cook for Jean to make amends for her mistakes, but how could Jean possibly faint from eating her meal, foaming at the mouth for CHOKING ON A WHOLE FISHBONE?! This could never have happened in real life, and I don't think GAINAX would have written this sort of scenario if they had been on target.

Ironically, the quality of this DVD is similarly disappointing. The visual transfer looks jaded (no wonder; I bet someone at GAINAX tried to destroy the masters for these episodes!), for one, and the scripting on both the English and Japanese language tracks are horrible (especially the narrations), even though the voice actors try their best to cover them up.

It's nonetheless a crying shame to see this kind of material come from NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER. Especially since the previous five and-a-half volumes were so brilliant. Alas.

What happened to the quality control ???.......2002-08-25

This dvd suffers from the most film artefacts so far. Telecine wobble, out of focus shots. Minus 1 star.
Even stranger .... the characters look as if a different artist was hired to complete these episodes. I hope volume 8 will be different. Compare the drawing of Jean, Nadia, Hanson and Sanson to some of the earlier episodes, they all "appear" different. Minus another star. Episodes are:
25. The First Kiss
26. King, the Lonely Lion
27. The Island of the Witch
28. The Floating Island

If you've followed the series this far then you dont need to be told to get this volume and you would've seen highlights in the preview of Nadia's Island on volume 6. Some funny moments are Jean's dreams of becoming the world's greatest inventor, the "dummy" argument, King praying for rain and Nadia living off the land. If you havent seen any episodes or dont know what Nadia is about then check out volume 1 straight away.

great series.......2002-03-19

I can't help but say I have mixed fealing about this one; because, the eps. moved alot slower than the other parts.
However I still think the characters are better then most modern anime Characters, because I can't count on Hero Yu's I have
found in anime. Nadia and Jean don't have the same cookie cutter feel.

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Collection 1 (Vols. 1-5 + 2 CD soundtracks)

Average customer rating:

Best adventure anime created
The best episodes of NADIA in a conveniently priced pacakge!

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Collection 1 (Vols. 1-5 + 2 CD soundtracks)
Starring: Yoshino Takamori , Noriko Hidaka , Yûko Mizutani , Toshiharu Sakurai , and Akio Ôtsuka
Director: Hideaki Anno , and Shinji Higuchi
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Anime | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - Collection 2 (Vols. 6-10)
Nadia The Secret of Blue Water - The Motion Picture
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
Now and Then, Here and There (Complete Collector's Boxed Set)
Rune Soldier - Complete Collection

ASIN: B0001US5V0
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Amazon.com

This long, involving anime series should provide a wonderful stepping stone for youngsters being weaned from Pokémon. Based partially on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water begins as Jean, a young French boy who builds airplanes, teams with his uncle to enter a flying competition at the 1899 World's Fair in Paris. It's there that the preteen Jean meets and immediately falls for the exotic Nadia, who leads an unhappy life as a circus performer. Jean turns protector when Nadia is chased by a trio of bumbling villains who are after the mysterious "blue water" in Nadia's necklace. Their pursuit leads to the open sea, where Jean and Nadia board an American battleship searching for a vengeful sea monster, ultimately revealed as Captain Nemo's submarine, Nautilus. This first series from Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) has some of the charm and rich detail of the films of Hayao Miyazaki (who "conceived" the story) but features cardboard villains that could be distant cousins of Pokémon's Team Rocket. Nadia, Secret of Blue Water stepped into the limelight in 2001, 11 years after its original production, thanks to myriad similarities to Disney's ambitious animated feature Atlantis: The Lost Empire, including period setting, design, characters, story, and a mystical blue necklace. This set delivers the first half of the series--39 episodes spanning 16 hours--which is far too long, as the story runs out of stream in the final third. Two CD soundtracks are also included. (Rated 12 and older for violence, but suitable for ages 7 to teens) --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Best adventure anime created.......2007-06-26

The title says it all. If you can get past the old style of animation you will enjoy this anime's story and characters.

Also, if you liked Last Exile you will find that Nadia is just as good, if not better IMO.

The best episodes of NADIA in a conveniently priced pacakge!.......2004-05-21

Combining elements of Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA with Hayao Miyazaki's CASTLE IN THE SKY, this 39-part TV Anime series (which had originally been conceived, interestingly, by the man himself but produced by GAINAX) has proven to be a popular favorite with millions of fans since its initial 1990-1991 broadcast in Japan. In particular, Nadia, one of the most interesting (and occasionally annoying) characters ever to be realized, has shown up on the Japanese Animage polls as favorite Anime heroine, dethroning Miyazaki's NAUSICAA. Despite having an impressive fan base, NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER has had little exposure to U.S. audiences, but ADV Films has recently released the entire TV show (plus the infamous, ill-fated theatrical version) to introduce this charming, involving, and sometimes traumatic fan favorite to budding Anime fans.

What makes NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER so much fun are the characters that propel this action-adventure set in 1889 Europe. First off, I absolutely ADORE the main character, an endearing 14-year-old aspiring aviator named Jean; he displays an incredible depth of bravery, confidence, and brains -- he handles EVERYTHING by using his intelligence. He's also consistently sweet, honest, loyal, and compassionate -- probably the sort of Best Friend or Love Interest ANYONE would ever want to have. He treats everybody with kindness and respect, and, as such, everyone likes him, too. Actually, the primary reason why the show keeps us interested is BECAUSE of Jean.

Nadia herself, by contrast, is, as stated above, not always the most likable character in the show. She is the sort of girl who has her own share of problems and really has a lot of growing up to do. While Nadia is capable of showing goodness to her friends and finds herself falling in love with Jean, she does not know how to express herself to him. Nor does she know how to talk about her problems; she often reduces herself to fits of anger and frustration which, of course, damage her relationships (thankfully Jean is loving and patient enough to forgive her). Nadia has never had any experiences trusting anybody other than animals, and, as such, is socially inept. She's also, at times, frustratingly stubborn and impossible to reason with -- particularly when it comes to her rather shrewd opinions about eating meat, killing, and/or especially grown-ups. However, she DOES do a lot of things which show that she cares deeply about Jean throughout the show, and it is endearing to watch her self-centered, distrusting, suspicious, strong-willed nature slowly change as a result of her love for the boy.

The rest of the characters are richly created and developed. There's Marie, a cheerful and happy little girl who shares some of the best moments with Nadia's pet lion cub, King, as well as a howlingly funny trio of bandits who at first are enemies but later prove to be true friends -- loud-mouthed Grandis Granva and her "boys", vain, arrogant Sanson and mechanical nerd Hanson. Where NADIA feels like 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is that it employs the submarine, Nautilus, (and yes, the captain's name is Nemo) as a character. This Nemo is portrayed not as a cold-blooded killer, but a benevolent figure fighting for peace in the world who, too, suffers from his own set of mistakes. He is aided by his Bridge Crew and overprotective (not to mention easily jealous) First Officer, Electra. What's most unusual, though, is the series' chief bad guy, Gargoyle, a misanthropic doppleganger who desires world conquest. He hides his face behind a mask (ala Darth Vader), covers his head in a tall hood, and wears a red suit and tie. Manipulative, sarcastic, and very deadly, he threatens to kill anybody he pleases, and taps into other people's weaknesses in order to make them do his bidding. This mixture of his calm, soothing voice and inner malice makes Gargoyle all the more terrifying a villain, even when he displays surprisingly casual manners.

Yet for all its likability, NADIA does not always stay afloat. It gets off to a great start and for a while, rides high on a plateau of adventure and imaginative animation, but things get completely out of hand in the second half and do not return to its initial roots wherein lies its appeal until the last five episodes. Fortunately, the first five DVDs out of ten feature the fantastic first eight episodes and the slightly slow-going but nevertheless entertaining Nautilus episodes (Episodes 9-22). My one complaint is that the last disc on the set ends at an unsatisfying cliffhanger, leaving one anxious for more (and the Nautilus arc concludes on the Second Collection which then, sadly, delves into stupidities).

Also included are the first two soundtrack CDs from the TV series. Major kudos to ADV Films for putting together this convenient collector's set at a nice price.

I should also mention that while serious hardcore fans would rather watch the series in Japanese, the English dub made by ADV Films' Austin-based Monster Island studios is not bad for what it is. Three gifted young children, 14-year old Meg Bauman (Nadia), 12-year-old Nathan Parsons (Jean), and 11-year old Margaret Cassidy (Marie) all produce fantastic chemistry with the more experienced adult members of the cast. Granted, the dub is not perfect -- the French accents do take some getting used to -- but on the whole, this is a commendable English track, and one to which I do not mind listening.

The DVDs themselves have great visual transfers and the audio on both Japanese and English tracks are well mixed, but the extras are a bit lacking; the later DVDs have more meat in the form of the voice actor/actresses interviews. Presented here are the creditless opening and ending sequences and some character profiles, which aren't bad, but they don't feel like enough.

Description

With King the lion cub in the evil clutches of Grandis' former love, it will take everything Nadia and the rest of her friends have to save him! But something sinister awaits our adventurers as they finally draw near to Nadia's homeland. Dark forces from the past pursue them, while the last pieces of Nadia's heritage come together. Will her fate doom them all? Or is there someone that can save them? Find out as Nadia's magical adventure approaches its ultimate conclusion in Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water- Nadia in Love!

Customer Reviews:

Not the Best of the Series.......2004-07-28

Nadia is my favorite anime series, but this volume has a few weak episodes. Of the four episodes on this disc, 2 are weak and 2 are great. The first one is the final episode of the African adventure. The African adventure is a substory that doesn't add much to the overall plot of the series. In other words, it's a forgetable episode. The next episode is a song episode. Each character gets a song and the songs are played over a montage of scenes from previous episodes. I imagine this episode was made to cut down on production costs. Again, it's a forgetable episode.

The third episode , however, is a key episode in the series. In this episode, Nadia learns who she really is. This discovery is key in underdanding the superb ending of this series. In the forth episode, we see the heroic return of a lost character who was thought to be dead. This episode explodes with action and suspense.

Even though two of the episodes are weak, I recommend that fans of the series pick it up. You'll need this one to understand the last episode of the series which, in my opinion, has one of the best endings in all of anime.

Slow but worthy climb back into excellence for the series........2002-08-28

Let's all pretend that the infamous Lincoln Island and two African episodes (the last of which concludes on this DVD--in a way so bad that the fact they were ever written is all the more ludicrous) never existed. Okay? OKAY?!

Good.

After the unmentionably poor African arc wraps up, the penultimate volume of NADIA finally gets back on its feet. The second episode on this disc -- the last of the filler episodes -- a musical montage actually features an important turning point: Jean writing a song to confess his feelings to Nadia, causing her to think twice before she throws another temper tantrum for no good reason at him. Although it's better than the African episodes, this episode is hardly one of the best. I liked the songs and thought the actors on the English and Japanese tracks did great jobs delivering them, but once again the writing is pretty stupid, and the first five minutes (before Sanson, Hanson, and Grandis sing their song) -- which attempt to "transition" the bad material back to the good -- are regrettable.

After this episode (not to mention numerous other dreadful ones prior to this volume), the show finally gets back on the right track. The artwork retains the rich, crisp quality of the first twenty-two episodes, and the characters no longer act anomalously or stupidly. More importantly, the script on both the subtitled and dubbed tracks is EXCELLENT and completely devoid of the unbelievably atrocious writing the filler episodes suffered from. (One assumes GAINAX had these final five episodes ? in addition to the first twenty-two ? in mind all along when they began production on this show.) The only catch is that it happens only for five episodes. Yep, this chapter, in addition to the second as well as the remaining three on Volume 10, are the closing episodes of NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER. This can be seen as good and bad. It's wonderful that the show manages to finish off even more strongly than it began, but at the same time, it does feel somewhat disappointing that it comes after so much inferior filler garbage. On the flip side, if one ignores the worst of the filler episodes ? pretending that they never happened, in other words ? then it becomes easier to appreciate the final five episodes... especially since there's much to enjoy in them.

What's really amazing about the third episode on this DVD, in fact, is the way it looks and builds to an emotional climax with a heartfelt resolution. After our heroes disappear into some sort of whirlpool and descend into Nadia's long forgotten homeland of Tartessos, the artwork becomes black & white for about 75% of the episode. Only the blue light of Nadia's shimmering jewel, occasional red wavelengths, and a painting of Noah's Ark are in color in contrast to the darker images. This style continues as Jean and company explore the ruins of the kingdom and Nadia confesses her darkest secrets -- about her homeland, identity, burden, responsibility, destiny... and ultimately, her self-loathing.

The combination of an interesting artistic style, poignant scripting, and tugging at all the right heart strings, make this episode rank as arguably one of the very best of the show, which is saying quite a lot for this volume (especially considering that the first one-and-a-quarter episodes are pure dreck). The good qualities of Episode 35 are so strong that any issues one may have with it are probably going to come off as excessive nitpicking. Some of the "secrets" Nadia reveals about her homeland feel somewhat rushed (the writers COULD have used the filler episodes as an opportunity to hint at them), yes, but are still engrossing to hear. Also, this isn't really a flaw by any means, when Jean and company sing "Happy birthday" to Nadia on the Japanese language track, the song is song in ENGLISH("Engrish"?)! On the dub, Jean and his friends instead sing something along the lines of, "It's your birthday today, may all your wishes come true", which works just as wonderfully, but at the same time may be enough to address questions ? was it natural to sing "it's your birthday today" in 1890 rather than "Happy birthday to you"? This is no real problem, as mentioned, but it is a curiosity, nevertheless.

I'm not going to reveal anymore about this volume, for doing so would be the equivalent of giving more spoilers. Yet it will not be so daring to commend this volume for having enough good to outweigh the bad, contrary to the previous two installments. Even if the first episode on this DVD clearly belongs in the trash (and the first five minutes of the second are regrettable), the extremely strong content of this volume's remainder more than make up for it. And how does it affect the dub? Well, despite strong vocal performances from the talented cast, all that is wasted in the case of the worst episodes of NADIA, but when the show returns to brilliance, then, the dub does likewise. The only sad factor is that there's only one more volume to go after this, but in the meantime, avoid the horrid bits of this penultimate volume and start watching from where the good kicks in. You won't be disappointed.

Oh, and there is another cool extra: a text interview with Nathan Parsons, who voices Jean, which is not as interesting as the Meg Bauman interview, but still good and informative.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

The Nasty Rabbit

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Henry Fool [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Fat Spy

Armageddon