Martian Successor Nadesico
Martian Successor Nadesico | |
機動戦艦ナデシコ (Kidō Senkan Nadeshiko) | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Shōnen Ace |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | September 1996 – February 1999 |
Volumes | 4 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Sci Fi Channel US: Anime Network, Cartoon Network (Toonami; Episodes 1, 6, and 25 only) |
Original run | October 1, 1996 – March 24, 1997 |
Episodes | 26 |
Related | |
Martian Successor Nadesico (
The series aired from October 1, 1996, to March 24, 1997, with a total of 26 episodes, and was replaced by the Pokémon anime in its timeslot.
In 2005, Anime News Network reported that plans for Nadesico 2 were scrapped, citing an entry on Stellvia director Tatsuo Sato's blog.[4]
Plot
The series takes place in the year 2196. Earth is at war with a race of alien invaders called the "Jovian Lizards". A company called Nergal Heavy Industries designs a space battleship, the ND-001 Nadesico. While the ship is powerful and its crew consists of the top civilian experts in their fields, these individuals tend to have "some slight personality disorders".[5]
The primary protagonist,
Production
The series features an energetic juxtaposition of comedy and drama, as the characters engage in lighthearted antics in between facing the drama of war. Many of the characters are themselves anime fans, and there is often comparison between the campy, sanitized war of the anime within an anime Gekigangar III and the much harsher reality that the crew of the Nadesico faces. The show intentionally includes a number of science fiction anime clichés, including time travel and alien invaders, but turns these concepts on their heads by the end of the series through a number of plot twists.
The show has been also described as a space opera.[6]
There are many anime references, particularly to the series who bases his entire life on Gekigangar III.
In an episode late in the series, the ship holds an anime convention complete with a viewing marathon of Gekigangar, people engaged in
The Gekigangar anime show is in fact an homage (and
Media
Anime
The Martian Successor Nadesico anime was directed by
Martian Successor Nadesico's opening song is "You Get to Burning" by Yumi Matsuzawa. The main ending song is "Watashi Rashiku" (私らしく, "Being Myself") by Houko Kuwashima, with episode 26 featuring "Itsuka...Shinjite" (いつか…信じて, "I Believe... Someday") by Kazumi Matsumura as its ending.
Manga
A manga series loosely based on the anime with a whole new story line and written for a mature audience.
OVA
A Gekigangar III compilation
Movie
A sequel movie called The Prince of Darkness is a 1998 anime film written and directed by Tatsuo Sato. The story is a direct sequel to Nadesico: The Blank of Three Years, a video game for the Sega Saturn that takes place immediately after the TV series ends, and before the movie begins.
Video games
Four games based on the series were released in Japan. The first game, released for the Sega Saturn in 1997, is entitled Mobile Battleship Nadesico. It is a dating sim game with a few mecha elements included. A second game, also for the Sega Saturn, was released in the following year under the title Martian Successor Nadesico: The Blank of Three Years. It is an interactive story of the events which occurred in between the television series and the movie. Released on the Dreamcast in 1999, Martian Successor Nadesico: The Mission, continues the story from Prince of Darkness. Finally, a mahjong variant game was released for the Game Boy Color entitled Mobile Battleship Nadesico: Ruriruri Mahjong. Nadesico also appears in games in the Super Robot Wars and Another Century's series, where the setting is combined with other mecha series' such as Gundam, Mazinger, Full Metal Panic!, and Tekkaman Blade.[14][15]
Reception
There have been mixed reviews to the series, although most reviews have been positive. One review written when the series was released on DVD gave it average ratings, commenting that while the show was dubbed into English poorly, it commented positively on the use of characters saying, "Despite his heroic calling as a robot pilot, Akito is remarkably approachable—after all, what could be more down-to-earth than a cook? Yurika, the world's most unlikely starship captain, may seem like a troublesome ditz at first, but demonstrates resolve and emotional depth as she learns the art of leadership. The characters may be billed as goofballs, but they also provide some of the most touching moments in the show. The Nadesico mindset shows that heroism and self-sacrifice are still respectable virtues, and that nobody needs to hear whining about why you can't or won't pilot a giant robot."
Other reviews have been generally positive, with one saying, "Nadesico is one of those rare series that has something for everyone. Comedy, action, romance, drama...you name it, this series has it (well, almost). What's even more astonishing is that Nadesico keeps everything tied together in a neat little coherent package, so much so that you'll hardly even notice the blend of genres. It's a pretty cool little package, too."[18] Another review praised the English dub, saying "I first watched this show multiple times in Japanese, but eventually gave the English dub a try and found I loved it. The cast is excellent, with Jennifer Earhart's Yurika being especially noteworthy. Even minor characters, such as a Jovian pilot played by Jason Douglas, give great performances. His reading of 'If only the humans appreciated life as we do, I would not have to kill so many of them' is brilliant."[19]
The series quickly became popular. The film won the Animage Grand Prix award in 1998.
See also
References
- ^ a b Osmond, Andrew (August 26, 2017). "Nadesico and Food Wars Released Monday". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
- ^ Bertschy, Zac (April 5, 2017). "Martian Successor Nadesico Blu-Ray - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
- ^ a b "Martian Successor Nadesico". Keyframe. Archived from the original on 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
- ^ "Stellvia 2 Cancelled". Anime News Network. 2005-08-10. Archived from the original on 2007-12-09. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ a b "To Go Like a Man". Martian Successor Nadesico. Season 1. Episode 1. 1996-10-01.
- ^ "Le Space Opera à l'honneur". Japan Expo Paris. Archived from the original on 2019-02-05. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ^ Goebel, Greg (2004-02-28). "Martian Successor Nadesico V1 (2*)". Vectorsite. Archived from the original on 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
- ^ "Character Profile: Megumi Raynard". Absolute Anime. 2006-07-23. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
- ^ Dungan, Mike. "Martian Successor Nadesico Essential Anime Vol. #3". Anime On DVD. Archived from the original on 2005-03-08. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
- ^ McCarter, Charles. "Martian Successor Nadesico (Page 4)". EX. Vol. 3, no. 1. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
- ^ "Elevator Action Anyone?". ADV Films. 1998-06-02. Archived from the original on 7 December 1998. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
- ^ "Right Stuf/Nozomi Adds More Dirty Pair, Gasaraki, Nadesico". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ "Anime Limited Acquires Martian Successor Nadesico on Blu-ray". Anime News Network. 1 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Greg (2006-01-26). "Mobile Battleship Nadesico, The Games". Archived from the original on 2007-05-20. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ "Super Robot Wars Reversal". Portable Review. 2006-11-13. Archived from the original on 2007-02-04. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ Santos, Carlo (2005-01-05). "Martian Successor Nadesico: Essential Anime DVD 1 (discs 1-2)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2007-11-18. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- The Los Angeles Times. Archivedfrom the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Huxley, John (2004-05-20). "Martian Successor Nadesico Series Overview". Anime Boredom. Archived from the original on 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ AnimeonDVD.com review Martian Successor Nadesico Anime Essentials Vol. 2 Archived 2006-11-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Anime News Service - July 1998 Anime News". Anime News Service. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
External links
- Kidô senkan Nadeshiko at IMDb
- Martian Successor Nadesico (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia