• Categories
• About

Martian Successor Nadesico

The first episode of Martian Successor Nadesico (機動戦艦ナデシコ, Mobile Battleship Nadesico) left me with approximately the same impression I got from Excel Saga, namely "my brain asplode." It turned out that was just the exposition, though, and things quickly settled down into zany comedy with hints of romance and drama to come.

Frankly, Nadesico didn't pull me in until the end of episode 3 (those who have seen it will no doubt know the scene I'm talking about), when it finally hooked me. Moreover, the aftermath of that scene is the show's first real drama, foreshadowing the reversal in tone later on: comedy becomes much more subdued and less frequent, while drama and romance rise to the fore. That formula is common among anime, but Nadesico pulls it off better than most.

Nadesico's plot sets out along pretty standard lines: gotta save the world from the forces of eeevil with an experimental new super-weapon, and a rag-tag band of misfits are just the ones to do it. But the presentation is far from standard: there's the aforementioned frenetic exposition, and the fact that the show clearly does not take itself seriously right from the start. There are numerous parodies and references to other anime, most notably the show-within-a-show Gekigangar III, apparently based on Getter Robo (which I admittedly have not seen). Several of the characters are hardcore Gekigangar otaku, including the protagonist Tenkawa Akito and the lunatic Yamada Jiro, who insists on calling himself "Daigoji Gai" for some reason.

Nadesico's crew are all memorable in fact, quite a feat given the large number of them. Well, except for Aoi Jun; I didn't even remember he existed until I read the show's Wikipedia entry. That's actually quite appropriate in his case, though, given his role as perpetual second-fiddle to Akito. In any case, the voice acting is quite good, especially for Hoshino Ruri (who deserves a character design award for stealing the show so well). I did dislike Akito's angstiness, however; I think Shinji of Evangelion used up all my tolerance for that already.

Nadesico's music is solid though not outstanding, excepting the stand-out opening theme "You Get To Burning" and, ironically, Gekigangar's opening theme "Let's Go Gekigangar III." The art is of consistently high quality and distinctive style, though that style shows Nadesico's age somewhat; the animation is also smooth and fluid, with no obvious shortcuts.

Unfortunately, Nadesico's ending leaves quite a few ends unsatisfyingly loose; there is a movie sequel, but it does not in any way bring closure. Supposedly there are novels and/or games bridging the gap between the show and the movie, but I have heard nothing more of them than their supposed existence. I don't think the lack of closure is enough to ruin the ending, though; aside from the loose ends, it's actually pretty good.

I recommend watching Nadesico at least through the end of episode 3; you can gauge how well you'll like the rest of it by that point. The show swings wildly between over-the-top comedy, action, drama and romance; but all the elements mesh to form something unique that earns Martian Successor Nadesico its high reputation.