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Fan Fact:

For the first episode, there are two different versions of the opening credits.

Broadcast Version: During the battle for Mars, the opening theme plays during the battle, and shows the credits.

Laserdisc Version: The battle for Mars plays out, and the standard opening credits start after the Chulip crashes on a Martian city.

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Martian Successor Nadesico

Essential Anime Collection Volume 1

Review by Matthew Anderson

26 Episode TV Series

Company: ADV Films

Running Time: 100 minutes

Region: 1

Rated: PG-13 for violence, language

EXTERNAL EXAM

In the future, mankind has expanded to the Moon and Mars. With advance teraforming techniques, they have colonized these barren world thanks to the Nergal Corporation. It seems that mankind is ensuring its place in the universe.

That is until the Jovian Lizards attack. Using giant hyperspace jump ports called Chulips, they send a massive fleet to conquer Mars. In response, the United Nations sends an attack force to counter the arrival of this alien army. Unfortunately, they are impotent to stop the Jovians, and both Mars and the Moon fall to them. Faced with utter defeat, the United Nations erects a barrier system, but not before Chulips are deposited on Earth.

One year later, the Nergal Corporation launches it's own battleship, the Nadesico, to find out what happened to their investments on Mars and the Moon. However, since the UN Space Forces won't help, the Nadesico is staffed by a civilian crew.

They are the only hope Earth has against the Jovians.

To bad the captain of the ship is nut-bar, their main pilot is a cook with woman problems, and the rest of the crew are a bunch of social misfits.

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: No real changes have been made to the video. The colors are sharp, and the motion is fluid. There are no noticeable pixels or wrinkles.

AUDIO: The English 5.1 track has had some improvements. The sound is crisp and rich, and thanks to some additional audio effects (echoes, reverb), it has more depth. The Japanese 2.0 track is pretty decent, but it sounds a little muffled. The music and the dialogue are evenly mixed, but there is not a lot of surround sound elements on either versions.

The audio commentary on the first episode is a little weird. You can hear the commentators well enough, but the English dub audio dips in and out. It's a little annoying.

EDITS: The opening title has been replaced with an new modified English version. For Episode one, they use the Japanese home video version instead of the original broadcast version.

In a reverse edit, all the crappy overlays and freeze frames on the monitors from the original release has been removed.

EXTRAS: What extras there are have been spread out on the two disks. On the first volume, there is an audio commentary with Director Matt Greenfield, Mark X Laskowski (Jun), John Swasey (Uribatake), and Brett Weaver (Gai). On the second disc, there is the textless open and close, production sketch gallery, and character info.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: This series is a strange combination of drama and comedy. On the one side, you have great robot battles, and way cool space battles. On the other side, you have goofball pilots, a self absorbed captain, and a scared ships cook that is a part-time pilot. Full of anime in-jokes, complex sci-fi, and slapstick, the team of writers worked overtime to bring us interesting stories, and characters you care about.

ACTING: The English cast does a fantastic job. "Evangelion" alum Spike Spencer does a great Akito, although he screams a little too much for my taste. Our favorite voice is Brett Weaver as Gai Daigoji. He had us in stitches. We can see why he was picked to voice Nabeshin in "Excel Saga".

The Japanese cast does a superb job as well. Some of the jokes are verbal, and just don't work as well in the English. Each actor adds the right blend of comedy and drama to their roles. Besides, "Cross Crash" sounds better in Japanese.

FAN SERVICE: Not a lot of fan service in this series. Mostly short skirts and bouncing breasts.

FINAL EXAM

Little did anyone know that when "Martian Successor Nadesico" hit the airwaves in the mid 1990's a classic was born. The excellent animation, the superb characterization, and the inventive mechanical design all cemented it's place in anime history. Now, ADV has brought this definitive anime back to the forefront as part of their "Essential Anime Collection".

The first seven episodes cover what we at DVJ call the "Return To Mars" story arc. Our hero is Akito Tenkawa, the only survivor of the Mars attack by the Jovians. One day, he runs into old childhood friend Yurika who has just been named captain of the civilian battleship Nadesico. Attempting to return some items she dropped, he is conscripted as a cook and temp pilot because he has received nano-control injections. As he explores the ship, Akito meets the rather quirky crew, including Astevalis pilot Gai Daigoji, a giant robot anime obsessed fan boy. It isn't long before the two of them are forced to fend off not only the Jovian Lizards, but the UN Forces as well.

Episode 8 marks the start of the second act, collectively known as "The Nadesico's U.N. Diaries". These two episodes have the Nadesico returning from Mars to some very interesting changes. We are also introduced to a new pair of characters, Pilot Nagare Akatsuki and Helmswoman Erina Kinjou Won, who seem to know more than everyone in the world.

The biggest part of Nadesico's appeal is the characters. Sure they are a little quirky (or as System Operator Rui is fond of saying "They're idiots!") but each one has their own hopes and desires. Akio doesn't want to fight, he wants to be a cook. Yurika only wants to do the right thing, but can't get past her own doubts. Even rabid fan boy Gai has a desire, to pilot a giant robot like his hero. As the series progresses, we see the entire cast grow and develop, bonding us to these lovable losers.

Another thing that makes Nadesico so interesting is that it could switch from ultra serious to comedic in a flash. Cool or deeply emotional scenes will be interrupted by sight gags, off handed remarks, or in some cases, bad puns. This show will keep you on your toes.

For many of you fans out there, the big question on your mind may be whether or not this re-release is worth getting. The answer is not an easy one.

First off, the positives. The 2.0 English audio has been remixed with cooler audio effects and sounds. The directors commentary on episode one is very entertaining. The montage of production sketches are pretty neat too. For all you purists out there, the horrific computer screen overlays have been removed. No more crappy freeze frames either.

Perhaps the best part of this DVD, you get 9 episodes (two discs) for the low price of $20. That's $10 a disc! If you passed on this title before because of the price, now you have no excuse!

However, there are some negatives. The video is exactly the same as the original version, there is no 5.1 audio mix, the extras are lame (one episode of audio commentary, come on), and the opening has been redone, but not for the better. If you were expecting the "Essential Anime" version to be a vast improvement on the original edition, it isn't.

For you new fans, picking up a copy of the Essential Anime Collection of "Martian Successor Nadesico" is a no brainier. You must go get it! For those who have the original version, you have some serious contemplating to do.

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