Martian Successor Nadesico Volume 1: Chronicle 1 - DVDvisionJapan.com
- DVDvisionJapan.com
- 10/01/01
- click here
SUMMARY
In the future, mankind has expanded to the Moon and Mars. With advance teraforming techniques, they have colonized these barren world thanks to the guidance of the Nergal Corporation. It seems that mankind is ensuring its place in the universe.
That is until the Jovian Lizards attack. Using giant ships 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 perceived alien army. Unfortunately, they are impotent to stop them, and both Mars and the Moon fall to them. Faced with utter defeat, they erect a barrier system, but not before hyperspace jump ports called Chulips are deposited on Earth.
Now it is one year later, and the Nergal Corporation has created 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 ship is full of total nutcases.
DVD VISION TEST
VIDEO: The DVD quality is excellent. Having seen this series on television, the DVD is a vast improvement. It's colors are sharp, and the motion is fluid. There are no noticeable pixels or wrinkles.
AUDIO: Good on the the English 2.0 track. The sound is crisp and rich. The Japanese 2.0 track is pretty decent, but it sounds a little muffled. The music and the dialogue are evenly mixed, but there are not a lot of surround sound elements.
EDITS: The opening title has been replaced with an English version. Also, on episode one, they are using the original broadcast version, not the redone home video version.
EXTRAS: Textless open and close, translators notes (which are quite informative) and some 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 also a pilot. Full of anime in-jokes, complex sci-fi, and slapstick, the team of writers have given us a very unique series.
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. Ourfavorite voice is Brett Weaver as Gai Daigoji. He had us in stitches. We can see why he was picked to voice Nabeshin in 'Excell 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 fanservice in this series. Mostly short skirts and bouncing breasts.
CONCLUSION
When I first saw this series in Japan, I was expecting a well animated space drama. Kia Asamiya and his Studio Tron folks were well known for their series like 'Dark Angel' and 'Silent Mobius' both dramas. So, when Akito burns his hand in the first episode, I was shocked to realize that this was a comedy, with dramatic elements.
These episodes center mostly on Akito Tenkawa. Apparently, the only survivor of the attack on Mars by the Jovians, he has made it to Earth and attempts to make a living as a cook. Unfortunately for him, he has a nano injected feedback control in his right hand. Since pilots are the only ones on Earth with them, people think Akito is a coward pilot.
Akito's misfortune changes, if not for the better, when he runs into childhood friend Yurika, captain of the civilian battleship Nadesico. Attempting to return some items she dropped, he is conscripted as a cook and as a temp pilot by the ships company rep, Prospector.
Now, the UN military want's the most powerful battle ship in their hands, and they will try anything to get it. Fortunately, Akito has met Gai Daigoji, a giant robot anime obsessed fanboy, and the two of them manage to hold of the UN forces. Then the fun really starts.
When I first saw Nadesico, I was unhappy upon my discovery that it was a comedy. Most of it had been based on a pre conceived notion that the advertisements for the Laser Disc release made it appear the Nadesico was a drama. Now, it is a few years later and my anime library has increased. Consequently, I understand most of the jokes now, and along with the English dub, Nadesico is by far one of the best out there.
What is it about Nadesico that makes it so good. Everything about it. From the excellent animation, to the writing, to the inventive mechanical design, this series screams quality. Occasionally, the animation is a little substandard, but it's really a non-issue.
The writing is going to throw the casual anime fan off a bit, because of the number of anime in jokes. The word play may also add to your confusion. As the translator says in his notes, since they are based on Japanese word play, its very difficult to translate them into something people would understand. Don't let it detract from your enjoyment.
I would not recommend this series for the new fan, though you can still enjoy it, despite the in-jokes. Older, more traveled anime fans should make sure that this isa part of your anime collection.
Posted on Monday, October 01, 2001 (Archive on Thursday, November 01, 2001)