Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Desslok
My frustrating love/hate relationship with Anno and Gainax continues with Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. The series starts REALLY strong. The mystery surrounding Nadia is compelling, her interaction with Jean is fun, and the 1800s Jules Verne-inspired adventure kept my eyes glued to the screen. The world is interesting, and the series has the feeling that it is building toward something special.
And then the island episodes hit and kill the series stone dead.
Look, the occasional filler episode or two is fine. I love the old-school Fist of the North Star, and that show is infamous for recap episodes. But the Island Episodes go on for far too long, completely disrupt the pacing, and, worst of all, torpedo Nadia as a character. She goes from occasionally abrasive but generally earnest to…
Read at the sourceSCLFI
The character of Captain Melville only appears in one episode of Nadia, and does little to affect the story’s overall outcome. Despite such a short-lived presence, he maintains a restless aggression that ensures he lives up to his namesake. In this regard, Melville becomes representative of Nadia’s artistic intentions as a whole, which forwards intensity and operatic feeling over any other concern. Its narrative design is informed by its intertextuality, taking direct inspiration from the works of Jules Verne, and a broader level of influence from Space Battleship Yamato, with its convergence of futurism and anachronism.
Directed by Hideaki Anno and with music by Shiro Sagisu, much of the soundtrack sounds almost identical to the same pieces that Sagisu would later use on Evangelion; cert…
Read at the sourceshovelkun_
Really great adventure story that shouldn't be overlooked because of a few production problems. Some episodes have some issues with filler or rushed animation but they can be safely skimmed through or skipped if you want. Overall it's great. Characters have interesting personalities, relationships, and development, animation is good outside the aforementioned exceptions, and the action is fun to watch. There are a lot of cool scenes showcasing sci-fi tech and semi-realistic ship combat too, if you like that kind of thing. The story is fun and has some surprisingly impactful moments despite the usual cartoonish and light-hearted tone. Captain Nemo and the antagonist Gargoyle are probably my favorite characters, they have a great dynamic and a lot of fun scenes and battles throughout the ani…
Read at the sourcespacenewtype
What a wonderful show full of adventure, discovery, and relationships. This story follows the titular Nadia and a young inventor, Jean, as they get caught up in a spanning adventure that takes them across the ocean, under the waves, and through the skies in search of Nadia's past all the while discovering more about each other and, more importantly, themselves.
The character relationships of the cast are dynamic and really change over time. The animation is beautiful to behold; there are great elements of mecha and magic present in the show... I hesitate to say much more as don't want to spoil the experience of the story. It really is a treat to experience for the first time. Overall a beautiful mix of light and dark elements.
The narrative is all tied up in a bombastic and exciting conc…
Read at the sourceMikaelX
Full disclosure: I did not watch the 39 episode anime, I watched the 30th Anniversary fan edit, which converted the 16+ hours series into a trilogy of movies of less than 6 hours in total. A lot of people who presumably saw both say this is the way to go, and I guess they're probably right, because this shortened edit worked very well as a "director's cut". And I can definitely see how the story would suffer from adding 10+ more hours of pointless filler...
The anime is not perfect (its age shows!), but it's very charming and full of surprise plot twists that kept my interest all the way through. So instead of complaining about the weaknesses I'll just applaud its strengths.
First and foremost, it's the charm that carries this show! The characters are very simple, but in an earnest and e…
Read at the sourceDISKOWN
Fushigi no Umi no Nadia is a series marred by an abrupt mid-season change in direction that disrupts the established quality and tone. This deviation spans roughly 10 episodes, constituting approximately a quarter of the entire anime, which somewhat detracts from the overall experience. Setting that aside, the narrative is reasonably well-crafted, albeit with a few plot holes and an increasing reliance on exposition in the later episodes. The characters, while relatively straightforward, are overshadowed by the anime's heavy thematic emphasis. The initial episodes exude a strong sense of adventure, harmonizing effectively with the more dramatic and action-driven scenes in the conclusion. Overall, Fushigi no Umi no Nadia is a predominantly good anime, yet the jarring shift in direction ulti…
Read at the sourcesluggowo
It blows me away that this anime doesn't have more fans or receives more critical praise. I'll start with what's good about the anime since there's a lot great about it. Nadia: Secret of the blue water is very fast paced and exciting. The roller coaster of emotion this anime takes you on is amazing, one episode your having a blast and laughing it up with the hilarious and dynamic cast, the next you feel like bawling your eyes out. The action in this anime is also top tier, it's not listed in the genres in MAL but I would honestly call this a mecha, with it's intense submarine battles.
The art in this anime is fantastic (especially in non filler episodes, but we'll get to that later). The landscapes are beautiful, and the character design is top notch. I especially like Jean and Captain N…
Read at the sourceProudElitist
Do you want to see Evangelion before Evangelion took a definite form? look no further than this series, which is simply a preamble to what Hideaki Anno made with that one, and I mean that it's a preamble in the true sense of the word not only in terms of visuals and scenes copied and pasted but also because it de facto encapsulates every virtue and sin (oh no the christian symbology from Ultraman and Ultraseven has taken hold of me too! help me! No, wait, I'm an Ultraman fan too, everything's OK) of that series, in turn the virtues and sins of the creator, who can write enticing and reflexive stuff when he refuses to give go to any pretention of fake intellectualism (hello the Gainax Bounce on Grandis' tits and the nude butt of Nadia/Vegetarian Asuka in the bathtub! Hello final reference t…
Read at the sourceGwenPineapple
Thematically, Nadia involves the embryonic forms of the ideas and concepts further explored with much more depth in Neon Genesis Evangelion, but those are rather small compared to the more traditional concepts of warfare that it sifts through, primarily focusing on the struggle to maintain one's sense of humanity against the overwhelming odds of war's cruel and cold utilitarianism.
The show is marked with the immediately recognisable characteristics of Anno's directorial style, and his importance on the success of the show cannot be understated. Everything, down to the lighting, has his fingerprints all over it, and, most importantly, the writing is filled with his excellent quality theatrical speeches and religious reference, and noticeably well written women.
For the most part, Nadia i…
Read at the sourcepunishedsneed
Nadia is gripping from the start, tightly constructed, easy to lose yourself in, and very interesting if you're familiar with Anno's other works. However, its masterful beginning leads into a clumsy, seemingly neverending sea of filler, where character development occurs only to be reversed the next episode. It is clear that the additional episodes requested due to the show's success were unnecessary and only by the very end does it regain the tone and overall engagement its beginning has.
I will mostly discuss the filler in this review. At first, I was surprised that it wasn't too bad, and thought that people on here and otherwise were just over exaggerating. Lots of people just don't like when a show slows down or gets lighthearted for a bit. Nadia's stranded island arc is definitely no…
Read at the sourcecloudviiiiiii
This series is one of the best animated features ever made. Away from the bizarre island arc, it is nearly flawless. I recommend watching the 30th Anniversary fan edit, which converted the 16+ hours series into a trilogy of movies of less than 6 hours. It also treated the major issues like the island arc, and some other continuity errors and fillers in an amazing way. I personally think this is the best way to watch this work of art.
The best thing about this masterpiece is the character development and writing. This is by far one of the most enjoyable, relatable and well written cast of characters in a work of fiction. The music too is amazing. Could be Shiro Sagisu's finest work.
Read at the sourcerenyrells
I always thought this show was more popular than it seems to be. It's a Gainax show directed by Anno after all. I've definitely seen Jean, Nadia and Captain Nemo around the internet for well over a decade. As some of the other reviews here indicate, At less than 50k viewers, it is a hidden gem in the Gainax Library.
*Will contain some minor spoilers*
This is one of the better adventure show's I've seen. I know it's an aspect of the anime media to have over arcing storylines. However, this show does such a good job at stitching the end of one episode right where the next one begins. The early pacing of the show is brisk. Boy meets girl being chased by some thieves. Boy shows girl flying contraption, but the two crash in the ocean. Boy and girl are rescued by the navy, that gets into a fi…
Read at the sourceOokam1Matt
One of Gainax's jewels, Nadia is a beauty wherever you look at it.
Inspired by several stories, mainly Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and blah ... They are things that if you came to this anime you will find and I am not going to bore you with that.
The story starts in France in 1889 and in the meeting between Nadia and Jean, two young people who end up embarking on a good adventure that keeps you on edge all the chapters. In these adventures there are all terrorists, secret organizations, fights, animals, fan services, etc.
The truth is a highly recommended series to watch, out there not so much for those who have just started to watch anime because of the duration, but as always it depends on you what you choose and if you like it or not.
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Read at the sourceneongenesis92i
The characters are truly loveable and well-written (Jean and Nadia are both adorable in different ways), many interesting and philosophical themes like science/nature conflict, growing up, human race and its flaws, love, death, fate, duty, sacrifice, hubris are covered. I loved how joyful and childish the show looks like at first sight, but it actually ended up being kinda dark and deep.
The story itself is also really interesting, and the ending (ep 35 -39) is grandiose. The Island and Africa Arcs are for sure flawed in many ways: they are mostly fillers, with crappy and boring humor and gags, ininteresting events (King being jealous...), boring character interactions (Sanson and Hanson were just so annoying), and sometimes the graphic style looked horrible (ep 27...). But there were some…
Read at the sourcemattpointon77
I was introduced to the world of anime back in the mid-1980s when, as a child, I saw The Mysterious Cities of Gold. Ever since then I've searched for a series that can compare and now, I have found one.
Nadia is not MCOG and I still prefer the latter, but in style, plot and characterisations, there are lots of similarities, from an historical setting, world travel and survivors from an ancient civilisation destroyed by war.
Nadia is better in terms of characterisation. There is a degree of depth to all the characters that does not exist in MCOG. The dynamics between Nadia and Jean are excellent.
Nadia falls because of too much padding. Cut out the Lincoln Island episodes, the awful musical one and stuff like the battle with the giant squid and it would be on a par. I believe it was orig…
Read at the sourceephemerry
Fushigi no Umi no Nadia was a cacophony of many different things: an explosion of colors, an unusually worldly settingーparticularly for an anime of its time, and machinery fetishization that is noticed, it nearly breaks the fourth-wall, by the main heroine (Nadia) who annoyingly whines and throws tantrums throughout most of the show. I felt as though Hideaki Anno was attempting to merge Space Battleship Yamato with Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea into an original, awe-inspiring tale.
• Nadia: Secret of Blue Water fails where it’s successor, Neon Genesis Evangelion, thrives. This is with tonal consistency and focus, areas that cause Secret of Blue Water to fall behind despite its influence on the medium. There are some truly chilling and thought-provoking moments in thi…
Read at the sourceCodeBlazeFate
Nadia is a strange and interesting series to talk about. From its reception, you’d find a show that can go from fun to nauseating and amazing to terrible at the drop of a hat after a magnificent early run. From the title and the premise, this show sounds like a wonderfully charming time. It creates this sense of trepidation as to whether you should watch the show, as while there is a lot of joy to be had, some may deem the lengthy yet temporary drop in quality not worth sitting through even for the ⅔ of the show that is worth cherishing.
Allow me to state that for all intents and purposes, now only is this show worth watching, but that a majority of it is some of the most charming and pleasant anime out there. Beyond the main antagonists and Nadia herself, every major character has a dist…
Read at the sourceSmartreviews
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is one of anime's greatest kept secrets and a hidden gem (no pun intended) for most modern anime viewers. While I wouldn't say it's based off of 20,000 leagues under the sea, it certainly does take inspiration (Nemo) and pay homage (Jean) to many of Jules Verne's works. Most importantly, it's accurately captures Verne's spirit of adventure that would be expanded upon in Hiyao Miyazaki's latter works. It was basically Gurren Lagann before Gurren Lagann. Yet, I wouldn't blame anyone for rating this show a flat 7. Why?
Well, while the first 23 episodes and last 5 episodes made up one of the greatest adventure animes I've ever seen, episodes 24 through 34 made up for one of the worst adventure animes I've ever seen. It was almost as if the creator of episodes 2…
Read at the sourceAnimeTopScholar
Fushigi no Umi no Nadia (Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water) is a 39 episode anime that aired from Apr 13 1990 to Apr 12 1991. The anime is based on the novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. The story concept was made by Hayao Miyazaki, and it was produced by studio Gainax and directed by Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion.)
In 1889, the world is on the pinnacle of great discoveries in technology. We're introduced to Jean Roque Ratlique. He's a young inventor who, together with his grandfather, are joining a competition in order to make a flying machine. Jean see's a girl that he takes a fancy to at first sight and ends up following her. It turns out that this girl named Nadia is being chased by some strange people who are trying to take the gem hanging around her neck from h…
Read at the sourceBunBytes
STORY - 5/10
Apparently this idea was pitched by Hayao Miyazaki over a decade before the series was made. In total honesty I'm no fan of Miyazaki when it comes to his stories - I watch Ghibli for the animation - so it's no surprise I wasn't the biggest fan of the plot of Nadia. What confused me most was the inclusion of filler (there's an episode where the characters sing 2+ minute songs set to clips from previous episodes), considering it ran to a non-standard 39 episodes and wasn't adapting anything. It's very hard to pin down the story's faults beyond that, though, because the writing is inconsistent in its quality. It opened well, the episodes on the Nautilus were great, and the finale was fantastic. But anywhere inbetween those three points ranged from passable to annoying. I believe…
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