AniWorth

Martian Successor Nadesico

Martian Successor Nadesico

Introduction

Akito doesn't want to fight. Despite a childhood spent on the anime Gekiganger 3, a Mecha show, he'd rather cook than pilot a Mecha. Fate intervenes when his home on Mars is destroyed, and he is transported instantly to the Earth, mysteriously. He has questions no one can answer fully, but follows a girl from a chance meeting in hopes to discover any. The girl, Yurika, is captain of the private battleship Nadesico, and in order to follow her, he enlists as their cook. Possessing the nanite implants that allow to control mechas, he's a handy backup pilot for the mechas of the Nadesico. He joins a crew bent on avenging Mars that seems to be composed of only misfits, otakus, and ditzes; however, in reality, they are handpicked experts. They take their own private war back to Mars to face the harsh reality that life may not always be like a Giant Mecha series. (Source: ANN)

Audience ratings

MyAnimeList / Tenrai : 7.51/10 · 21720

1/1082
2/1067
3/10174
4/10454
5/101191
6/102636
7/105965
8/106024
9/103214
10/101913

Audience reviews

20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.

Gsarthotegga

This is probably the best mech parody anime out there, and even when my enjoyment wanes, I can at least admire it for its ambition. The aesthetic is fair enough but not on par with an OVA or film, of course, and it pales in this respect compared to Evangelion from a few years before, RahXephon a few years later, or just about any Sunrise mech series with a decent budget. The scripting is surprisingly solid, and it manages to balance solemn moments to keep it from becoming too overwhelming in its absurdity, yet it has a great balance to where the humor prevents sad and dramatic moments from becoming sappy or hammy. There's even a fair amount of characterization and development for the relatively large cast by comedy standards, and despite how goofball the show can be, there are some rather…

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b1u3frog

I would call this my first anime. Now I did see Pokemon, Digimon, Yugioh, Sailor Moon and maybe some other air to tv series that I'm forgetting, but this was the first introduced to me as anime. Now that I got that preface out of the way this has been my favorite anime since I first saw it, nearly ten years since it aired. Story has the reluctant hero finds his way, classic heroes journey. Add mechs, unmanned drones and a level of awareness to tap on that 4th wall, and you have the anime that I have come back to time and time again. The music has been so ingrained in my head that I often play it for my own bgm at work or doing chores. The music well conveys the intended feeling the scenes try to invoke. I always try to push this anime because I really love it and feel that others can find…

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OmegaMk24

Nadesico is an amazing gem that is often overlooked because of its mix of genres. While it has mechs, it's not necessarily a mech show. While it's sci fi, it doesn't officially focus on the universe. I frame it like this: Nadesico is the show to get people into anime if they can't get into Gundam or Evangelion. The characters are the focus of the show, with even the ship itself having a personality through it's AI, Omoikane. Coming out to the US market after both Gundam Wing and Evangelion, it was often overlooked, especially since it was never aired on television in the west. The comedy still cracks me up, the sad moments still hit their cue as well. While it has some small flaws, it's still one of my favorite shows that I return to yearly.

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ChelseaBlue2004

When 90's classics come to mind, I think this is the first one that I will always mention. Filled with a cast of characters that seem cliche when you think about it, the Ditzy female Captain, Bombshell communication officer, the kid who is smarter than the entire cast combined and who automatically became a fan favorite and the reluctant male-hero who pilots a mecha, etc. But this show is so much more. Deep down this whole show is a critque on Anime and Giant Robot shows, its show within a show (Gekiganger) that is referenced becomes hugely important as the plot continues. The characters are funny without being too annoying the plot is very interesting and there is this sense that it wanted to be different yet provide enough for fans of the genre to enjoy. If you have a chance check…

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Quan_

[Adapted From Original Blog Post] There were times as I watched Martian Successor Nadesico when I honestly began to wonder if I was having some elaborate prank pulled on me. The space opera genre has always been somewhat of a trophy for the anime medium, no other medium seems to do it justice; I mean Starblazers, come on! A classic in every way. But here was this obscure anime from 1996 practically yelling at me during its first dozen episodes: "why the hell do you like anime? If all of this stuff: grandiose spaceships, a crew of highly trained teenagers that are respective prodigies in their fields, and a war across the stars against a vague, menacing and evil alien threat, were actually real... it would f*cking suck." And it was odd, because as the episodes dragged on towards the inevi…

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Micky93

Martian Successor Nadesico follows the story of young cook/pilot Akito Tenkawa and his adventures (or lack thereof) aboard the private battleship ‘Nadesico.’ Based off this brief, single sentence description of the series, it could easily be dismissed as another Gundam clone, or just your standard, run-of-the-mill sci-fi anime. However, writing this series off as such would be a terrible mistake, as Martian Successor Nadesico has a story to tell, and you would be remiss to ignore it. Nadesico is a difficult beast to analyse; being somewhat paradoxical in nature. It does embody some of the traits of the ‘real robot’ mecha anime of Gundam fame, but this does not constitute its entire being. It takes elements of ‘super robot’ anime, like Getter Robo or Gurren Lagann, as well as a dash of mor…

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GenuineAnime

This is my first review so i was wondering which anime i should review. i decided to review the anime that began it all for me. Martian Successor Nadesico (Nadesico for short) was the 1st series i ever completed and up to now it still is 1 of my all-time favorites. With a mixture of different genre, mecha,romance,comedy,harem and a little drama it makes a perfect mixture to go along with a very good story plot. To be Nadesico is very underrated or should i say very unheard of? This anime is for just about any 1 especially the people who like to see a guy kick butt in a mech thats loved by some girls. But un like some harems these girls are'nt useless and some kick butt as well. To all who have not seen Nadesico yet MUST WATCH IT

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Hectotane

There was a guy I know back in 90's Sacramento known as Steve McIntosh. He introduced me to Nadesico... I have never heard from him again and I guess, maybe, it's a good thing for me. Back when I was watching Nadesico; I was "super-naive" and thought I could accept anything. I was also a "(damn) fool." Onto my so-called "review" and WHY I consider this animu "THE WORST EVER CREATED second only to Evangelion." * The "harem animu" elements ruined its "serious mecha anime" elements. * Akito, the shounen lead, is "afraid of women" (an element required for the otaku-base to self-insert into). His inability to handle women and his own hormones transfers into his (in)ability to fight in his mecha. * And while this "love-shape" is going on with Akito; every other guy is getting dumped and side…

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FullMetalTroopa

Nadesico is like a coin. Simply put, its got 2 sides. Nadesico is known as a parody/tribute to mecha anime such as neon genesis (Nergal/Nerve...DUH) and etc... But its also got a much more serious side, showing the way of war, and that life isn't always a giant robot show. That being said, i would like to make clear that this is one of the best shows i have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The story and its plot devices aren't the best ever, in fact they have probably all been done before. Usually, i would say this is a bad thing but for Nadesico i say "SO fucking what." The story does flip and change directions a lot, but in the end it gets its point straight across. The objective also isn't always clear, but in the end it pretty much boils down to stopping this war that was brought up b…

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kekekeKaj

I heard rumours that this was once voted by Japanese viewers as the best anime ever. Why???? "Martian Successor Nadesico" follows the crew of a battleship named, er, Nadesico, as they travel through space while battling alien forces. Having watched this show, it's quite clear that it's the inspiration behind "Vandread" - you can see that just from the strikingly similar character design styles with their ultra round eyes . "Martian Successor Nadesico" itself also seems to be derived from "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross". Perhaps it's trying to parody that classic anime, but it's hard to tell, since I don't find "Martian Successor Nadesico" to be very funny despite its best attempts at comedy. The comedy is the kind that I loath. Occasionally, some parts did made me laugh, and most of…

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MaidenVarius

While there are mounds and mounds of great anime, there is also most certainly mounds and mounds of bad anime. In fact, the number in the "bad" category surely surpasses the amount in the "good" category. It's clear what my stand is on this anime by just looking at the rating which I have given it. However, the tough part is knocking the feelings when viewing this anime into a simple coherent review. Bear with me, as this is my very first review....ever. STORY - I guess I will start with the story, the fantastic story. The story is mostly a parody of more modern mecha anime, which just so happens to include a parody of your typical 70s/80s mecha anime. Fans of every genre will find something to like within this series. Fans of harems, romance, action, mecha, comedy, parody, and drama wil…

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Anime_Dude7

It's surprising when your talking to your friend one day, and your friend pops you a question out of the blue. "Have you ever heard of Nadesico?" The response was immediately. "No why?" "It's rated as one of the greatest Comedy anime series in Japan" Now with that said, i was curious about Martian Successor Nadesico, i was curious as to why it was rated one of the greatest comical anime series in Japan, as my friend mention and showed me in one of his magazines. So i decided to watch it. What happens after that was probably one of the greatest enjoyments of my life. Never have I witness a Anime series where it is so light hearted, and so....just so funny and yet there's people dying here and there, but that doesn't stop the series from being more funny, I mean, i never seen a anime series…

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Beatnik

This show works on so many levels it can whizz right past viewers heads because of its frenetic pace and glorious slapstick behaviour, but make no mistake there was plenty of thought put into the script of this 90's classic. Nadesico is a love letter to the space/mecha genre, both laughing at it and along with it with the same level of panache as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. It parodies the genre with clichés, and honours it by keeping to them itself. For example, Nadesico lampoons over the top sacrifices via its in-show 70’s/80's inspired mecha anime ‘Gekigangar 3’ then does the same thing itself anyway, revelling in the genre trope. It has a young adult unwillingly thrust into a mecha on an almost daily basis, yet his mecha is pink for crying out loud. It’s actually a smart comedy beca…

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chuckles79

I recently rewatched this anime so it's a great time to write a review on it while it's still fresh in my memory. First thing to explain, this is anime manages the razor's edge of being both serious and a satire. It is a rather biting satire of space animes and particularly the gundam series of anime. This is all done subtle however, in the background while a (mostly) serious plot continues and the Earth's protectors fight against other worldly invasion. The effort succeeds greatly and this anime was a great hit in Japan when it was released but didn't enjoy much success in the US. Story: The story starts with the Earth's military getting beaten badly by the attacking Jovian forces. Fed up with the military's ineptitude, Nerghal Heavy Industries commissions and launches the battleship Nad…

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Undertow

Now people that have been reading other reviews that I have written might know that there is one thing that I severely crack down on, and that is overused character types and clichés, and this anime is just overflowing with them. The characterlist consists of the biggest amount of over-the-top cliché characters, the situations are all so familiar and the story seems to be rather generic at first. Yes that's right, at first. In this anime the clichés actually work and the characters fit perfectly into the story, even if you get the standard practically emo main male character, the airhead that has an overobvious affection for him, the tomboy, the robot-loli girl and everything else that you can possibly imagine. And it works beyond comprehension. The reason for this is that the anime is se…

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qwistie

I just ADORE this anime!!! It's one of my favorites!! I hadn't even heard of it until one of my friends mentioned it to me. The story is amazing. It's an awesome mixture of funny and serious. The plot is interesting and it keeps your attention. I know a few times I was just like wha-?! and totally caught off guard by the plot twist. I especially love the anime within an anime concept. Hehe. I thought the animation was good. The dubbing is amazing too! I love the dubbed version personally. As for the characters, they're all so different and have little problems of their own. They're all very likable and after watching just a few episodes you feel like you know them and are a part of the Nadesico crew. You'll get so drawn in and you'll HAVE to see what comes next! Overall, this goofy, s…

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BlackDranzerexe

Ah Nadesico, how I love thee. Personally, this is my favorite anime for multiple reasons, so let's just take a look at what makes this show worth it. Nadesico follows a fry cook reluctantly turned pilot through his screwball life in outer space with multiple dysfunctional characters exploited a hysterical level. Normally, this spells generic, but Nadesico takes a different approach to it. The show's most endearing trait is its ability to stay upbeat despite the fact that this show follows a war in space that threatens the extinction of the earth. You will never truly feel saddened by any major plot points except for a possible one or two that will be painstakingly obvious once you watch the show. This ability to stay upbeat keeps a viewer from wanting to stray away from the series out of…

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jmoriarty84

Even though the intention of this anime is meant to be a satire on mech, in a way, it has its own distinctive story that you can easily follow, and is very intriguing with its conspiracies, which for some reasons, you can take seriously. I credit the show for being more character driven which has mostly been the nature of the mech genre, and though the characters are meant to parody of archetypes and standards, they are still likeable and distinguishable. Though the main cast such as Akito, Yurika, and Gai are air headed and stupid, they are still good natured and passionate which are portrayed in a way where you can like them. Especially Gai. You just have to watch the show to see what he’s all about. He’s the heart and soul of the show. With the female characters you got the…

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DarthDaimyo

Whoever said that a series couldn't have too many wacky female characters hadn't seen Martian Successor Nadesico. 80% of the cast are women with personality defects, not that the men are completely sane. This show takes the "one guy living with a group of crazy girls who are all in love with him" formula and combines it with a Mobile Suit Gundam reminiscent plot. Y'know, a sympathetic war/ space odyssey type deal. Does this work, one man, trapped on a space battle ship with countless beautiful women? Well, strangely enough, it does. A friend of mine described this series as having some of the greatest anime characters of all time, and though I don't agree with him, I see where he was coming from. If I were to describe the protagonist, Akito Tenkawa, I'd say imagine Hideki Motosuwa or Keit…

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L-sama

I consider myself relatively new to the mecha anime genre, with my main exposure to it being in the form of Evangelion, Gundam, and a little bit of Macross. So when I heard about Nadesico and its parodies, I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to give it a go. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve laughed more throughout any other series. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to mecha anime, Nadesico doesn’t fail in its quest to poke fun at its ancestry and let you know about it. It’s rather fun to watch the show and point out the parody moments in each episode. It even contains a parody within a parody in the form of Gekigangar 3, a spoof of the mecha anime of the late 70s and 80s. Don’t think that parodies are the only things that will make you laugh. T…

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