Around 1995, Japanese animation (anime) began pouring into North America, Europe and across the globe in video form. Most of these titles were unknown outside of Japan and never covered by animation journals. Whether a title is highly popular or very obscure, a high-quality theatrical feature or a cheap and unimaginative direct-to-video release, they all look the same on a store shelf. Therefore, Animation World Magazine will regularly review several new releases (including re-releases not previously covered) that have merit and about which our readers should know.

Martian Successor Nadesico. Volumes 1 - 6. © XEBEC / Project NADESICO * TV TOKYO

Martian Successor Nadesico. V.1, Chronicle 1. V.2, Mission to Mars. V.3, Danger Zones. V.4, Paradigm Shifts. V.5, Secrets & Lies. V.6, End Game.
TV series, 1996 -- 1997. Director: Tatsuo Sato. V.1 -- 4, 4 episodes/100 minutes; v.5 -- 6, 5 episodes/125 minutes. Price & format: DVD $29.98 bilingual. Distributor: A.D. Vision Films.

As a 26-episode weekly serial on TV Tokyo from October 1, 1996 through March 25, 1997 (produced by Xebec and Studio Tron), Nadesico was so popular that it won a major 1998 Japanese fan survey as, "The best anime show of all time." It also spun off a 1998 theatrical feature sequel, Nadesico the Movie: The Prince of Darkness (not included in this video release). Nadesico combines comedy, suspense, giant robots, an interplanetary sci-fi plot that mixes both simplistic and complex elements, and above all a human interest drama with likeable characters. In 2195 A.D. humanity has settled the Moon and Mars. Suddenly a mysterious space armada destroys the Martian colony and begins to attack the Moon and Earth. The United Earth Forces space fleet is consistently defeated, so one of Earth's largest corporations, Nergal Heavy Industries, builds a private battleship, the Nadesico, using its own technological innovations. Nergal selects a crew based on special talents rather than willingness to conform to military discipline. The government, highly displeased, plots to get control of the Nadesico and add it to the space navy. Most of the crew is young and introverted, each obsessed with his or her special interest. Part of the serial's appeal is how the main cast -- Akito Tenkawa, Yurika Misumaru, Ruri Hoshino, Megumi Reinard, Ryoko Subaru and others -- evolve in their emotions and relationships from a collection of loners into a community. There are many surprises; for example, Gai Daigouji, who shows all the signs in the first two episodes of becoming a major character, is unexpectedly killed in episode #3. When Nergal's top management and the UEF come to an accommodation that seems to put the Nadesico under the command that it was created to avoid, the young crew must decide whether their superiors know best or whether they have a higher duty to humanity to follow their original mission. One of Nadesico's most popular elements is its inclusion of Gekigangar, a fictional giant robot TV cartoon series that is the favorite of many of the Nadesico's crew. Gekigangar starts out as merely a broad parody of giant robot anime TV stereotypes (Go Nagai's Getter Robo in particular), and of anime fandom itself. As the Nadesico crew becomes increasingly disillusioned by the arrogant incompetence and self-interest among their superiors, some adopt Gekigangar as their new role model. Even though the crew knows that it is really only a TV program designed to sell toys to children, are the virtues of truth and honor espoused by its fictional incorruptible heroes better as ideals, than the cover-ups and cynical platitudes they see from the real government? Or is such an attitude an immature avoidance of reality? (The fragments of fictional Gekigangar episodes shown in Nadesico became so popular that a real Gekigangar series was made in 1997.) This is just one subplot woven amidst the main action as the Nadesico battles the "Jovian Lizard" menace from the Asteroid Belt to Earth itself. (However, to make such emotional soul-searching convincing requires really good voice acting. A.D. Vision's English dub unfortunately does not measure up.)

A.D. Vision's DVD release is recommended for offering four (or five) episodes in both English and Japanese with English subtitles, plus some good bonus extras. A video release is also available in dubbed ($19.98) or subtitled ($29.95) editions; 2 episodes/60 minutes each. V.1, Invasion! V.2, Desperate Journey. V.3, Turnabout Attacker. V.4, Deadly Encounters. V.5, The Mind of the Machine. V.6, Between Heaven & Hell. V.7, Contact! V.8, Memories. V.9, Heavenly Bodies. V.10, Friend or Foe? V.11, Code of Honor. V.12, Full Circle.