Aaron's Review: Nadia-The Secret Of Blue Water

I…wanted this to be good. I really did.

Guys, Gals, & Non Binary Pals, this is Animated Aaron’s Review of Nadia-The Secret of Blue Water. 

!The Background! 

Set in 1889, a young french inventor named Jean (pronounced ‘John’) meets another teenager named Nadia while she’s being chased by jewel thieves. The jewel they’re after is a piece Nadia wears as a necklace called ‘ the blue water’. This kick starts the series as the two travel the world trying to find out what makes the blue water so special as well as find Nadia’s home. All the while dodging the attacks of an terrorist group known as ‘Neo-Atlantians’. 

…Yes I’m serious.  

!The Story! 

Explaining this is going to be difficult, so bear with me. The show does start out with the two main characters running from three thieves with a giant robot that transforms into different transportation vehicles with extendable arms. After episode 5 however, the thieves are no longer the villains when a terrorist group known as ‘Gargoyle’ comes in wanting to use the technology inside the Blue Water as a tool to enslave the world. In episode 9, Nadia, Jean and the three former thieves join the ‘Nautilus’. A submarine crew that tries to fight against Gargoyle and they all start to live their lives among the sailors and the advanced technology on board. Then in episode 23, well I don’t wanna give spoilers, but lets just say the plot changes again.

I’m not sure if I should praise the show for recognizing when something is getting stale or chastise it for hopping around so much. But because this is a review,I have to pick. So…I think this is the shows greatest strength. It knows how long to keep a particular story arc going and each transition into the next one is done wonderfully. Nothing feels forced and the character’s interactions having to subtly shift due to the changing environments is a treat to watch. Hell, the environments are really creative as well and you can tell a lot of care went into designing everything.  

If only the main character changed as well.      

!The Characters! 

Now the series treats both Jean & Nadia as the main characters. However, Jean is the actual protagonist. He’s the one who builds inventions to keep everyone safe when he, Nadia & the the former thieves get stranded on a deserted island. When the story shifts to the Nautilus crew, Jean wants to join them so that he can be more help combating Gargoyle. He’s not the most developed character since he does a lot of the same things with the same child like wonder. But he’s still entertaining to watch despite the over the top French accent he’s given in the ADV dub.    

The three thieves are actually the characters who get the most development.

Hanson, a husky genius that rivals Jean in terms of intellect. Sanson, a bulk, egocentric pretty boy with a one track mind. And Grandis, a romantic who hates waiting but understands the benefits of keeping a cool head and looking out for others. 

These three start out as interesting as Saturday morning cartoon villains, which was still fun. Then as the show goes on, they become less selfish and impulsive and use their talents as a force for good. Basically, the three obvious inspirations for Team Rocket (Pokemon) go from ‘Chaotic Neutral’ to ‘Neutral Good’.   

Now, time for the other ‘main character’.

Nadia is…how do I say this? She’s so fucking annoying that it actually ruins the goddamn show. Yes I’m serious. No, I’m not apologizing.

She’s a vegetarian who hates anyone who does eat meat. This wouldn’t be as bad as it sounds but the problem is, its stated in about 25 out of the 39 episodes! And…this is her character! She’s always criticizing Jean for his inventions. She’s always complaining about the crew members relying on technology instead of nature. She talks back to Captain Nemo, the Nautilus leader, constantly for reasons that are groundless when you think about it. 

What do I mean? Well, there’s a scene where a Gargoyle member had a gun pointed at Nadia and was about to kill her. So, Nemo shoots first saving her life but killing the man. Instead of the conflict being, ‘I’m alive but at the cost of another person’s life’, it’s instead, ‘How dare you kill someone you monster!’ 

The tone makes it clear that Nadia is in the wrong, which is good. However, this takes up a good portion of the following episode and I still have to sit through her acting like an entitled brat. Unfortunately, she never changes and neither does the tone. What do I mean by that? 

!The Show! 

No matter how many times Nadia talks about how ‘killing is wrong’, the show puts them in situations where if someone else didn’t die, they would’ve. Naturally, this would mean that Nadia develops as a character as does Jean who’s effected by the events as well. But…they don’t. No matter what the setting is, no matter how many times the conversation happens, nothing changes between Nadia & Jean. 

You have to sit through Nadia calling Jean hopeless, over and over and over again despite him proving her wrong. You have to sit through Grandis crushing on Captain Nemo in every episode for that arc. Every episode that features the main villain has to involve a grand speech about how weak humanity is. I could probably edit this anime down to about 25 episodes removing all the bullshit. 

If you repeat yourself, you’re not moving anything along. You’re creating filler. 

!The Summary! 

This being an old school anime, I did have high hopes for it. But they were dashed when it refused to advance its main characters and villains. You know, the people who take up the majority of the screen time. If they had as much effort as the animation (for the most part, there are some very choppy episodes) then this would’ve been a phenomenal show. Sadly, it’s just a mediocre one. 

!Grade!

Nadia-The Secret of Blue Water: D-

Final Word: You can’t advance the story but leave the main character behind. 

What’s Your Opinion?