Martian Successor Nadesico: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Martian Successor Nadesico: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

The ex-Martian.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 13, 2017

Mars is suddenly all the rage, what with offerings like The Martian (and The Martian), The Angry Red Planet and, well, Mars either already out on Blu-ray or due relatively soon. Despite this apparent uptick in planetary “popularity”, it should be remembered that Mark Watney didn’t exactly experience paradise on Mars, and film titles that suggest the so- called Red Planet might be “angry” might also point toward a somewhat contentious relationship we earthlings have had with our nearest (non satellite) neighbor. Of course, there’s the whole War of the Worlds thing to take into account, not to mention a host of other cinematic properties (Mars Attacks!, Invaders from Mars, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars, Devil Girl from Mars, Ghosts of Mars, Mission to Mars, Total Recall and Robinson Crusoe on Mars, to name but a few) which point to Mars as being, well, perhaps a bit less than friendly, either within the context of its own environment or how it might want to “reach out and touch” our particular planet.

In one way, then, Martian Successor Nadesico, departs from this longstanding tradition by having Mars be part of an interplanetary federation of sorts which has been the victim of an alien attack, rather than fostering one itself. In the late 22nd century, the earth, the moon and Martian colonies are all facing incursions from a race known as Jovian Lizards, which might suggest they spawned on Jupiter, not Mars. The series’ protagonist is a kid named Akito Tenkawa, a boy who was in fact born in the Martian colony and who as a young(ish) boy witnesses an attack that he tries at least to fend off, despite his pacifist tendencies.

In one of Martian Successor Nadesico’s kind of charming plot conceits, Akito wants nothing more than to be a chef, and to perhaps while away his off hours watching his favorite anime, a kind of mecha outing called Gekinganger III. This “show within a show” element is actually one of Martian Successor Nadesico’s most notable formulations, for in some ways Martian Successor Nadesico kind of pretends to be a mecha outing itself, when in other ways, it really isn’t. Martian Successor Nadesico has regular references to at least genre tropes in anime if not outright homages that will certainly delight diehard otaku.

There really isn’t much time given in the early episodes to setting things up in a leisurely way. Akito’s interaction with some sort of invading force actually takes place in the pre-credits tease of the first episode and then an almost riotous assortment of developments accrue, including Akito reuniting with his childhood friend Yurika Misumaru, who in a rather unlikely outcome has been appointed the new captain of a high tech ship built to fight the Jovian invaders, the series’ titular Nadesico. In another uunlikely outcome, Akito is also assigned as a crew member on the ship, and in typical mecha fashion finds himself the unexpected and perhaps even unwilling pilot of a giant fighting device.

Martian Successor Nadesico is kind of schizophrenic on a number of levels. First off, it attempts to be both comical and dramatic, sometimes almost within the same scene, something that leads to a rather wide (which is not to say unenjoyable) tonal ambience. But there’s also the chaotic sensibility that attends having the “real” interactions of the motley crew of the Nadesico play against the crazy antics of the Gekinganger III anime. The show is also arguably overstuffed with a glut of supporting characters, all of whom have their individual quirks, in what might be thought of as this series’ most patently “sitcom-ish” angle.

All of this tends to make Martian Successor Nadesico a tad on the “noisy” side at times, with plot points being trundled out only to have them give way to the next shiny object. Perhaps surprisingly, then, a kind of tantalizing mystery at the heart of the show with regard to Akito’s past is handled rather artfully and provides at least something of a tether that ties the overall arc together. This is a show with many of the same manic proclivities that inform other crazy quilt offerings like Cowboy Bebop: The Complete Series, though I personally wouldn’t put Martian Successor Nadesico quite at the same level as the Shinichiro Watanabe series. There’s a little bit more of an almost improvisatory feeling to Martian Successor Nedesico that may well appeal to those who are sick of the “same old, same old”, even if others may find the show a bit too much of an unorganized thing.

Martian Successor Nadesico: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Martian Successor Nadesico is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Right Stuf with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1 (the movie is in 1.78:1). Those with a history with this series may be better prepared for some of the anomalies that are on display, since they've been part of many previous home video releases. While not quite at standard "stair stepping" levels, there are what I might describe as "fraying" tendencies in a lot of the line detail that resemble interlacing issues. You can see them in several of the screenshots accompanying this review if you pay attention to fine lines like Akito's shoulder in the first screenshot, or Yurika's jawline in the ninth screenshot. These are relatively minor problems, but they're prevalent throughout the presentation, and so I've been perhaps a bit cautious in my video score, so as to not give people undue expectations. Otherwise, though, this transfer sports nice saturation, even if the palette is a bit different looking than in some previous home video releases. The movie is much better with regard to the line detail issue, and features a generally much better looking overall transfer, though it has some minor but noticeable wobble, as well as a perhaps surprising amount of flecks and speckling.

Martian Successor Nadesico: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Martian Successor Nadesico features the original Japanese track in either LPCM 2.0 or 5.1, with an English dub presented in LPCM 2.0 (the movie has an English LPCM 5.1 track along with a Japanese LPCM 5.1 track). Unless you're completely opposed to reading subtitles, I heartily recommend the Japanese 5.1 track, since it's much more forceful in terms of general amplitude than either of the stereo tracks, but also obviously provides a much more enjoyably immersive experience with regard to the action elements, and even some of the comical antics that tend to feature a lot of characters on screen simultaneously. Low end is well rendered, providing considerable "oomph" to the battle sequences. Dialogue is also presented clearly and with good prioritization. The show's theme has become a favorite for some fans, and sounds fine here (whether rightly or wrongly, it's always reminded me at least a little bit of Missing Persons and Dale Bozzio).

Martian Successor Nadesico: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Trailers

  Rental Magica (480i; 1:41)

  Pita-Ten (480i; 00:43)

Disc Two

• Trailers

  A Town Where You Live (1080p; 1:30)

  Big Windup! Season Two (480i; 1:51)

Disc Three

• Trailers

  Irresponsible Captain Tylor (480i; 1:08)

  The Third: Girl With the Blue Eye (480i; 1:32)

Disc Four

• Nadesico the Movie: Prince of Darkness (1080p; 1:21:12) features LPCM 5.1 mixes in English or Japanese.


• Trailers

  Tama Yura (480i; 1:37)

  Magic User's Club (480i; 1:37)

Disc Five (DVD)

• Gekigangar 3 OVA (480i; 29:24)


• TV Series Extras

  Welcome to Belle Equipe (480i; 44:34)

  Nadesico Koresara (480i; 22:21)

  Nadesico TV Spots (480i; 3:30)

  Other Nadesico Promotional Videos (480i; 4:00)

  Interviews with Nadesico Cast:

  Houko Kuwashima (Yurika Misumaru) (480i; 1:07)

  Tomokazu Seki (Gai Daigoji) (480i; 1:31)

  Naoko Takano (Megumi Reinard) (480i; 1:25)

  Omi Minami (Ruri Hoshino) (480i; 1:20)

  Maya Okamoto (Minato Haruka) (480i; 1:15)

  Chisa Yokoyama (Ryoko Subaru) (480i; 1:40)

  Yuji Ueda (Akito Tenkawa) (480i; 1:45)

  Trailers

  Emma: A Victorian Romance Season One (480i; 1:31)

  Maria Watches Over Us Season One (480i; 1:31)

Martian Successor Nadesico: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Martian Successor Nadesico features a lot of what might be termed "inside jokes", and so one's familiarity with at least some broad tendencies in anime may help to smooth what are sometimes kind of rough tonal waters that this show marauds through. On one hand Martian Successor Nadesico is almost resolutely predictable, positing a young boy forced to become a fighter against his will, but on the other hand this show regularly and resolutely refuses to just toe the genre trope line, repeatedly making pointed fun of traditions and even of itself by inference. The video presentation here shows some of the same problems that have afflicted previous home video releases, so those interested should probably peruse the screenshots accompanying this review to see what they think. Otherwise, though, this is an enjoyable release of a kind of weird but wackily fun series. For fans if for no one else, Martian Successor Nadesico comes Recommended.