Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water Vol-3 (1989)
Animation Production: Gainax
Released by: ADV Films
Official Website: ADV's Nadia Vol -3 Page
Episodes: 9-12
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

What is the secret of Blue Water? From the first episode up to this point in the legendary Nadia TV series we’ve been teased with this and many other questions regarding several elements of the series such as the Nautilus’ advanced technology and Gargoyle.

Unfortunately in volume three of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water we don’t get any closer to finding out the truth behind them. In fact as new information is provided to us many new questions surface, teasing us with small hints on what is sure to be revealed later on as the series progresses.

Story

"With Gargoyle's terrible weapon destroyed, Jean, Nadia and the rest find themselves once again rescued by the Nautilus. Hot on the trail of a fleeing Gargoyle, the pursuers become the pursued. Will Hanson and Sanson be able to save the ship alone? Why was Captain Nemo so shocked to meet Nadia? What are the memories the Nautilus has triggered within Nadia?"-- ADV's Nadia Webpage

Review

Last time we had saw our heroes they had just helped destroy Gargoyle’s Island weapon, a giant cannon capable of completely destroying a city anywhere in the world.

Having escaped the giant explosion of the island’s facilities onboard the Nautilus, our small crew of unlikely heroes now finds itself inside the mysterious submarine. What will become of them now…?

After going through a couple of suspenseful and action oriented episodes the series slows down just a notch in volume three, featuring mostly what amounts to character development episodes, although there are also a couple of more action oriented moments that help keep the momentum from the previous storyline going even if it's at a somewhat slower pace.

For the most part, the character building takes place inside the Nautilus as Nadia, Jean, King, Marie, Grandis, Hanson, and Sanson find themselves secluded to a small part of the gigantic vessel’s space, forcing them to live with each other and interact more than they would have otherwise.

The confinement of the characters proves itself interesting as we get to see new aspects of them such as Grandis’ attraction to older men, which is revealed (to our great amusement) after she meets Nemo. Interestingly enough while we do get the opportunity to explore some of the characters, more questions arise about the main protagonist than are answered (like her reaction to Captain Nemo's music or the connection that is hinted at existing between them), ensuring that Nadia and her shrouded backstory remain a mystery to the audience for now. How Cruel!

Aside from these scenes the highlight of this DVD would have to be episode ten, “A Crowning Performance by the Gratan”, which focuses on the Nautilus as the ship falls for a snare set up by Gargoyle, which traps the submarine and its crew inside an underground water cavern, surrounded by several deep sea mines. This was an exciting episode and a fun showcase for our heroes’ teamwork skills.

The animation in these episodes stays on a level of quality that is consistent with the standards set by prior ones, featuring beautifully illustrated drawings, smooth animation and lush backgrounds. The soundtrack helps round everything quite nicely although there really weren't any standout pieces this time..

This DVD contains the following episodes from Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water:

Episode 9: "Nemo's Secret"
Episode 10: "A Crowning Performance by the Gratan"
Episode 11: "New Recruits for the Nautilus"
Episode 12: "Grandis and her First Love"

Extras include a small insert that contains the same artwork featured on the cover of the box, English dubbed & original Japanese soundtracks, textless opening & closing themes, and previews for other ADV Films' releases.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun DVD to watch. Seeing new aspects of the characters we’ve been following for the past eight episodes made for a nice change of pace in the story. Episode ten also made for an exciting and suspenseful time.

Highly recommended to all anime fans and anyone else who has enjoyed previous volumes of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water.

Jeffrey Couto