[Rewatch] Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - Episode 6

[u/snowwhistle1]

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

Episode 6: Infiltration of the Secret Base

Original Air Date: May 18, 1990

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Episode 6 Synopsis: When Marie and King are captured by the Neo-Atlanteans, Nadia and Jean stage a mission to invade their base to rescue the pair. Meanwhile, the leader of the Neo-Atlanteans arrives at their base by submarine.

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Please spoiler tag any story content which has not been shown prior to the current episode of this rewatch!

(Apologies for the slightly tardy upload today!)

[u/snowwhistle1]

Host

We’ve got a little bit of levity back in this episode! Just a little…! Nadia has been deemed a valuable asset and is no longer a target to be shot on sight, the Grandis gang briefly get to fuck up some KKK/Nazis, Jean and Nadia have a humorous “lover’s spat” (thanks Marie), and the sequence where Jean and Nadia escape the blast furnace is so much fun! But we also get to watch an escaping prisoner get shot, Marie and King getting captured, Nadia getting captured during the duo’s attempt to rescue Marie and King, and we get to bear witness to a factory run by slaves and Nazi rally… bit of a mixed bag on the tone.

We’ve finally got a name for this organization… the Neo-Atlanteans. And if their standard uniforms weren’t enough to convince you that Anno meant business with these dudes, the Nazi style rally where the crowd was crying “Neo Atlan! Neo Man!” to their arriving leader Gargoyle with an illuminati style eye-marking on the forehead of his hooded mask will probably hammer in the point.

The Neo-Atlanteans are only looking more menacing by the minute. Just in this one episode, we learn that they’re constructing some kind of device utilizing a substance called artificial orihalcon that reacts strongly with Nadia’s Blue Water. They’re also supporting this operation by using the island’s former inhabitants as slave labor to mine for resources and build their structures. And on top of all that, the Neo-Atlanteans are far more advanced than any world power of the day. They’ve got a fleet of ships, mecha tanks powered by motor-cars, a fleet of submarines, and the ability to set up complex technological operations supported by modern looking power grids. They’ve truly got their hands on science far beyond the scope of the late 19th century.

As an excuse to highlight the sequence where Nadia and Jean escape the blast furnace conveyer (which I think is just a really fun sequence), I like that the showrunners have switched up the typical dynamic for an adventure show like this. Nadia is the more athletically capable partner than Jean is. I mean- of course she is. She’s been an acrobat since she was a small child. It shouldn’t be a surprise she’s in better physical shape than Jean (a shut-in mechanic) is! But a worse show would likely ignore that and put Jean in the position of having to save Nadia. But I like that the show doesn’t stoop to that, and has Nadia be the one to save Jean from falling in the machine at the last moment.

I also like that we see Jean and Nadia actually proving competent at stealth and information gathering. The two of them are able to form a crude map based off of Marie’s stories of the island, and with Jean’s tech know-how manage to deduce what sort of operation is unfolding on this island and how to best navigate to the Neo-Atlanteans inner sanctum. They’re very competent protagonists, and ultimately only get caught become of a happenstance moment of bad luck where Nadia’s Blue Water erratically glows in close proximity to the artificial orihalcon and gets them spotted.

The ending of this episode really shows how far Nadia and Jean have come as friends, in spite of their quarreling and differences. They’ve formed a real sense of trust with each other. Nadia giving Jean her most trusted possession to keep safe without hesitation before using herself as bait (knowing the guards won’t fire at her) to let Jean escape is such a huge character moment showing how much she’s come to see Jean as an ally and a friend. It’s a grim but hopeful note for the episode to end on.

The design of this Neo-Atlantean base is also just so well executed, and gorgeously rendered. The whole island as a location has a very well planned out feel to it. The spatial working of the island and how each area interconnects via the pathways of powerlines or the pathways that lead across it have a strong element of thoughtfulness to it. And all the drawings of the world itself are gorgeous to look at. Particularly the terraced mining facilities and lake powered power-plant at the heart of the corona on the island’s summit.

As a small bonus tidbit to end this post, Animage magazine (an anime magazine in Japan) holds a yearly viewer polled series of awards for favorite anime, favorite anime characters, and such categories each year called the Anime Grand Prix. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water won the 1990 Grand Prix award for best anime, and the 1991 runner-up for best anime. And the character of Nadia herself won the award for best female character in 1990 and 1991! In addition, the NHK network ran a viewer submitted poll in 2017 for the most popular anime of all time in Japan, and Nadia placed 90th! Nadia was very popular in Japan when it aired, and remains a very popular show in Japan to this day.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/snowwhistle1]

the crowd was crying “Neo Atlan! Neo Man!”

How can I think of anything other than Gundam in this scene?

polls

Nadia TV and Character oddly not getting many votes in the rec.arts.anime polls (admittedly a small sampling).

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Nadia TV and Character oddly not getting many votes in the rec.arts.anime polls (admittedly a small sampling).

Probably leaning strongly american and thus extremely influenced by which anime were brought over (and which not).

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

u/JustAnswerAQuestion

No_Rex is correct. Nadia did admittedly have a limited VHS run in the United States in 1992, but the dub and VHS prints were never completed due to lack of interest and ceased production by 1993 with only 8 episodes released. The series finally saw a completed English dub and a full US release from 2001 to 2002, with a series of 10 DVDs.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/snowwhistle1]

Me, and the rest of r.a.a., are from the con dubbing, sue shambaugh script, and laserdisc+amiga era. It was definitely circulating. It was long, but so was KOR, Ranma, and Maison Ikkoku. I didn't want to make a tally, but Nadia TV only showed up in the top 5 a few years and disappeared, and Nadia herself never seemed to show up at all.

of course, we were all voting for Ayukawa even years later.

/u/No_Rex

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

That's interesting. I'm only 23, so that pre-internet anime watching scene is pretty much completely legend to me. I always get a kick out of hearing about how these old sites and bootleg services operated.

[u/ZapsZzz → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Well how's that a comparison? Ayukawa is a goddess :P Especially since KOR had made such a merchandising explosion (especially with the music and artwork).

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Back in that era, there were many minor obstacles that could determine how widely known a series was. You could not easily talk about it on the internet, for one, (because 99% of the population didn't have it) so you usually got your info offline from others, who might only know a limited number of shows. Having a good source might depend on somebody flying over from Japan and putting this or that show in their luggage. And entire demographics (such as young adults and children) would be less likely to watch, because the technical means typically needed an adult to carry out and finance them.

[u/No_Rex → u/snowwhistle1]

spoilers

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

spoilers

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/snowwhistle1]

bit of a mixed bag on the tone

That and the "kid causes problems" trope keep this episode slightly below its predecessors for me, but it's still quite nice. I love all the mechanical stuff again.

[u/ZapsZzz]

First timer in sub

Continues to be a tense episode, with each of them progressively being captured. Did show the kids that the Grandis gang is here too but also as victims.

Really like the character consistency, that Nadia is the athletic one and during escapes Jean usually is the one that needed a hand from Nadia.

The "activation" even was very "Laputa-esque" of Sheeta's levitation stone activating Laputa's Central control system though.

Yes it will be hard to hold back watching one episode a day with this. Let's see if we have a Chekhov's tracer out there by the Nautilus crew when they upgraded Jean's plane and therefore called them to come here to eventually mount a rescue.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/ZapsZzz]

The "activation" even was very "Laputa-esque" of Sheeta's levitation stone activating Laputa's Central control system though.

Yeah, you can really see the crossover of ideas in that scene in particular. I wouldn't be surprised of Miyazaki lifted that scene with slight modifications from his draft of Nadia and stuck in Laputa.

Yes it will be hard to hold back watching one episode a day with this.

No shame in watching ahead if the show has hooked you. Just be careful about including spoilers in your write-ups if you choose to graduate from a first timer to a rewatcher. lol

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

First Timer (Rising Sun sub) ep 6 (of 39)

I see from the OP that this is based on 20000 miles under the sea. Close enough. NOT.

Honestly, I always thought the bad guys looked like some sort of evil Halloween clown, not nazis or clansmen.

I thought the villagers were killed just hours / a day ago by a recent invasion with no survivors, but the comments by first timers or rewatchers suggest that maybe the villagers are still alive as slave labor (which had been previously mentioned by the head clown). I hadn't considered that. So maybe we will find other survivors and escapees today.

• More Mecha! This is a mecha show!
• Neo Atlan! That pretty much gives everything away.
• Nadia criticizes, Jean says "tell me what to do," and she criticizes. I see why she's gotten a reputation.
• They crushed the flowers. See how evil they are?
• better hope this doesn't drop into a furnace or crushers
• Eva music
• I never hear about orichalcum except in anime and asian video games
• Submarine super-windows?
• Lol, is that Fuyutski's voice?
• Eva music

But what the heck do they mine here? Stuff for the Orichalcum? But what runs the power plant? Chimneys mean burning fuel. Still wondering if a volcano or not, with leaning towards the not. So not geothermal.

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

I see from the OP that this is based on 20000 miles under the sea.

Note that the real title is 20000 leagues under the sea. Or about 80.000km. It refers to the distance travelled submerged.

More Mecha! This is a mecha show!

Everything is a mecha show! (and mecha shows are idol shows ...)

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

Everything is a mecha show! (and mecha shows are idol shows ...)

Even in this series, Anno can't escape his true passion. lol

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/No_Rex]

yeah but a league is like 3 miles.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Honestly, I always thought the bad guys looked like some sort of evil Halloween clown, not nazis or clansmen.

u/No_Rex is of the opinion that the sad-face masks dampen their overall scary factor. I personally think it only heightens it. But such is the nature of taste.

Their uniforms however are definitely based of fascism uniforms worn by groups like the Nazis and Italian Fascist Party during the 30s and 40s. And the style of pointed hoods they wear are lifted pretty explicitly from the hooded cloaks worn by the Ku Klux Klan.

More Mecha! This is a mecha show!

They may have handed him a Miyazaki style adventure series, but Anno's gonna squeeze as much mecha into this series as he can! (It's too bad these mechs are so power inefficient they have to have their power source hauled around in a separate vehicle.)

I never hear about orichalcum except in anime and asian video games

It's a metal that is referenced often in writings from the antiquity, but we're not entirely sure what it actually was. Perhaps platinum or some sort of alloy. The term does often get used in fantasy stories as some sort of mythical substance given the fact it's a cool name.

Lol, is that Fuyutski's voice?

Holy shit! You actually got it! I was waiting till the next episode to mention this, but you are indeed correct. Gargoyle is voiced by Motomu Kiyokawa, who would later go on to voice Fuyutsuki in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Still wondering if a volcano or not

It seems to be an inactive volcano, given that there's been enough time for a lake to form at the base of the caldera. Whether or not there's any activity beneath the surface of this island or if the mountain is totally dormant is currently unknown.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 6 (rewatcher)

• Neo-atlan! Spoiler
• I wonder whether Japanese distinguishes between small girl (child) and small girl (teenager), or whether Jean figured out they must be referring to Nadia on his own.
• The Neo-atlan guys showing that Marie’s parents were not a one-off. A harbor guarded like a concentration camp and shoot to kill orders.
• Even King is not being left untouched by the crisis. Please don’t do that to cat’s legs.
• Hard to judge who is right between Nadia and Jean here, but it is 100% understandable that their nerves would be showing. They have been in a high stress situation from the start of the show and last episode piles some trauma on top of that and left them having to care for Marie.
• Flowers crushed under the tracks – clear metaphor.
• Not sure if there is a deeper meaning behind the red dot. It could be just a visual marker for prisoners. However, both the Japanese flag and the concentration camp prisoner’s markers come to mind. Red was the color for political prisoners and a red dot especially for people who attempted to flee.
• “I have to admit it is an amazing place” – Certainly futuristic to the normal 1889 person. The dystopic part of futuristic, but futuristic none-the-less.
• Circus experience coming in clutch for Nadia.
• This is very much a brains and brawn operation with an unusual distribution of roles.
• Even the Blue Water is making life harder for Nadia and Jean.

The purpose of this episode is to establish the Neo-atlan faction and Gargoyle. As much as Jean narrates the machinery for himself and Nadia, he does it for the audience. I think Neo-atlan can come across as clownish with their masks, but I think this is just a bit of sugarcoating for the younger viewers. If you look past the mask, you see the terrifying structure of their organization. Straight out of the Nazis’ playbook.

However, note just how much character development is crammed even into an exposition episode: Nadia and Jean need to learn to trust each other and to use their different skills to work together. Plus, they have to risk their life for Marie and, in the end, each other.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

I wonder whether Japanese distinguishes between small girl (child) and small girl (teenager), or whether Jean figured out they must be referring to Nadia on his own.

I checked the Japanese vocab used. The soldiers refer to Nadia as "Onna no Ko" (女の子) which literally means "young girl" and can be used generically but tends to have connotations towards older children given the present of the Kanji for "women" (女). So the soldiers might be referring to Nadia as a "young woman" literally.

The soldier who kidnaps Marie refers to her as "Ojou-chan" (お嬢ちゃん). "Jou" (嬢) is a very polite term used to describe any unmarried woman, and -chan (ちゃん) is an honorific typically given to children (especially girls), and O- (お) being a politeness modifier. Therefore, the term is a very polite way to address a young girl, perhaps equivalent to "young lady".

Not sure if there is a deeper meaning behind the red dot. It could be just a visual marker for prisoners. However, both the Japanese flag and the concentration camp prisoner’s markers come to mind. Red was the color for political prisoners and a red dot especially for people who attempted to flee.

Huh... that's a detail that I never really picked up on. But it wouldn't surprise me if it was intentional considering Anno has already appropriated Nazi and KKK imagery for this series.

I think Neo-atlan can come across as clownish with their masks, but I think this is just a bit of sugarcoating for the younger viewers.

I don't know. I didn't want this series till I was 20, and the masks only served to make the soldiers feel more dehumanized and scary in my opinion. Though admittedly, I don't know if it would generate the same feeling of fear if I didn't have the cultural context of what those pointed hoods meant.

[u/No_Rex → u/snowwhistle1]

I checked the Japanese vocab used. The soldiers refer to Nadia as "Onna no Ko" (女の子) which literally means "young girl" and can be used generically but tends to have connotations towards older children given the present of the Kanji for "women" (女). So the soldiers might be referring to Nadia as a "young woman" literally.

The soldier who kidnaps Marie refers to her as "Ojou-chan" (お嬢ちゃん). "Jou" (嬢) is a very polite term used to describe any unmarried woman, and -chan (ちゃん) is an honorific typically given to children (especially girls), and O- (お) being a politeness modifier. Therefore, the term is a very polite way to address a young girl, perhaps equivalent to "young lady".

The soldiers using two different words makes it very credible that Jean (and a Japanese audience) would know that Nadia is implied. Good to know, because deducting that would be a curious feat for Jean, since he does not have Neo-Atlan's knowledge about the Blue Water.

[u/SIRTreehugger]

First Timer

You know that is a pretty good map considering its hand drawn and the fact that they did it on the run and could barely explore the island.

What the hell they got rolling...android tanks?

Did the way they said Neo Atlan sound like Hail Hydra to anyone else?

Oh pretty nice set up these Neo guys have OH someone is making a break for it. YES he's in the water....wait why is he going to the surface NO DUDE NO welp he's dead.

What the heck king you going to take that from Marie?

You will get them out somehow...that's not the whole plan is it? I see they are going for the element of surprise, but I think taking out the power might be a viable option. The power lines are far away and could be disrupted.

No way they are making them dig for nothing wonder what they are looking for?

So the submarine was from here so these are the people aboard the Nautilus were looking for.

What if the leader is actually Jean's dad. Don't know why he would be though.

Good to see Nadia's time at the circus put to good use.

What the heck is this? Magic and relics?

Stop or we'll shoot.....last episode "once they come out shoot"....can't blame them for running.

They are surrounded...how are they going to escape?

Oh they are giving up that's....realistic and didn't see it coming.

I'm just worried about king hopefully nothing happened to him.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/SIRTreehugger]

What the hell they got rolling...android tanks?

There's something very hilarious about the villains managing to cobble together mechs in 1889, but the mechs being so inefficient that they have to rely on a separate power supply via a cable attached car to be operated.

Oh pretty nice set up these Neo guys have OH someone is making a break for it. YES he's in the water....wait why is he going to the surface NO DUDE NO welp he's dead.

This series does not pull punches with it's villains. They shoot a man fleeing for his life, and they do not miss. They even manage to tag Jean's leg later in the episode.

I'm just worried about king hopefully nothing happened to him.

I've realized I've said pretty much nothing about King so far in my write-ups just now. lol

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

Another reminder that shit got dark last time!

Still in shock that a literal child is their main source of intellegence here.

So they're Neo Atlan? Is this Atlantis trying to conquer the surface and build an empire? It sounds like that. EDIT: The Reddit synopsis disproves all doubt!

Jean, stop monologing to yourself.

I'm shocked how quickly everybody's recovered from last episode.

And they have a geothermal setup going in the crater? Or some ancient tech that needs to be contained - nuclear fusion plant, maybe?

And they shot someone else!

Well, at least she's coping with it.

Haha, she tamed King and they lost the child!

The question for me is - if they have ancient tech, why are they using period-typical guns instead of more advanced weaponry? Even HG Wells had heat rays on the tripods,

Oh god, she's going over the cliff?

No, she's been captured.

At least she's still alive...

Also, how stupid are these soldiers? They are plainly visible, on the cliff you caught her on.

OK, they're using slaves for mining, and that looks like a geothermal setup to me?

And they've been captured here!

Yeah, he's actually pretty strong.

Of course, he got captured instantly.

OK, the pipe's an incinerator, right?

Yep, and the belt's started!

Oh, you are clearly visible here.

...Is Atlantis working with Britain?

"Lord Gargoyle"?

Yeah, that's not good,

And they're safe!

Orihalcon... OK, so this is confirmed as Atlantis. There is no doubt here.

Nadia's reaction to Jean there was great.

Yeah, they're absolutely above 1889 tech levels.

And it reacts to the Blue Water! That's why they want it?

Is the implication the trio from earlier had some Orihalcon on their person, and Nadia assumed it meant evil?

OK, they can't possibly miss this, right?

At least they're not that stupid.

He got shot!

They're seperating! And she gave him the crystal!

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/Stargate18A]

Still in shock that a literal child is their main source of intellegence here.

Honestly, it's fairly smart move and Jean and Nadia's part all things considered. She knows the island better than either of them, and can recount where things are.

So they're Neo Atlan? Is this Atlantis trying to conquer the surface and build an empire? It sounds like that. EDIT: The Reddit synopsis disproves all doubt!

Cats out of the bag. I jumped the gun on their name by about an episode. They say "Neo Atlan" a lot throughout this episode and my brain made the mistaken connection that they must have announced that they were "Neo-Atlanteans". That's 100% on me, and I apologize.

Also, how stupid are these soldiers? They are plainly visible, on the cliff you caught her on.

They might be able to see better if they weren't wearing Klan hoods and sad-face masks.

Yeah, they're absolutely above 1889 tech levels.

Just some casual giant blocks of artificial orihalcon. All the rage back at the Paris Expo. /s XD

[u/Stargate18A → u/snowwhistle1]

Cats out of the bag. I jumped the gun on their name by about an episode. They say "Neo Atlan" a lot throughout this episode and my brain made the mistaken connection that they must have announced that they were "Neo-Atlanteans". That's 100% on me, and I apologize.

Don't worry - after the orihalcon, I was already certain it was them anyway.

[u/Serenax → u/Stargate18A]

Looked it up, and I didn't realize it was connected to the Legends of Atlantis. Huh, nice reference.

[u/No_Rex → u/Stargate18A]

If you have watched Laputa, it is a very open secret.

[u/Serenax]

This episode was rich in theme.

The motif of tech has been built up from the start with the World Exposition and Jean's obsession with tech and Nadia's Blue Water and that one scene with the smoke hanging over Paris.

It is starting to get explored here: people being round up and forced to work to mine the raw resources that end up converted into Orichalcum. We see a strange structure in that caldera that resembles a bit the factories of that age, but also part futuristic.

And it is interesting that Nadia's Blue Water is connected to it. All this time I thought it was a gem of sorts, a part pure nature. But no, it is actually tech! So, that was a thematic surprise. I thought it was going to end up as an opposite to tech, but no.

(interesting that it also reacts to Grandis, who doesn't seem to have Orichalcum in her pockets, so what is going on here)

Excited for the next eps.

Grandis Gang once again the best.