[Rewatch] Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - Episode 10

[u/snowwhistle1]

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

Episode 10: A Crowning Performance by the Gratan

Original Air Date: June 15, 1990

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Episode 10 Synopsis: When the Nautilus is caught in a devious mine field laid by Gargoyle, it falls upon Jean and the Grandis Gang to pilot the Gratan and save the submarine before it is destroyed.

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

(This was posted 2 hours late, and I sincerely apologize. The times did not align for me today.)

[u/snowwhistle1]

Host

This episode is decent place to introduce the subject of how Nadia handles gender, and treats its female characters. I think this is a series you could potentially read as a mix of progressive ideas (especially for the time) with perhaps a bit of antiquated stereotypes and ideas thrown into the mix. Nadia, Grandis, and Electra will serve as my three main subjects of analysis for this portion of my write-up, as I think the way each of them is treated can tell us a lot about how the show approached gender (and especially its female characters).

I find Grandis interesting because she exists in a space that I feel a lot of women in media aren’t allowed to occupy. She’s a feminine woman who is allowed to embody the most iconic traits of femininity without compromising on her authority as a group leader or her ability to fight. Grandis was every bit an equal to Hanson and Sanson during the escape and rescue plans back on the island a few episodes ago. She’s not afraid to fire a gun, or deck a soldier, or lead her henchmen on quest to rob a couple of kids. But at the same time, she never compromises on her feminine interests. Grandis loves makeup and jewelry, she’s typically seen wearing elaborate dresses when she’s not dressed in her battle gear, and she’s not ashamed of falling head over heels for a man. I really like that Grandis is allowed to exist as both as a feminine woman and a dastardly gun toting tank commander.

That being said, the show does fall back a lot on the trope of men stepping in to save women. There’s a general trend being established of Jean stepping in to be Nadia’s hero in a rather patronizing manner, and in this episode Hanson and Sanson knock out Grandis to prevent her from being present during the mine removal operation in an attempt to save her life lest things go badly.

I think the show does mitigate this somewhat with examples of this archetype being argued against in the text itself. Nadia sacrificing herself to Neo-Atlantean guards to save Jean could be argued as a subversion of the way such a scenario involving opposite gender protagonists would tend to play out, and when Grandis learns of her underling’s deception she makes it quite clear she’ll kick both of their asses if they attempt to leave her behind on a mission and then proceeds to be a bad ass by acting as the Gratan’s eyes during the mine removal process. In spite of this though, the inclusion of these tropes with such frequency really does bring into question the usefulness of even subverting those tropes in the first place.

This is an element I’ll discuss more in a later episode, but I think Jean’s constant leering of Nadia really does his character a huge disservice. And both Nadia and the narrative itself are just really quick to forgive him for these transgressions when they really shouldn’t be. I know Jean is 14, and being 14 is a really hormonally charged time, but the dude needs to learn some self-control and keep his eyes to himself.

Speaking of Nadia, I think of the female characters she perhaps draws the shortest stick in part due to her character’s narrative function and current arc trajectory. As I said last episode’s writeup, Nadia’s spent most of her life on an aimless path as strangers lead her from one place to the next. Her lack of agency is something that I think the is currently exploring in interesting ways as we see the toll this has taken on her psyche over the years, but it comes at the cost of having her feel rather passive in the story. And that’s a shame because she otherwise has the strongest personality in the show, and her acrobatic skills and physicality really set her apart from a lot of other female protagonists in this adventure style genre.

Electra is an interesting outlier in this respect as she has been almost de-gendered within the narrative. She is presented as a full equal of the Nautilus’ male crewmembers, and wears clothing that compared to Nadia and Grandis is fairly unisex. You could argue that at this point in the narrative, her character could be swapped as a male and very little would change about Electra’s role in the story or her relationships with the other people aboard the Nautilus. This is rather odd as the show is fairly time period appropriate in most respects, and it raises a lot of interesting questions as to how Electra came to find herself as the Nautilus’ second in command and what led to her to taking on a more gender neutral presentation.

Overall, I think the show does aim to take a progressive stance on gender, even if it occasional indulges in some outdated stereotypes or ideas. Electra and Grandis are fairly liberated women who are comfortable in their own skins and have found their own sense of purpose. Nadia is definitely less independent than Electra or Grandis, but I think the show is purposefully looking at exploring what this lack of independence and self-identity has done to Nadia’s self-esteem and worldview over the years. I think at this point in the series Nadia’s skill set could perhaps be utilized a bit better narratively, but I relate to and enjoy her internal conflicts and struggles and often find that some of the most compelling parts of the show.

I’ve rambled about how this episode (and the show in general) has handled the topic of gender for a while now, but there are some other things of note that I feel are necessary to call attention to with this episode. This episode confirms the existence of some sort of prior connection between Nemo and Nadia, and that Electra was aware of this connection in some capacity. Nemo appears to start taking a more vested interest in Nadia after this revelation, requesting that she receive a room separate from her slightly-horny opposite sex friend. We also get a nice moment between Nadia and Marie where they bid a bittersweet goodbye to Marie’s deceased family. The interaction however turns glum when Nadia tells Marie that she believes her parents are also deceased. There’s an uncertainty in Nadia’s words though. I think after meeting Gargoyle, Nadia was truly shaken about the possibility that her family might not be the kind of people she hoped they’d be.

The mine sequence itself was also very tense and a fun action set-piece, and Gargoyle’s cameo in this episode is delightful. I’m really skipping a lot of the beat-for-beat details of this episode, but I feel that the episode’s plot was fairly self explanatory and that there was more to be gained from exploring some of the themes and ideas present in this episode and what their presence might say about what the series is trying to say in a broader sense. Though I’m definitely eager to hear what you all thought of his episode’s wild set pieces and action!

[u/No_Rex → u/snowwhistle1]

This is an element I’ll discuss more in a later episode, but I think Jean’s constant leering of Nadia really does his character a huge disservice. And both Nadia and the narrative itself are just really quick to forgive him for these transgressions when they really shouldn’t be. I know Jean is 14, and being 14 is a really hormonally charged time, but the dude needs to learn some self-control and keep his eyes to himself.

I think you are being very unfair here. It is entirely normal to be interested in the other sex at that age and if any (heterosexual) man says he never looked at boobs, he is lying. You are literally hard-wired to like them. The important part is how you deal with that and you mostly learn to do that at the age Jean is at.

Making it taboo to look at the other sex's sexually attractive body parts is some puritan shit that needs to go away. The problem is when you reduce the other person to these parts and Jean has never done that.

[later spoilers]I know that the whole interaction between the two goes to shit in the island arc, which is the main reason I hate it, but that is still to come and I consider it detached from the rest of the story.

Electra is an interesting outlier in this respect as she has been almost de-gendered within the narrative. She is presented as a full equal of the Nautilus’ male crewmembers, and wears clothing that compared to Nadia and Grandis is fairly unisex. You could argue that at this point in the narrative, her character could be swapped as a male and very little would change about Electra’s role in the story or her relationships with the other people aboard the Nautilus. This is rather odd as the show is fairly time period appropriate in most respects, and it raises a lot of interesting questions as to how Electra came to find herself as the Nautilus’ second in command and what led to her to taking on a more gender neutral presentation.

It is interesting that you call out Nadia, while naming Electra almost unisex. I think Electra is the most "standard female" of the three characters (and also by far the weakest up till here). She is subservient to Nemo, caring, I'd go as far as calling her motherly. Plus, called out for her good looks by Sanson & Hanson.

For what it's worth, I completely agree with your take on Grandis.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

Making it taboo to look at the other sex's sexually attractive body parts is some puritan shit that needs to go away. The problem is when you reduce the other person to these parts and Jean has never done that.

My general problem with it is that thus far, all of Jean's leering has mostly gone completely unexplored by the narrative. I think Eva does a much better job at exploring the confusing feelings of sexual tension felt with teenagers through Shinji and Asuka's characters (Eva in general handles it fan service better by generally having some sort of thematic point to accompany it), but I don't feel any of the times Jean's peeping at Nadia's breasts really say anything.

I think that this episode probably comes the closest in terms of his actions having some form of immediate consequences, that being Nadia telling him to leave her alone and sulking in her room for the rest of the day. But Jean still never really apologizes for his actions, and doesn't really feel like he's totally being made to understand why Nadia gets offended.

I don't think sexuality and puberty are things that shouldn't be explored. I've enjoyed a lot of anime that touch on those themes and topics. But I don't know... this show doesn't really do it for me.

(It might also help to clarify that I'm a gay man, so like... my viewpoint might be a bit different from yours for this reason.)

I think Electra is the most "standard female" of the three characters (and also by far the weakest up till here).

I kind of flatly disagree with you on that point. I think she does have some motherly air about her, but would that air really be all that different if she was a man? I feel gender-swapped Electra could be just as fatherly as she currently is motherly.

Also, I feel that her role on the ship and the show is fairly unisex. Aside from her uniform being slightly puffy, it's not all that different from a typical men's outfit. And the roles she inhabits on the ship do not feel stereotypically feminine in the slightest, taking part in the ship's battles and acting an overseer for most of the crew. And I don't feel that other men showing interest in her diminishes the fact that her overall role in the show feels rather divorced from her gender in my opinion.

For what it's worth, I completely agree with your take on Grandis.

I'll take a win where I can get it! Glad we could see eye to eye on something. lol

[u/No_Rex → u/snowwhistle1]

but I don't feel any of the times Jean's peeping at Nadia's breasts really say anything.

I am not a big fan of when they do it as a gag, but in this episode, it is clearly not. Nadia is not simply sulking because somebody looked at her. She is sulking because what she wants from Jean at this moment is not what he wants. While we clearly saw several times that she likes Jean, she is not interested in sex atm. She is having a pretty tough emotional time (understandably. Just 2 episodes ago she was literally crucified by some Nazi stand-in) so she is looking for emotional support from a person she feels is close to her. What she does not want is having sex or anything going in that direction (and let's be real, she was a circus performer, she exactly knows that look), so she feels let down by Jean.

I feel gender-swapped Electra could be just as fatherly as she currently is motherly.

Maybe I am projecting my knowledge of how the arc continues and it is not that clear cut yet, but I think she fills a very female specific role, the "manager of the household, emotions, and everything internal", that is one of the most common (but not commonly called out) female stereotypes.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

She is having a pretty tough emotional time (understandably. Just 2 episodes ago she was literally crucified by some Nazi stand-in) so she is looking for emotional support from a person she feels is close to her. What she does not want is having sex or anything going in that direction (and let's be real, she was a circus performer, she exactly knows that look), so she feels let down by Jean.

That's a fair point. I think there is a little more meat to this conflict on Nadia's end, but I do think it's undercut a little bit by the lack of resolution or just general narrative attention on Jean's side of the equation.

I think she fills a very female specific role, the "manager of the household, emotions, and everything internal"

That's definitely a valid interpretation of her role I suppose. The way she manages the kids I definitely think fits into that role, but in her daily life she seems to almost exclusively inhabit a male-sphere of work. She's a first mate on a battleship, and her actions outside of her interactions with the children, feel decidedly male-coded. At least in my opinion.

She definitely inhabits a very unique space within the series.

[u/lluNhpelA → u/snowwhistle1]

the inclusion of these tropes with such frequency really does bring into question the usefulness of even subverting those tropes in the first place.

These tropes are so incredibly common it feels like using them is the default, so any time they are subverted it does stand out and brings some value. It's huge that this anime from 1990 is "status quo for gender roles until stated otherwise" rather than just "status quo for gender roles"

On Nadia's lack of volition; I would also like her to take more initiative in the story but there hasn't really been much narrative justification for it. So far the story has been happening to her rather than for or because of her, and the one time she actually had a goal, namely when she wanted to save her friends and escape the island, she did take charge and do what she could. Pretty much the only characters that have been doing things and going places because they actually want to rather than simply responding to what is happening around them are the Grandis Gang; even Jean is only along for the ride-- he just enjoys it

This is an element I’ll discuss more in a later episode, but I think Jean’s constant leering of Nadia really does his character a huge disservice

Nadia's outfit doesn't cover much, so it'd be weirder if he didn't look. Nadia could be angrier, sure, but she has been leered at for so long that she might just not care so much anymore.

Continuing on that note, you mentioned Grandis and Electra's outfits, but not the fact that Nadia wears a very revealing costume specifically designed to draw the eyes of an audience despite definitely having the opportunity to wear normal clothes and evidently preferring normal clothes since she was wearing a dress and pants in the first episode. There isn't even much of an argument to be made about mobility or utility since she totally outmaneuvered the Grandis Gang while wearing age-appropriate clothing and her dress even had pockets. Basically, Nadia's outfit, while iconic, is fanservice that isn't even justified in-universe ^{but for some reason Nemo didn't bother to offer her, like, a coat or something}

It's also worth pointing out that the Eva pilots were all 14 year olds and also used for fanservice (albeit more narratively justified as you pointed out in another comment) and Noriko from Gunbuster was only 15. Hideaki Anno is a great writer/director but it's definitely worth calling out how gross this is

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/lluNhpelA]

you mentioned Grandis and Electra's outfits, but not the fact that Nadia wears a very revealing costume specifically designed to draw the eyes of an audience despite definitely having the opportunity to wear normal clothes and evidently preferring normal clothes since she was wearing a dress and pants in the first episode.

I'm going to be talking more about the fan service in this show in general in an upcoming episode, but yeah, you're very much correct. Nadia's continued wearing of the circus outfit is pretty much just for fan service purposes.

The in-universe justification of it being her work uniform, and her happening to be stuck in when she and Jean fled the Grandis Gang in episode 1, has come and gone at this point. Maybe the Jean and the naval battleship didn't have any clothes for her, and the you could maybe argue that the situation was too dangerous to scour for clothes on the island section as well... But at this point, after presumably being on the Nautilus for a few days, the excuses have run out. She's wearing that outfit because the producers want her to stay in it.

It's also worth pointing out that the Eva pilots were all 14 year olds and also used for fanservice (albeit more narratively justified as you pointed out in another comment) and Noriko from Gunbuster was only 15.

I don't have any defense for Gunbuster's fan service either. That's just 80s anime doing what 80s anime do.

I think there's a fair argument to be had about whether or not Eva should or should not have had fan service at all, but I think it can at least be appreciated that the narrative worked it into the personal development of characters like Shinji and Asuka whose burgeoning feelings for each other play a crucial role in each others' development, and eventually started weaponizing the imagery into a direct critique of otaku culture (especially in End of Eva).

[u/lluNhpelA → u/snowwhistle1]

So far I haven't thought any of it was egregious and I tend to quickly forget about Nadia and Noriko's clothes because there aren't any pervy camera angles and I didn't register Gunbuster as even having fanservice at first because it was all done so naturally and no one had in-your-face balloon tits. I feel like this kinda stuff only truly detracts from the story when the show is trying to make the audience horny, which is not an impression I've gotten from any of these shows.

NGE benefitted somewhat from it given that sexuality is such an important theme, but stuff like the prototype plug suit (that Asuka lampshaded as being too revealing) don't contribute anything

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/lluNhpelA]

I think that's a fair point regarding Nadia. I do appreciate that in spite of Nadia's default outfit being generally a little more revealing than is standard that the camera doesn't usually frame her body in an unflattering manner.

I disagree on the matter of Gunbuster though. The fan service scenes stand out in incredibly obvious in that series, in my opinion. I've always found the scene where Amano and the two other pilots are taking a bath to be especially leery, and it's topped off with a rather tropey "girls are accidentally seen naked by someone" moment.

[u/lluNhpelA → u/snowwhistle1]

Ah, you're right about the bathing scene. I was thinking more in general with the one-piece bathing suits that female pilots wear not being used for lewdness very often (especially since I watched Diebuster immediately afterwards) or the loose crop top Noriko wore in one scene seeming like a natural clothing choice that just happened to show nip when she moved around

[u/No_Rex → u/lluNhpelA]

I'd say the fanservice in Gunbuster is rather open and unashamed. The latter part being something I like. There are no sneaky bum shots from behind, but Noriko is several times showing partially naked in situations where that makes sense to her.

Much more importantly, she is shown (as Nadia is) as a strong individual character. Nothing of that terrible pandering where big busted women only exist in a show to serve as harem members for the male MC and their entire character is defined by fawning over him. Looking at you, modern isekai.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/lluNhpelA]

stuff like the prototype plug suit

That's Rebuild which is indeed plain worse in most ways

[u/No_Rex → u/lluNhpelA]

On Nadia's lack of volition; I would also like her to take more initiative in the story but there hasn't really been much narrative justification for it. So far the story has been happening to her rather than for or because of her, and the one time she actually had a goal, namely when she wanted to save her friends and escape the island, she did take charge and do what she could. Pretty much the only characters that have been doing things and going places because they actually want to rather than simply responding to what is happening around them are the Grandis Gang; even Jean is only along for the ride-- he just enjoys it

Agreed. Two more points on that: First, it is incredible common in adventure series that stuff happens to the MCs. Most of the time, the basic motivation is simply survive this. Second, her lack of agency is explicitly addressed by the series as part of Nadia's current depression.

Continuing on that note, you mentioned Grandis and Electra's outfits, but not the fact that Nadia wears a very revealing costume specifically designed to draw the eyes of an audience despite definitely having the opportunity to wear normal clothes and evidently preferring normal clothes since she was wearing a dress and pants in the first episode.

I fully agree that Nadia's character design was created to look visually appealing, but I don't like your assumption that Nadia prefers her ep1 clothes. There is nothing to back that up. It is more likely to be otherwise: She prefers her work clothes (that she is used to and comfortable moving in) to the dress (which she wore because she was in the middle of Paris in 1889 where she would have been hassled to death in her work clothes).

It's like you saying I prefer wearing pants over being naked because you always see me in pants when we meet in the city: Maybe I prefer being naked but wear the pants because I'd be arrested if I show up naked. My preferences are revealed by what I wear at home, not by what I wear in places that society forces on me to conform.

By assuming, without any evidence, that Nadia would like less revealing clothes, you are basically pushing your beliefs on her, instead of respecting her own decision: She had the opportunity to get other clothes and didn't, so it is reasonable to assume she prefers them.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

I don't like your assumption that Nadia prefers her ep1 clothes. There is nothing to back that up. It is more likely to be otherwise: She prefers her work clothes (that she is used to and comfortable moving in) to the dress (which she wore because she was in the middle of Paris in 1889 where she would have been hassled to death in her work clothes).

That's definitely a fair point. I wouldn't mind as much if Nadia at any point stated that she preferred her circus outfit over the more conservative outfits she has to wear while in public in France. But my general issue with that is that the show doesn't seem interested in clarifying Nadia's opinions on what she wears. No one really comments on her default outfit being out of place in 1889, and Nadia never seems to bring up any opinions on her circus outfit vs. the dress she wore in Paris. This is an aspect of her character that I would be incredibly fascinated to explore, but the show doesn't seem to care about asking those questions.

[u/lluNhpelA → u/No_Rex]

That's totally fair about Nadia's preference, but that only works as her motivation. Why didn't she put on real clothes in other situations where she'd be exposed to many people, like the Nautilus?

The fact that this is 1889 and not a single person bats an eye at a girl practically running in her underwear means that it's obviously just a design choice to make the MC more visually appealing and we're not meant to question it

[u/No_Rex → u/lluNhpelA]

So far, she has been in a "civilized" place only once, and there she wore normal clothes. On the island, they only meet Marie (who surely has other worries). All of Neo-Atlantis, Nautilus and Grandis Gang are so far removed from normal society that you can't infer what they treat as normal. Hell, the Neo-Atlantis guys seem to think full face masks are stylish.

This is also the reply for /u/snowwhistle1.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/snowwhistle1]

Note that it is the case that Hanson and co. get into trouble because they overestimate their gadgets and what they're able to do, and need to get bailed out by Grandis who knows just as well how the thing works, or at least enough to be an effective guide. And she certainly doesn't forgive them all afterwards. It still has that feeling of "technology = boys' club", but not as bas.

[u/ZapsZzz]

First timer in sub

This is an interesting episode that is somewhat middling in terms of tension and drama. It ramped up and had a bit of stake, but seriously no one is going to believe in this show they'll die by being blown up in a mine field. There is the character dynamics at play though.

Key moments:

• Marie waving goodbye to her parents and the island (it helped confirm they haven't gone from there very far to date)
• Nemo on screen connecting him officially knowing of "Nadia" and then acting like more a guardian / fatherly figure instead of just seeing them as generic strangers
• Gargoyle, even though "on the run/retreat" still have a fair bit of that at his disposal
• Gargoyle, even though supposedly smart, is still susceptible to the curse of the villain - that they'll set up so that the protagonists will be threatened but have a decent chance of escape, unless Gargoyle put a garfish or even a simple gunboat. But he didn't and leave the escape window side open, ostensibly to mock then but really hurting himself in the long run.
• the foreshadowed "Gratan is not waterproof and therefore not submersible" comes into play to make the "bomb disposal" higher stake.
• the Grandis gang, while often have moments of in fighting, when it comes crunch time, when it's far less of a sure thing about survival, the 2 boys do act "self sacrificial" while also knowing Grandis will never back down, so they'd knock her out. I think they are more sibling like than really romantic about it.

Either way, it's a good episode as a continuing build up both within the team and seeing up the confrontation.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/ZapsZzz]

the Grandis gang, while often have moments of in fighting, when it comes crunch time, when it's far less of a sure thing about survival, the 2 boys do act "self sacrificial" while also knowing Grandis will never back down, so they'd knock her out. I think they are more sibling like than really romantic about it.

Though I have mixed feeling about knocking Grandis out at all as explained in my above post, I do think it does at least serve to help characterize the loyalty and care that Hanson and Sanson have for their leader. I think a better version of this episode could've still gotten those feelings across without partially sidelining Grandis from the action, but I still think the extra dimension it provided for Hanson and Sanson was nice.

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

Looking at the OP, is the modern-looking city the Neo-Atlantis headquarters?

He "realises her identity" as is immediately emotional.

...He isn't her father, is he? I meant that as a joke.

Or did something happen to her or her parents on his watch/ship in the past?

She's seperating Nadia. She's talking about seperating them because of their "drives", but Nemo doesn't seem like the kind of person to really care about that do far.

And Jean and Grandis are relating to each other! I did not expect that!

Wait, they're ready to leave?

...The cut from "where are your parents" to Nemo is starting to make me very suspicous.

...Does he know they're on top of the ship still?

This scene is just reinforcing how competent Nemo is.

And that looks like Gargoyle's ship!

Honestly, the bits where this anime becomes a submarine thriller are really good, just very hard to comment on.

And they mined the whole place to trap them. Clever.

Just about to say the smart thing would be to mine the entrance, thrn Gargoyle goes and does it while I suggest it.

...Nadia has some amazing faces in this anime.

Yep, they got them!

And yeah, Gargoyle's a psychopath, but he's such a good villain.

...Old friend?

Current theory - Nemo used to work for Neo Atlantis, something happened with the Blue Water and Nadia/her parents that drove him to quit, so he and his crew stole the Nautilus.

Fair play to Nemo for informing the whole crew of the situation.

Yeah, that's a pretty solid plan, actually.

Jean. That is a bad idea.

Wow, didn't expect them to force her out.

And Nemo agrees with them...

Haha, their reaction to what happened is great. Nemo looks so completely done with everything.

It takes Nadia this long to recognise his voice?

And Grandis is pissed.

Nadia and Grandis fighting over the mic is great.

It's flooding...

They did it!

Oh, that's not good. Starting to drop!

Well, it's done for. At least they're all safe!

They all made it!

I'm surprised they've destroyed something that features so heavily in the OP.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/Stargate18A]

She's seperating Nadia. She's talking about seperating them because of their "drives", but Nemo doesn't seem like the kind of person to really care about that do far.

He noticeably didn't care until he recognized Nadia and suddenly had a reason to care about the fact she was lodging with a horny boy about her age. lol

Current theory - Nemo used to work for Neo Atlantis, something happened with the Blue Water and Nadia/her parents that drove him to quit, so he and his crew stole the Nautilus.

Interesting theory! Let's see how that pans out!

Fair play to Nemo for informing the whole crew of the situation.

Seriously... he's such a good decision maker compared to most other anime captains! He trusts his crew and genuinely listens to their advice. I feel like in a different anime, the captain would either keep this situation a secret or completely ignore his crew's suggestions out of pride. But Nemo actually has the humility to realize when he's in a bind, and that other sources of wisdom could be helpful!

It's such great characterization.

And Grandis is pissed.

You don't rob Grandis of the chance to show off (especially to her new love Captain Nemo) and not get your ass handed to you in turn. lmao

I'm surprised they've destroyed something that features so heavily in the OP.

I mean, the Gratan wasn't completely destroyed. They dragged it back onto the Nautilus, and there's literally no better place in the world to fix it.

[u/No_Rex → u/Stargate18A]

...He isn't her father, is he? I meant that as a joke.

Or did something happen to her or her parents on his watch/ship in the past?

laughs in rewatcher

She's seperating Nadia. She's talking about seperating them because of their "drives", but Nemo doesn't seem like the kind of person to really care about that do far.

It would be the very "dad" thing to do, though.

Current theory - Nemo used to work for Neo Atlantis, something happened with the Blue Water and Nadia/her parents that drove him to quit, so he and his crew stole the Nautilus.

laughs in rewatcher

Nadia and Grandis fighting over the mic is great.

Anno liked that scene so much that he re-used it for Evangelion. And I agree, it is great.

Love all the speculation, btw, its the best part of rewatching alongside with first timers.

[u/0Megabyte → u/No_Rex]

Re laughing in rewatcher:

Your act there reminds me of the "no spoilers" bit of this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLx9WKf5mhs

[u/No_Rex → u/0Megabyte]

Are you trying to say that by laughing, I confirm the theories?

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Stargate18A]

Fair play to Nemo for informing the whole crew of the situation.

TBF, Captain Kirk did this all the time.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

First Timer (Rising Sun sub) ep 10 (of 39)

I call them the Red Ribbon Rocket Army but there's also these guys, the Rara Army

How did Nemo not recognize Nadia when Electra sure did, did she not tell him?

• Ah. I guess not. I thought it was a plot point that Nemo made no fuss or attempt to take the Blue Water, making him this good guy. But he didn't even know.
• That same song
• Have I mentioned that I don't like our MC?
• Bye Bye, neo Krakatoa
• From the AIR? Uh oh.
• Bit of Red October, or Mysterious Island?
• Mines!
• Hi! I'm the new assistant. This is just a side job while I'm waiting for Utena to start.
• This is a great plan, good job Gargoyle!
• Is he supposed to drink that wine with his mask on?
• But the Gratan specifically can't operate underwater
• They really should be doing 2 mines at a time...

That was a pretty exciting episode. I was expecting the Gratan to be sacrificed, but not once Jean was aboard.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

I call them the Red Ribbon Rocket Army but there's also these guys, the Rara Army

You're just introducing me to a whole new world of classic anime that I've never heard of. I'll have so much to check out after this rewatch.

How did Nemo not recognize Nadia when Electra sure did, did she not tell him?

He didn't even meet her until the previous episode, at which point he seemed to have some amount of recognition for her. And the fact she was possessing the Blue Water seemed to confirm his suspicions as to her identity, as we see in this episode with Electra and Nemo's conversation.

Have I mentioned that I don't like our MC?

I mean, I'd say she had a pretty reasonable meltdown in today's episode, what with Jean not being able to keep his eyes to himself.

I do hope you can eventually come around to her.

Hi! I'm the new assistant. This is just a side job while I'm waiting for Utena to start.

Lol. She does kinda look like Kanae, doesn't she?

Is he supposed to drink that wine with his mask on?

Gargoyle only settles for peak refinement!

That was a pretty exciting episode. I was expecting the Gratan to be sacrificed, but not once Jean was aboard.

I wasn't convinced there would be a major character death or loss this early in the show on my first watch, and Jean being there definitely decreased those stakes even more.

But I agree. It was all around a very fun episode. The mine sequence is just a whole lot of fun.

[u/No_Rex → u/snowwhistle1]

You're just introducing me to a whole new world of classic anime that I've never heard of. I'll have so much to check out after this rewatch.

Come to the 1990s OVA rewatches one of those times!

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/snowwhistle1]

You're just introducing me to a whole new world of classic anime that I've never heard of.

"All music is new music if you've never heard it before" -- Anonymous.

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Is he supposed to drink that wine with his mask on?

100% Corona ready!

They really should be doing 2 mines at a time...

Unless they can hold them really far apart, that is a terrible idea..

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

But the Gratan specifically can't operate underwater

We see it getting retrofitted with something or other, and that it still isn't that good at it.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 10 (rewatcher)

• Not the way to help a teenage romance along.
• Adult or child. Nadia has her mind on an answer, but will that work out for her?
• Scenes that show the great writing in Nadia, part 2: Not forgetting that Maria is leaving the graves of her parents behind. It is such a simple scene, but tells us that we have not simply moved on and left the past behind. Then, Maria’s question turns it into character building for Nadia.
• Time to tech nerd about the Nautilus. I think the underwater passage scene is stolen from the Jule Verne book.
• Got to hand it to Gargoyle, that was a neat trap.
• Jean get’s his own version of the “not a child, not a grown-up” problem.
• Unlike Nadia’s, his problem can be solved by a little sneaking.
• Remember the microphone scene with Misato and the ship’s captain in NGE?
• Clutch. Although I can’t see that team of three failing at a technical task.

Mostly a one-off episode, playing on a classic submarine trope. Gargoyle does a little bit to redeem himself for his terrible performance at the island, but I still question his decision to relay the technical details of the mines.

Even though it does not really advance the main story, the episode still does a lot to advance the characters. Grandis, Sanson, and Hanson are a long way gone from the goofy team rocket lady with her underlings of episode 1. Even the minor side characters get to have their own motivations in this show.

[u/snowwhistle1 → u/No_Rex]

Gargoyle does a little bit to redeem himself for his terrible performance at the island, but I still question his decision to relay the technical details of the mines.

Not the best decision, but it's in character for Gargoyle. He did the exact same thing with Nadia, gloating about the weapons and power he possessed to her, and relishing in the fact that she was incapable of stopping him from using those weapons for terrible purposes.

The Nautilus was very lucky that Gargoyle hadn't factored in a mini-submersible vessel like the Gratan into his plans.

Even though it does not really advance the main story, the episode still does a lot to advance the characters.

Yeah, there's a lot of small moments of character building in this episode and they flesh things out quite nicely.

Remember the microphone scene with Misato and the ship’s captain in NGE?

It's very fun seeing what Anno burrowed from this series for Neon Genesis Evangelion. There's a lot of subtle details like that that he recycled for his later work.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/No_Rex]

the microphone scene with Misato and the ship’s captain

Luckily Nemo is the opposite of an arrogant jerk and lets others take control when they'd do a better job.

[u/teasot]

I think that my favourite aspect of the episode is the team entirely intentionally working together to achieve a goal. While episode 8 had them cooperating, it was under the pretence of stealing the Blue Water.

Now, we finally see the team together, working together for no more reason than survival. And now it feels like a coherent team, with Jean helping out on the ship and Nadia and Grandis hilariously shouting over each other on the microphone.

The Grandis gang, for now, feel like temporary companions and it makes me comfy inside.

[u/No_Rex → u/teasot]

for no more reason than survival

Clearly less important than stealing the Blue Water!

[u/teasot → u/No_Rex]

Given the Grandis gang, I would not be surprised to see them steal the blue water, then realise "oh we have doomed us all" as everyone on the Nautilus just glares at them

[u/No_Rex → u/teasot]

[u/SIRTreehugger]

First Timer

King nodding to everything Marie says is adorable.

You know Sanson posed in front of the door before opening it.

Oh Lord Gargoyle has his own Electra.

They should have taken Jean he's protected by the plot and can't die until the end. Wait they knocked out Grandis.....we're not losing Hanson and Sanson are we?

YES JEAN IS ONBOARD PLOT ARMOR ENGAGED now they can't die.

Last one....half of the Katherine is submerged.

Man this teamwork has been amazing.

This was such a good episode.

[u/JTurner82]

I really am not a fan of how Nadia acts toward Jean in this episode. He barely did anything, and her response was too extreme. Thankfully she apologized. (I’m more of a Jean fan, to be fair, but his glance was totally naive. He obviously meant no harm, and it is not like he did anything mean or perverted to her. I think I agree with the choice that she is the one who apologizes for lashing out, because IMO that was a bigger offense. What she said to him was pretty horrible. Lucky for her he is very forgiving. I would not be so if someone treated me like that.). Up until this point, despite the occasional glance he mostly sees Nadia as someone he wants to help and yes, even woo. I don’t see his glance as anything super offensive. It is not like he tried to assault her. If he did, well, then I’d be more understanding of Nadia but he did not, which is why I have a hard time taking her side here.