"Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water" (1990) "Fushigi no umi no Nadia" (original title), TV series 1990-

Directors:

Hiroyuki Sasaki
Tadayuki Uda

Writers:

Hisao Ohkawa (episode)
Kaoru Umeno (episode)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

13 April 1990 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Nadia is a teenaged circus acrobat, an orphan searching for her father at the turn of the 20th century...

Plot Keywords:

Sea | Submarine | Boy | Acrobat | Girl

Cast

Noriko Hidaka	...	Jean (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Carl Domaski	...	Additional Voices / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Judson Jones	...	Additional Voices / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Craig Kanne	...	Red Noah (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Talbot McKitt	...	New Nautilus Radio (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Nathan Parsons	...	Jean (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Nanker Phelge	...	Additional Voices / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Guy Roberts	...	Additional Voices / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Douglas Taylor	...	Gargoyle's Cabinet / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
James Arnold Taylor	...	Additional Voices / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Clay Towery	...	Gargoyle's Cabinet / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Meg Bauman	...	Nadia (38 episodes, 1990-1991)
Toshiharu Sakurai	...	King / ... (37 episodes, 1990-1991)
Shawn Sides	...	King (37 episodes, 1990-1991)
Yoshino Takamori	...	Nadia (36 episodes, 1990-1991)
Karen Kuykendall	...	Narrator (35 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kumiko Takizawa	...	Grandis (33 episodes, 1990-1991)
Martin Blacker	...	Sanson (33 episodes, 1990-1991)
Margaret Cassidy	...	Marie (33 episodes, 1990-1991)
Corey Gagne	...	Hanson (33 episodes, 1990-1991)
Sarah Richardson	...	Grandis (33 episodes, 1990-1991)
Ken'yû Horiuchi	...	Sanson (32 episodes, 1990-1991)
Yûko Mizutani	...	Marie (31 episodes, 1990-1991)
Ev Lunning	...	Captain Nemo (25 episodes, 1990-1991)
Akio Ôtsuka	...	Captain Nemo (23 episodes, 1990-1991)
Jennifer Stuart	...	Electra (23 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kikuko Inoue	...	Electra (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Billy F. Harden	...	Nautilus Chief Engineer (21 episodes, 1990-1991)
Richard Smith	...	Nautilus Co-Pilot / ... (21 episodes, 1990-1991)
Greg Gondek	...	Nautilus Sonar Officer (20 episodes, 1990-1991)
Dan Bisbee	...	Nautilus Pilot / ... (17 episodes, 1990)

Series Directed by
Hideaki Anno		(27 episodes, 1990-1991)
Shinji Higuchi		(17 episodes, 1990-1991)
Takeshi Mori		(11 episodes, 1990-1991)
Renji Kawabata		(5 episodes, 1990-1991)
Shigeto Makino		(4 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tadayuki Uda		(2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Shôichi Masuo		(2 episodes, 1990)
Shigeru Morikawa		(2 episodes, 1990)
Hiroyuki Sasaki		(2 episodes, 1990)
Yukio Suzuki		(2 episodes, 1990)

Series Writing credits
Hayao Miyazaki		(39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hisao Ohkawa		(39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Jules Verne		(39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hideaki Anno		(29 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kaoru Umeno		(24 episodes, 1990-1991)

Series Produced by
Hiroshi Kubota	....	producer (1 episode, 1990)

Series Original Music by
Shirô Sagisu		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Akio Satsukawa		(30 episodes, 1990-1991)
Masashi Furukawa		(8 episodes, 1990)

Series Art Direction by
Masanori Kikuchi		(39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hiromasa Ogura		(39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hiroshi Sasaki		(39 episodes, 1990-1991)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Shunji Suzuki	....	second unit director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Harumi Takahoshi	....	color designer (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Takeshi Mori	....	storyboard artist (15 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tatsuyuki Tanaka	....	image boards (11 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kazuyoshi Yaginuma	....	image boards (11 episodes, 1990-1991)
Masayuki	....	storyboard artist (8 episodes, 1990-1991)
Shinji Higuchi	....	storyboard artist (6 episodes, 1990-1991)
Mahiro Maeda	....	storyboard artist (4 episodes, 1990-1991)
Toshiyuki Kubooka	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hideaki Anno	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 1990)
Shôichi Masuo	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 1990)

Series Sound Department
Hakaru Narikiyo	....	sound mixer (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Toru Noguchi	....	sound effects editor (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Katsunori Shimizu	....	sound director (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Noriko Nishizawa	....	sound mixer (35 episodes, 1990-1991)
Deb Adair	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Katsunori Shimizo	....	sound director (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Yasushi Yoritsune	....	animation production supervisor (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tomoji Kodama	....	animation production supervisor (30 episodes, 1990-1991)
Shôichi Masuo	....	animator (9 episodes, 1990-1991)
Shunji Suzuki	....	animation director / animator (9 episodes, 1990-1991)
Yasuhito Murata	....	animation production supervisor (9 episodes, 1991)
Hiroki Kanno	....	animator (8 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kumiko Kawana	....	animation director / animator (8 episodes, 1990-1991)
Masakatsu Sasaki	....	animator (8 episodes, 1990-1991)
Yoshimitsu Ôhashi	....	animator (8 episodes, 1990-1991)
Yuji Takahashi	....	animator (6 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tokihiko Ôta	....	animator (6 episodes, 1990-1991)
Masaru Fukumoto	....	animator (5 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hiroshi Dobashi	....	animator (4 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hidenori Matsubara	....	animator / animation director (4 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hiroaki Gôda	....	animator (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hiroyuki Kanbe	....	animator (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Masakuni Kaneko	....	animator (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Noboru Koizumi	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Toshiyuki Kubooka	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Yoshiyuki Moto	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Nobuaki Nagano	....	animator (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Akihiko Nomura	....	animator (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Ikuo Shimazu	....	animator (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kôichi Takada	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tadashi Hiramatsu	....	animation director / animator (3 episodes, 1990)
Akira Koizumi	....	animator (3 episodes, 1990)
Hiroshi Kugimiya	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1990)
Takeshi Honda	....	animation director / animator: epilogue (3 episodes, 1991)
Tadashi Abiru	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Hiromasa Hanawa	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Toshihiro Kawakami	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Se-Chang Kim	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Akio Noguchi	....	animation director / animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tetsuhito Saitô	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Michinori Shirato	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kôji Sugiura	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Toshiyuki Tsuru	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
Keiji Gotoh	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Toshihisa Kaiya	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Masahiro Kase	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1990)
Hiroto Kato	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Hiroshi Kawaguchi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Takahiro Kishida	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Nagisa Miyazaki	....	animator: Studio Kaatan (2 episodes, 1990)
Minoru Okamoto	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Hiroyuki Okuno	....	animator: Studio Kaatan (2 episodes, 1990)
Keiko Shimizu	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Masaya Suzuki	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Katsumi Teratô	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Akira Watabe	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Tetsuya Yamamoto	....	animator (2 episodes, 1990)
Hideaki Anno	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1991)
Masayuki	....	animator (2 episodes, 1991)
Junko Matsushita	....	animator (2 episodes, 1991)
Midori Terashima	....	animator (2 episodes, 1991)
Kazuya Tsurumaki	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1991)
Mie Yukutake	....	animator (2 episodes, 1991)
Tomohiro Hirata	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Isamu Imakake	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Yoshiaki Iwasaki	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Takayuki Kanauchi	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Kumiko Kikuchi	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Kazuya Kuroda	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Takehiro Nakayama	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Hiroki Noguchi	....	animation director / animator (unknown episodes)
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto	....	animation director / character designer (unknown episodes)
Akira Takeuchi	....	animation director (unknown episodes)
Tadashi Tsubokawa	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Akira Watanabe	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Makoto Yoshida	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Yoshio Ôhashi	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Gazô Ôta	....	animator (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Carmelo Carucci	....	Spanish version / composer: theme music (39 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tony Seven	....	Spanish version / lyricist (39 episodes, 1990-1991)

Production Companies

• Corad
• Gainax
• NHK
• Sogovision
• Toho Company

Distributors

• Club Super 3 (1999) (Spain) (TV)
• Orion Home Video (USA)
• Telecinco (199?) (Spain) (TV)

Other Companies

• Group TAC (I)  animation cooperation
• Sei Young Animation Co. Ltd.  animation cooperation

Also Known As:

"Fushigi no umi no Nadia" - Japan (original title)
"The Secret of Blue Water" - Japan (English title)

Runtime:

25 min (39 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Corad

Trivia:

Eleven-year-old Margaret Cassidy, the voice of Marie, originally auditioned for Nadia.

Quotes:

[at the beginning, we see a plaque with foreign writing]
Opening Voice:Do you seek adventure beyond the treacherous waterfalls? Do you seek the mythical being the dwells in this unreachable place? If you do, then you must first find me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Soundtrack:

El misterio de la piedra azul

Great anime series, if you can skip the filler episodes.

"Nadia: the Secret of Blue Water" (originally called "Fushigi no umi no Nadia", literally translating "Nadia of the Mysterious Seas") is 39 episodes long anime series, which was originally aired in the years 1990-1991. Series primary director was Hideaki Anno, who had previously worked as one of the animators in Hayao Miyazaki's film "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" (1984) and who would later direct one of the most successful anime series ever; "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (1995-1996). The story of the series has been inspired by the novels of Jules Verne, especially "20.000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1870). Also Miyazaki's film "Laputa- Castle in the Sky" (1986) has inspired some elements of the story.

Set in the year of 1890, Nadia, an orphaned acrobat girl working in circus, is trying to find a way to get to Africa to look her possible family and origins. While coming to Paris to perform, she is chased by a very Team Rocket- like gang of thieves, who try to steal "Blue Water", a mysterious blue stone Nadia is wearing around her neck. She is helped by Jean, a young inventor boy, who out of good heart decides to help Nadia to get to Africa. While trying to avoid any more contacts with the thieves, Nadia and Jean find themselves in the middle of a secret war between Captain Nemo, a mysterious scientist who lives in his submarine "Nautilus" with his crew, and Gargoyle, a power-mad masked villain. Just what is the secret of "Blue Water" and what is the connection of Nadia to both Nemo and Gargoyle?

When I watched the series I was already well passed the age when the animations with good guys vs. evil world dominating villains were interesting. Yet, "Nadia" is not as simple as it may first look like. The characters are not just two-dimensional but have some real life in them. Especially Nadia's character; who first appears as temperamental and distrusting, but learns to become caring and what she most values in her life, when she nearly looses all. Also, her relationship with Jean is very realistic for a change. Music is captivating and the story telling dynamic. The animation itself is not the best possible quality but it really doesn't bother. Voice actors (I'm talking the original Japanese ones, for I have not heard either of the two English dubs) are doing a great job. Noriko Hidaka (who has done such great anime roles as Akane in "Ranma 1/2", Kikyo in "Inuyasha" and Near in "Death Note") really convinced me that she was voicing a 14 year old boy; Jean. Yoshino Takamori did a great job with temperamental but caring Nadia and Motomu Kiyokawa (Walter in both "Hellsing" and "Hellsing OVA" series) was absolutely chilling as Gargoyle.

Sadly, series does have one terrible down side to it: the filler episodes directed by Shinji Higuchi, that for some unclear reason were demanded in the middle of the series. During those episodes story hardly moved at all, characters loose their interest and almost every minute is spend with some of the worst anime humor ever. These filler episodes are episodes 23-29 and 32-34. Episodes 30-31 are worth seeing for the story actually moves there somewhat and the relationship of Nadia and Jean strengthens there.

If you can forgive some simple animation, unbelievable plot twists and skip the previously mentioned filler episodes, then you have a great and entertaining anime series here, that will keep you interested from the beginning to the end. Warmly recommended.