Nadesico the Movie impressions - time to get excited about the US release !!

[kabuki]

Martian Sucessor Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness

I bought a copy of this off of eBay because I didn't expect a US release for it to ever happen (its been what, 3+ years since its release ??). Well lo and behold, a mere week or two after I got it ADV announced a US release for it this Fall. All you Nadesico fans, its time to get excited about the US release (English dub and good subtitles, yeah !!)... its time to get REALLY excited, because simply put - THIS MOVIE ROCKS.

As spoiler free as possible, here is a quick overview of how the movie begins (again, all info here is revealed in the first few minutes of the movie - if you don't want to know even that much, stop reading). I think I have all my facts straight




The Prince of Darkness takes place five (?) years after the series ended. Akito and Yurika are dead. Ruri, now sixteen (?) years old, is the captain of Yamato Nadesico C, the third ship in the Nadesico line (Nadesico A was the main ship in the series, B was introduced later in the show). The people of Earth have joined forces with the Jovian Lizards (though they still don't like each other), and are working together to battle a new enemy - The True Descendents of Mars. And the movie goes from there

The tone of the movie is quite different from the series. Humor now plays a (very) back-seat to a serious plot, characterization, and action. The look of the show is different too, with the characters not only being older but drawn slightly differently (everything in the show is much more detailed due to the bigger budget of the movie).

If you have not seen the entire 26-episode series (available as a box set soon!), do not bother with this movie, as you will be completely lost and confused. However, if you have seen and enjoyed the series, get ready for the US release of Prince of Darkness - you should definately enjoy it

10/10, A+, Highly Recommended, etc.

- Kabuki

[kabuki]

As a side note, from what I've read there were a couple of Nadesico books released in Japan that fill in the gaps between the series and the movie... wish I could read those...


For a nonsensical comparison (because we all love those!), I'd have to say The Prince of Darkness ranks well above the Cowboy Bebop movie Knockin' On Heaven's Door and the Eva movies Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. I'll be buying all three of them upon US release, but I'll be most excited about the Nadesico movie.

Funny thing, I'd rank the series' best-to-least-best as (1) Evangelion, (2) Cowboy Bebop, and (3) Nadesico, but I'd say the movies are the exact opposite of that (though all three movies are awesome !!).

- Kabuki

[Station]

I have all of Nadesico the series on DVD and loved it. I already saw the movie fansubbed and can't wait for it in the US. I would definately like it up there with my series and my other Mecha collections. (If you haven't guessed it, I'm a sci-fi and mecha nut)

[stormy]

no Guy Daigoji(sp?) means i could care less.

[Station]

Originally posted by stormy
no Guy Daigoji(sp?) means i could care less.

Yeah, but there's not much of Gay (YES THAT IS HOW IT IS SPELLED, sucks for him, he's my favorite character too) Daigohji (Jiro Yamada) in the series anyway.

[kabuki]

Originally posted by stormy
no Guy Daigoji(sp?) means i could care less.

***** spoiler *****





So I guess you quit the series early on, huh ??
He was the best character, but still...
- Kabuki

[Riisuke]

It's spelled Gai.

But technically it's Yamada Jiro anyway....

The sound of a more dramatic Nadesico doesn't interest me, even if RuriRuri is the lead now. The best parts of Nadesico, for me, were the homages to oldschool mecha and the humor. Then there was the fact that that ending is up there with Berserk for WORST*ENDING*EVER. So I'm not sure if I'm all aboard for this movie.

[Station]

Originally posted by Riisuke
It's spelled Gai.

But technically it's Yamada Jiro anyway....

The sound of a more dramatic Nadesico doesn't interest me, even if RuriRuri is the lead now. The best parts of Nadesico, for me, were the homages to oldschool mecha and the humor. Then there was the fact that that ending is up there with Berserk for WORST*ENDING*EVER. So I'm not sure if I'm all aboard for this movie.

First, it is spelt Gay, they even put his name on a model Aestivalis.

Second, you need to get it for the newer jokes and by far greater mecha. Its a pretty well done movie.

[kabuki]

Originally posted by Riisuke

The sound of a more dramatic Nadesico doesn't interest me, even if RuriRuri is the lead now. The best parts of Nadesico, for me, were the homages to oldschool mecha and the humor.

Don't get me wrong, there are some funny parts in the movie, but it seems to have a larger focus on storyline than the series did.
Oh, and the mecha in the movie are awesome !!

Don't skip it if you enjoyed the series, that's all I'm saying.

- Kabuki

[Station]

You should at least see the movie for the heck of it.