It’s 1889 and people from around the globe are flocking to Paris to see scientific achievements at the Exposition Universelle despite rumors of dangers lurking in the oceans. While attending the fair, teenaged inventor Jean meets Nadia, a mysterious girl who possesses a highly sought-after crystal called Blue Water. Pursued by nefarious forces, the pair journey by sea and by sky to escape their would-be captors and to discover the secret of the crystal.
NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER is a sci-fi adventure on the high seas from Hideaki ANNO. The classic series is a preview into ANNO’s early directorial vision before creating NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, and returns with an all-new 4K restoration.
For thoughts on Nadia: The Secret Of Blue Water – The Complete Series, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Nadia: The Secret Of Blue Water comes to Blu-Ray from Shout! Factory and GKIDS with a miraculous 1080p transfer. This was previously released on Blu-Ray from Sentai Filmworks, but I do not have access to that set to compare. There is no doubt that this release likely trounces that one with its new 4K restoration which will leave you swooning. The release features 39 half-hour episodes on five discs. Released at the beginning of the ‘90s, there is evidence that there have been advances in animation since that time, but the aesthetic is timeless and never fails to dazzle. One thing you will notice from the first episode to the last is the absence of age-related anomalies anywhere in the animation.
With every episode comes a new adventure which brings with it complex environments with impressive detail and textures. The same could be said of the character designs which have subtle details in the facial features and clothing. Every location has a convincing sense of depth which tricks you into forgetting you are observing traditional 2-D animation. Anno has a gift for getting the most out of his environments, and it has scarcely been as important as it is in this series. Line detail is incredibly crisp without seeming unnatural or scrubbed of texture from the source. The gorgeous colors on display are captured perfectly within this transfer with hues radiating off the screen. Black levels are very deep with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. This Blu-Ray presentation is a jaw-dropper from the fine people at Shout! Factory and GKIDS.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio lossless track in its original Japanese along with a dubbed English version with optional English and English SDH subtitles. We always advocate for the original language to be the go-to track, but from spot-checking the English language version we can say they did a better-than-usual job at casting these performers. The show itself never strives to have an assaultive soundscape, but it provides the proper support for the adventurous moments around the world. Each location is filled with a distinct sonic texture that provides a lovely sounding experience that you desire with this narrative. Dialogue comes through crystal clear at all times without being overshadowed by the music or any other environmental sounds. The memorable music is precise in its deployment as it washes over the audience. While the story does not necessitate a complex sonic experience, GKIDS has honored the legacy of this series.
Special Features
- Prologue: A minute-and-a-half piece which sets up the narrative a little bit more concretely.
- Sneak Preview: A five-minute vintage piece which starts out by describing the show before providing an extended look at the series in the form of clips.
- TV Spot: A 40-second pre-broadcast TV Spot is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Nadia: The Secret Of Blue Water is an incredibly fun and exciting series which balances standalone episodic storytelling with a more nuanced overarching narrative exceedingly well. Fans of Hideaki Anno’s later work will see many of the hallmarks of his style and attention to detail in this earlier series. No character is too small nor environment too non-essential to the plot to be given great care in its execution. The series features characters that you love from the beginning and only grow more enchanted by the more you get to know them. This story is truly a gem. Shout! Factory has released a Blu-Ray with a dynamite A/V presentation and a brief assortment of special features. If you love adventure series and gorgeous animation, you will be in heaven. Highly Recommended
Nadia: The Secret Of Blue Water – The Complete Series will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on August 2, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Shout! Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.