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Copyright © Xebec / 1998 Nadesico Production Committee
Availability: in Japanese theaters Aug 1998
80 minutes






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by Ivevei Upatkoon
This summer, it seems everyone has gone Ruri-mad! Ruri goods were selling
out in all anime stores, movie tie-ups were flying off the shelves, and a
good number of NADESICO fans were resorting to breaking the locks on the
glass cases at highway service stations to get at the promotion poster
featuring 16 year old Captain Hoshino.
What's all the fuss about? For those of you unfamiliar with this anime,
MARTIAN SUCCESSOR
NADESICO was a TV series that took Japan by storm last
year. Featuring a decided unoriginal basic story (the Earth is under
invasion) and a decided insane cast of characters (a young female captain
with a screw loose, an ace pilot who wants nothing more than to be a cook),
it had an intriguing plot and a never-ending supply of in-jokes that even
the most ardent anime fan would be hard-pressed to catch.
When the series ended, the inconclusive finale left more than a few fans
hanging, and of course many of them just didn't want to see the characters
they loved leave the screen. With the promise to reunite the old cast, the
NADESICO movie has been one of the most eagerly awaited releases this year.
NADESICO - THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS takes place three years after the end of
the TV series. Following the delivery of the Remains of Mars, the crew of
the Nadesico were detained for six months until the new government of the
Jupiter Union, led by Genpachirou, reached a cease fire with United Earth.
When they were allowed to return to civilian life, Ruri came under the
guardianship of Akito and Yurika and the three of them lived peacefully as
a family. In the meantime, Nergal was being attacked by other companies and
lost a significant amount of power. Akito and Yurika married after a year
and a half, but on their honeymoon trip, their shuttle exploded with no
survivors. Soon after, Inez also died in an airplane episode. Ruri
eventually became the captain of the Nadesico B, and this is where our
story begins.
Colonies built under the "Hisago Plan," a project in which Tulip gates
scattered around the solar system would allow ships to Boson-jump, are
being destroyed one after another by unknown attackers. Not only is the UE
powerless to stop them, but the plot thickens with the appearance of what
seems to be a Boson-jump capable mech. Amidst political bickering, the
Nadesico B is sent to investigate these attacks. They arrive at the colony
Amaterasu, and while Ruri is "treated" to a tour and explanation of the
Hisago Plan, new crew member Harry is cracking the computer system.
He discovers documents which are not covered in the official version of the
Hisago Plan, including reports of fatal Boson-jump experiments on human
beings, but suddenly the system goes haywire and the words OTIKA begin
flashing on every monitor on the colony and on Nadesico. Ruri realizes that
OTIKA is AKITO backwards and senses another impending attack. A battleship
jumps in, as does the mystery mech, and all hell breaks loose. One of the
defenders is Ryouko, now leader of an Aestivalis team, and she pursues the
mech deep into bowels of the colony. The pilot of the mech ignores all
attempts at communication, instead unlocking a final gate behind which
lies... the Remains of Mars!
The original TV series had a very interesting story that became lost among
the overwhelming comedy and craziness of the direction. (Does anyone know
what really went on during that non-sequential episode?) It is not to
say that it was a bad thing, but I did feel that it was a pity that they
did not have enough latitude to give the story the attention it deserved.
With THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS, though, this one flaw has been addressed.
Resoundingly.
The comedy is still there, but when you come down to it, NADESICO - THE
PRINCE OF DARKNESS is one excellent piece of hard-core sci-fi anime. The
direction is tight and does not waste a single cel. The animation is
top-grade, especially when compared with the coupled SLAYERS GORGEOUS
movie, and the story itself grabs on to you and won't let go
until the credits begin to scroll. The ending theme "Dearest" has a sad,
lonely lilt that makes a fitting end to the movie. It has since
become one of my favorite songs.
Fans of the crew of the original Nadesico will be delighted to know that
all of them make their appearance at one time or another. One of the great
things about watching the movie was anticipating each character. Sometimes
you have to burst out laughing at the kinds of lives they are leading after
leaving the Nadesico. When they finally assemble, you can't help but cheer
on the ragtag bunch of misfits.
With a plenty of political intrigue, unsolved mysteries, suspense and
action, this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat even if you do
not particularly care for the TV series. The first part is admittedly quite
confusing, and until the pieces begin to fall into place you will feel
rather like you are being swept helplessly along, but everything is well
worth it.
In the end, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered, a lot of
details left hidden, but one feels no resentment, only a little awe at the
events that have unfolded in that short 80 minutes. It's one of the
best sci-fi anime I've seen in a long while, period. We definitely need
more like
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