The second chronicle of this series is funny, sexy and exciting, with a surprising depth of characterization and loads of cheesy slapstick humor. It treats complex plotlines with a balanced, light touch, making them more palatable without trivializing them - and further develops the characters by removing them from the web of Earth's military and bureaucrats - then returns them to the fray.

The main tale remains simple and fun, but these episodes play out like a drawn-out detour. At the end of episode 8, the Nadesico is back on Earth, in the UEF fold - exactly where UEF wanted it six episodes ago. The series writers continue to make the focus on relationships the sharpest, meatiest part of the series, allowing a lack of technological details to confuse the war arc.

Further development of main characters such as Akito, Megumi and Yurika yields a more balanced interchange. Some promising players drop from the foreground (like Jun Aoi) as the series find its niche, but new additions keep the characterizations fresh and fill the plot with mystery.

Animation director Natsuki Egami uses bright colors to maintain a cheerful look and very rarely repeats footage to maintain momentum. The artwork shines in its unusual use of written words, close-ups, happy faces and other techniques more often seen on MTV.

The humor comes through beautifully, with character vanities and idiosyncrasies preserved and well adapted for English-speaking audiences. Problems arise from recurrent use of monumental-sized written words on the screen, which have to be subtitled, partially concealing the animation.

The art looks sharp, the information is useful and overall the DVD is well organized. Character profiles of some of the minor characters clarify some relationships.

"Nadesico" features very little gore but a small amount of violence, along with mature situations both on the sexual and action fronts that may not be appropriate for small children.

Akito might be the luckiest - or unluckiest - man on Earth, based on how many of the Nadesico's women have fallen head-over-heels in love with him. This storyline provides unlimited sources of both humor (the jealousy of other men, the teasing of other women) and conflict (between the women who want him). The question is, how long can Akito keep them all hanging?

A technical manual for the Nadesico would be extremely helpful, especially since the writers throw out terms like "distortion shield," "nanomachine collectors" and "gravity blast cannon" without any real explanation. Some terms are easy to figure out, and some need elaborate explanation. But without any real cohesive technology strategy readily apparent, it's all babble. Then again, that's not uncommon in anime.

Love it? Hate it? Buy it.