 |
|
|
 |
|
by Luis Reyes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Episode 9: Nemo's Secret
Having escaped Gargoyle's island complex in the Grattan (or Catharine, depending on which of the main characters you ask), Hanson (the brain) and Sanson (the brute) and Grandis and Nadia and Jean and even little King set to work repairing the remarkable vehicle, which lies floating about a mile from the island's conflagration. Also recently escaped from (and responsible for the destruction of) the island, the Nautilus sets to its own repairs when Captain Nemo decides to bring the Gratan's crew aboard -- however, the grizzled mariner is reticent about meeting them, especially Nadia.
Episode 10: A Crowning Performance by the Grattan
Picking up Gargoyle's airbus on radar, the Nautilus sets after it in vigorous pursuit. However, Nemo steers his submarine straight into a trap when the crew discovers that the end of a tunnel through which they must travel to keep pace has been booby-trapped with mines. Backing up, they find the mouth of the tunnel likewise netted. Luckily, the Grattan piloted by Hanson, Sanson and a stow-away Jean remove enough mines for the Nautilus to slip through, but Gargoyle has long since fled.
Episode 11: New Recruits for the Nautilus
Nemo, of all people, suggests inviting the Nautilus' guests to be a part of the crew. And Electra, of all people, objects to it. But the ship is short on personnel, and practicality wins out over principle. Sanson and Hanson help staff operations. Grandis, exposed of her hidden culinary talents, gets kitchen detail, however she only prepares her best meals for Nemo. Jean and Nadia (and, well, Marie, who to this point has been lingering cutely in the background) aren't officially part of the crew, being children and subject to some kind of child labor laws. But Jean is offered an extensive library to further his studies. Nadia (suspiciously not offered the same lot) is just useless at all jobs. Marie, at first stubbornly against learning, is coaxed into starting her ABCs with the help of Electra and King. But it takes an episode of King freaking out to bring Jean to the forbidden engine room.
Episode 12: Grandis and her First Love
Shore leave on a deserted island gives everyone a chance to relax, breath deeply of terrestrial air, and replenish the stock of meats, fruits and vegetables. A hunting party heads for the hills, and alone for probably the first time, Grandis and Nadia share secrets of their pasts. Grandis tells of her blue blood past and how a courtier robbed her family of their wealth. A touching tale, and one that immediately makes this hot head far more sympathetic than she has been to this point. However, as the hunting party returns from the forest, Nadia objects to the senseless killing of animals, revealing the vegetarian proclivities she insinuated earlier in the series.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Whereas the first volume of "Nadia" features Nadia and Jean's great escape from Grandis and her goons, and the second volume features the escape from Gargoyle's island of destruction, this third volume of Gainax's benchmark, 1990 series features no escape at all, but rather slows down enough to explore its characters. Not that the series neglected character up to this point. The first two volumes are rife with character quirk, but always in response to extreme circumstances. In "Aboard the Nautilus," director Hideaki Anno integrates his quartet of main characters into the everyday routine of the great submarine and, in effect, draws out their humanity.
Much slower than the previous volumes, "Nautilus" builds tension between the characters -- not necessarily hostile tension, but more common tension inflated by discomfort, or romance, or suspicion. Here Anno lets out his wings and allows these characters free reign on the Nautilus. Jean takes the opportunity to learn as much as he can, as does the mechanically minded Hanson (who has also developed a little crush on Electra). Sanson, really only interested in getting off the submarine with Grandis, sulks around bored to tears. Nadia is intent on finding a purpose on the ship, yet, like the loner she has been forced to become, suspects every body around her. Grandis has fallen head over heels for Captain Nemo, often letting down her guard emotionally. Of course, Electra also harbors latent feelings for the Captain, but is far too much a maternal presence on the Nautilus to allow anything to develop. The Captain, in a suspiciously paternal move, sees to it that Nadia and Jean don't sleep in the same cabin, much to the youthful pair's chagrin (though, I don't think either of them resonate with lascivious glee).
As Anno builds character and tension, he doesn't abandon the titular secret of Blue Water. Nemo services the mystery when his narrative voiceover expresses awe over Nadia's precious jewel, though he says nothing to her or Electra about it. And the jewel itself glistens at the end of episode twelve when Nadia recluses from the slaughter party and finds herself weeping on an abandoned beach.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
