by Alison L. Roberts

It's 2195 AD. Humans have succeeded in the colonization of Mars, but a menace lurks beyond Jupiter — alien invaders who breeze past the desperate attempts of Earth's military to stop their advance. A year later, with the Mars colonies destroyed, the "Jovians" now turn their attention to Earth. A lone ship, the "Nadesico," and her crew are mankind's only hope.

But, as viewers soon discover during ADV Films' Martian Successor Nadesico, the powerful super ship and her crew are rather. . . unusual.

The Nadesico was not built for the military, but by a private company for private use (after the Nergal corporation decided the Earth's space force wasn't getting the job done). The staff, all "experts in their fields," are a mixed bag of personalities one wouldn't expect to man a battleship, much less one with such an important mission. Rookie Captain Yurika Misamaru has an instinctive gift for strategy in high-pressure situations but seems clueless in just about every other department. Her second-in-command, Jun, is crazy about her — so crazy he gave up his spot in the military to follow her.

Helmswoman Minato is a former secretary who quits her job to find adventure on the ship, but her first order of business is making short work of her standard-issue uniform. Communications Specialist Megumi is a former voice actress. Anime-obsessed Jiro Yamada only answers to the name Gai Daigogi, a moniker of his own choosing that he feels more accurately suits his station as an ace big-robot pilot. Ruri Hoshino, the preteen genius who runs the ship's computers, thinks everyone is crazy and/or stupid. (Her favorite words are "idiot" and "baka.")

Last, but certainly not least, is Akito Tenkawa. A childhood friend of Yurika's, Akito had a first-row seat during the Jovian's Martian invasion. His valiant attempts to fight them off failed, and his fellow colonists were killed during the attack. Miraculously, and mysteriously, he ends up on Earth. A chance encounter with Yurika the following year, leads him to the Nadesico, looking for answers about the circumstances behind his parents' deaths. Now, showing no signs of bravery — only near-paralysis and fear during the Jovian attacks — he joins the Nadesico as a cook/back-up pilot. A cook?!? As mentioned before, the crew is. . . unusual.

Part-comedy, part-action adventure, part-drama, Martian Successor Nadesico won raves in Japan and was the Animage Grand Prix award winner for 1998. A bundle of potential contradictions, it is an affectionate parody of the attributes that define mecha anime, yet it has thrilling and well-choreographed battle sequences and a story riddled with mysteries to solve. Manic hilarity, the mood of the moment, may very well be followed by the show's own breed of compelling drama. Most of all, the members of the Nadesico's oddball crew are immediately engaging and entertaining. You find yourself wanting to know what will happen to them next.

If you like your sci-fi/drama tempered with a nudge and a wink, check out the first two DVD installments (or the currently released VHS tapes) of Martian Successor Nadesico. You're in for a treat!