About Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

Despite a relatively short run, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (「不思議の海のナディア」/ Fushigi no umi no Nadia) was an anime series that was ahead of its time.

The early foundations for what would, later on, become the main story of the series was written by Hayao Miyazaki in the mid-1970s, just a few years shy of the foundation of Studio Ghibli, the main venture that would catapult him to worldwide fame. It was also the first television show that animation studio Gainax would work on before they later became known for the hit mecha anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The plot of Nadia is inspired by Jules Verne’s ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas’ in the way that it fills viewers with a grand sense of adventure. It also tackled issues related to racism and the effects of war, something which helped set it apart from the other anime series being released during the start of the 1990s.

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water Exhibition

In celebration of Nadia’s 30-year anniversary, the Daimaru Museum in Umeda, Osaka is holding an exhibition that gives fans of the show a look at what went on behind the scenes. Over 400 raw materials including storyboards, director Hideaki Anno’s concept notes, original drawings and image boards will all be up on display in the museum.

A 16mm print film from the show will also be handed out in limited numbers per day to the exhibition visitors. In addition, there will be commemorative Nadia goods sold at the venue, which you can see a full list of through the official exhibition website.

The Nadia Exhibition will be running for a little under three weeks starting from February 17, 2021. You can read further details about it below.

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Exhibition Details

• Name (JP): ふしぎの海のナディア展
• Translation: Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water Exhibition
• Date: February 17 to March 8, 2021
• Venue: Daimaru Umeda Museum, 15th Floor Daimaru Umeda Store, 3 Chome-1-1 Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-8202
• Admission: 1,500 yen for advance tickets (1,800 yen at the door), 4,200 yen for advance tickets with official catalog (4,500 yen at the door)
• Official exhibition website (Japanese)