Ever since I first watched NGE back in 1996, I’ve been hearing about this previous Anime by Hideaki Anno called “Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water” and how Evangelion references it a here and there, but never quite got around to watching it.

Instead, since 3.0 came out in 2012, I’ve watched and re-watched it many times; I’m quite familiar with all the dialogue, story, and music. Recently, I finally decided to watch it, if only to get a better glimpse at Anno’s world as a whole (I did watch Gunbuster long ago). Fortunately, the whole series is available for free on Amazon Prime (at least in Amazon Japan), so I binge-watched the whole 39 episodes in just two days. I really enjoyed it, and decided to secretly refer to it as “19th Century Boy” (for those familiar with the manga by Naoki Urasawa, also center around Science and the World Expo).

To my surprise, three of the themes from Evangleion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo are actually recycled from Nadia (the one that plays near the end of Operation US, when the final Eva appears from within the coffin, and the themes that play when Wunder launches, and when it defeats the Nemesis series).

Personally, it felt very weird, a sort of “reverse nostalgia”, given that most certainly Anno’s intent was the opposite (i.e., a nod to the people who had watched Nadia before NTE 3.0). But it was nevertheless a very powerful feeling, given howe attached I am at thins point to what arguably are some of the most epic moments of 3.0.

Anyway, how many of you have experienced the same?

I didn't experience Anno's work in the same way, in fact Nadia was the first thing from Hideaki Anno that I ever saw back in around 2007, and yet Nadia still gave me a sense of nostalgia. I have no idea why. I never saw the show as a kid growing up in the United States, but when I watched Nadia in 2007 it gave me nostalgic feelings of my personal childhood.

That show is weird like that.

FreakyFilmFan4ever wrote:I didn't experience Anno's work in the same way, in fact Nadia was the first thing from Hideaki Anno that I ever saw back in around 2007, and yet Nadia still gave me a sense of nostalgia. I have no idea why. I never saw the show as a kid growing up in the United States, but when I watched Nadia in 2007 it gave me nostalgic feelings of my personal childhood.

That show is weird like that.

I got that too, if only because to me, the period between around 1987 and 1995 is the “Golden Age” of anime (at least in terms of visual style). Think anything between “Gundam ZZ” and “Neon Genesis Evangelion”.

I need to catch up on more classics from that period!

As for myself, watching evangelion give me a weird off feeling of nostalgia, as if I did knew it since my childhood.

Or that's it reflect my life, in certain subtle way and the feelings I had for that's matter.

DantesInferno wrote:, so I binge-watched the whole 39 episodes in just two days. I really enjoyed it...

The island and Africa episodes too?

Have you watched Love&Pop and Ritual too? If not, very recommended, as is kare kano.

JuanSorel wrote:Have you watched Love&Pop and Ritual too? If not, very recommended, as is kare kano.

I second all of those recommendations. Great stuff.

JuanSorel wrote:The island and Africa episodes too?

They weren’t THAT bad

And there’s the kiss!

Have you watched Love&Pop and Ritual too? If not, very recommended, as is kare kano.

No; I guess that’s next in the list!