Before Neon Genesis Evangelion changed the anime landscape in the mid-'90s, the animation studio GAINAX had their first stab at a full TV series with Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. Based on the remnants of an old pitch by none other than Hayao Miyazaki himself, Nadia came into being as a highly troubled production, fraught with many difficulties, including some serious internal drama at GAINAX. Despite these issues, Nadia stands as a fascinating series with a seemingly lighthearted exterior that masks some serious darkness within. On this installment of What A Cartoon!, we take a look at an episode where the tone shifts from Ghibli to Evangelion: "Marie's Island."

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