Old Moe, Old Shojo An Introduction to Ashita no Nadja

    

    As an aspiring anime scholar (really nothing more than a blogger with pretentions of wit) I have long since studied the phenomenon of moe in anime and have tried to better understand it. While looking at the history of the annual most moe character contest, call Saimoe I saw in the year 2004 the winner was a character from a show called Ashita no Nadja. After watching the first five episodes of said show I have come to some interesting conclusions.

     First it should be noted that Ashita no Nadja is a shojo anime, or in laymen's terms, a show for girls. While such distinctions can be a bit hard to pin down I believe that this correct. First is that the fact that this anime had a two volume companion manga that ran in Nakayoshi, which is a manga compilation definitely aimed at girls. The piece of evidence is shown in the opening animation; about at the minute mark the titular character flies past a veritable field of handsome would-be male love interests. In moe shows aimed at men, such as K On or Girls Und Panzer, actual men are virtually absent.

            As what this show is about, Ashita no Nadja is the story of Nadja Applefield, a cute girl who lives in an orphanage in Early twentieth century England. She is about to turn thirteen years old which means she has to start looking for a job. However one day a mysterious package appears for Nadja, which contains a brooch and a trunk but more importantly the news that her mother might still be alive somewhere. That night a couple of thieves appear at the orphanage looking for Nadja's stuff and accidentally set fire to the place.

            As she is worried about what will happen to the rest of the orphans if she stays at the orphanage so she hits the streets a couple of weeks early. She is unable to find work until she happens upon a band of traveling performers and impresses them with her dancing skills. Unknown to Nadja she is in fact the heir to a noble house and the brooch she received is the proof of her lineage.

      

Ashita no Nadja is currently not available in the United States and given the age of the show it is doubtful that it will ever be licensed in English speaking countries. I feel unable to give a detailed review of the show but the following sentences should suffice for a short one. Ashita no Nadja looks like it will be a good show but not a great show. The most important hook this show has is that it is something rather different than just about any anime available in that it is a female focused anime that is neither a magical girl show or some sort of romance (at least yet). If you have time to spare in your watching schedule and an open mind you might just enjoy this show.