Martian Successor Nadesico/Episodes

Martian Successor Nadesico is a 26 episode Japanese anime series created by Kia Asamiya, directed by Tatsuo Satō and produced by Production I.G subsidiary XEBEC. The series was first broadcast on TV Tokyo between October 1, 1996 and March 24, 1997. Afterwards, it spawned a series of computer games; a manga adaptation; a spin-off OVA called Gekigangar III; and a film sequel entitled Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness.

The series focuses on the exploits of a space battleship's inept crew in the year 2196, in particular Akito Tenkawa, one of the ship's mecha pilots who actually wants to be a cook and who constantly finds himself the center of the affections of the female members of the crew.

Episodes 1, 6, & 25 of the series made their U.S. premiere on Cartoon Network's Toonami block as part of Giant Robot Week from February 24 - 26, 2003. The rest of the series has never aired in the U.S.

In the U.S. six DVDs of the series, followed by a complete boxset, were released by ADV Films. At Anime Expo 2011, Nozomi Entertainment announced that they had re-licensed the series, following ADV's closure in 2009. They re-released the series, along with the movie and the Gekiganger III OVA, in 2012.

Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness
Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness, also known as Prince of Darkness Nadesico or Nadesico the Movie: Prince of Darkness, is a 1998 anime film written and directed by Tatsuo Sato, and it is a sequel to the series Martian Successor Nadesico. The movie won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1998. Originally licensed by ADV Films, the movie, along with the TV Series have been re-licensed to Nozomi Entertainment

The movie was meant to be viewed along with Nadesico: The Blank of Three Years, a video game for the Sega Saturn that takes place immediately after the TV series ends, and before the movie begins, filling in on details that leads up to the plot of the movie. However, the game was never translated and released outside Japan.