by “Tomorrow’s Nadya,” which began airing in 2003, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. This work began broadcasting in the “Sunday morning 8:30 time slot,” where the “Ojamajo Doremi” series captivated young girls. Still, it could not escape the low audience ratings and ended its broadcast after about a year. It has become.
This work is set in Europe and Egypt, and the main character, Nadya Applefield, who grew up in an orphanage, is married to her estranged mother. The main story is a journey to find something. This time, let’s examine why “Tomorrow’s Nadya” did not become popular.
Was the story too heavy for the target group of girls?
“Tomorrow’s Nadya” was broadcast in the slot where the previous program “Ojamajo Doremi” series was an explosive hit, and the “Pretty Cure” series is currently being published. This is the time when girls all over the world gather in front of the TV.
The main target is young girls from kindergarten to elementary school. Works such as “Ojamajo Doremi,” in which girls transform, tickled the hearts of young girls. Many magical items appear, and the story of the struggle to become a full-fledged witch is also exciting. However, the following program, “Tomorrow’s Nadya,” is a slightly heavier story in which the main character, who grew up in an orphanage, searches for his girlfriend’s mother.
The story, set in a setting similar to the “World Masterpiece Theater,” home to numerous masterpieces, may have been too severe for a young girl. I also think that the setting of “Growing up in an Orphanage” might be complex for girls living in modern times to relate to. I am also of the generation that watched “Tomorrow’s Nadya” in real-time, and I remember feeling like I was watching a story about a world far removed from my own.
The “bully character” that appears halfway through is too terrible!?
Speaking of this work, the terrible “bullying” that Nadya receives also makes the girls suffer. Rosemary, who grew up in the same orphanage as Nadya, is portrayed as a significant character from the middle of the story. She dreams of becoming a princess, and she is a beautiful girl with features very similar to Nadya.
Rosemary was close to Nadya during their time at the orphanage. But her attitude changes entirely after she sees Nadya, who dresses beautifully and has a cool boy infatuated with her. For Rosemary, who longs to be a princess, the position she was placed in as a “maid” was unbearable for her when she grew up, and she probably envied Nadya even more. In some ways, she believed he had betrayed her because they were once on good terms with her. From then on, Rosemary begins to torment Nadya and plots to replace Nadya as her girlfriend.
The story of bullying by a rival who envies the main character was once a template in the world of girls’ manga. However, for the girls watching this movie, the story continues to be pitiful as Nadya suffers. This depiction may also have been a factor in turning away viewers.
