Ashita no Nadja

Little cute Nadja Applefield lives in a British orphanage, the Applefield house. She's the local Cool Big Sis, dances around to distract herself and wonders how is her mother doing in Heaven, while steeling herself for ther 13th birthday when she'll have to leave her home and start building her own life away from the orphanage.

One day, however, her life changes. Miss Applefield, her guardian, brings her a trunk with several pretty things (a diary, a Pimped-Out Dress, etc) and a letter. In the paper, someone tells her that her "dead" mother actually is alive. Nadja is understandably confused, so Miss Applefield explains that she was given away by her mom unwillingly, since said mother was very ill and not expected to live for long; by the looks of it, though, she did survive her Soap Opera Disease, and Nadja can certainly hope to meet up with her once she leaves Applefield House and makes a good name for herself in the real world.

But before Nadja can digest all the news, two Bad Men come up to steal her things. Specially, Nadja's medallion, which seems to be connected with her past. After being rescued by a Mysterious Protector and a fire almost destroys the Applefield Orphanage, Nadja stuffs her belonging in her suitcase and takes off to search for her mother, her past, and answers to her questions.

Ashita no Nadja (明日のナージャ, Ashita no Nāja, lit. "Tomorrow's Nadja") also had a manga adaption started after the anime run started and before the anime run ended. It was serialized by Kodansha in the manga magazine Nakayoshi and collected in two bound volumes. The anime series was produced by Toei Animation right after the end of one Cash Cow Franchise, and before the beginning of another. It premiered in Japan on the anime satellite television network Animax and the terrestrial TV Asahi network, as well as several local cable channels. The series is available on DVD (in Japanese) containing two to three episodes each.

Tropes used in Ashita no Nadja include:

• Adult Child: Leonardo and Thierry
• All Girls Want Bad Boys: Nadja loves Francis, but also is attracted to his twin brother Keith because of this.
• All Love Is Unrequited: Poor Sylvie...
• Ami Koshimizu: Nadja was one of her first roles.
• Anime First
• Arranged Marriage: Leonardo and Julietta, which becomes a Perfectly Arranged Marriage once Leonardo gets over himself. Francis and Marianne were going to be betrothed, but Nadja appears and throws a huge wrench in the plans.
• Armor-Piercing Slap: Nadja uses this twice in the series.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Rosemary, post Freak-Out
• Body Double: Since both she and Nadja are sweet-faced, blue-eyed, blonde pre-girls, Rosemary plays this role and impersonates Nadja real well.
• Break the Cutie: Colette was very broken at some point. Nadja gets broken later, as well. And Rosemary gets so broken that she jumps off the slippery slope.
• Broken Bird: Sylvie, to a degree. Rosemary as well by the end.
• Bunny Ears Lawyer: Christian "Mummy Professor" Strand. Harvey Livingston.
• Cain and Abel: Colette and Hermann (siblings), Keith and Francis (twins), Nadja and Rosemary (childhood friends). The two latter get better.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Colette gives this to her dad, when she finds out about the whole deception.

Colette: I don't care about royalty or honor, Father! I just want to see my true daughter!"

• Changeling Fantasy: Subverted: Rosemary loved to dream she was a lost princess who would someday find her true noble family, but the "princess" was Nadja and not her... And when she found out... boy, did she snap.
• Character Development: One of the reasons why the series is so enjoyable.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Rosemary is just a face in the crowd in the first two episodes, but by the end is one of the most important characters.
• Circus Brat: Rita, Nadja, Kennosuke.
• Coming of Age Story: It starts when Nadja has to leave the only home she has known, travelling with the Dandelion Troupe to find her origins and grow up...
• Compressed Adaptation: The manga. They shortened it, thus taking away many characters (which means loss of Character Development), including but not limited to: Keith, Rosemary, Marianne, Jose, and Carmen.
• Cool Big Sis: Sylvie "the Songbird" Arte, Julietta. And actually, Nadja used to be one in Applefield House, and sorta has these dynamics with little Rita.
• Cute Mute: Rita. She gets better.
• Dogged Nice Guy: To a degree, both Oliver and Kennosuke.
• Domestic Abuse: Just another reason to hate Hermann Preminger.
• Dropped A Bridge On Her: Though she doesn't die, Rosemary's calm departure from the Mansion once she loses to Nadja quite feels like this.
  • Also, Miss Applefield got a shelf dropped on her. It happened pretty much off-screen, save a flashback, and only to have the Orphanage of Love disbanded and give Nadja yet another reason to angst.
  • Let's not forget how Jose gets hit by a carriage right after he and Carmen have resolved to separate but stay in friendly terms until they truly reach their dreams.
• Unsettling Gender Reveal: Sabine is a 10-years-old Bifauxnen from Switzerland who unsettles Kennosuke, Nadja and Rita.
• Evil Plan: Hermann's plan to steal Nadja's brooch, ruin her chance to claim the Preminger fortune (though she doesn't care about money and only wants to meet up with Colette) and become heir.
• Evil Uncle: If what he does to get his niece's inheritance doesn't qualify Hermann as such...
• Eyes Always Shut: Thomas O'Brian, Anna Petrova.
• Forgotten Childhood Friend: Rosemary is in the background during the first two episodes, but is only formerly introduced as a close friend of Nadja's from the orphanage way later.
• Freudian Excuse: Hermann never had a chance to make friends during his childhood because his father kept him too busy with the training to succed him and now resents Nadja for being chosen over him despite this.
• Frying Pan of Doom: Grandma Anna has one
• Gentle Giant: George "Leader" Haskill
• Gentleman Thief: Black Rose aka Keith Harcourt
• Generation Xerox: Nadja and Colette once meet before they learn about their bond. They're practically the same, personality wise.
• Heartwarming Orphan: Kennosuke, Nadja and Rita. Rosemary too before she became an Evil Orphan.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Francis is a male example.
• Hello, Nurse!: Sylvie
• Hey, It's That Voice!: Rosemary, voiced by Rumi Shishido (Onpu). In fact, Ashita no Nadja aired after Ojamajo Doremi series in Japan, sharing the same time slot.
  • Also, Nadja is voiced by Ami Koshimizu. IIRC, it was Koshimizu's first famous role.
  • There's also Youta Mochizuki as Thierry, Fuuko Misaki as Marianne and Kouji Yamamoto as Raphael, whereas Shishido played Sakurako... Hana Yori Dango reunion, indeed.
• Hot for Student: Nadja's father Raymond Colbert was Colette's piano tutor. They fell in love and eloped. Much misfortune followed.
• Hot Shounen Mom: Colette, Hilda, Marie, Francis's Missing Mom. Emma Queensbury is a Parental Substitute version.
• Ill Boy: Stephan, Abel's crippled and long-lost son.
• Inadequate Inheritor: Hermann being perceived as such by his father is what started the plot. If not for this, Nadja and Colette would probably never learn about each other being alive.
• Intrepid Reporter: Harvey Livingston
• Jerkass: Fernando, Hermann, Duke Preminger and Rosemary.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Keith, Marianne, Antonio, John Whittard.
• Karma Houdini: Though Hermann, Rosso and Bianco go to jail, Rosemary goes away without more punishment aside of Nadja slapping her once and beating her verbally.. Also, Antonio never was punished for his Screw the Rules, I Have Money mentality, aside of failing to woo Julietta.
• Kidanova: Nadja. Oh God, Nadja.
• Ladykiller in Love According to Julietta, Leonardo stopped flirting with other girls when Antonio became his rival in love, paying more attention to her.
• Les Yay: Nadja and Rosemary are a textbook exampel of Romantic Two-Girl Friendship, until the latter snaps and becomes sworn enemy to the former.
• Love Hurts: Holy shit, it does.
• Mad Love: Rosemary has a crush on Fernando, who treats her like crap.
• Manipulative Bastard: Antonio, Hermann, to a degree Oscar. Rosemary takes it to new extremes. Duke Preminger also counts for what he did to Colette and Nadja just because the latter was born from a marriage he didn't approve.
• Martyr Without a Cause: Francis, as time goes on and his White Prince archetype is deconstructed more and more.
• Meaningful Name: "Nadja" means "hope" in Russian and is the title of a novel by Andre Breton.
• The Messiah: Nadja
• Miniature Senior Citizens: Grandma Anna
• Missing Mom: Nadja's mother, Colette Also, Francis's mother. Who is also Keith's Missing Mom, of course
• Moral Myopia: When Keith finds out about Nadja choosing Francis, he berates brother his twin for "wanting to keep a free spirit like Nadja in a Gilded Cage" in his opinion. Well, Keith... who are you to single-handedly decide that Nadja will undoubtly be unhappy with the guy she has chosen - a guy who is not you? At least ask Nadja about it instead of treating her like your property.
• Mouthy Kid: TJ Livingston, Fernando Gonzales
• Naive Everygirl: Nadja. Rosemary starts as one.
• Nostalgic Music Box: Nadja has one, and unbeknownst to her, it contains very important info about her past
• The Ojou: Marianne, Julietta, Colette.
• Orphanage of Love: Applefield house.
• Orphan's Plot Trinket: Nadja's medallion is the biggest proof of her identity. To a degree, also her Pimped-Out Dress.
• Parasol of Pain: Sylvie
• Parental Abandonment: Nadja and all the Applefield kids, Francis and Keith, Antonio (Disappeared Dad, distanced from his mom), Harvey and TJ, Kennosuke and Hanako, Rita...
• Pet the Dog: Rosemary in her final scene, even though the cost is her getting away without consequence.
• Plucky Girl: Nadja, in the best tradition of young shoujo heroines.
• Promotion to Parent: Kennosuke and Harvey had to take care of their little siblings (Hanako and TJ) once their parents died. Also, Emma cared for her nephews when they lost their mother.
• Proper Lady: Julietta, Emma, Hilda, Marianne, the deceased Countess Harcourt.
• Rags to Royalty: Nadja is the direct heiress to an Austrian clan.
  • Rebellious Princess (in the very end, as she refuses to fully take over the clan per her grandpa's orders and, with Collette's approval, returns with the Dandelion Troupe.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: The tiny little lions Cream and Chocolate
• Rich Bitch: Fernando's aunt, oh so much. Subverted with Marianne, who is blunt and selfish but doesn't use her riches to make self look better than she is.
• Sacred First Kiss. Subverted. Nadja is mad as Hell at the Black Rose Thief for kissing her... but this isn't her first kiss. That one was given to her by Francis... who happens to be Black Rose's twin younger brother, but nobody knows that.
• Sad Clown: Abel Geiger is a more or less normal one with great wisdom and knowledge, but his backstory is maybe the saddest in the whole series.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Of course this one would happen.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Nadja often dresses up elegantly for special occasions, some of them being VERY plot-important. When Rosemary sees Nadja like this, her already frail self-esteem crashes and she had a huge Freak-Out
• Shorttank: Nadja, again
• Shoujo: To the core.
• Shrinking Violet: Rosemary, pre Freak-Out. This series shows very clearly that, when a Shrinking Violet does snap... snap she does
• Spanner in the Works: When Hermann betrays them, Rosso and Bianco ruin his plans as they let Nadja escape from the room they're locked in and tell her where to find their reports, which is ultimately Hermann's perdition. At the same time, Hermann thought Rosemary would be his puppet, but she proved him brutally wrong by being more ruthless and smarter than he thought.
• Spoiled Sweet: Francis, Colette, Count Waltmuller, Oscar, Hilda.
• Stepford Smiler: Oh, Francis.
• Story Arc: The show is a somewhat episodic world tour up until the last 15 episodes, in which a more concrete storyline finally transpires.
• Smug Snake: Hermann.
• Tall, Dark and Snarky: Again, Antonio and Keith (despite him being blond)
• Tenchi Solution: Nadja keeps wavering between Francis and Keith. By the end of the series, the three meet up and reach a common agreement so they leave it there for a while, until they're more mature. Still, it's hinted that Keith is more than willing to pull an I Want My Beloved to Be Happy if needed...
• The Masochism Tango: Jose and Carmen. OUCH.
• The White Prince: Cruelly deconstructed with poor Francis.
• Those Two Guys: Leonardo and Thierry
• Those Two Bad Guys: Rosso and Bianco.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Nadja and Rosemary
• Too Dumb to Live: Colette. When she was about to elope with Raymond, one of the family's servants filled her music box with some gold coins and a note explaining it all. Colette eventually sold the box without even suspecting there was something valuable inside it.
• Troubled but Cute: Keith, so much.
• True Companions: The Dandelion Troupe.
• Twin Switch: When Francis is mistaken as Black Rose, he refuses to discard his identity and fully intends to pay for Keith's acts as a Gentleman Thief. Keith himself is very distressed by the prospect.
• Unlucky Childhood Friend: Oliver, for Nadja. Marianne, for Francis. Count Waltmuller used to be this, but he became Colette's Victorious Childhood Friend
• Unstoppable Rage: What happens when Thomas is given booze.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Rosemary was a genuinely kind girl in the past. But good lord, did that change.
• Victorious Childhood Friend: Colette's kind second husband and Nadja's stepfather, Count Gerhard Waltmueller. Doubles as Second Love.
• Villainous Breakdown: Hermann has one at the end.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Hermann is the example of what happens when this trope becomes someone's Start of Darkness.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Thomas hates violence, George hates ghosts, Rita hates fire.
• Wicked Stepfather: While Hermann's stepson isn't the main victim of his wickedness (aside from how Hermann treats Oscar's mother), it doesn't change the fact Hermann is somebody's stepfather and a wicked person. While Hermann occasionally pressures Oscar into marrying some wealthy woman, it's unlikely it'd be any different if they were related by blood. In fact, the only relevance Oscar not being Hermann's biological son has to the plot is that it's the main (or only) reason Duke Preminger doesn't consider making Oscar his heir.
  • Count Waltmuller averts this trope by allowing Nadja to live with him. She decided to return to the Dandelion Troupe, anyway.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: When Nadja dolls up to find out the truth about her Body Double and her stolen medallion and sees Rosemary posing as her, Rosemary claims at first that she's been kidnapped and blackmailed by Hermann. Nadja falls for it and Rosemary destroys her Gorgeous Period Dress.
• Wrench Wench: Kennosuke is a male example.