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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind #1
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1
In a long-ago war, humankind set off a devastating ecological disaster. Thriving industrial societies disappeared. The earth is slowly submerging beneath the expanding Sea of Corruption, an enormous toxic forest that creates mutant insects and releases a miasma of poisonous spores into the air.
At the periphery of the sea, tiny kingdoms are scattered on tiny parcels of land. Here lies the Valley of the Wind, a kingdom of barely 500 citizens; a nation given fragile protection from the decaying sea's poisons by the ocean breezes; and home to Nausicaä .
Nausicaä, a young princess, has an emphatic bond with the giant Ohmu insects and animals of every creed. She fights to create tolerance, understanding and patience among empires that are fighting over the world's remaining precious natural resources.
At the periphery of the sea, tiny kingdoms are scattered on tiny parcels of land. Here lies the Valley of the Wind, a kingdom of barely 500 citizens; a nation given fragile protection from the decaying sea's poisons by the ocean breezes; and home to Nausicaä .
Nausicaä, a young princess, has an emphatic bond with the giant Ohmu insects and animals of every creed. She fights to create tolerance, understanding and patience among empires that are fighting over the world's remaining precious natural resources.
130 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
About the author
Hayao Miyazaki
291 books2,616 followers宮崎 駿
Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo on January 5, 1941. He started his career in 1963 as an animator at the studio Toei Douga, and was subsequently involved in many early classics of Japanese animation. From the beginning, he commanded attention with his incredible ability to draw, and the seemingly-endless stream of movie ideas he proposed.
In 1971, he moved to A Pro with Isao Takahata, then to Nippon Animation in 1973, where he was heavily involved in the World Masterpiece Theater TV animation series for the next five years. In 1978, he directed his first TV series, Conan, The Boy in Future, then moved to Tokyo Movie Shinsha in 1979 to direct his first movie, the classic Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.
In 1984, he released Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, based on the manga (comic) of the same title which he had started two years before. The success of the film led to the establishment of a new animation studio, Studio Ghibli, at which Miyazaki has since written, directed, and produced many other films with Takahata. All of these films enjoyed critical and box office successes. In particular, Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke received the Japan Academy Award for Best Film and was the highest-grossing (about US$150 million) domestic film in Japan's history until it was taken over by another Miyazaki work, Spirited Away.
In addition to animation, Miyazaki also draws manga. His major work was the Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind manga, an epic tale he worked on intermittently from 1982 to 1994 while he was busy making animated films. Another manga, Hikoutei Jidai, was later evolved into his film Porco Rosso.
Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo on January 5, 1941. He started his career in 1963 as an animator at the studio Toei Douga, and was subsequently involved in many early classics of Japanese animation. From the beginning, he commanded attention with his incredible ability to draw, and the seemingly-endless stream of movie ideas he proposed.
In 1971, he moved to A Pro with Isao Takahata, then to Nippon Animation in 1973, where he was heavily involved in the World Masterpiece Theater TV animation series for the next five years. In 1978, he directed his first TV series, Conan, The Boy in Future, then moved to Tokyo Movie Shinsha in 1979 to direct his first movie, the classic Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.
In 1984, he released Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, based on the manga (comic) of the same title which he had started two years before. The success of the film led to the establishment of a new animation studio, Studio Ghibli, at which Miyazaki has since written, directed, and produced many other films with Takahata. All of these films enjoyed critical and box office successes. In particular, Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke received the Japan Academy Award for Best Film and was the highest-grossing (about US$150 million) domestic film in Japan's history until it was taken over by another Miyazaki work, Spirited Away.
In addition to animation, Miyazaki also draws manga. His major work was the Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind manga, an epic tale he worked on intermittently from 1982 to 1994 while he was busy making animated films. Another manga, Hikoutei Jidai, was later evolved into his film Porco Rosso.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 494 reviews
July 29, 2007
You may be familiar with this title from watching Hayao Miyazaki's film of the same name. The film originated as a manga series, also by Miyazaki. It was released several years ago in a "Perfect Collection" of four volumes. That version wasn't actually perfect, so Viz re-released it in 2004 as a seven volume series which preserved the original format of the manga (back to front, if you don't live in Japan), as well as many other aspects of the original, including the ink color (dark brown) and sound effects in Japanese.
The first book introduces some of the main characters. Many scenes from this first book were used verbatim in the later movie, but while i was reading it it became very clear that the series would be going in some very different directions. Though the film is epic in it's scope, it's very narrow and limited by comparison to the manga.
The characters, story and plot of this series are rich and deep, in a perfectly realized world. I highly recommend this series to anyone, whether they are fans of manga or not - if you're a fan, you need this for your collection. If you've never experienced manga, this is a great way to be introduced to the genre and format.
The first book introduces some of the main characters. Many scenes from this first book were used verbatim in the later movie, but while i was reading it it became very clear that the series would be going in some very different directions. Though the film is epic in it's scope, it's very narrow and limited by comparison to the manga.
The characters, story and plot of this series are rich and deep, in a perfectly realized world. I highly recommend this series to anyone, whether they are fans of manga or not - if you're a fan, you need this for your collection. If you've never experienced manga, this is a great way to be introduced to the genre and format.
February 8, 2015
This review covers the entire 7 volumes of Miyazaki's Nausicaa.
Despite the silly and virtually meaningless 'description' of this book appended to the data link above, these 7 volumes are actually one of the most profound works of speculative fiction done in the 20th century. The fact that it is also a wonderful work of visual art is just icing on the cake. The whole story was 13 yrs in the writing/drawing; the film adaptation of the first volume spawned Studio Ghibli and established Miyazaki as a master storyteller and the premier creative artist in Japan.
Nausicaa is speculative fiction of the highest order. Don't be tempted to categorize it as 'manga' and set up preconceptions - one might as well categorize Moby Dick as 'fishing stories'. Nausicaa is a literary venture as widely resonant as Melville's, with a huge scope, accomplished in the graphic novel format. It's not quite sci-fi, nor fantasy, nor is it simply a morality play. Like any great artistic act, it reaches beyond form, style and categorizable content.
The story is about knowledge, vanity, technology, cowardice, loyalty, aggression, wonder, greed, beauty, skill, integrity, death, perception, biodiversity, hope, despair, aspiration, resignation, and the pending fate of the human race. Everyone should read it.
Despite the silly and virtually meaningless 'description' of this book appended to the data link above, these 7 volumes are actually one of the most profound works of speculative fiction done in the 20th century. The fact that it is also a wonderful work of visual art is just icing on the cake. The whole story was 13 yrs in the writing/drawing; the film adaptation of the first volume spawned Studio Ghibli and established Miyazaki as a master storyteller and the premier creative artist in Japan.
Nausicaa is speculative fiction of the highest order. Don't be tempted to categorize it as 'manga' and set up preconceptions - one might as well categorize Moby Dick as 'fishing stories'. Nausicaa is a literary venture as widely resonant as Melville's, with a huge scope, accomplished in the graphic novel format. It's not quite sci-fi, nor fantasy, nor is it simply a morality play. Like any great artistic act, it reaches beyond form, style and categorizable content.
The story is about knowledge, vanity, technology, cowardice, loyalty, aggression, wonder, greed, beauty, skill, integrity, death, perception, biodiversity, hope, despair, aspiration, resignation, and the pending fate of the human race. Everyone should read it.
April 20, 2012
Several years back (this was maybe 2002, right before Spirited Away hit American shores) I was finally able to see Hayao Miyazaki's film Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. I had heard a lot of good things about it both from friends who adored the bastardized American release fifteen years earlier, Warriors of the Wind, and from friends who regularly sought out Japanese fare. Weeks earlier, I was able to get ahold of a Hong Kong set of all of Miyazaki's works up to that point and was slowly working my way through the collection. When I finally arrived at Nausicaä, I was very excited, having saved the best for last.
Long story short: it sucked. Or at least it did in my mind at the time. The problem was that I was still too much a purist, too much a fan. It's an issue that I've mostly sewn up in a burlap sack for disposal into the nearby lake, but at the time my disappointment in the cinema realization of Nausicaä was tremendous. The source of my complaint was that I had read Miyazaki's manga by the same title. Two works, both named Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. One was a masterwork, an epic adventure fraught with complex characters, intrigue, and a sense of grandeur; the other was just a movie.
I'm sure that I would have loved the animated film as much as anyone else had I not read Miyazaki's collection of the story in comics form. The problem was that once I had immersed myself so deeply into a sprawling world in which characters were built as if human, with multi-layered motivations, histories, cultures, and customs, the film version almost had to suffer by the comparison. Nausicaä, for many, was an example of Miyazaki's directing and Ghibli's animation style in top form. But for me, fresh from what I considered to be one of the best examples of the comics medium, there was no way for me to see the film as anything but a sad, incomplete replica of what was a staggering work of genius.
Granted, Miyazaki was only one-quarter-finished with the story (in comics form) when he made the animated film version of it, so there's no way it could have the depth of the graphic novel. Granted, it would be impossible to convey even a fraction of Nausicaä's story in a single two-hour film. Granted again, I was an overly-invested simpleton at the time, a purist through-and-through, demanding that film versions of beloved stories be faithful adaptations of their source material. It wasn't a happy way to live, being constantly disappointed by product that didn't hold its source as valuable as I did. Fortunately, I've been healed of my purist tendencies. Maybe I'll one day be able to approach the cinematic Nausicaä with new eyes. But for now, I'm just happy to reread the original.
The story of Nausicaä is robust. It travels a lot of territory and the narrative terrain shifts constantly. The story at page 100 is different from the story at page 200 is different from the story at page 300. Et cetera. Miyazaki keeps the reader off-balance, constantly renegotiating what his story is actually about. In the hands of a lesser author, Nausicaä would seem a confused jumble of ideas, an evolving puzzle its own author could not solve. Fortunately, and I think most of the world probably knows this by now, Miyazaki is among the best storytellers of our age. It shows in Nausicaä. The sureness of his authorial footing in this book is never at doubt. From beginning to end, we are on his ground and it's a good place to be.
Nausicaä tells the story of the post-cataclysmic Earth, a millennium after its destruction by the hands of a weaponized robotic army (presumably created by mankind herself). Humanity has barely survived the nuclear fires that tore civilization apart. The earth itself, polluted beyond its ability to heal in a normal manner, has given birth to a terrible new forest. Called the Sea of Corruption, this roiling swath of strange new flora means death to those that it engulfs, for its air is unbreathable. As land becomes more and more scarce due to this growing threat, wars break out and the future of humanity is threatened all the more. In the midst of this, Nausicaä, a princess of a small outlying tribe, seeks to unravel the mysteries of the Sea of Corruption while negotiating a dangerous path between two warring nations. The princess herself is a mystery to all those she encounters, part chaos, part mercy, and always navigating her own path.
[This scene ends pretty much how you might guess.]
For those familiar with Miyazaki's films, the art will seem a familiar prototype, an early version of what would become the Ghibli house style for the next thirty years. In tone, Nausicaä probably closest resembles the sometimes violent action and environmentalism of Princess Mononoke (though those that weary of that message shouldn't be overly put off by its expression here). The story is long and many panels are more text than imagery as Miyazaki attempts to sensibly exposit his narrative. The tale requires patience and perseverance, but it rewards its pursuers. There are a number of great adventures told through the comics medium, but Nausicaä is so far—and pretty easily—the best of show.
___________________
[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad]
November 8, 2017
Review for complete series
A thousand years have passed since modern civilization collapsed leaving most animals extinct and humans living under almost medieval conditions. The pollution of the world has raised a toxic forest which none but the giant insects can inhabit. Small kingdoms have formed where the remainder of humanity now lives and where life is filled with fear of the toxics reaching them. Despite the constant decline of the population, humans still wage war against each other in which they use the last technologies that are left from the old world. Young Nausicaä is summoned to the war but decides to take a different path – one that leads her alongside the toxic forest and its insects.
Oh my, where to start? Nausicaä was the first Ghibli (or pre-Ghibli) movie I have seen. I loved it so much that I instantly grabbed all the Ghibli films I could get my hands on. I was skeptical when hearing that the manga it is based on has so much more detail to offer. The movie is absolutely wonderful and I felt I could not ask for more. The first two volumes of the manga show various scenes, perhaps in slightly different order, as seen in the movie. When the movies final scene was shown at the end of the second volume, I was really surprised – after all, there were still five more volumes to go. I was absolutely not prepared for the depth of the world this was opening up to.
The world Nausicaä is set in has its beautiful sides to it but I have never come across a more bleak, harsh and depressing one. It has so much detail to offer with its various kingdoms and their different cultures and customs. As expected of author Hayao Miyazaki, the creatures are incredibly imaginative in their strange and unique way. This holds true for the insects, animals and plants alike. Despite its toxic nature, the toxic forest is actually beautiful – a beauty our main heroine Nausicaä sees. It is also particularly vivid when one has seen its movie adaption. I love Nausicaä’s association of how the toxic spores look like snow.
The Ohmu are wonderful. They are the largest of the insects and seem to act as the toxic forest’s guardians. You get the sense early on that there is something more to them. Although they are not the most expressive, one can easily find an emotional attachment to them and their sacrifices. Any scenes involving Nausicaä with young Ohmu are heart warming.
Nausicaä is an amazing heroine. Although she may appear too perfect at times – I just cannot help but feel that I have never seen a more compassionate and kind-hearted character as her. She has such a big heart that considers even the cruelest. She never winces from the terrible mutilations some of the characters have suffered in this dying world and embraces all. Yes, it can make her seem too good. But it is desperately needed in the setting where this tale takes place.
The manga introduces a large cast which allows multiple points of view and is therefore not constantly fixed on Nausicaä. The main cast is a colourful mix as rarely seen in manga; they come in all shapes and sizes and we get representatives from all age groups. While my personal favourites do not get as many scenes as I would have liked (Asbel!!), all characters are so engaging that it almost does not matter. There is not a single boring moment in this epic story.
Also, unlike the movie, I was sorry and almost surprised to see so much death. On one hand, it is to be expected given the tales circumstances. But having seen the movie – I was shocked to see some of the different fates our main cast met while they received their ‘happy ending’ in the film version. I was mighty glad I had my cats around me when reading the final volumes for I was crying bitter tears (something not even all the deaths in Harry Potter have caused me to do). The story was also never short of surprises. You thought you had it figured out and then there is another unexpected twist.
However! Just like anything else - Nausicaä has its flaws as well. My only issue with this manga series was the actual format. The good thing about it was that the print was in sepia – a nice change from the usual black and white manga. But there were other things that set it apart from other manga which did not agree so well with me; the books are about twice the size of a usual manga. That could be a good thing – but I did not feel that the large space was used wisely. One could have had wonderfully large and detailed panels. But in the end, there were only few. The panels were about the same size, or even smaller than a regular manga’s would be and it sometimes made reading tough and long. The panel layout was generally more like that of western comics. That, however, is a mere personal taste for some might love just that aspect of it. But I think I would have preferred more volumes with larger panels rather than 7 volumes with mini panels.
Anyway! Now that I have seen the movie and read the manga it was based on, I have to agree that there is an incredible lot more to the manga compared to the movie. Nevertheless, the movie is wonderful in its own right. It is slightly more light-hearted and shorter which makes it the better of the two if you are looking for pure entertainment. It also brings more colours to the world and therefore gives you a better image of the toxic forest and all the creatures. It captures most of the manga’s messages and brings them across nicely – simpler, yes – but it is still a very rewarding movie to watch. If you have not watched it – be certain to do so! And if you have not read the manga – be sure to read them as well! I think seeing the movie before reading the books is a nice order but either way works. This is one of the very few manga that I would happily recommend to any non-manga fan without worrying that it might not appeal to them. But then, Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki have never been the most typical ‘manga’ in my mind anyway.
Whether movie or manga - Nausicaä is a most astonishing tale that has just completely blown me away. Now, I think I shall leave for another round of tears.
July 30, 2011
[This is a review of the whole series.]
Several years back (this was maybe 2002, right before Spirited Away hit American shores) I was finally able to see Hayao Miyazaki’s film Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. I had heard a lot of good things about it both from friends who adored the bastardized American release fifteen years earlier, Warriors of the Wind, and from friends who regularly sought out Japanese fare. Weeks earlier, I was able to get ahold of a Hong Kong set of all of Miyazaki’s works up to that point and was slowly working my way through the collection. When I finally arrived at Nausicaä, I was very excited, having saved the best for last.
Long story short: it sucked. Or at least it did in my mind at the time. The problem was that I was still too much a purist, too much a fan. It’s an issue that I’ve mostly sewn up in a burlap sack for disposal into the nearby lake, but at the time my disappointment in the cinema realization of Nausicaä was tremendous. The source of my complaint was that I had read Miyazaki’s manga by the same title. Two works, both named Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. One was a masterwork, an epic adventure fraught with complex characters, intrigue, and a sense of grandeur; the other was just a movie.
I’m sure that I would have loved the animated film as much as anyone else had I not read Miyazaki’s collection of the story in comics form. The problem was that once I had immersed myself so deeply into a sprawling world in which characters were built as if human, with multi-layered motivations, histories, cultures, and customs, the film version almost had to suffer by the comparison. Nausicaä, for many, was an example of Miyazaki’s directing and Ghibli’s animation style in top form. But for me, fresh from what I considered to be one of the best examples of the comics medium, there was no way for me to see the film as anything but a sad, incomplete replica of what was a staggering work of genius.
Granted, Miyazaki was only one-quarter-finished with the story (in comics form) when he made the animated film version of it, so there’s no way it could have the depth of the graphic novel. Granted, it would be impossible to convey even a fraction of Nausicaä‘s story in a single two-hour film. Granted again, I was an overly-invested simpleton at the time, a purist through-and-through, demanding that film versions of beloved stories be faithful adaptations of their source material. It wasn’t a happy way to live, being constantly disappointed by product that didn’t hold its source as valuable as I did. Fortunately, I’ve been healed of my purist tendencies. Maybe I’ll one day be able to approach the cinematic Nausicaä with new eyes. But for now, I’m just happy to reread the original.
The story of Nausicaä is robust. It travels a lot of territory and the narrative terrain shifts constantly. The story at page 100 is different from the story at page 200 is different from the story at page 300. Et cetera. Miyazaki keeps the reader off-balance, constantly renegotiating what his story is actually about. In the hands of a lesser author, Nausicaä would seem a confused jumble of ideas, an evolving puzzle its own author could not solve. Fortunately, and I think most of the world probably knows this by now, Miyazaki is among the best storytellers of our age. It shows in Nausicaä. The sureness of his authorial footing in this book is never at doubt. From beginning to end, we are on his ground and it’s a good place to be.
Nausicaä tells the story of the post-cataclysmic Earth, a millennium after its destruction by the hands of a weaponized robotic army (presumably created by mankind herself). Humanity has barely survived the nuclear fires that tore civilization apart. The earth itself, polluted beyond its ability to heal in a normal manner, has given birth to a terrible new forest. Called the Sea of Corruption, this roiling swath of strange new flora means death to those that it engulfs, for its air is unbreathable. As land becomes more and more scarce due to this growing threat, wars break out and the future of humanity is threatened all the more. In the midst of this, Nausicaä, a princess of a small outlying tribe, seeks to unravel the mysteries of the Sea of Corruption while negotiating a dangerous path between two warring nations. The princess herself is a mystery to all those she encounters, part chaos, part mercy, and always navigating her own path.
This scene ends pretty much how you might guess.
For those familiar with Miyazaki’s films, the art will seem a familiar prototype, an early version of what would become the Ghibli house style for the next thirty years. In tone, Nausicaä probably closest resembles the sometimes violent action and environmentalism of Princess Mononoke (though those that weary of that message shouldn’t be overly put off by its expression here). The story is long and many panels are more text than imagery as Miyazaki attempts to sensibly exposit his narrative. The tale requires patience and perseverance, but it rewards its pursuers. There are a number of great adventures told through the comics medium, but Nausicaä is so far—and pretty easily—the best of show.
[review courtesy of Good Ok Bad]
Several years back (this was maybe 2002, right before Spirited Away hit American shores) I was finally able to see Hayao Miyazaki’s film Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. I had heard a lot of good things about it both from friends who adored the bastardized American release fifteen years earlier, Warriors of the Wind, and from friends who regularly sought out Japanese fare. Weeks earlier, I was able to get ahold of a Hong Kong set of all of Miyazaki’s works up to that point and was slowly working my way through the collection. When I finally arrived at Nausicaä, I was very excited, having saved the best for last.
Long story short: it sucked. Or at least it did in my mind at the time. The problem was that I was still too much a purist, too much a fan. It’s an issue that I’ve mostly sewn up in a burlap sack for disposal into the nearby lake, but at the time my disappointment in the cinema realization of Nausicaä was tremendous. The source of my complaint was that I had read Miyazaki’s manga by the same title. Two works, both named Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. One was a masterwork, an epic adventure fraught with complex characters, intrigue, and a sense of grandeur; the other was just a movie.
I’m sure that I would have loved the animated film as much as anyone else had I not read Miyazaki’s collection of the story in comics form. The problem was that once I had immersed myself so deeply into a sprawling world in which characters were built as if human, with multi-layered motivations, histories, cultures, and customs, the film version almost had to suffer by the comparison. Nausicaä, for many, was an example of Miyazaki’s directing and Ghibli’s animation style in top form. But for me, fresh from what I considered to be one of the best examples of the comics medium, there was no way for me to see the film as anything but a sad, incomplete replica of what was a staggering work of genius.
Granted, Miyazaki was only one-quarter-finished with the story (in comics form) when he made the animated film version of it, so there’s no way it could have the depth of the graphic novel. Granted, it would be impossible to convey even a fraction of Nausicaä‘s story in a single two-hour film. Granted again, I was an overly-invested simpleton at the time, a purist through-and-through, demanding that film versions of beloved stories be faithful adaptations of their source material. It wasn’t a happy way to live, being constantly disappointed by product that didn’t hold its source as valuable as I did. Fortunately, I’ve been healed of my purist tendencies. Maybe I’ll one day be able to approach the cinematic Nausicaä with new eyes. But for now, I’m just happy to reread the original.
The story of Nausicaä is robust. It travels a lot of territory and the narrative terrain shifts constantly. The story at page 100 is different from the story at page 200 is different from the story at page 300. Et cetera. Miyazaki keeps the reader off-balance, constantly renegotiating what his story is actually about. In the hands of a lesser author, Nausicaä would seem a confused jumble of ideas, an evolving puzzle its own author could not solve. Fortunately, and I think most of the world probably knows this by now, Miyazaki is among the best storytellers of our age. It shows in Nausicaä. The sureness of his authorial footing in this book is never at doubt. From beginning to end, we are on his ground and it’s a good place to be.
Nausicaä tells the story of the post-cataclysmic Earth, a millennium after its destruction by the hands of a weaponized robotic army (presumably created by mankind herself). Humanity has barely survived the nuclear fires that tore civilization apart. The earth itself, polluted beyond its ability to heal in a normal manner, has given birth to a terrible new forest. Called the Sea of Corruption, this roiling swath of strange new flora means death to those that it engulfs, for its air is unbreathable. As land becomes more and more scarce due to this growing threat, wars break out and the future of humanity is threatened all the more. In the midst of this, Nausicaä, a princess of a small outlying tribe, seeks to unravel the mysteries of the Sea of Corruption while negotiating a dangerous path between two warring nations. The princess herself is a mystery to all those she encounters, part chaos, part mercy, and always navigating her own path.
This scene ends pretty much how you might guess.
For those familiar with Miyazaki’s films, the art will seem a familiar prototype, an early version of what would become the Ghibli house style for the next thirty years. In tone, Nausicaä probably closest resembles the sometimes violent action and environmentalism of Princess Mononoke (though those that weary of that message shouldn’t be overly put off by its expression here). The story is long and many panels are more text than imagery as Miyazaki attempts to sensibly exposit his narrative. The tale requires patience and perseverance, but it rewards its pursuers. There are a number of great adventures told through the comics medium, but Nausicaä is so far—and pretty easily—the best of show.
[review courtesy of Good Ok Bad]
June 8, 2021
I'm not sure I understood this volume entirely, but the artwork and action sequences were rather enthralling.
May 26, 2021
Aunque los años han pasado y Nausicäa del Valle del Viento se mantiene como una de mis películas favoritas del gran Hayao Miyazaki, por causas de los designios editoriales (las ediciones están descatalogadas) nunca había podido leer el mismo manga que el maestro Miyazaki creó y comenzó a publicar allá por 1982, un par de años antes del estreno del aclamado film. Así seguiría a intervalos irregulares hasta 1994 durante 12 años, publicando en la revista Animage de Tokuma Shoten una historia mucho más compleja que la vista en la película de 1984, puesto que este fue realizado cuando la historia estaba a medias y sólo abarca los dos primeros tomos y de una forma muy resumida.
Miyazaki nos lleva desde los primeros compases hasta un mundo post-apocalíptico, donde las poblaciones viven en pequeños asentamientos rodeados por zonas venenosas, de insectos gigantes y criaturas peligrosas. Sin embargo, dichos reinos, como en cualquier sociedad humana, tienen conflictos y rencillas, con esa ansia de conquista que nos caracteriza. Este primer volumen de Nausicaä es una amplia galería de presentación, tanto de personajes como de escenarios. Cubrimos con este primer tomo casi la mitad de la película, por lo que me intriga que dirección posterior va a tomar el manga.
El camino de Nausicaä se presenta de una forma mucho más sólida, con muchos más matices, aunque no hay grandes cambios con respecto a la película. El dibujo es una verdadera delicia, detallado e imaginativo, propio de Miyazaki tal como vemos en cada una de sus películas. Quizás sea algo lioso en ocasiones, sobre todo en momentos de batalla donde aparecen muchos elementos, pero eso no resta un ápice de interés a todo lo que está presentando. Y lo que más sorprende es el tono, con esa violencia palpable y ese mundo en plena decadencia más cercano a La princesa Mononoke. Y si, ya me he ido a la biblioteca a por los siguientes 5 volúmenes, que creo que no me van a durar mucho.
Miyazaki nos lleva desde los primeros compases hasta un mundo post-apocalíptico, donde las poblaciones viven en pequeños asentamientos rodeados por zonas venenosas, de insectos gigantes y criaturas peligrosas. Sin embargo, dichos reinos, como en cualquier sociedad humana, tienen conflictos y rencillas, con esa ansia de conquista que nos caracteriza. Este primer volumen de Nausicaä es una amplia galería de presentación, tanto de personajes como de escenarios. Cubrimos con este primer tomo casi la mitad de la película, por lo que me intriga que dirección posterior va a tomar el manga.
El camino de Nausicaä se presenta de una forma mucho más sólida, con muchos más matices, aunque no hay grandes cambios con respecto a la película. El dibujo es una verdadera delicia, detallado e imaginativo, propio de Miyazaki tal como vemos en cada una de sus películas. Quizás sea algo lioso en ocasiones, sobre todo en momentos de batalla donde aparecen muchos elementos, pero eso no resta un ápice de interés a todo lo que está presentando. Y lo que más sorprende es el tono, con esa violencia palpable y ese mundo en plena decadencia más cercano a La princesa Mononoke. Y si, ya me he ido a la biblioteca a por los siguientes 5 volúmenes, que creo que no me van a durar mucho.
September 2, 2017
If you've seen the movie, this first volume basically covers the first half of the movie. There aren't any big changes except for one--in the comic you actually get to see the words that the ohmu are saying. It basically gives the forrest a voice, which is an interesting difference. The art has a soft touch to it, which I really like, and the air combat is really dynamic.
August 18, 2010
The ohmu are one of the all-time best creations in the realm of science fiction and fantasy, and Nausicaa is one of the best protagonists.
There, I said it.
There, I said it.
May 8, 2011
I will start out by saying that you could slap a sticker printed with from Hayao Miyazaki! on any form of entertainment and I guarantee I'll enjoy it.
So I haven't seen the movie, but that will soon change as I just purchased a copy. I'll be stuffing popcorn in my mouth come next weekend.
I also just learned that this is book 1 of a 7 book series, as long as I have my volumes correct. Count on me to purchase something for the name and then not have the rest of the series on hand when I really want to read it.
I read this is two sittings but I could have easily stretched it out over a few days. Each panel is incredibly detailed and with everything in black and white, differentiating between, for example, the creatures and the forest became difficult. The action sequences were a mess at times. From my experience, action sequences are best served simple and concise. The reader's eyes want to quickly follow the action and upon being forced to slow down, the entire story may stall. Though there are benefits to forcing a reader to slow down, I think it tends to detract from the action, by not elevating the sequence to the level I prefer.
Anything else I have to say about this work is positive. I loved the setting, the post-apocalyptic world of giant insects and the whole idea of total ecological devastation by god warriors. The story has incredible potential and I am excited to get my hands on the next volume.
So I haven't seen the movie, but that will soon change as I just purchased a copy. I'll be stuffing popcorn in my mouth come next weekend.
I also just learned that this is book 1 of a 7 book series, as long as I have my volumes correct. Count on me to purchase something for the name and then not have the rest of the series on hand when I really want to read it.
I read this is two sittings but I could have easily stretched it out over a few days. Each panel is incredibly detailed and with everything in black and white, differentiating between, for example, the creatures and the forest became difficult. The action sequences were a mess at times. From my experience, action sequences are best served simple and concise. The reader's eyes want to quickly follow the action and upon being forced to slow down, the entire story may stall. Though there are benefits to forcing a reader to slow down, I think it tends to detract from the action, by not elevating the sequence to the level I prefer.
Anything else I have to say about this work is positive. I loved the setting, the post-apocalyptic world of giant insects and the whole idea of total ecological devastation by god warriors. The story has incredible potential and I am excited to get my hands on the next volume.
September 2, 2019
I've never seen the movie, and didn't even know that it was a manga - let alone by Miyazaki himself - until very recently. Finally decided to give it a read, and so far I haven't regretted the time spent on this endeavor.
It's a solid beginning for a story, with an imaginitive and wondrous setting, high stakes, several shades of moral grey, and strong characterization. All stuff we've come to expect from the author. I'll look forward to see where this goes.
It's a solid beginning for a story, with an imaginitive and wondrous setting, high stakes, several shades of moral grey, and strong characterization. All stuff we've come to expect from the author. I'll look forward to see where this goes.
October 4, 2016
I would give the first volume 3 stars but it is Hayao Miyazaki, so 4 stars...
The main problem was the construction of texts and panels. There were so tiny pictures and letters that it was hard for me to read it. I'm reading scanlations on my phone so it is extra hard and eye-tiring.
The next problem was too much detailed drawings for small panels. Mostly I have seen that on small panels the images are not too detailed, so it was hard to follow what was going on.
Apart from that the story and setting are interesting and despite Nausicaa being too perfect, I liked female characters. Miyazaki-sensei's female characters are always good.
In the first volume we got information about what happened to earth in the future, how the forests are toxic and how nations try to survive and also battle with each other for more land. Nausicaa is a princess of the Valley of the wind, where the air is fresh due to winds. She is brave, clever, capable of anything, compassionate and as I said, too perfect.
I hope I can find the next volume too, but as it is hard to read this format, I am not sure I'll read it as quickly as other manga.
The main problem was the construction of texts and panels. There were so tiny pictures and letters that it was hard for me to read it. I'm reading scanlations on my phone so it is extra hard and eye-tiring.
The next problem was too much detailed drawings for small panels. Mostly I have seen that on small panels the images are not too detailed, so it was hard to follow what was going on.
Apart from that the story and setting are interesting and despite Nausicaa being too perfect, I liked female characters. Miyazaki-sensei's female characters are always good.
In the first volume we got information about what happened to earth in the future, how the forests are toxic and how nations try to survive and also battle with each other for more land. Nausicaa is a princess of the Valley of the wind, where the air is fresh due to winds. She is brave, clever, capable of anything, compassionate and as I said, too perfect.
I hope I can find the next volume too, but as it is hard to read this format, I am not sure I'll read it as quickly as other manga.
June 15, 2017
This was a slight letdown for me, and it might be one of the rare cases of "The Movie Was Better Than The Book." Miyazaki's designs are of course a marvel, and I love the spiritual and ecological themes, but I found much of the action, particularly the dogfights, difficult to follow. It would also be easier to keep up with the complex political maneuvering (I count at least 6 competing factions here) if everybody's armor didn't look exactly the same. By the end of this volume (which is actually 2 TPBs in one), the frantic pace slowed down a bit and the visual storytelling became clearer (or maybe I just became acclimated).
July 31, 2016
I love how much more complex and involved the manga is compared to the film. I need to get myself the entire series. This is top-tier for this genre.
September 27, 2022
Estou tão apaixonado por esse mundo de Nausicaa. Mal vejo a hora de ler o volume 2
November 22, 2015
The movie Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was released during the publication of the manga. As such, it is easy to assume that the manga contains the more complete and satisfying version. Sometimes what may seem oblique in the movie becomes clear as the story progresses along to how Miyazaki envisioned it. Of course the movie is still a beautiful thing, as Miyazaki's talents are in full display in the film. The kinetic energy and dazzling visuals that he employs are doubled to that of the already amazing action sequences in paper. Plus, we get to hear Joe Hisaishi's wonderful music in the film.
What the comics medium lacks compared to films, Miyazaki makes it up through other means. Nausicaa is miles away from other comics, the epic scale that Miyazaki worked in the manga is something that most comics creator wouldn't even dare of. Even at the start , we begin to realize just how rich this work is, from its long and poetic expositions to the extremely detailed and beautiful artwork. If you've seen his movies, you will get the same from reading this movie. There is the air of familiarity but at the same time of dazzling originality.
Set in an apocalyptic future, the manga fully build it's world, from the conflict that pervades humanity in any era to the secret of the world's destruction, it may seem like that no aspect of this world is left untouched. It begins as most stories do with the heroine's call to save the world, but Miyazaki is not content with just presenting the heroine's point of view. With the more flexible version that the manga works with, we become acquainted with the varied characters that populate the world, each with their own agenda to follow. Through their stories, the manga explores themes that soon begin to overlap. There are many times when a characters ideologies become conflicted with another. But, not once does the manga let go of its understanding of the depths and complexities that characterize humanity. Not all works of fantasy can so illustrate the real world as this work can.
What the comics medium lacks compared to films, Miyazaki makes it up through other means. Nausicaa is miles away from other comics, the epic scale that Miyazaki worked in the manga is something that most comics creator wouldn't even dare of. Even at the start , we begin to realize just how rich this work is, from its long and poetic expositions to the extremely detailed and beautiful artwork. If you've seen his movies, you will get the same from reading this movie. There is the air of familiarity but at the same time of dazzling originality.
Set in an apocalyptic future, the manga fully build it's world, from the conflict that pervades humanity in any era to the secret of the world's destruction, it may seem like that no aspect of this world is left untouched. It begins as most stories do with the heroine's call to save the world, but Miyazaki is not content with just presenting the heroine's point of view. With the more flexible version that the manga works with, we become acquainted with the varied characters that populate the world, each with their own agenda to follow. Through their stories, the manga explores themes that soon begin to overlap. There are many times when a characters ideologies become conflicted with another. But, not once does the manga let go of its understanding of the depths and complexities that characterize humanity. Not all works of fantasy can so illustrate the real world as this work can.
August 17, 2017
Hayao Miyazaki is probably going to to be remembered as one of the greatest enviornmental artists in history, not to mention one of the greatest anti-war artists. Each of his works manages to balance an incredible depth while also exploring the complexities of individual characters and often the consequences of "development." Human are often creatures that are wreaking havoc with the natural world, either by polluting the natural beauty of the world, discounting the biological systems in place, devastating the world with war, or else simply negating the power of nature. Nausicaa is yet another in a long line of great works by Miyazaki that explores all of these themes, and like his previous works, he does so masterfully.
I recognise that this is only the first volume and so the potential for failure is still up in the air, but my track record with Miyazaki is not that he is a man to screw up the end game. In fact this first volume is just the opening act of what will surely be an amazing story.
I can't recommend this book to the reader enough. It usually takes me only a day or more to finish a graphic novel. This book took a full week. Every page is a spectacular accomplishment of art with detail that would put to shame most artists in the comics industry. This book is just fucking gorgeous and I wanted to stop and just consume every image.
Nausicaa is most certainly a story about war, but as is the case with almost every work by Hayao Miyazaki it's a story about life, biological life, and how human beings encounter the spiritual world of such life. In Miyazaki's universe the forrests and molds and insects aren't just creatures, they're natural forces imbued with a real power that dwarfs humanity.
I recognise that this is only the first volume and so the potential for failure is still up in the air, but my track record with Miyazaki is not that he is a man to screw up the end game. In fact this first volume is just the opening act of what will surely be an amazing story.
I can't recommend this book to the reader enough. It usually takes me only a day or more to finish a graphic novel. This book took a full week. Every page is a spectacular accomplishment of art with detail that would put to shame most artists in the comics industry. This book is just fucking gorgeous and I wanted to stop and just consume every image.
Nausicaa is most certainly a story about war, but as is the case with almost every work by Hayao Miyazaki it's a story about life, biological life, and how human beings encounter the spiritual world of such life. In Miyazaki's universe the forrests and molds and insects aren't just creatures, they're natural forces imbued with a real power that dwarfs humanity.
February 6, 2017
Scifi-kerhon lukupiiri sai minut lukemaan ensimmäisen osan Hayao Miyazakin Tuulen laakson Nausicaä -mangasta, josta on tehty myös samanniminen elokuva. Miyazakin piirrostyyli on kaunista ja muistuttaa luonnollisesti hyvin paljon Studio Ghiblin animaatioiden tyyliä. Juonen kulkua on kuitenkin mielestäni välillä vaikea seurata, koska piirrokset ovat mustavalkoisia ja toimintakohtauksissa on vaikea erottaa, kuka tekee mitäkin. Väitän, että epäselvyyteen vaikuttaa osaltaan myös suuri sivukoko, joka on käsittääkseni mangalle aika epätyypillinen.
Tarina on kaikesta huolimatta kiinnostava ja monikerroksinen, joten aion jatkaa sarjan lukemista. Haistan sarjassa kovaa yhteiskuntakritiikkiä, jota olisi kiva päästä pohtimaan myöhemmin, joten lupaan palata asiaan blogissani, kun olen lukenut kaikki seitsemän osaa. Sarjakuvan kahteen ensimmäiseen osan perustuvan elokuvan katsominen alkoi myös kiinnostaa minua.
Tarina on kaikesta huolimatta kiinnostava ja monikerroksinen, joten aion jatkaa sarjan lukemista. Haistan sarjassa kovaa yhteiskuntakritiikkiä, jota olisi kiva päästä pohtimaan myöhemmin, joten lupaan palata asiaan blogissani, kun olen lukenut kaikki seitsemän osaa. Sarjakuvan kahteen ensimmäiseen osan perustuvan elokuvan katsominen alkoi myös kiinnostaa minua.
May 19, 2022
MIYAZAKI MY BELOVED
The origin of Ghibli. Also the origin of art and writing and humanity in general, I guess? I strongly believe that Miyazaki is one of the best if not the best speculativescience fiction writers of the 21st century—or technically of the 20th, since Nausicaä was first published in the 1980s. It's insane how influential this man has been and continues to be. I hate when people compare non-Western artists to famous prominent Western artists as a way to show how "good" they are, so I won't do that, but boy is there truly no one doing it like him!!!!!
The origin of Ghibli. Also the origin of art and writing and humanity in general, I guess? I strongly believe that Miyazaki is one of the best if not the best speculative
January 5, 2019
I made it 44 pages before I ran out of the steam. I appreciate the details of the artwork, Miyazaki's creativity in terms of world-building, and the way the female character is celebrated and shown as a blossoming leader. But I wasn't engaged in the storyline. I will watch the movie, but the manga isn't for me.
August 24, 2009
This was the first and only "graphic novel" I've ever read. I took my time reading the entire seven volume series in about three weeks time, and upon completing it I felt as if I had just returned home from a long journey. The artwork and storyline are both incredible...an epic masterpiece.
November 21, 2011
Nausicaa was one of the most engaging films of my childhood. It managed to transmit a lot of messages and feelings within two hours, something that not so many movies can achieve. I knew it was based on a manga made by Miyazaki himself but for many years I didn’t bother looking into it. When I finally did, I came face to face with a work that is indeed ageless. Not something many manga can achieve as well.
For starters, anyone familiar with the movie must be warned that most of the themes found there are present in the manga and only towards the last third does the story have something more to add to the lot by making it a lot more Buddhistic in nature. So if you are not patient with it, you may feel like it’s an unnecessary dragged out version of the movie.
For those who will be willing to follow it to the end, I will inform you that the characters are way more fleshed out and triple in numbers, without even accounting the tens of thousands of stunts. Yes, it’s that epic.
Art: 10
So for the manga itself now, the art is damn good as it both gives the feeling of a fairy tale (a dark one) and still looks artistic and original in a way. The attention he gives to clothes, buildings, and rural areas is indeed wonderful as it manages to absorb you in an alien world in just minutes. For a story this long, the style of animation remains unchanged, without changes in quality or background detail, as it usually happens with manga that took many years to be made and the mangaka was changing style as he went on. That proves how Miyazaki had solidified his style and was sure and consistent with what he wanted to make. A big applause to the man.
Although most sci-fi manga of the 80’s and before had the tendency to make all technological stuff to look like bones or insects, in this case their looks are actually excused since the world really is post-apocalyptic and people make a big part of their equipment out of bones and insect carcasses; thus for once it is excused to look as such.
Facial details are generally low and thus most characters are usually set apart for their clothes. Being black and white does not help either. But this is a rather minor problem most mangaka face so I will not deduct points from it. He still makes up for it by giving them a wonderful body language and lively grimaces. A thing to notice is how characters are most of the time clothed in thick armors or fabrics and that makes them look chubby when in fact they are not. It is a nice way to avoy all those pitfalls of body anatomy. And it still is excused to be as such as the air is polluted and people need to protect their bodies to the fullest. Another thing is how Miyazaki does not go for bijin looks to win impressions. Although most characters look cute, none is given that moe fad of today, which unfortunately ends up making characters look like bag accessories instead of living, breathing people. Also there is no attempt to sexualize females as nude is practically non-present and basically people find it uneasy even when someone is showing bare feet. There is only one page of nude in the whole manga and even that is given so innocently that you can’t have bad ideas about it. They don’t make them like this anymore!
And now we get to the action part of the manga, which in Miyazaki style is a very weird feeling. For starters, all his works seem to mix fairy tales and gore in the same package and the end result is a story where you see cute looking characters being wounded or sliced to pieces by unworldly insectoid freaks. There are also a lot of cute animals as well and as a rule of a thump, you’d expect them to stick around as comic reliefs throughout the story. But no, not even those are spared as most die a miserable and violent death. This is not the first time it has happened; the same treat was given to other works like Elfen Lied. Only thing, Elfen Lied did its best to oversexualize little girls while here it does its best to keep them pure in all cases. And I prefer the latter. Again, in this case Miyazaki makes sure to not implement such gore for piss poor shock effects but as means to show the tragedy of the state of the world the story takes place in. That is not an easy thing to do; believe me. Cheap shock value can easily be removed without damaging the story but here it is essential and a solid part of it. Great work again.
There are a lot of action scenes, as well parts of mass destruction of huge areas by explosions or a raid of freaks and they are all done wonderfully. At first I though Miyazaki was unable to do the same with human figures but I was wrong as there are many panels were hundreds of people are shown attacking or running away. None last too long to get a Lord of the Rings type of battle but they are still powerful enough to show the ability of the mangaka at portraying battles.
Story: 8, Characters: 9
It’s hard to see story and characters separately as this is a character driven story and so I lump them together. So, just like in the manga, it is a story of tragedy around a world ruined by humans a thousand years ago. The survivors still try to rebuild but the folly of war and greed are ever present even after the mistakes of the past. I must point out that many manga and anime have a backdrop story that usually is just fancy dressing of a totally irrelevant plot and characters. But not here as the setting is made and affected by the characters themselves. Every major event that happens is a result of a character doing something and not events that someone pulled out of thin air.
Another thing is the environmental issues of the story. There are many scenarios out there which try to enforce you with a certain politically correct ideology around ecology but here it is done in a most balanced and natural way. Nature punishes man for his errors, even those who are innocent. Plus, striving for balance to return is a process that requires for a lot of creatures to be sacrificed for the good of the whole. That is an image almost no enviromental story has the guts to show. It usually is about nature getting angry with the poachers and then resurrecting the good guys before having a nice party around a campfire. Well not here. If one man makes nature angry, everybody pays dearly for it. And it’s not even punishment, it’s the natural way of restoring the lost balance. Well done Miyazaki, you had the balls to tell things without morality BS getting in the way.
As for the characters themselves, although most feel like archetypes at first, along the way they all mature and change on some way or another. They literaly are not the same people as in the beginning of the story. Plus, as ideal as some of them look at first, all of them make mistakes that end up in the deaths or suffering of many others. And yet they learn for that and become wiser thereafter. Even the so called villains in the story all have understandable motivations and indeed show signs of emotions and gentleness at moments, while none leaves the story completely despicable. Takes a lot of guts and wisdom to do this right and Miyazaki is the one to achieve it.
Now the pacing of the story is a mixed bag. Although most of the events in it are essential to the plot, a lot more (especially the battles) give off the feeling that they could be left out entirely. That leaves you with dozens of pages around action sequences that don’t really offer anything to the story or even to character immersion and makes the manga to drag a bit.
Also, the major mistake of storytelling is present here as well. Most of the times the characters will be stating the obvious, as if the mangaka does not feel sure if the reader understood what is going on. So as much as I liked the maturity of the themes it deals with, I still found a lot of sloppy means to tell them. I could also bitch a bit at how most plot points are presented through rather convenient means, with the characters talking to animals or reading minds or doing long morality monologues just to get fast answers and resolutions. Maybe all that are done because the mangaka wanted to tell a message and not to tell a realistic story but I still found it too naïve at times and my enjoyment was affected by my orthological mind.
Enjoyment: 9, Overall: 10
Although some bits in the way the story unfolded restrained me from fully enjoying this manga, I do admit that in overall it’s amongst the greatest works of the medium and while the movie version does a fine job showing the bulk of its themes, the manga elevates everything to heights unimaginable. This work is suggested to all fans of adventure and drama as one of the best in the field.
For starters, anyone familiar with the movie must be warned that most of the themes found there are present in the manga and only towards the last third does the story have something more to add to the lot by making it a lot more Buddhistic in nature. So if you are not patient with it, you may feel like it’s an unnecessary dragged out version of the movie.
For those who will be willing to follow it to the end, I will inform you that the characters are way more fleshed out and triple in numbers, without even accounting the tens of thousands of stunts. Yes, it’s that epic.
Art: 10
So for the manga itself now, the art is damn good as it both gives the feeling of a fairy tale (a dark one) and still looks artistic and original in a way. The attention he gives to clothes, buildings, and rural areas is indeed wonderful as it manages to absorb you in an alien world in just minutes. For a story this long, the style of animation remains unchanged, without changes in quality or background detail, as it usually happens with manga that took many years to be made and the mangaka was changing style as he went on. That proves how Miyazaki had solidified his style and was sure and consistent with what he wanted to make. A big applause to the man.
Although most sci-fi manga of the 80’s and before had the tendency to make all technological stuff to look like bones or insects, in this case their looks are actually excused since the world really is post-apocalyptic and people make a big part of their equipment out of bones and insect carcasses; thus for once it is excused to look as such.
Facial details are generally low and thus most characters are usually set apart for their clothes. Being black and white does not help either. But this is a rather minor problem most mangaka face so I will not deduct points from it. He still makes up for it by giving them a wonderful body language and lively grimaces. A thing to notice is how characters are most of the time clothed in thick armors or fabrics and that makes them look chubby when in fact they are not. It is a nice way to avoy all those pitfalls of body anatomy. And it still is excused to be as such as the air is polluted and people need to protect their bodies to the fullest. Another thing is how Miyazaki does not go for bijin looks to win impressions. Although most characters look cute, none is given that moe fad of today, which unfortunately ends up making characters look like bag accessories instead of living, breathing people. Also there is no attempt to sexualize females as nude is practically non-present and basically people find it uneasy even when someone is showing bare feet. There is only one page of nude in the whole manga and even that is given so innocently that you can’t have bad ideas about it. They don’t make them like this anymore!
And now we get to the action part of the manga, which in Miyazaki style is a very weird feeling. For starters, all his works seem to mix fairy tales and gore in the same package and the end result is a story where you see cute looking characters being wounded or sliced to pieces by unworldly insectoid freaks. There are also a lot of cute animals as well and as a rule of a thump, you’d expect them to stick around as comic reliefs throughout the story. But no, not even those are spared as most die a miserable and violent death. This is not the first time it has happened; the same treat was given to other works like Elfen Lied. Only thing, Elfen Lied did its best to oversexualize little girls while here it does its best to keep them pure in all cases. And I prefer the latter. Again, in this case Miyazaki makes sure to not implement such gore for piss poor shock effects but as means to show the tragedy of the state of the world the story takes place in. That is not an easy thing to do; believe me. Cheap shock value can easily be removed without damaging the story but here it is essential and a solid part of it. Great work again.
There are a lot of action scenes, as well parts of mass destruction of huge areas by explosions or a raid of freaks and they are all done wonderfully. At first I though Miyazaki was unable to do the same with human figures but I was wrong as there are many panels were hundreds of people are shown attacking or running away. None last too long to get a Lord of the Rings type of battle but they are still powerful enough to show the ability of the mangaka at portraying battles.
Story: 8, Characters: 9
It’s hard to see story and characters separately as this is a character driven story and so I lump them together. So, just like in the manga, it is a story of tragedy around a world ruined by humans a thousand years ago. The survivors still try to rebuild but the folly of war and greed are ever present even after the mistakes of the past. I must point out that many manga and anime have a backdrop story that usually is just fancy dressing of a totally irrelevant plot and characters. But not here as the setting is made and affected by the characters themselves. Every major event that happens is a result of a character doing something and not events that someone pulled out of thin air.
Another thing is the environmental issues of the story. There are many scenarios out there which try to enforce you with a certain politically correct ideology around ecology but here it is done in a most balanced and natural way. Nature punishes man for his errors, even those who are innocent. Plus, striving for balance to return is a process that requires for a lot of creatures to be sacrificed for the good of the whole. That is an image almost no enviromental story has the guts to show. It usually is about nature getting angry with the poachers and then resurrecting the good guys before having a nice party around a campfire. Well not here. If one man makes nature angry, everybody pays dearly for it. And it’s not even punishment, it’s the natural way of restoring the lost balance. Well done Miyazaki, you had the balls to tell things without morality BS getting in the way.
As for the characters themselves, although most feel like archetypes at first, along the way they all mature and change on some way or another. They literaly are not the same people as in the beginning of the story. Plus, as ideal as some of them look at first, all of them make mistakes that end up in the deaths or suffering of many others. And yet they learn for that and become wiser thereafter. Even the so called villains in the story all have understandable motivations and indeed show signs of emotions and gentleness at moments, while none leaves the story completely despicable. Takes a lot of guts and wisdom to do this right and Miyazaki is the one to achieve it.
Now the pacing of the story is a mixed bag. Although most of the events in it are essential to the plot, a lot more (especially the battles) give off the feeling that they could be left out entirely. That leaves you with dozens of pages around action sequences that don’t really offer anything to the story or even to character immersion and makes the manga to drag a bit.
Also, the major mistake of storytelling is present here as well. Most of the times the characters will be stating the obvious, as if the mangaka does not feel sure if the reader understood what is going on. So as much as I liked the maturity of the themes it deals with, I still found a lot of sloppy means to tell them. I could also bitch a bit at how most plot points are presented through rather convenient means, with the characters talking to animals or reading minds or doing long morality monologues just to get fast answers and resolutions. Maybe all that are done because the mangaka wanted to tell a message and not to tell a realistic story but I still found it too naïve at times and my enjoyment was affected by my orthological mind.
Enjoyment: 9, Overall: 10
Although some bits in the way the story unfolded restrained me from fully enjoying this manga, I do admit that in overall it’s amongst the greatest works of the medium and while the movie version does a fine job showing the bulk of its themes, the manga elevates everything to heights unimaginable. This work is suggested to all fans of adventure and drama as one of the best in the field.
October 30, 2021
selline pettumus alati, kui tellid raamatukogust kena värvilise kaanepildiga manga ja siis see on tegelikult must-valge:( andke andeks, aga ma ei saanud enamus aega lihtsalt mitte millestki aru ses loos! kes on pahad ja kes head (nii inimeste kui igasuguste putukate ja, maitea, seente seas), kes millise lahingu võitis, kui mitu osapoolt lahingutel üldse on ja... kes need inimesed kõik on. ei aidanud ka see, et kõik naistegelased olid täpselt ühte nägu joonistatud (ja enamus aega olid enamustel teglastel maskid ees ka nagunii).
muidugi naistegelaste hulga ja prominentsuse ses loos pean heaks kiitma, Bechdeli test läbiti edukalt ja kõik need printsessid seal (ehkki - kui mitu neid täpselt oli? kaks, kolm, rohkem?) on väga tegusad ja asjalikud ja juhivad rahvaid ja vägesid ja lennumasinaid, mitte ei muretse mehelemineku pärast. tasakaaluks aegajalt muidugi nunnutatakse armsaid karusloomi ka.
ma arvan, et ma tahaksin seda animet näha ja et mulle võiks see täitsa meeldida. tundub olevat päris kobe keskkonnarõhuga maailmapäästmislugu ja ka põhiprintsess on sümpaatne noor daam. lihtsalt... andke värve!
muidugi naistegelaste hulga ja prominentsuse ses loos pean heaks kiitma, Bechdeli test läbiti edukalt ja kõik need printsessid seal (ehkki - kui mitu neid täpselt oli? kaks, kolm, rohkem?) on väga tegusad ja asjalikud ja juhivad rahvaid ja vägesid ja lennumasinaid, mitte ei muretse mehelemineku pärast. tasakaaluks aegajalt muidugi nunnutatakse armsaid karusloomi ka.
ma arvan, et ma tahaksin seda animet näha ja et mulle võiks see täitsa meeldida. tundub olevat päris kobe keskkonnarõhuga maailmapäästmislugu ja ka põhiprintsess on sümpaatne noor daam. lihtsalt... andke värve!
June 12, 2021
The planet has been made toxic by pollution and wars, and now small groups of people are all that remains of human life. The small groups are periodically besieged by mutant insects and miasma, toxic spores that flood the air.
It is up to Nausicaa, princess of her small kingdom, to unite the human with the natural world. She is able to communicate love to the insects and calm the violent impulses of all.
I had to have a lesson on how to read manga before I could get the hang of reading this book, back to front, right to left. There are also characters in many of the panels that express sound effects for the story; there's a key for those, but there were too many to interpret each one. Lots of weaponry and warfare. While I could admire the heart of the story, I struggled to get through this book.
A 1001 Children's Book.
It is up to Nausicaa, princess of her small kingdom, to unite the human with the natural world. She is able to communicate love to the insects and calm the violent impulses of all.
I had to have a lesson on how to read manga before I could get the hang of reading this book, back to front, right to left. There are also characters in many of the panels that express sound effects for the story; there's a key for those, but there were too many to interpret each one. Lots of weaponry and warfare. While I could admire the heart of the story, I struggled to get through this book.
A 1001 Children's Book.
February 22, 2023
Beautiful art and storytelling. I loved the movie and so this is basically the same plot, though I've heard the later volumes go more into the themes of the story than the movie. I'm excited.
January 2, 2023
avatar this avatar that… this is my speculative fiction anti-colonial jungle feast. it’s actually just so good if you have the patience & interest. the movie covers the plot of the first 100 of total 1000 pages so dig in 🍽️
January 30, 2022
OVERALL RATING : 4.5/5
PLOT : 4/5
CHARACTER : 5/5
WRITING : 5/5
WORLD : 5/5
SAGA :
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 4.5/5
DATE : 8/01/22
MY REVIEW:
“Danger doesn't always come from the enemy.”
― Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1
🇬🇧. / 🇺🇸 (& MORE) VERSION :
Miyazaki has the biggest mind in the universe and you can't convince me otherwise. Nausicaä is one of these book where you're like *how??* all the way through just because the world is so cool and unique and you just can't believe it comes directly from only one mind. In my head, Nausicaä is the Japanese Dune and that's coolest thing it can be.
VERSION 🇧🇪 /🇫🇷 & MORE :
Miyazaki a le plus grand esprit de l’univers et vous ne pouvez pas me convaincre du contraire. Nausicaä est l’un de ces livres où vous êtes constamment en train de vous demander *comment?* tout au long du processus, simplement parce que le monde est si cool et unique et que vous ne pouvez pas croire qu’il vient directement d’un seul esprit. Dans ma tête, c et c’est la chose la plus cool que ça puisse être.
December 14, 2020
For some reason, I expected more than I got. Not sure I'm interested in spending time with the next volume
February 3, 2023
Nausicaa è l'unica figlia rimasta in vita dell'ormai vecchio Signore della Valle del Vento, baluardo della civiltà ai limiti della Foresta che ormai da anni sta inglobando il Mondo con le sue spore tossiche. Durante una missione proprio in questa Foresta Nausicaa scopre di avere la capacità di comunicare con gli esseri che la abitano, in particolare con i Vermi Re, animali considerati da tutti violenti e pericolisi, ma che Nausicaa capisce essere i guardiani della vita.
Con questa consapevolezza la giovane principessa si prepara a partire per la guerra, ma la famiglia reale, sua alleata, forse non si trova nel giusto.
Un manga disegnato da Miyazaki, con tavole splendide come solo la matita di questo autore sa essere. Ma anche una storia di crescita, femminismo, e una storia che ci ricorda che di mondo ne abbiamo soltanto uno e forse dovremmo imparare a trattarlo con i guanti.
Con questa consapevolezza la giovane principessa si prepara a partire per la guerra, ma la famiglia reale, sua alleata, forse non si trova nel giusto.
Un manga disegnato da Miyazaki, con tavole splendide come solo la matita di questo autore sa essere. Ma anche una storia di crescita, femminismo, e una storia che ci ricorda che di mondo ne abbiamo soltanto uno e forse dovremmo imparare a trattarlo con i guanti.
July 11, 2014
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind holds a very special place in my heart. I feel in love with the story and Nausicaä herself from watching the film when I was thirteen and my grandmother gave me the DVD as a present. Since then I've watched the film more times than I could ever keep track of. Until 2012 I had no idea that this story was also in graphic novel form and written by Miyazaki himself! I always considered him to be a director and screenplay writer so seeing that he has also worked in print was a pleasant surprise.
When I started reading I encountered another pleasant surprise. I've always known how dear to me this story was, but when I started reading I was almost overwhelmed with emotion. I know it sounds cheesy as hell, but I was shocked by how excited I got just reading the first volume.
When it comes to the story itself, because I was introduced to this at a relatively early age, Nausicaä was pretty much my first example of a feminist heroine and large scale environmentalism.
Nausicaä is the Princess of the Valley of the Wind and she is everything you would expect a Princess to be. She is kind, intelligent, rebellious, curious, strong, brave, and has an unspoken connection to nature. At her core it is her ability to use empathy to communicate with the natural world around her, even when the natural world around her is slowly destroying humankind, that makes her stand out. I imagine Nausicaä as almost a darker version of a Disney Princess and a lot of that has to do with the amazing fantasy world that she lives in. Nausicaä's world is war stricken as she is forced to fight both for and against people and nature to try and ensure the survival of the Valley of the Wind.
The graphic novel is beat for beat the same as the film from what I've seen in this first volume. The art style is also the same style as the film. From my experience this repetition does not detract from either formatt. The film and the manga still come across as very unique because of the things that makes them different. Part of what makes the film so beautiful is the colouring and the movement of the environment. In the manga the basic line art gives more focus to the characters and the expressive nature of the artwork. Either way it's enjoyable.
When it comes to the look of the manga the size and format of the book is a lot more like an American comic book than what I associate with manga. Logically, I believe any graphic novel from Japan should be called manga because of the cultural association, but it was still surprising to see the book in this format. The unorthodox large pages actually really work to the book's benefit because it gives it more space to play. This is undoubtedly important when it comes to the scope of the more vast flying scenes. I can't imagine it would be as visually appealing if the planes had to be squished into smaller panels. Seeing this makes me wonder why more manga isn't formatted this way. So many fantasy and science fiction manga spring to mind that would also benefit from having a larger form. In the manga section of my library Nausicaä stands out among all the other perfectly uniform books and I'm really curious to find out why. It's something I'll have to look into.
Right now I have the next two volumes from the library and I can't wait to continue reading. This is my first manga I've read in months due to my reading hiatus and I could not think of a better way to start again then to read something that I know I'll love.
When I started reading I encountered another pleasant surprise. I've always known how dear to me this story was, but when I started reading I was almost overwhelmed with emotion. I know it sounds cheesy as hell, but I was shocked by how excited I got just reading the first volume.
When it comes to the story itself, because I was introduced to this at a relatively early age, Nausicaä was pretty much my first example of a feminist heroine and large scale environmentalism.
Nausicaä is the Princess of the Valley of the Wind and she is everything you would expect a Princess to be. She is kind, intelligent, rebellious, curious, strong, brave, and has an unspoken connection to nature. At her core it is her ability to use empathy to communicate with the natural world around her, even when the natural world around her is slowly destroying humankind, that makes her stand out. I imagine Nausicaä as almost a darker version of a Disney Princess and a lot of that has to do with the amazing fantasy world that she lives in. Nausicaä's world is war stricken as she is forced to fight both for and against people and nature to try and ensure the survival of the Valley of the Wind.
The graphic novel is beat for beat the same as the film from what I've seen in this first volume. The art style is also the same style as the film. From my experience this repetition does not detract from either formatt. The film and the manga still come across as very unique because of the things that makes them different. Part of what makes the film so beautiful is the colouring and the movement of the environment. In the manga the basic line art gives more focus to the characters and the expressive nature of the artwork. Either way it's enjoyable.
When it comes to the look of the manga the size and format of the book is a lot more like an American comic book than what I associate with manga. Logically, I believe any graphic novel from Japan should be called manga because of the cultural association, but it was still surprising to see the book in this format. The unorthodox large pages actually really work to the book's benefit because it gives it more space to play. This is undoubtedly important when it comes to the scope of the more vast flying scenes. I can't imagine it would be as visually appealing if the planes had to be squished into smaller panels. Seeing this makes me wonder why more manga isn't formatted this way. So many fantasy and science fiction manga spring to mind that would also benefit from having a larger form. In the manga section of my library Nausicaä stands out among all the other perfectly uniform books and I'm really curious to find out why. It's something I'll have to look into.
Right now I have the next two volumes from the library and I can't wait to continue reading. This is my first manga I've read in months due to my reading hiatus and I could not think of a better way to start again then to read something that I know I'll love.
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