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Quote from the jacket of
Volume 1:
"One of those rare works that can justifiably be called a graphic novel. To my mind, it's the best graphic novel EVER." - Stepan Chapman, COMICS JOURNAL In the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien comes an epic environmental cautionary tale created by world-renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki! Humanity in it's hubris, has precipitated a devastating ecological disaster. Flourishing industrial civilizations have been swallowed up and Earth is covered with the Sea of Corruption, an enormous forest of fungi that releases a miasma of poisonous spores into the air. Nausicaa, a gentle young princess, has an empathic bond with the giant mutated insects that evolved in the wake of the destruction of the ecosystem. Traveling by cumbersome flying ship, on the backs of giant flightless birds, and perched atop her beloved glider, Nausicaa and her allies must negotiate peace between kingdoms battling over the last of the world's precious natural resources... |
One of the most wonderful characters in the world of anime is the bold princess of the Valley of Wind, Nausicaa. Hayao Miyazaki wrote Nausicaa as a manga (comic book) series and later directed an animated film based on the first volume of his story. The Nausicaa manga is considered a story for adults, but is also very suitable for intelligent children.
English editions of the original manga are published by Viz, and can be ordered online from Amazon.com (see above) or other retailers. The English edition has been printed several times, firstly in an American-style comic book format, secondly in a 4-part graphic novel "Perfect Collection" edition and most recently in a 7-part graphic novel version that more closely matches the original Japanese format.
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Nausicaa: The Film
A wonderful
film. Hayao Miyazaki based the film upon his own graphic novels of
the same name, which follow the adventures of Nausicaa, the Princess of
the Valley of the Wind, and her people's struggle to survive as polluted
wastelands expand across the surface of the earth. An ecological morality
film that's well-worth watching. Superb!
 The movie has been released twice in English. The earlier version, "Warriors of the Wind" was widely panned as a poor adaptation. A new high-quality English version will be released to home video through the Disney-Studio Ghibli deal, February 2005 (see panel at left). |
Additional Notes
Nausicaa was
the name of a wise and beautiful princess in the ancient Greek epic The
Odyssey. She aided the shipwrecked and injured Odysseus, when
everyone else feared to approach him. Nausicaa's kingdom was a
sanctuary, hidden away in some secret corner of the world, much like the
Valley of Wind in Miyazaki's story. The character of Nausicaa has
intrigued both casual readers and scholars of ancient literature. Scholars
consider this portion of The Odyssey to be remarkable for the time
period in which it was written, due to the roles of the women in this part
of the story. Not only does the Princess take matters into her own hands,
but Odysseus soon learns that the Queen is the most influential person in
this peaceful kingdom.
I later read that Miyazaki did in fact model his Nausicaa after the Nausicaa of The Odyssey, as well as a legendary Japanese Princess who scorned the customs of her time and loved insects and nature. Miyazaki wondered what life was like for these young women who behaved so oppositely to the expectations of their societies, and wondered if they would ever be able to find love. The Nausicaa in The Odyssey was said to have traveled throughout the lands, becoming the first female minstrel and never settling or marrying.
On a lighter note, there are several cryptic references to Miyazaki's Nausicaa in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Some episodes mention or feature aliens called "Nausicaans" and in the episode Measure of a Man, the schematic of Data shows that his components include a "Nausicaan Valve"! (see Anime in Star Trek)