"A thousand years have passed since the collapse of industrialized civilization. A toxic jungle now spreads, threatening the survival of the last of the human race."
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä) is an adventure and fantasy anime movie. It was originally released in March 1984 by Studio Hibari and Topcraft running 1 hour/57 minutes. It does not have a continuing series.
General Rating: 8.5/10
My Rating: 10/10
"Miyazaki only makes masterpieces." I use to say this back in 2011-2012 because I was blinded by Ghibli elitism. "Miyazaki only makes masterpieces," I say now because it's true. Nausicaa was one of my last Miyazaki movies to see in 2011 and is now among my favorites. Although Nausicaa was made before Ghibli became a studio, it is still one of Miyazaki's masterpieces. My goodness this anime holds a lot of memories for me. I have always felt a strong connection to the wind, and seeing how the wind was the protector of the Valley's peace really spoke to me. The wind is a magical thing, and right away seeing Nausicaa's relationship with it caused me to fall in love with this anime. Then she took out her glider and it awoke a burning passion inside me. The thing I love about Ghibli/Miyazaki films is that they always tell a unique story that conveys a greater meaning. In Nausicaa's case, the story was set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans' toxins have consumed the land and animals alike. The movie has grim and warning undertones (Miyazaki loves to do this) and built the rest of the story atop this foundation.
A millennium has passed since the catastrophic nuclear war referred to as the "Seven Days of Fire," which destroyed nearly all life on Earth. Humanity now lives in a constant struggle against the treacherous toxic jungle that has evolved in response to the destruction caused by mankind. The jungle is filled with poisonous spores and enormous insects that evolved to overcome these toxic conditions. The jungle spreads rapidly across the Earth and threatens to swallow the remnants of the human race. Tucked away from the jungle in a valley by the sea that is protected by wind exists a peaceful farming kingdom known as the "Valley of the Wind." The Valley's charismatic young princess, Nausicaä, finds her tranquil kingdom changed forever when an airship from the war-loving Tolmekia crashes violently in the Valley. After Nausicaä discovers a sinister pulsating object in the wreckage, the Valley is suddenly invaded by the Tolmekian military, who intend to revive a dangerous weapon from the Seven Days of Fire. Nausicaä must fight to stop the Tolmekians from plunging the Earth into a cataclysm so immense that humanity could never survive. She vows to protect the Valley from the Tolmekians and the encroaching forces of the toxic jungle they brought with them.
Story: Nausicaa is one of the greatest anime stories I have yet to witness. Miyazaki is a master of aircraft battle, and he utilizes this strength of his very strongly in Nausicaa. I love the utilization of this element in the anime. In a world where "nature" is toxic and the creatures dwelling in it are enemies, Nausicaa takes a different approach. She has been studying the jungle, discovering its secrets and the true nature of its creatures, as they begin to see her as their protector. There is a legend told in Nausicaa's time of a man clad in blue who will restore the peace between humans and the forest. This was beautifully represented in the movie as it becomes clear Nausicaa is protecting more than just her people in the Valley.
Characters: Nausicaa leads the anime, as expected, with a new ally, Asbel and an old friend, Lord Yupa. But as the main protagonist, Naussicaa does an excellent job as the lead. She's charismatic, slightly mysterious, strong to her loyalties, and masterfully flies her glider. She has the strong will and determination Miyazaki likes giving his leads, and a compassionate heart towards what the rest of the wold views as evil. Miyazaki also masters his usual male and female protagonist duo with no romantic development troupe. This is a common Miyazaki troupe that he uses in almost all his films, Nausicaa being no exception. The additional characters in Nausicaa are also quite mysterious, especially Lord Yupa.
Soundstrack: The thing about the soundtracks in Miyazaki's movies... is that there is nothing else in the anime world anything like them. Everything seems to have its own sound, even the spores and toxic plants in the jungle. Miyazaki's films can always be counted on to have an amazing, world-encompassing, soundtrack. This is one of the factors that causes his films to stand out above other anime movies. Miyazaki takes care to add in so many details that really brings the movie to life. Art: Nausicaa is a 1980s anime. It's hard to believe. Sure the art style has an older feel to it, mostly 90s, but its beautiful - most likely because Miyazaki insists on hand drawn animation. This is one of the most unique factors about Ghibli, especially in modern day animation with this latest animes like The Wind Rises and When Marnie was There. Miyazaki's hand drawn animation is breathtaking and really becomes the soul of his movies.
Despit being underrated compared to most the other Ghibli films, likely because it was an older film, Nausicaa is one of the best of Miyazaki's works. It's an anime I recommend to all, especially fans of other Ghibli or Miyazaki works. This one seems to get pushed aside often, as it was before Miyazaki officially formed Studio Ghibli, but it is well worth watching. I also recommend this movie to fans of animes like Kino's Journey, Akira, Now and Then Here and There, Escaflowne, Children who Search for Lost Voices, or Patema Inverted.
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