Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Hayao Miyazaki (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Hayao Miyazaki is probably best known in the West for his films; My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service are celebrated for their lavish animation and sophisticated treatment of their young heroes. But among his many fans in Japan, his epic manga tale, Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, which Miyazaki later made into a animated movie, is often cited as his greatest work. Indeed, the Comics Journal once described the first volume as "the best graphic novel ever." Many critics favorably compare the story to such fantasy classics as C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

In Nausicaä, as in most of his work, Miyazaki centers his narrative on a strong young woman who struggles to create peace in a world torn by war. Readers of Homer's The Odyssey will recall that Nausicaä is the name of the Phoenician princess who healed Odysseus when he washed up on her shores. Miyazaki took that character as the inspiration for his Princess Nausicaä, but their worlds could not be further apart. Underscoring the book's deep ecological messages, Miyazaki's Nausicaä is a passionate defender of the natural world, and her ability to commune with the creatures of the forest appears almost magical. As a princess, she is testing the waters of leadership as her father languishes on his deathbed. As a citizen of the Valley of Wind, she has mastered reading the shifting wind currents and air pockets as she navigates the skies in her glider.

Readers learn at the beginning of her tale that the Earth has become a hostile place. Environmental crises have made the forest--known as the Sea of Corruption--into a kingdom of spores and giant insects called Ohmu. The remaining humans huddle in the valleys and sheltered cities while holding on to the remnants of technologies long-since rendered mysterious. Now, the Imperial family has begun a massive campaign to extend its hold on the remaining pockets of civilization. However, intrigue between the reigning Princess Kushana and her brothers suddenly place Nausicaä and her people at the center of a civil conflict that could extinguish the last people on earth. With the grandeur of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the grace of Miyazaki's Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind is a classic of fantasy literature and one of the finest works ever in the comics medium. --Patrick O'Kelley

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (October 6, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569310963
• ISBN-13: 978-1569310960
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hayao Miyazaki is the prominent director of many popular animated feature films. He is also the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, the award-winning Japanese animation studio and production company behind worldwide hits such as PRINCESS MONONOKE, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and SPIRITED AWAY.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The All-Time BEST manga, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Where do I start? I'll try this... Nausicaa of The Valley of Wind is absolutely the best manga ever created! It is the epitome of what manga, literature even, should be. For those who recognize it as the same story seen in "Warriors of The Wind", the horribly mutilated translation of the anime version of Nausicaa, all I can say is that "WOTW" is a travesty to the story displayed in this graphic novel. For those who have seen some of the works by Mr. Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Mononoke Hime), Know now that Nausicaa is his greatest achievement. This story deserves to be recognized by the public as one of the greatest works of storytelling ever created. I will not spoil the story for you, but believe me, it will not dissappoint. Enemies become friends, friends become enemies, plot twists abound and some of the most likable (and lovably despicable) characters in the literary world. I haven't even gone into the artwork. Miyazaki is an accomplished artist, with extraordinary skill and talent. It shows in this masterpiece. Wonderful character designs and the use of art and look to help tell the story can be spotted. When reading, realize that one can recognize a character in disguise by examining the way the character stands, holds him/herself, and talks. I have never seen that before in a manga. Imagine the characters not as drawings, but actors upon a magnificent and beautifully crafted stage. In ending, this manga deserves not just 5 stars, but all the stars in the heavens above.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is not a review, it's a standing ovation!, July 15, 2000

By 

James M. Apple "memoryhole" (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

When I was very young I saw the movie The Warriors of the Wind(which is based on Nausicaa)on cable. I was mesmerized, I had never seen anything like it. When they repeated it a few hours later I had my mother tape it(I was too young to understand the controls). I've had that tape for almost two decades, it's clearly marked with bold lettering "DO NOT TAPE OVER!" and I've watched it more times than I can count, I've literally almost worn it out. It has never lost a bit of its magic over me, in fact I enjoy it more now that I can understand all it's themes.

Then about a year ago I was walking through a book store and spotted the first volume of the perfect collection out of the corner of my eye. The art work on the cover was unmistakeable, I picked it up thinking it was a novelization of the movie. Imagine my suprise when I saw it was a comic book! But comic book or no, it was my all time favorite story so I bought it. Flash forward 4 hours, I finished the first volume in one sitting. Just 1/4 of the way through the books, I knew that the movie was like a pale shadow in comparison, the comic was much, much deeper, at the same time darker and more hopeful. I immediately ordered the rest of the series and was similarly blown away by volumes 2,3, and 4. The movie is a great story but the comic is an epic, legitimately compared to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series and all the great works of literature. Don't let it's medium, comics, turn you away. Yes most comics are trash but then again so are most novels, the medium is independent from the content. In fact you might want to read Scott McCloud's book Understanding Comics (also available at Amazon) just to prepare yourself for Nausicaa.

I've read through all the previous glowing reviews (and there are a lot of them) and I won't rehash all that praise here. Just wanted to say that something about this series strikes a chord with people, it touches them, and when they finish it they mourn that its over. It's a story you don't want to end, in fact you might find yourself slowing down as you read, savoring the intricate art work, trying to delay the inevitable last page. But don't fret, if you buy the series you can have it on you bookshelf forever and you can go back to the elysian-like Valley of the Wind, hop onto the mehve and fly like a bird, man the controls of a gunship straight out of Mad Max, sleep in the palm of the hand of a monster that can destroy the world(and once almost did)but who's as innocent as a child, venture into the dark heart of the Crypt of Shuwa and come face to face with the embodiment of evil, charge into a huge battle with a mix of futuristic and medieval weaponry, or brave the strange, dangerous and heart breakingly beautiful Sea of Corruption anytime you want.

Highest Possible Recommendation!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly unique masterpiece of graphic novel literature!, December 29, 2001

By 

"arxane" (Oklahoma City, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

These days, there are only a few graphic novels out there that can really be called graphic novels. This small, elite group include "Maus", "Ghost in the Shell", and "Akira". And one of the greatest and most unique of these graphic masterpieces is Hayao Miyazaki's "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind".

When reading this four book series, anyone familiar with the movie "Warriors of the Wind", a horribly-butchered version of the Japanese version, will immediately recognize how superior the graphic novel is to the movie; anyone who hasn't even heard of Miyazaki, let alone the movie, will discover why Miyazaki is considered a legend in Japan and a god to US animators. While the Japanese movie is excellent, the true essence of the movie is found within the graphic novels.

The plot is built around Nausicaa, the princess of the Valley of Wind, but the story encompasses many other figures that are equally important. The sheer scope of the story reads like an epic, and it isn't filled with the usual good-and-evil, black-and-white ideals found in children films. No one is good, no one is evil. Every person in the story is a human being: realistic, fleshed-out, and flawed. To try and explain the plot of "Nausicaa" would degrade how beautiful it really is. A reader can only truly appreciate its by actually reading it.

Accompanying the excellent plot is Miyazaki's truly unique artistic style. Most Japanese manga artists use tones (pre-rendered shades and styles) to "color" their work, but "Nausicaa" is different. Instead of tones, he uses pencil strokes that give different shades depending upon the strokes' size and distance from each other. This creates a magnificent sight not found anywhere else in graphic novel literature. Of course, since VIZ released all four novels in "perfect collection" volumes, the artwork can sometimes appear a little blurred and blended. Luckily, the overall artwork isn't ruined and does justice to Miyazaki's masterpiece.

But a great story and beautiful artwork can be ruined by a terrible translation. Thankfully, the translators of "Nausicaa" didn't allow such a thing to happen. They obviously put their hearts and souls into this story, and it only increases the reader's enjoyment. There is a reason why it was on a list of the best manga translated into English!

All in all, "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" is a superb graphic novel of epic proportions. While some might think of "Nausicaa" as a comic book meant only for children, "Nausicaa" is far more than that. It is a beautiful work that is considered by many as Miyazaki's greatest accomplishment. Several scenes of violence and death might make this suitable only for older readers. But other than that, anyone who loves a good story will enjoy "Nausicaa".