Customer Reviews

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 4

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I was no fan of manga or animation (in fact I shared the prevailing prejudice here in North America that they are for kids or pre-literate people), but when I happened to see Princess Mononoke by Miyazaki, I immediately realized that I was dealing with a work of a visionary with an extraordinary story-telling skills. I got hold of Nausicaa manga mainly to understand what his visions were, and I was not disappointed. I would not hesitate to call it a brilliant and profound work of LITERATURE (don't let your preconceived notion about the medium mislead you). Epic in scope and astonishingly rich in its depiction of the world it creates (the earth polluted and turned mostly into a sterile wasteland after the collapse of the industrial civilization, the mutant fungi forest emitting toxic fumes, the great insects that inhabit this alien, exotic, and strangely beautiful world, the declining humanity struggling to survive on the fringes of the forest, the warring kingdoms that perpetuate human foolishness, and the small and peaceful people of the valley of wind and their leader, Nausicaa), Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind unfolds a remarkable story of the heroine's quest to discover the hidden secret of her dying world, with a complex plot that will draw you in, at times exhilirating, at other times deeply moving, and in some occasions even shocking and disturbing. It has a rich cast of well-developed characters who come alive as real flesh-and-blood human beings, who are never one-dimensional (no simple distinction between friends and foes, the pure-hearted and villains), and whose at times excruciatingly difficult and morally uncertain decision-making present us with a portrayal of life as real as any life actually lived. It raises profound questions about the usual and often uncritical distinctions we tend to draw between human civilization and nature, good and evil, purity/innocence and corrpution, and will leave us deeply sympathizing with the fate and struggle of Nausicaa and her people, and asking the same questions that they ask themselves regarding the inviolabe value and sanctity of life in all its forms. If you believe Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is a classic, read Nausicaa -- you will understand what I mean.

Written by Hayao Miyazaki, the mastermind behind animated classics like "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Princess Mononoke", this great work of the graphic art is NO MERE COMIC BOOK.

Like most great graphic novels in the tradition of Neil Gaiman and Frank Miller, Nausicaa is often violent, complexly written, and in the end utterly provocative and meaningful.

For those who can see past the comic-book exterior and peer into the soul of Nausicaa, a well-deserved adjective comes to mind - magnificent.

Offer this to an acquaintance as a leisure-time read. If the art style manages to get them to bite the hook, the bulk of the story will surely reel them in.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

I mean this quite literally. When my good friend introduced me to Nausicaa, I dropped everything else and drank in volumes one and two (all he had) the first day. He is now a dearer friend still than he was before. I didn't think it was possible, but volumes three and four are even better and more profound than the first two. I knew the first day that I had found a new literary classic, on par with the greatest works (Tolkien, Dostoyevsky, Lewis) the human psyche has brought forth into the world, and ordered my own version (the 4-volume boxed set) the evening of my initiation. Miyazaki's characters wrestle with life and its problems as surely as Ivan and Alyosha Karamazov or Raskolnikov, and their resolution is probably the most moving ending I have encountered during my 22 years on earth. The world is as believable (and hauntingly beautiful) as Middle-earth. The religious/spiritual underpinning, as a previous reviewer noted, is what sets these works above all others. In sum, Nausicaa should be read by everybody, and God willing the world would be a better place.

After the first three volumes of Nausicaa's journey, it's hard to imagine any room for improvement... and yet the fourth volume goes further and deeper, revealing secrets that will cause Nausicaa to question her beliefs and motives. My only regret is that the story ends, and I want to see more of this remarkable world and these fascinating characters.

As an Avid Fantasy and Science Fiction reader, Nausicaa caught my eye at first sight. The Manga, although a Comics, has the quality and depth of a fantasy novel. Miyazaki had a phenomenal success in achieving what many good and renowned Fantasy authors failed at -- creating and portraying a believable, ORIGINAL Fantasy world, and weaving a plot that is not corny and keeps drawing the awed reader who can't have enough of it.

Mizazaky also did an excellent work at creating the character of Nausicaa herself, which is very dominant, intriguing, and special.. one of those female character which makes you fall in love with them not because of their looks but because of their attitude. If compared to the female characters from Princess Mononoke (Which has many of Nausicaa's 'things' but is not quite as good as this Manga), Nausicaa is far, far more interesting and depthful than San and Eboshi. The Art itself is in par with the rest of Miyazaki's work, and serves the purpose of portraying the world around Nausicaa. The openning sequence, where Nausicaa glides into the forest and picks up Fungus spores, is a perfect demonstration of this. I think no author could describe the Forest and the insects infesting it as well as Miyazaki's illustrations. The images are a little blurry at times, but once again - they serve a purpose, they're not the purpose itself.

TO SUM THINGS UP, even if you're a Fantasy-lover and not a Comics fan, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is your best choice. It is probably one of the BEST in its genres, and it recieves my highest praises -- and deserves them.

I've read Ghost in the shell, Dominion 1/2 Ranma, Tintin and many others, but this is the only graphical novel I've ever read that has actually FORCED me to get INVOLVED in the storyline. I don't think I'm the only one who dislike and feel sorry for Kushana at the same time.... Besides, the plot twists make this novel one of the best you will have the opportunity to read - ever. I hope they'll release the author's movies too.

Truly the best story I've ever read. If you've already read the books up to this point you know what I mean. If you haven't, then pick up Volume 1, you won't be sorry. See also these movies: Warriors of the Wind. (Nausicaa movie) Kiki's Delivery Service. Princess Mononoke. Disney bought the rights to all 3 movies, only Kiki can be bought at this time, but the others might be rentable.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a manga written and illustrated by legendary anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. It originally ran from 1982 to 1994; the total work is over 1100 pages (the edition currently in print is seven volumes). The initial chapters were the basis for the eponymous 1984 film. Here, a postapocalyptic Earth is polluted and overgrown with toxic forests and giant insects. As neighboring states go to war, Nausicaä, princess of the Valley of the Wind, works to restore peace and to purify the earth.

It's hard to talk about the manga without mentioning the film, which is one of my all-time favorites. More people are familiar with the film than with the comic, and Miyazaki is far better known as a filmmaker than as a comic artist. Obviously, Miyazaki is more limited in a sensory way here, without the film's color or outstanding musical score. But he is much freer to explore his world: the film features a considerably streamlined story (one nation has been omitted) and a moral conflict that is fairly black and white. The manga is substantially more complex.

Miyazaki has created a rich, deep world, which is worth the investment the reader must make. Particularly early on, there's a lot of exposition in dialogue, like we're accustomed to seeing in American Silver Age comics. And it takes some time for the reader to determine who is on which side and what, exactly, is going on.

Nausicaä is always engaging but rarely gripping. Toward the end of the saga, Miyazaki does manage to generate some genuine suspense, but mostly the story meanders along as Nausicaä herself more or less blows where the winds of war take her. The ending is rife with potential, but it goes out with something of an abrupt whimper.

As an archetype of love and self-sacrifice, Nausicaä herself is an exceptionally admirable protagonist. Through nonviolence, she is a uniter, a peacemaker. The only stumble here comes at the end of the work, when Miyazaki puts her into what he obviously feels is a shades-of-gray, no-win moral situation. But it's actually somewhat underwhelming, as Miyazaki barely even hints at the ramifications.

Miyazaki's ever-present attention to detail is here in the artwork, which is generally impressive, although such a degree of detail often makes for some messy and hard-to-interpret panels, particularly during battles (and there are a lot of battles). And Miyazaki doesn't shy away from depicting the carnage more graphically than he ever did in any of his films.

There are a wide array of supernatural powers at work here that for the most part were not present in the film. A number of them are kind of silly, and some don't always make a lot of sense (hello, sentient mold monster). Telepaths are a dime a dozen.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is always good but rarely great. It will particularly appeal to fans of the film who want more of Nausicaä's adventures and a deeper look into Miyazaki's postapocalyptic world.

Truly the best story I've ever read. If you've already read the books up to this point you know what I mean. If you haven't, then pick up Volume 1, you won't be sorry. See also these movies: Warriors of the Wind. (Nausicaa movie) Kiki's Delivery Service. Princess Mononoke. Disney bought the rights to all 3 movies, only Kiki can be bought at this time, but the others might be rentable.

With the fourth volume Nausicaa's story takes a tragic turn, not just for her but for all of humanity.

This book moved me to tears.