Older Children (May contain mild bad language, bloodless violence)
Vintage:
March 11, 1984
Status:
Completed
Summary:
The story takes place one thousand years after the "Seven Days of Fire", an apocalyptic war which destroyed human civilization and most of the Earth's original ecosystem. Scattered human settlements survive, isolated from one another by the Toxic jungle, a forest of giant plants and fungi swarming with giant insects, and other arthropods which seem to come together only to wage war. Everything in the Toxic Jungle including the air is lethally toxic. Nausicaä is a charismatic young princess of the peaceful Valley of the Wind. Although a skillful fighter, Nausicaä is humane and peace-loving. She has an unusual gift for communicating with the giant insects (particularly with the Ohmu, gigantic, armored, caterpillar- or isopod-like insects who are the most intelligent creatures in the Toxic Jungle.) She is also noted for her empathy toward animals, humans, and other beings. An intelligent girl, and inspired by the Valley's Lord Yupa, a wandering warrior possessed of great wisdom, Nausicaä frequently explores the Toxic Jungle and conducts scientific experiments in an attempt to define the true nature and origins of the toxic world in which she lives.
Written by stevodevo on December 7, 2011 at 11:48 AM
Overall Rating
Excellent
Story: 5
Dialogue: 5
Animation: 4
Entertainment: 5
Story telling at it's finest! Miyazaki's works are masterpieces that no review can really do justice to... if you haven't seen Nausicaa then you are missing out big-time. Although the BGM is somewhat dated and the animation is obviously not the 3Dish clean cut style of today, you can't deny it's a true work of art. It's like saying the Mona Lisa is crap because it's so old!
The world that Miyazaki has crafted in Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa is vast and complex. What starts as a simple tale of a post-apocalyptic society struggling to survive and live in peace soon breaks down into a political power struggle pitting man against man and man against nature... as with many Miyazaki works, this one also has an emphasis on environmental themes, however it was not overbearing or aggressive in its message.
What is noticeable is how he is able to weave raw threads of emotion into a tapestry of feeling that ultimately climaxes in an ending that is remonstrative and heartwarming at the same time...
Nausicaa is an anime masterpiece and one not to be missed!
