Ranked #5

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Manga)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is not a very popular manga, and it is a shame at that. For those of you who enjoyed the movie (the film only barley skims the surface of the first and second volume), I highly suggest taking the time to finding the series and reading it, 7 volumes in all.

Nausicaä was written and illustrated by who may be one of the best filmakers of all time, Hayao Miyazaki. That alone should be an incentive enough, but the series itself is monumental.

Taking place thousands of years in the future after all industrial life has come to an end, humanity is desperately trying to cling to life in a dying world where poisonous spores fall from trees daily and most are forced to wear masks. Different countries are always at war with each other, trying to scavenge the last of all resources. People turn to worship of bizarre and diverse gods all over the planet, not knowing where else to turn. A princess of one small village, the Valley of the Wind, fight's for her people's survival among invaders and gigantic, monstrous insects. Over the course of the story, the main character, Nausicaä, grows from an innocent, nature loving girl, one who has been hardened by death and loss, yet still manages to keep her peaceful persona and optimistic view. The story itself, besides the characters, is an adventure. The characters never stop to take a breath, always striving to keep humanity safe (sometimes from itself) and all the creatures of the world. All of this, paired with breath-taking artwork which defies the average manga style, makes Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind one of the most fantastic and epic mangas ever created. read more