Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä

Nausica of the valley of the wind is based on manga by the same name written and illustrated by hayao myazaki ,the success of this movie paved the way for the foundation of studio ghibli. the story takes place in a post apocalyptic world after one thousand years of the destruction of the the industrial civilization the opening credit summarizes all the back story and ... even give us a glimpse of what is going to happen in the movie, now a toxic jungle is spreading and threaten to bring the human race into extinction by its lethal spores and to make things worse this jungle is inhabited by giant insects that act Like guardians to the jungle and attack whoever try to harm the jungle or its insects ,the story revolve around a small country called the valley of the wind and it's princess nausica and her struggle to insure the safety of her people in the middle of a war between two other nations and to keep harmony between human and nature . the setting is strange and bizarre from knights claded in armour yet they use guns ,airships and tanks in battle to lakes of acid and vast wastelands ,to the creepy insects ,but it works well because it is detailed enough to make us invested in this world and its people ,we see how the people of the valley live ,how they use the wind of their valley by building windmills and use the shells of the dead insects to make tools and equipment . the character are diverse and likeable ,they give the story the needed amount of conflict that make it interesting and keep the viewer attention , most of them are morally grey ,each have their Own reasons to do what they do,heck even nausica which most of the time is depicted as a saint or a Christ figure is flawed you will know that when In a moment of rage she take a sword and kill multiple soldiers thus making her a flawed heroin and not one dimensional boring main character,other interesting characters are kushana the leader of the tolmekian army ,lord yoba who is a top tier badass warrior and a father (or uncle ) figure to nausica,also there is the old woman who would deliver some of the most memorable lines in the movie,all the character will have their moments to shine even the most secondary of them ,technically there is no main villain just different groups of people fighting each other for the greater good of their nations and each doing what he considered the right thing. as for the art and animation it is typical ghibli art style if you are familiar with other myazaki works you will notice many characters resemble characters found in other myazaki works like future boy Conan and Laputa,what I like about the character design is how it manages to depict beautiful women without over-sexualizing them when you look at nausica and kushana you can immediately tell both are pretty but with no boobs that defy gravity ,myazaki make sure to keep his female characters innocent and pure , and never let them turn into sex toys. the animation is from 80's which some would consider it old but compared to other anime of its time it's pretty good the only movie that beats it in terms of animation and from the same era is akira, my only problem was that during the beginning of the movie the colour of nausica legs made her look like she was running around with bare butt but later on the movie they changed the colour to blue and fix it. the musical score is composed by Joe hisiashi and as expected it's among his best and the opening theme is memorable and amazing I've even downloaded it and listen to it frequently,i almost forgot i watched it in the ENG DUB because it is fantastic the voice acting is suberb just hear lord yoba voice and the old woman voice and you will know what i mean it is one of the best english dub i've ever watched .
Nausica of the valley of the wind is an environmental epic with strong female lead ,awesome flying machines, terrifying creatures and a grim fate facing humanity, it's one of the best myazaki movies and one of my favourite anime of all time.

So this is it, the anime that "created" Studio Ghibli.

Story:
Today, we all know the usual concept of an environmental fantasy story. An all-loving hero (or heroine) tries to stop stupid militaristic people from destroying nature and therefore endangering the human race as well. In the 1980s this was a message that needed to be put out there, even if it meant to be a little more direct with it. Nausicaä does a pretty good job in putting its message into an entertaining story that does not feel too heavy and doesn't get boring either. The ending is a little farfetched, but its in typical fairytale ... fashion, so it is pretty much what you expect and there is no need to be disappointed by it. However, after so many years of environmental education, Nausicaä can feel a tad forced at times.
8/10

Art:
Lovely, colorful and detailed. Ghibli is a name that stands for animation quality and rightfully so. For a movie that is over 30 years old now, it still looks fresh and enjoyable. The character design is not very diverse, but they all look good, especially Nausicaä herself. The backgrounds are amazing as always and the animation fluent. It only really falls a little flat when compared to later Miyazaki works, but that is kind of an unfair thing to do. Comparing its age to its quality, there is hardly something they could've done better.
10/10

Sound:
The soundtrack has a lot of different sounding pieces, so it's kind of a hit or miss thing. For me personally, most of the tracks sounded pretty cool, though they didn't always fit the scene. The key scenes however all got beautiful, fitting songs attached to them. The voice actors all do a pretty good job, I especially enjoyed Iemasa Kayumi as Kurotawa with his snarky attitude.
9/10

Characters:
The whole movie revolves around Nausicaä, so it was essential to make her as likeable as possible. And she is. I mean, her character archetype has been done to death by now (and even before Nausicaä), but if a characters actions and reasons are coherent and make sense, that is not a real problem. I for once wanted her to succeed and felt bad for her whenever things went wrong, that's the best thing you can achieve. The rest of the cast did its job, but let's be honest, this movie is a one man...er, girl show. Which is a shame, because some of them seemed interesting, but they hardly have the time to shine.
9/10

Enjoyment:
This is a beautiful movie that stood the test of time, like so many Ghibli movies do. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I can acknowledge their quality. While I found Nausicaä to be one of the most likeable main characters I've encountered, the focus on the message was a bit much for me at times. It's a good and important one, but I prefer things to be a little more subtle. Nonetheless, I was entertained well and would watch Nausicaä again.
8/10

Overall:
8.8/10

It’s been awhile since I’ve watched anything that captivated me as much as Nausicaä. This movie completely absorbed me into its unique ascetic and the breathtakingly beautiful way it was drawn and animated. I got serious Angel’s Egg and Akira vibes from this, in the sense that the visuals are strong enough to pull you into and solely carry the experience, into a place where you lose all track of time and simply sit there in awe at what you are seeing.

Firstly, the art direction is something I’ve never seen before in a non-Ghibli movie (with the primary example for me being Castles in the ... Sky) and even then none come anywhere close to the extent that Nausicaä implements it. The mix of past and future is so fitting for this post-apocalyptic world, with armies consisting of armoured, sword-bearing knights alongside tanks and rifles. A simple village nestled in a valley relying on windmills for energy contrasts brilliantly with the modern, and in some cases futuristic, looking planes and the subsequent invasion of the army mentioned before. The mere fact that jet-powered gliders and guns exist in a medieval-styled world makes this film incredibly interesting to me on a visual level, and I would love to find other anime that use a style similar to this.

As with most Ghibli movies, delivering an impressive visual experience is the primary goal and Nausicaä is no different. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the most visually stunning movies I’ve ever seen. The art is incredibly clean and the animation is smooth and fluid. What appealed to me the most were the flying scenes on Nausicaä’s glider, which were always immersive and created a sense of freedom and adventure. Due to all of this, I watched the film dubbed and I must say it was, in my mind, a near-perfect dub. However take that with a grain of salt since I haven’t seen the sub. Whether the voices stayed faithful to the characters aside, there were very few lines that sounded off or unnatural (an example of one being Nausicaä’s “I’ll kill you” line). Her voice in particular I felt fit the character perfectly, being able to switch from fun and bubbly to angry and emotional with ease.

The characters in the movie were good overall, especially Nausicaä and her struggle to come to terms with killing another person and her resulting pacifism when trying to deal with any threat, be it human or insects. While I enjoyed the personalities of the other characters like Lord Yupa, the only two that had any particular depth to them were Nausicaä herself and Kushana. While Nausicaä’s arc and development were handled well, Kushana and her story definitely lacked development. The film aimed to present no single person or group as the ‘bad guy/s’, and I’d say it succeeded in this to a degree. While the Tolmekian’s had legitimate motivations for what they were doing, their leader Kushana definitely needed more backstory and emotion to convince me that she was truly dedicated to what she believed was a righteous goal. We get a glimpse into what the insects have done to her through her missing arm, although there is no urgency, passion, or drive she shows for her goal of eradicating the jungle. She was willing to sacrifice people of the Valley of the Wind for the purpose of saving humanity from the insects, but this was never convincing. While understandable, she came off as overly calm and cold, which didn’t give the Tolmekians the image of anything other than the ‘bad guys’.

The amount of imagination put into this film is staggering. The flat and barren landscape of the world creates a haunting and disturbing atmosphere that I’ve never encountered before, and the toxic jungle is filled with colour and detail. The image of thousands of stampeding ohms in particular was on such a massive scale that it really made me fear for everyone in the Valley. From the planes to the insects, everything has its own unique design which all contribute to the interesting world building of this desolate setting we are presented with. While Nausicaä and Kushana both have great character designs, the rest of the cast look very basic and uninspired. The women all wear the same headdress and clothing regardless of which kingdom they come from, and every man in the Valley of the Wind can only be distinguished by a single feature (Yupa has a hat, Mito has an eye patch, King Jihl has a scar).

The soundtrack is, once again, incredibly unique. Despite being set in a medieval-style world, the music incorporates a heavy amount of synth into a lot of the tracks. Personally I found this very jarring at first, with one of the first tracks in the film being a high tempo mix of synth and orchestral sounds. However as the film progressed I got used this, with the mix of classic and futuristic sounds complementing the similar mix between old and new that makes up the world of Nausicaä. Overall the soundtrack has a very appropriate grand feel, with the latter half reverting to a more traditional Ghibli sound, while still feeling unique to the film.
Nausicaä has been described as one of Ghibli’s darker films and, while that might be true, it honestly didn’t feel dark enough. In terms of violence, the film was very tame, which was very detrimental in some areas. When Nausicaä went into a rage and attacked the Tolmekian soldiers, I had no idea that she had actually killed any of them until it was outright told to the audience. This is such an important moment in Nausicaä’s arc and it had no impact whatsoever. What was supposed to be a rage-fueled murderous rampage instead looked like an angry girl repeatedly smacking some guys with a stick. Other than that, the revival of Nausicaä at the end of the film felt very forced, as we had never seen the ohms perform anything like this until now. Now I have no idea if the film would turn out too dark in Nausicaä died at the end, but it would definitely feel more natural. To me at least.

Aside from the visuals, one of the film’s strongest aspects is its themes. While most Ghibli films contain ideas of animism and humanity’s connection to nature, Nausicaä contains some of the stronger realisations of these in the catalogue. Nausicaä herself specifically embodies these concepts as a lover of all life and strives for humans to live in harmony with nature. Additonally, the themes of pollution and technology versus nature are communicated through the toxic jungle and the Giant Warrior respectively. One complaint I can give is that the inner workings of the toxic jungle felt very rushed in its presentation, with only about 10 minute in total given throughout to explain the origin of the jungle and the reason for the toxic pollution. This doesn’t help with the communication of themes as I didn’t really understand how the jungle worked and thus the meaning behind the theme of pollution was dampened. Lastly, another thing that felt rushed and unnecessary was the prophecy spoken by Ohbaba. Basically it was only ever mentioned at the beginning when we were told about it and at the end when it comes true, with no buildup and appearing as only an afterthought. Similar to Akira, the problem of elements, characters, and plot feeling rushed could be contributed to the condensation of a long manga story into a single film. However that’s all speculation as I haven’t read Miyazaki’s original Nausicaä manga.

Nausicaä is one of the great anime films, combining stunning animation with likable characters and an interesting, immersive, and oftentimes haunting world. The concepts presented within this post-apocalyptic world are thoughtful and ever relevant. I haven’t seen every Ghibli film yet, but this is definitely a new favourite and will be hard to dethrone. Despite not being perfect, containing various elements that feel rushed and underdeveloped, Nausicaä comes closer than a lot of other anime films I’ve seen. I’ll be re-watching this one for a long time to come.

(kurotawa is the best character)

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: As far as I’ve seen, this is the most well-structured story by Hayao Miyazaki

The storytelling in this film is the smoothest I’ve seen in Hayao Miyazaki’s works. The plot is actually developing in every sequence and is driving to a specific direction. It’s not like Hayao Miyazaki’s other works whose juices are the seemingly random everyday things that happen in the protagonist’s life. Nausicaa has a goal, and that is too stop the wars. The story is not just about her going around learning facts about life and herself, which seems to be a recurring technique in Hayao ... Miyazaki’s works.

It’s also very fast-paced, considering that ‘old’ films tend to be slow because the people back then have longer attention spans. You could just imagine how Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind could have been a rollercoaster ride for the people back then. Another thing that I like about the story is its complexity. It is not straightforward. There are subtle plot elements that create mystery. The best example of this is the giant warriors that have been said to cause the Seven Days of Fire. The inclusions of such plot elements make the viewers ask questions, attaching them to the story more.

The best thing about the story is its subtexts of environmentalism. The fact that it has been released before Princess Mononoke makes me assume that Princess Mononoke is actually based on it. But they are not entirely the same. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind has this post-apocalyptic yet medieval impression, while Princess Mononoke feels more of a sweeping epic. I could also see subtle similarities in characterization. Princess Kushana is strangely similar to Lady Eboshi -- good intentions, evil results. Asbel is also similar to San -- found and befriended in the woods.

Speaking of characters, Nausicaa is probably the most well-made character in all of Hayao Miyazaki’s works. She is very mature, and her actions are very admirable. Her value for humanity and nature is also very noble. What make her more believable are her flaws. She breaks down when her father dies. She loses hope and has self-doubts as well. She has the perfect balance of admirable traits and flawed traits -- just like a real human should be.

This is nothing technical, but just a personal matter. I really don’t like the music of this anime. It sounds like techno or dubstep to me. It doesn’t suit the story at all. It would have been better if it has featured Celtic or orchestral music. There are some orchestral tracks, and they’re good. But that just makes everything more confusing. The composer isn’t very consistent in his themes.

If there’s anything consistent in this film, that would be the incredible portrayal of its setting. The Toxic Jungles, the Valley of the Wind, and even the mere skies in the flying sequences, are brimming with imagination -- especially the jungles, with its mutated insects and natural sceneries.

Overall, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is an excellent Studio Ghibli film. (Yes, I still consider it a Studio Ghibli film even though it has been released prior to the creation of the studio.) The story is riveting, and that has been the result of good story outlining, planning, and structuring. What makes it more compelling is its underlying message. Again, this is just a personal note, but I think the concept of environmentalism has been portrayed better in this film than in Princess Mononoke. I’m not saying that Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is better. In fact, I find it hard to decide which is better. Both are fascinating in their own ways.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a heartfelt movie, with beautiful, lovingly-crafted animation. It suffers from a few minor flaws, but the positive aspects make those flaws almost completely irrelevant.

First, let's talk about the story. The movie not only has some great action-packed moments, and an intricate story, but it's story also has a meaningful theme. It does a great job of setting up the world, and even though it doesn't explore it too much, you get a great a sense of place. Also, even though the setting is fantastical, it still feels grounded in reality, as though this place could exist somewhere. ... This makes it much more effective and moving when they show scenes that depict the horrors of war... making the story as much about morality as it is about entertainment.

The movie also works as a metaphor working against pollution, yet it gets this across in a subtle way and doesn't feel forced. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about some of the dialogue. At some points, a character will say something that's a bit on-the-nose, making it seem like the writers went out of their way to explain things to the viewer. This gets a bit annoying, but this is only a minor blemish on an otherwise lovingly crafted tale.

As for the characters, for the most part, they're pretty well done. The titular character, Nausicaa, feels memorable enough, going one step above being a generic archetype, and she has a certain amount of depth to her... however, most the supporting cast is a bit more generic, and they don't feel quite as memorable. Still, all of the characters feel realistic, and their reactions to situations all feel natural and appropriate.

The art, as I've said above, is absolutely beautiful. Even though the few rough edges it has makes it's obvious this was made 20 years ago, the art still holds up. Every frame has a ton of love poured into it. Things move smoothly, fluidly, and the presentation of it all makes everything shine. Colors are used incredibly well, and the backgrounds are absolutely breathtaking.

The audio is also generally well done, although parts of it feel dated. I watched the Japanese version, and the voice acting was all very nicely executed. I thought the soundtrack was also great, and helped set the tone for each scene wonderfully. The soundtrack was also pretty catchy, yet it also managed to not get in the way. However, I did think some of the soundtrack felt like it had some futuristic/technological thematic undertones, which seemed a bit out of place in the scenes where the music was used. Also, most of the sound effects were fine, but some of them felt very flat, and, understandably, sounded like they came from foley techniques of the 80's.

Overall, the movie was pretty incredible. There's a few rough edges, and a few things I could complain about, but any complaints I had with it essentially ended up being very minor, especially with everything else the movie has to offer. It's a beautiful looking film, with a beautiful story, and one that's easy to recommend to just about anybody.

Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind, was completely unique and greatly ahead of it's time. The theme of man vs. nature and evironmental damage relates, more than ever, to our mordern day society. Lots of films have highlighted this topic but none in the innovative way Nausicaa has.

The background art was done very nicely and it had great attention to detail, though I must say the way the people were drawn lacked and appeared like blocks of colour. It doesn't compare to the standard of art we see nowadays, but being made in the 80's I feel the lack of quality should be overlooked and ... instead celebrated as a great achievement of it's time.

The same goes for sound, I can't deny that in parts it felt dated with the use of synths but regardless, I strongly believe that this film had a breathtaking soundtrack. The song created for the opening credits (and also later in the film) was beautiful, I can not stress how beautiful. It really sets the mood for the story but more importantly it captures the feel of Studio Ghibli.

It may seem strange but in all honesty, this film reminds me of Avatar, with the theme of protecting nature and the sea of decay looking like Pandora. Avatar had beautiful CGI and I can't help but think that if Nausicaa had been made in 2013 it would look somewhat similar. If that were case, then there is no doubt in my mind Nausicaa would have been one of the best anime's ever created and perhaps even more popular than 'Spirited Away' and such others.

STORY: 9
ART: 7
SOUND: 9
CHARACTER: 8
ENJOYMENT: 8

OVERALL: 41/50 : 82% : (Great-9)

Watched Nausicaa, here are my uncensored thoughts.

Old school anime music and sound effects are awesome!

Why are the gas masks shaped like mustaches?

Thank you Debnath for letting me go into this movie blind, especially since it contains the magic words. Post-apocalyptic!

Whoah! US cartoon style eyes and faces! They even have noses.

... Love Naussicas cute, pleasant voice!

Oh god, the music that plays when Nausicca gets on her hanglider, beyond beautiful!

This movie reminds me of psycho-pass and...well, escape from new york, in the sense that so much of the experience has this beautiful, subtle atmosphere to it. it makes the experience so relaxing.

Dear god does this movie have me on the edge of my seat, and it just keeps surprising me like crazy!

Slow animation on the planes. Not complaining though, even when there's fire all over the screen, so relaxing!

Dear god is Naussica loved by her people. "Anything you say, just put your mask back on!"

Love the designs of the grenades. Don't know what it is, but they bring a smile to my face.

Gotta love compelling main characters in movies with so much bloodshed, yet they lack the desire to kill.

Dear god the music that plays at the end of the movie, it was perfect.

The only thing that I don't get was the final shot at THE END. Who was that supposed to be?

Overall, a great choice for a first movie.

I give it 8 Debnath recommendations out of 10!

How is it that I feel so much nostalgia for this movie even though I saw it for the first time 5 days ago?

Substance (8/10)
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic future with poisonous mushroom forests and gigantic insects that protect them. While this sounds very bizarre at first, the world-building is actually top notch as in most Studio Ghibli films. Our main character is the very lively princess Nausicaä. Her hometown has learned to live and go along with the dangers of the poisonous mushrooms, however foreign countries try to destroy the mushroom forests and insects altogether. This leads to our main conflict ... in which Nausicaä tries to protect the mushrooms and insects for humanity's own sake.
The Characters are generally well written and Nausicaä herself is just an amazing, powerful and inspiring character. But some of the side characters could have been a bit more fleshed out.
The story in general is good, it is always nice to have a break from the classic good and evil theme. The ending is also fitting.

Atmosphere (9/10)
This movie is from 1984, but is still so beautiful. If you are not sure wether you want to watch this movie, please just watch the first few minutes. The beginning with the stunning music and the mosaic telling of the backstory is one of the best introductions to a movie I have ever seen. This scene lets you know that it will be an exciting and epic adventure. In the following scene we are introduced to our main character as she is exploring the mushroom forest. This scene is so calm and beautiful. We get to see all the creativity and love that has gone into designing this alien-like world.
While the animation has aged quite a bit, it still looks great. The soundtrack however is amazing and ageless. Seriously, go listen to the soundtrack!
The pacing is in general on point, I was hooked all the way till the end.

Personal Enjoyment (9/10)
I liked it a lot and it's already one of my all time favorites.

Overall (9/10)
While this movie is not perfect -story and characters were good, but not realy exceptional- it is still one of the best movies out there. It is also of major historical importance as it was this movie that lead to the founding of studio ghibli. Why this is somehow not considered to be one of the absolute classics is an absolute mystery to me...
Anyway, you should definitely watch Nasicaä of the Valley of the Wind!

The first time I watched this I perceived it as an enjoyable ride, but profoundly inferior to the otherwise excellent Ghibli features. After viewing it again I've changed my opinion rather fundamentally and in this review I'll try to explain why, while trying to maintain a quick and basic approach.

Story: 8/10

Storywise, Nausicaa combines the environmentalism that was so prominent in Princess Mononoke with a theme of pacifism as we're introduced to a setting 1000 years after civilization was destroyed by Giant Warriors. As toxic gases fill the air and insects have mutated into huge beasts, humanity has succumbed into smaller countries in the few habitable ... areas. One of these countries is the peaceful valley of the wind, home of Princess Nausicaa.

The story is very elaborate with several countries wanting to use the last remaining Giant Warrior for their own purposes. At the core of the warfare that follows the conflict is Nausicaa; a young pacifist who desperately tries to save the rivaling countries from annihilating each other. The narration is a varied mix of lighthearted humor, emotional extravagance and all the other aspects that are required to structure a Ghibli movie.

Animation: 8/10

If you're familiar with Ghibli you probably know that you can expect visual splendor even from their older titles. Nausicaa has managed to remain artistically pleasing and presents fluid movement, classical character designs along with frame after frame of memorable creatures and sceneries. The insects in particular are very well animated.

Sound: 8/10

Joe Hisaishi didn't quite top the scores he's made for other Ghibli features but the soundtrack in Nausicaa is still impressive. Emotional moments are enhanced almost perfectly with beautiful tunes that go along very well with the solid voice acting.

Characters: 7/10

Several different entities with different motives clash together in a battle of stupidity that's likely to ruin any hope of survival for humanity. An intellectual heroine tries to make them realize their mistakes by offering her life in the name of peace. The extremely loveable Nausicaa reaches the peak of her performance when she approaches a ship that constantly fires at her, while stretching her unarmed hands into the air in a plead for ceased fire. Along with other women like Kino (Kino's Journey) and Oscar (Rose of Versailles) she's the best lead Ghibli has ever dashed out, and her characteristics have been copied into nearly every single other protagonist in their movies ever since; for a good reason it seems. She may be slightly too idealistic and flawless to make for a realistic character, but as a fictional one she absolutely shines!

Overall: 8/10

I have no idea why I initially thought of this as inferior to other Ghibli movies. I may not hold it as dear as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, but its emotional impact is impossible to deny. Princess Mononoke handled the environmental theme a lot better and Nausicaa borders on preachy in its pessimistic portrayal of humanity and idolization of nature.

Still, when Nausicaa sheds tears for the misunderstood Omhs (insects that, when provoked by humans, go rampage) it's like she sheds tears for humanity itself. Do yourself a favor and watch this!

Coming out just before the creation of Studio Ghibli, Hayo Miyazaki wrote and directed this masterpiece. This film is considered to be the start of Studio Ghibli. Before this was to be made, Miyazaki initially refused, but later agreed, as long as he was the director.

The story follows Nausicaa , a princess of the people of the valley. Set in a post-apocalyptic world about a thousand years after a global war burned the Earth. The world is now taken over by nature in the form of forests with toxic gases and the massive insects that resides within. With only a few safe places left on ... Earth, the people in the valley live in peace for the time being.

It is a story of nature vs man, but at the same time nature with man. How nature can look and be so dangerous, yet so beautiful at the same time is just one wonder this film is successful in. Nausicaa as a lead character comes across as both powerful and gentile, much like how Conan in Future Boy Conan made the audience entranced in their world. Unlike Miyazaki’s post-apocalypic world in Future Boy Conan, Nausicaa’s world focuses solely on man and nature as opposed to Conan’s world of Man and machine.

The art is all there and more. At any point, the film could be paused and it would look like a painting that could go up on display. Subtle movements in the insect’s bodies to how Nausicaa sores through the air like a bird are mesmerizing. Even the music hits all the right notes, and not a surprise coming from Joe Hisaishi (other Ghibli films and Mospeada).

There is nothing bad to think of after watching Nausicaa. It is a powerful film and more words cannot describe how great an animated piece this is. Coming out in 1984, this is the best work of animation seen to date. Watch this anime at all costs. It is a guaranteed masterpiece.

As I'm new to anime, I was very interested in watching a Studio Ghibli film. I figured there would be no better place to start than what was essentially Ghibli's first film: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

I had no idea of what to expect going into this, and the first initial surprise was the gorgeous visual presentation. The hand-painted backgrounds are a sight to behold, making the world of Nausicaä one of the most beautiful wastelands I think I've ever laid eyes on in a piece of media. This particular world is also home to all manner of insects, which are both drawn ... and animated with such care that you really do feel jittery as they fly by.

While visuals are great, a film isn't often all that much without a compelling story, and does Nausicaä provide such a thing? I would say so. The story is large in scale but simple in its execution. It delivers a potent, albeit not all that subtle message, providing an interesting perspective on humanity's relationship with the world we inhabit. Nausicaä doesn't bring much different in terms of viewpoints, but it's how the message is delivered here that is so special.

While I certainly wish I could go on praising Nausicaä, it doesn't come without its flaws, the biggest of which, in my personal opinion, being the music. While it is of a high quality, and more often than not fits the tone of the scene, there weren't any pieces that I would say stood out. It served the purpose it was there for but beyond that never felt as though it enhanced any of the scenes, allowing the impressive visuals to handle most of the heavy lifting.

The sound in general was lacklustre. While I had no problem with the voice actors in the film, many of the scenes were rather devoid of sound, which was clearly the intention in places, I know, but others felt particularly jarring to me when the silence didn't fit the mood or work with the location.

Overall, Nausicaä is definitely worth a watch to anyone interested in Studio Ghibli, or a film with impressive art direction that doesn't expect too much from its audience. It's simplistic, sometimes to a fault, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it and I look forward to watching more films from Hayao Miyazaki to see how his directing improved over time.

I very like this movie, though I watched just a few anime movies...

To those who love an advanture and dreams stories stuff, I recommend this for them.
But first I say the thing I didnt like fully, the story was a bit not
surprising and in some places even little bored me (all those who against this idea
dont hate me, its just my opinion). But most of the movie it was good plot and
enjoyment. The art was little bad, but i know this is an old movie and becouse of
that I dont so like old movies, but this one was a good for it's times.
And last thing ... I didnt liked fully, the characters. Because, to my opinion not all of the main characters was fully used and get runing time, and some of them even was
not so good characters.
But one thing that I really liked, was the sound effects and the enjoyment from the
movie, because the story really exited me and the sound effects were without any
problems and were good.

It’s kind of astounding to realize that Naussica of the Valley of the Wind was only Hayao Miyazaki’s second directorial project. I mean, his first film was a low-key tie-in to an extremely popular franchise, and now all of a sudden he’s got his own studio, and its very first project is going to be an epic fantasy adventure based on a legendary (and stunningly beautiful) manga series? If nothing else, you really have to appreciate the balls behind that decision. One doesn’t earn the title of genius without swinging for the fences right out of the gate. And thankfully, the result was well worth ... the risk; Nausicaa is a bold, daring film that soars high on the wings of its adventurous spirit, one of the most breathtakingly mature films ostensibly for children that I’ve seen in a long time. The rumors of his talent have not been overstated; If Ghibli’s debut is anything to go by, I’ve got a slew of really fantastic movies ahead of me. Consider me excited as hell.

As all good epic fantasy does, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind starts by teasing at the history of its world before refocusing on one small pocket of it, crafting a grand narrative outward from the beating humanity at its core. It’s 1,000 years after the industrial world fell apart, and now humanity lives scattered in a series of kingdoms across the world that exist somewhere between the fashions of Medieval Europe and the technology of Steampunk Britain. There’s a toxic jungle of fungus and oversized insects slowly creeping across the landscape, threatening to consume the survivors, a ticking clock that seems to spell humanity’s extinction. In the Valley of the Wind, though, things remain relatively peaceful, and the titular princess Nausicaa spends her days exploring the toxic jungle, bringing supplies back to her village, learning about the jungle’s ecosystem, and just all around being the sweetest and spunkiest take on a Disney princess you can imagine. Seriously, if you airdropped Ariel, Belle, or any of the renaissance-era heroines into the wilderness with a backpack full of survival gear and told her to learn to fend for herself, Nausicaa would be the result. She’s a fantastic character, completely in tune with the harmony of nature and how delicate its balance truly is, doing her best to make life better for everyone in an increasingly dangerous and hopeless world. One look at her determined eyes, sparkling with excitement as she swoops in on her glider to guide a wayward monstrous bug back to its home, and you would follow her to the ends of the earth.

As to be expected, though, trying to make life better for everyone starts getting a hell of a lot harder when her peaceful valley is suddenly throw into chaos by an invasion from a neighboring kingdom followed by a plane crash the previous night. It seems the plane was transporting an ancient superweapon: one of the seven mechanical colossi that scorched the earth into oblivion all those centuries ago (yeah, take a second to appreciate how cool that sentence is). With its recent re-discovery, a pair of kingdoms are fighting over control of it, and the Valley of the Wind is right in the crossfire. So it’s up to Nausicaa, loathe to see anyone or anything suffer harm, to set out and convince the two kingdoms to back off and let this ancient evil die before the balance of nature is upset and humanity is made to suffer for their arrogance once again. There are battles and escapes, moments of peace and moments of dread, and lots and lots of death. Seriously, there are moments in this film that honestly chilled me with how brutally they were willing to explore the darkness and bloodshed that Nausicaa is fighting so hard to prevent. Even Nausicaa herself doesn’t escape without blood on her hands, and the moments where she’s overwhelmed with the weight of the cruelty she’s committed on her quest for peace hit so goddamn hard. This is a kid’s film that doesn’t shy away from forcing its audience to confront the hard truths behind the morals it supports. Sometimes, fighting for peace requires violence. Sometimes, you can’t save everyone in the end. But you keep that goal in sight anyway, because it will always be worth fighting for.

What’s equally impressive as this unflinching understanding of its own darkness is the admirable moral ambiguity at the story’s core. While there are clear antagonist figures, there’s no one character who’s fighting for villainy’s sake alone. The two kingdoms are both full of allies and enemies, people who genuinely believe they understand the best way of life and are fighting for the path to reach it. They make rough choices, and people suffer for them, but they’re not cruel or faceless hordes. They’re people, just like any other, people lost in a terrifying world and searching for an answer they believe to be in front of them. Nausicaa’s desire to save everyone could have so easily gotten annoying and childish if it wasn’t for the fact that all the people she’s saving very clearly deserve to be saved, even if the path they’re pursuing will only lead to darkness. The film captures humanity at a crossroads, a series of conflicting ideals at the precipice of man and nature, questions of how to live side-by-side with a world that increasingly seems prepared to reject you from its body like a parasite. It’s a question with no easy answer, so it’s no wonder so many of them fall into conflict with each other, needing Nausicaa’s clear-eyed soul to steer them away from their misguided fears and expectations.

And you come to care for everyone on every side of the conflict. Nausicaa’s elderly swashbuckling uncle figure, a downed pilot conflicted over his kingdom’s path forward, the general and second-in-command of the invading army with an amusing love/hate relationship with each other, they’re all so charming and understandable that you can’t help but want the best for all of them. If there’s any significant flaw in the film, it’s just that I wanted so much more time with all these characters. Even at a hefty (for a kid’s film) 117 minutes, I feel like I only began to scratch the surface of the richly textured community inhabiting this world. Thankfully, the voice acting makes up a lot of the difference, with stellar dub performances from everyone from Patrick Stewart to Uma Thurman to even freaking Shia LaBeouf. There’s so much warmth and nuance to their performances that it fills in so much of the detail I was missing. On that note, this is a film that excels in its details, from the insectoid design of the planes to the subtleties of the character animation to the gorgeous depictions of fungal forests, great cloudscapes, and long-lost ruins. Miyazaki’s magic touch is fully on display even this early in his career, perfectly capturing the majesty of that tentative space where technology and nature intersect, feeding into and growing upon each other in symbiosis. This is what epic fantasy is supposed to do: get you lost in a world and characters fantastically different from your own, and watch it expand as the wonder of this universe and the scope of the characters’ place in it grows too immense to be contained.

And all this fantastic worldbuilding and thematic character work comes together for the final act that left me breathless. I won’t spoil anything, because you really need to see it for yourself, but god damn. God DAMN. That’s how you end an adventure story, folks. It’s massive, it’s epic, it’s sprawling, yet it’s also quiet, small, and personal, never forgetting to come back to the princess at its core and her desire to make this a world everyone can coexist in. It’s a stunningly beautiful sequence that captures the awe and terror of chaos just as well as the beauty and warmth of hope. It’s a perfect end to a truly spectacular story. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind does everything that kid’s adventure stories should do and more, sweeping you along on majestic wings with its maturity and grace, its grandeur and intimacy. It’s not quite Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood in terms of my favorite epic fantasies, but it comes really damn close at points, and I can’t wait to see what else Miyazaki has in store for me.

This is my first review ever, and the first anime I ever watched. When I was a kid it really fascinated me and left a huge impression. Unlike all the other movies it held meaning. There was a serious subject being told in an image of a cartoon. The movie is quite old and the art is not top notch (which is why I gave it a 6), but it fascinated the eight-year-old me, giving me a very unique fantasy world. All Hayao Miyazaki works I have watched have very interesting settings with distinctive characters. What touched me a lot was Nausicaä's personality and how ... she was different from everything I saw. In a couple of years, I remembered that and wondered if I actually watched it. Identifying it as an anime I spent two hours on finding the title. After watching it again, I could experience all these things again. It definitely didn't disappoint me. That's how I started watching anime. Since nowadays only a small amount of people watches 'old anime', I would recommend it to beginners. Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä seems innocent and for kids but it carries a very deep meaning and even mentions discrimination and environmental issues.

.............This isn't what I expected I'd have to write once I got around to watching it.

Story 6/10: The premise is interesting and it started out pretty well, but at some point it started going in directions I did not want it to go in, and it was kind of confusing to be honest. Not to mention that the ending was obvious from the very beginning.

Art 7/10: I don't want to be too harsh since it is from 1984 but I also don't want to lie, so this is my rating. Some aspects of the art are very good, because this is Ghibli, but a lot ... of other aspects make it very obvious how old this is, especially the overall colour scheme and the explosions.

Sound 6/10: The voice acting and most sound effects were okay I guess, but nothing really stood out to me and I absolutely hated the background music, I just found it annoying overall.

Character 7/10: For the first half that I actively paid attention to, I found Nausicaa a pretty good character, and her little pokemon animal whose name I forgot I absolutely loved, but these two just aren't enough to make me give the character aspect a higher rating.

Enjoyment 6/10: The first half was okay but then it went downhill so much so that at the 60% mark I was silently praying for it to end already.

Overall 6/10: Objectively it's a pretty good movie but it just didn't work for me and I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

Firstly, I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli, and this movie kind of automatically hits home for me because of this. I am also a lover of vintage anime animation, and I can really appreciate that here. What we're shown of the world is vast, and the concept and phenomena present in this film is very interesting to say the least. I love the theme of nature and how it is presented throughout the film. With that said, though, I will say this movie is a bit below the standard of a good Hayao Miyazaki film. Poor character depth and a very rushed ending ... somewhat bring down a very strong build-up. Overall though it is still a thoroughly enjoyable film, as Studio Ghibli films are meant more so to convey a sense of magic in it's teaching of lessons rather than be a deep, psychological piece. I would still recommend this film to any lover of magical, vivid anime movies.

In reality i would give this a 9.6 or so, but i don't think it is good enough for a ten, yet it is very entertaining. You have action, love (for nature and life), and science (kinda). there is the least of the later, but i still had fun watching the movie because of the girls ability to communicate to the giant insects, and it brought john lennons and Shiro's ideals back to life (for those of you that know the beatles and have watched fate/stay night). but i gave it an eight because sometimes it is hard to follow (or so i'm told, i ... get it perfectly) and because it gets a bit passive in some points.

The story is great, but not one i would watch over and over again, i'll watch it a fiew times and be done with it. but it is very enthrawling and perfect for both action-lovers and peaceful watchers.

The art is perfect but it doesn't add much to the movie, except for when they show the whole valley which takes people's breaths away. Same with the sound, doesn't add much.

The characters were extremely worth the time and effort Miyazaki put into this movie. Nausica is a very loving and nice person, while everyone elsse around her doesn't understand her.

i gtg now, wish i could write more.

summary, watch it, but don't watch it over and over too much, you'll get bored of it.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaa is a beautiful anime. It has a raw nostalgic touch to it (because its old) but it is still very enjoyable. Since I only watch modern anime I was surprised to see something like this. Since this is made by studio Ghibli, this is a movie you’ll probably love to. Beautiful, unique, engaging and more.

Story
The story is simple and elegant. There is no over complicated theme or noticeable plot holes. We follow the adventure of Nausicaa. It is a young girl without ideals. She has a big heart for both human and monsters. You can almost feel ... her deep respect for the living things. What is done great is that she doesn’t have an unbearable good side. Her character is well balanced.

The plot is simple and follows one event. Prevent an army from the destruction of the remaining world. The setting is a sort of post-apocalyptic world where forests are poisonous but only insects can survive in it. While people in the valley live peacefully, the other nations are fighting the forest and each other. Sadly the valley gets entangled in this mess.

While there is very little world building, the art work and the environment where the story takes place gives surprisingly a feeling of a vast and wide field. It is hard to explain, but get the idea of “it feels like that world has more to offer than that meets the eye”.

Just watch the movie how it will unpack. Its simple, yet a rewarding story.

Art
It’s the old studio Ghibli style. Simple and clean, yet attractive. The style still has its own charm. The forests feels organic and the ships feel sci-fi. The character designs however are simple. It keeps the audience focused on the action.

I like it how Nausicaa soars through the skies. She flies as elegant as a ballerina. For an movie so old I like how well animated it is. You can see the experience she has as a wind glider (mention in the movie) as well see the reference of the title “and the valley of the wind”

The aircrafts give me good sci-fi vibes. While the details of how they work are left out, it feels like a common item in that world. The way how they move as if they were real is also well done.

Sound design
Well it is a classic Ghibli production. The sound effects are so to say “funky”. The music supports the scenes very well with a mix between electronic music and a real orchestra. However I think the volume was sometimes a bit to much, but further than that, it has all the good points.

Voice acting is done very well. Except the old grandma’s voice, I liked every character. You could definitely hear the charm of the commander or the hope in Nausicaas voice. The voices represent the characters in a good way.

Overall
This anime is still very valuable nowadays. Even after some decennia it still has its charm along all the well animated anime now. I had multiple times where I went “wow I didn’t expect that from an old anime”. It is worth your time and a great addition to your Ghibli knowledge.

Kazee no Tani no Naushika, or Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a animation movie from 1982 by a writer, director and illustrator Hayao Miyazaki. In comparison of the standard Miyazaki, that movie stands out by the explicit way of how shows important and critic topics, that until today can be inserted in comparison and metaphor for the reality. Nausicaa can merge all the Miyazaki enchant with your bizarre creatures and all the feeling behind the wars, almost how no ethical sense Kushana acts being an antagonist and show us the greatest revenge sense that can be have.

All the conflicts between the ... nation represents a sad and melancholy ambiente, that bring to us a mind of how things like this could be happen in a dystopian place. Nausicaa is a great lesson of compassion, but not only compassion, all the Miyazaki Direction merge us in pain and despair feelings, bringing a great lesson about union. The Nausicaa is a character that teach to us so much until him smallest detail, a symphatic and smiling character, that dont care in hurt yourself while is caring about others.

All the building of this text show a war between nature and humans, florests where humans can’t breath, giant insects and the human fight with the toxins. The main character of this show acts to show off the opposite, between living beings, both breathe, both feel and both have your own place. Also this, is the Miyazaki show that display more violence, destruction and death. The work made by the studio is amazing and wonderful, the importance of each scene, the enviroment, the ambience, I believe a lot on the influence that Miyazaki have in all this. All in this movie catches me, the relationship with Asbel, the soundtrack, the mystery about Yupa, the fox-squirell that later shows up in the Castle in the Sky.

People past this because its pretty old but to think this was Studio Ghibli's first piece just adds more to how empressive it really is. This was the first real anime I really enjoyed a lot when i was like 8 and i got heavy into ghibli films later afterwards. I have a lot to thank because of this film.

The Story. Ghibli has probably the most richest story telling in anime ever which is no secret. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is set in a very toxic apocalyptic world ending setting which gives a sense of hopelessness. The war between mankind and ... the mystical creatures (known as ohm) is meaningless and will destroy everyone until this girl shows up to make world peace. All that the girl can do is reduce the ugliness and destruction. Its quite a sad story and its pretty simple. The only bad in the story is the ending which is kinda weak but it shouldn't really put you off. Its basically trying to tell the message on how to treat nature which also adds to why it has aged very well today. Overall story is told beautifully. 9/10

The Art. BEST PIECES GHIBLI HAS EVER PUT OUT I DON'T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING. 10/10

The Characters. Every Character is pretty fleshed out and the story makes them 100x better. All the characters have complex motives and they are all trying their best given their circumstances, making it hard to clearly choose a villain and a hero. The stress in trying to achieve "peace between mankind and nature" making all the characters feel like they got nothing to lose until it is done. Kushana is a good example of an anti hero and she was written in a way that makes us think if she is good or not. Teto is this cutest pet ever. I don't really know whats not to like with these characters. Everyone is likeable in certain degree. 9/10 (I would have 9.5 but i just rounded it up)

Enjoyment. I think people will enjoy this film a lot for its grand war battles to pretty underground caves. This film has a lot packed for 1h 57m so have fun! Also because this is a Ghibli film there is a lot of rewatchable value. 10/10

The Sound/Music. Unfortunately, because it was made in the early 80s it doesnt really sound good but credit without a doubt, you wont really care too much unless you want that 8D 145hz (base boosted) then this isnt for you. The soundtrack is amazing and makes every part of the unforgiving world have a feel for this lasting lost hope. Big thanks for Joe Hisaishi and every Ghibli film soundtrack he has composed. I remember listening to this film's soundtrack a lot. 10/10

OVERALL - For being Studio Ghibli's first release, it was way ahead of its time by a mile. It is very underrated and i don't see a lot of this film being mentioned for when it was made. Its my favourite ghibli film ever. A timeless masterpiece and a must see! 10/10