NAUSICAA
OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: As far as I’ve seen, this is the most
well-structured story by Hayao Miyazaki
It
has been a thousand years since the Seven Days of Fire, the apocalyptic war
that destroyed civilization and gave birth to the Toxic Jungles. Small kingdoms
and villages are scattered on the lands free from the Toxic Jungles. One of
these small settlements is called Valley of the Wind, where Nausicaa is a
princess.
 |
| Valley of the Wind and the Toxic Jungles |
The
Valley of the Wind has been drawn to a looming war between the kingdoms of
Tolmekia and Pejite, and it seems that these kingdoms have political
motivations on destroying the Toxic Jungles. Nausicaa, on discovering that the
Toxic Jungles is not what it seems to be, goes on a journey to stop two wars,
the war between the two kingdoms, and the war between humanity and nature.
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 to 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.
 |
| Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke |
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.
Related
posts:
Even though I have seen many anime series, anime films in general is an area that I need to watch much more of. While I have seen more of the mature classics like Ghost in the Shell and Akira, I really need to watch some of Miyazaki's films. This film, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away are ones I definitely need to get around to watching sometime soon. As always, I enjoyed your anime review!
ReplyDeleteThis is somewhat off subject, but where do you watch most of the anime movies you review? I have been able to find a lot of anime series online, but not many films.
-James
Other hardcore enthusiasts buy DVDs and stuff, but I'm not interested in collecting anime materials, so I just stream them online. I usually stream at animefreak(dot)tv, but if I can't find the titles there I just google and go to random sites -- quite a cheap way to do it, but it's the easiest. You should watch Miyazaki films! And not just the most famous ones like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Each film has its own share of unique stories to tell.
DeleteThanks for the info. I use animefreak some times as well, and I, too, am not interested in collecting the DVDs when I can watch them online. Anime Dubs is a good site that I use for series. I cannot find many movies on there, but quite a few of the shows are in HD quality.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link if you are interested, however go at your own risk: http://www.dubbedepisodes.org/anime-series-list?type=dubbed
-James
Thanks for the info too! I'll use the site as a reference if I can't find the titles I'm looking for. I just hope that these sites don't get shut down, as many of the sites I have streamed / am streaming in are being shut down. Maybe because they were illegal? I don't know. But there are legal distributors in youtube too, but that's a rare find.
DeleteWatching both Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa back to back, I also noticed the many similarities between the two, and while I enjoyed Nausicaa, I would say Mononoke was a little better, but both are great. The setting was rather unique, particularly for a post-apocalyptic setting.
ReplyDeleteMy only problem is that Nausicaa was a little annoying at times. She was mostly a good character, but her "save the forest and stop the war" message was a little overdone at times. Overall, I liked her character though.
-James
I've read a lot of reviews of Nausicaa being an "annoying character", and I can understand that you feel that way too. She does seem TOO good. But for me she's my favorite lead character among all of Miyazaki's works, up until now that I've seen a good chunk of them.
Delete