Anime You Should See Before You Die: Week 5 - Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind

It’s a fact: girls (most of them anyways) don’t like bugs. There’s just something about those creepy, crawly little pests that send women into a fright. But Nausicaä, the heroine and star of Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, isn’t like every girl. She likes-nay, LOVES bugs and is able to communicate with them unlike us spider squashing, raid wielding, bug bombing ruffians.

Besides being a guaranteed hit at parties, Nausicaä’s ability to speak with insects proves invaluable considering the world she lives in is practically overrun with the them. See, the world of Nausicaä is much different than our own. Aside from sweeping desert wastelands and toxic forests that continue to spread over the land, there are only a few pockets of civilization left. What will happen when the forests spread to these last few settlements? Can the forests, ridden with toxic pollen, be cleansed? And can man co-exist with his antennaed neighbor or is one destined for extinction?

These are all questions that are explored in Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film, originally released way back when in 1984. Don’t let the rudimentary (by today’s standards) 80’s animation fool you though as Nausicaä is just as full of charming characters, intriguing plot-lines, and exceptional musical tracks than his later works. For fans of Princess Mononoke and other Miyazaki films, this is a must watch considering many of the themes explored in this film, such as developing a balance with nature, are also explored in other films.

While chances are you probably have seen this excellent film already, there are many that have not seen Nausicaä (yes, such people exist). For those that haven’t experienced the world of Nausicaä yet, it’s time my friends as the film is truly a classic piece of animation that more than lives up to the legacy that Miyazaki has established.