116-536: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a manga series created by Hayao Miyazaki , between 1981 and 1994, featuring an extensive cast of characters. The series takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth where environmental disasters threaten the survival of humankind. Nausicaä , the titular protagonist of the series, is a princess of the Valley of the Wind, who explores the ecological system of her world and becomes involved in
232-592: A pseudonymous serialization started of his manga People of the Desert . His manga adaptation of the film Animal Treasure Island (1971) was serialized in 1971. After the release of Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Miyazaki, now at the Tokyo Movie Shinsha (TMS), began working on his ideas for an animated film adaptation of Richard Corben 's comic book Rowlf and pitched
348-723: A steampunk post-apocalypse . Philip Boyes of Eurogamer describes the technology in Nausicaä and Castle in the Sky as dieselpunk . Hisako Ky%C5%8Dda Hisako Kyōda ( 京田 尚子 , Kyōda Hisako , born February 22, 1935) is a Japanese actress and voice actress . Some of her major voice roles include Genkai in Yu Yu Hakusho , Omusubiman in Soreike! Anpanman and Yukari Godai in Maison Ikkoku . Kyōda
464-483: A belief that humans should no longer selfishly attempt to control the natural world and on a more abstract level attributes Nausicaä's motivation to a desire to counter the Dorok's dualistic world view, a worldview which divides the world into purity and corruption, light and dark. Ogihara-Schuck observes that Nausicaa's thinking reflects Miyazaki's own world view and conforms to Miyazaki's expressed opposition to dividing
580-470: A commercial success, particularly in Japan, where the series has more than 17 million copies in circulation. The manga and the 1984 film adaptation , written and directed by Miyazaki and released following the serialization of the manga's first sixteen chapters, received universal acclaim from critics and scholars for its characters, themes, and art. The manga and film versions of Nausicaä are also credited for
696-461: A comparative analysis of the religious themes in the manga and the film. Ogihara-Schuck wrote that Miyazaki had started out with animistic themes, such a belief in the god of the wind, in the early chapters of the manga, had conflated the animistic and Judeo-Christian traditions in the anime adaptation, but had returned to the story by expanding on the animistic themes and by infusing it with a non-dualistic worldview when he created additional chapters of
812-645: A dormant God Warrior who, upon activation, assumes she is his mother and places his destructive powers at her disposal. Faced with this power and its single minded and childlike visions of the world, she engages the creature, names him and persuades him to travel with her to Shuwa, the Holy City of the Doroks. Here she enters the Crypt, a giant monolithic construct from before the Seven Days of Fire. She learns that
928-523: A manga series for Tokuma Shoten 's monthly magazine Animage , initially on the condition that it would not be adapted into a film. The development of Nausicaä was influenced by the Japanese Heian period tale The Lady who Loved Insects , a similarly-named character from Homer 's epic poem Odyssey and the Minamata Bay mercury pollution . The setting and visual style of the manga
1044-438: A panel of association members, consisting of fellow cartoonists. The manga has sold more than 10 million copies in Japan alone. After the 1984 release of the film adaptation, sales for the manga dramatically increased, despite the plot differences between the two works. In the spring of 1994, shortly after serialization had concluded, a combined total of 5.27 million Nausicaä tankōbon volumes had already been published. At
1160-399: A parallel between the character of Kushana, the rival warrior princess, and that of Nausicaä - Napier describes Kushana as Nausicaä's "shadow", noting that Kushana is not shown with any "alleviating, 'feminine' virtues" as Nausicaä is, but that they share the same tactical brilliance. Drazen describes this as a "feminine duality". Miyazaki has described the two characters as being "two sides of
1276-542: A redesigned box, on October 31, 2003. English translations are published in North America and the United Kingdom by Viz Media . As of 2013 Viz Media has released the manga in five different formats. Initially the manga was printed flipped and with English translations of the sound effects. Publication of English editions began in 1988 with the release of episodes from the story under the title Nausicaä of
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#17327918104851392-619: A reversal of his and his brother's fortunes, Miralupa is assassinated by Namulith. His spirit is redeemed and saved by Nausicaä. He had repeatedly tried to destroy her, but her purity of spirit prevailed and she returned good for evil. Chikuku ( チクク , Chikuku ) A young boy with strong telepathy . He was the disciple and assistant of an elderly holy man. This mystical hermit, feeling the approach of his death, left Chikuku in Nausicaä's strong and capable hands. Chikuku becomes loyal to Nausicaa and fiercely protective of her. His weapon of choice
1508-430: A selection from the sketchbooks Miyazaki created between 1980 and 1982 to record his ideas for potential future projects. The book was published by Kodansha on March 20, 1983. The Art of Nausicaä ( ジ・アート・オブ 風の谷のナウシカ , Ji āto Obu kaze no tani no naushika ) is the first in the art books series. The book was put together by the editorial staff of Animage . They collated material that had previously been published in
1624-513: A skilled ability to fly on her glider. Because of her exploration of the toxic jungle's flora and fauna and her scientific experiments with the samples she brings back to her laboratory, she comes to the conclusion that the ecosystem of their world is misunderstood by most of the people who inhabit it. Nausicaä sees war as pointless, but accepts the responsibilities she has towards her people and their allies, responsibilities that increase as her father's condition deteriorates. Her ultimate responsibility
1740-538: A stunning action comic. Yet he also manages to keep the whole story accessible and relevant through the human qualities of his timeless heroine. Setre, writing for Japanator, said "Nasuicaa [ sic ] is an amazing manga. And no matter what you may think of Miyazaki this story deserves to be read. It has great characters (some of which could star in their own series), a great sense of adventure and scale, and an awesome story." In his July 14, 2001, review of Viz Media's four volume Perfect Collection edition, of
1856-590: A threat to his authority. After the Daikaisho he personally leads the remnants of the Tourmekian army to Shuwa in an attempt to take possession of the Crypt's secrets. He and Nausicaä confront the Master of the Crypt together and he sacrifices himself by taking the full force of the Crypt's last light himself in order to save Nausicaä. As he dies, he repents and declares Kushana his successor, warning her not to make
1972-479: A variety of works from Western authors, including Ursula K. Le Guin 's Earthsea , Brian Aldiss 's Hothouse , Isaac Asimov 's Nightfall , and J.R.R Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings . The setting and visual style of the manga often reference Jean Giraud (Mœbius), whose wordless 1975 comic Arzach had deeply impressed Miyazaki. Among the inspirations for the environmental themes Miyazaki has mentioned
2088-449: A war between kingdoms while an environmental disaster threatens humankind. Prior to creating Nausicaä , Miyazaki had worked as an animator for Toei Animation , Nippon Animation and Tokyo Movie Shinsha (TMS), the latter for whom he had directed his feature directorial debut, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979). After working on an aborted film adaptation of Richard Corben 's comic book Rowlf for TMS, he agreed to create
2204-418: A war between kingdoms. Nausicaä's objective is to bring about a peaceful coexistence among the people of her world, as well as between humanity and nature. In 1984 Miyzaki's film of the same title was released. At the time only 16 chapters of the manga had been published. Miyazaki had not written an ending for the manga and not all the characters had been created yet. Characters from the manga were adapted for
2320-475: Is a blow gun that he uses to fire sharp darts. He uses his highly developed telepathy to help Nausicaä communicate with those with whom she does not share a common language. In volume 6, Chikuku rallies the Dorok people to disobey the Emperor Namulith and follow the path of Nausicaä instead. At this time he also reveals for the first time his true full name: Luwa Chikuku Kulubaluka, with Kulubaluka being
2436-463: Is accidentally activated by those who find him. He is passed around while barely sentient until he is given to Nausicaä by Namulith. At first he has the mentality of a child or toddler. He assumes Nausicaä is his mother and sees confirmation of that assumption when she presents him with his missing core component. Nausicaä gives him the name Ohma, meaning innocence in the Eftal language. Nausicaä acts out
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#17327918104852552-696: Is badly wounded by the attack of the God Warrior. Miralupa ( ミラルパ , Miralupa ) "The Emperor the Younger ( 皇弟 , Kōtei ) ", Co-regent of the Holy Dorok Empire with Namulith, his elder brother. Miralupa's connection to the ruling Dorok theocracy and his psychic powers give him an edge in the early part of the series. Although he is the younger of the two, he appears much older than his brother because he still inhabits his original body, kept alive by painful life extension treatments. After
2668-405: Is cruel yet kind. Nausica%C3%A4 of the Valley of the Wind (manga) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind ( Japanese : 風の谷のナウシカ , Hepburn : Kaze no Tani no Naushika ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki . It tells the story of Nausicaä , a princess of a small kingdom on a post-apocalyptic Earth with a toxic ecosystem , who becomes involved in
2784-462: Is dated September 25, 1982. It contains the first eight chapters and was re-released on July 20, 1983, with a newly designed cover and the addition of a dustcover. Volume two has the same July 20, 1983, release date. It contains chapters 9 through 14. Together with chapters 15 and 16, printed in the Animage issues for May and June 1983, these were the only 16 chapters completed prior to the release of
2900-474: Is generally considered a Studio Ghibli film. Helen McCarthy has noted that it was Miyazaki's creation of the Nausicaä manga " ... that had, in a way, started the actual process of his studio's development". The film was released with a recommendation from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). In his retrospective on 50 years of Postwar Manga , Osamu Takeuchi wrote that, in an ironic twist of fate,
3016-489: Is mentioned retrospectively in dialogue. Namulith ( ナムリス , namurisu ) "The Emperor the Elder ( 皇兄 , Kōkei ) ", Co-regent of the Holy Dorok Empire with Miralupa, his younger brother. He is charismatic and a warrior, but has none of his younger brother's psychic abilities. Namulith is over a century old, surviving by having his brain periodically transplanted into cloned bodies. Namulith assassinates Miralupa, usurps
3132-418: Is piloting the Valley's gunship in support of Nausicaä's mission. Voice cast: Ichirō Nagai (Japanese), Edward James Olmos (English, 2005) Tepa ( テパ , Tepa ) A young wind-rider who attempts to fill Nausicaä's role back in the Valley after she leaves. Oh-baba ( 大ババ , Ōbaba ) The oldest and most prominent of the Valley's "wise women". In the anime, she is the first to realize Nausicaa to be
3248-454: Is towards the world as a whole and her actions transcend the narrow scope of tribal politics and warfare in which she becomes embroiled. Throughout most of the story, she is portrayed as a young adult, but there are flashbacks to her earlier childhood. Voice cast: Sumi Shimamoto was the character's Japanese voice actor in the 1984 animated film adaptation of Nausicaä . For the 2005 English dub, released by Buena Vista, Alison Lohman performed
3364-440: The tankōbon volumes, in which chapters from the magazine were collected in book form. Changes made throughout the story, before the release of each tankōbon volume, range from subtle additions of shading to the insertion of entirely new pages. Miyazaki also redrew panels and sometimes the artwork was changed on whole pages. He made alterations to the text and changed the order in which panels appeared. The story as re-printed in
3480-595: The Anime News Network (ANN) Jason Thompson wrote that " Nausicaa is as grim as Grave of the Fireflies " . Mike Crandol of ANN praised the manga stating, "I dare say the manga is Hayao Miyazaki's finest work ever—animated, printed, or otherwise—and that's saying a lot. Manga allows for a depth of plot and character unattainable in the cinematic medium, and Miyazaki uses it to its fullest potential." Pamela Gossin and Marc Hairston drew parallels between
3596-577: The Minamata Bay mercury pollution. The Sea of Corruption is based on the forests on the Japanese island of Yakushima and the marshes of the Sivash , or Rotten Sea, in Ukraine. The works of botanist Sasuke Nakao [ ja ] were among Miyazaki's inspirations for the environment of the story. Miyazaki mentions Nakao in the context of a question he was asked about the place Nausicaä takes in
List of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-405: The Nausicaä film had been playing in theatres at the same time as the 1984 anime adaptation of one of the illustrated stories Miyazaki had grown up reading, Kenya Boy [ ja ] , originally written by Soji Yamakawa [ ja ] in 1951. Takeuchi observed that the release of its inspirational predecessor "would have been devoured" by Miyazaki's Nausicaä in a competition of
3828-535: The Nausicaä film in March 1984. The seventh book was eventually released on January 15, 1995. The entire series was also reprinted in two deluxe volumes in hard cover and in A4 size labeled Jokan ( 上巻 , first volume ) and Gekan ( 下巻 , final volume ) which were released on November 28, 1996. The seven books, which remain in print individually, have also been released in box sets twice, on August 25, 2002, and, with
3944-399: The Nausicaä manga allowed him to create different, lighter, films than he would have been able to make without Nausicaä providing an outlet for his more serious thoughts throughout the period of its creation. Marc Hairston notes that, “Tellingly, Miyazaki’s first film after finishing the Nausicaä manga was Mononoke Hime , which examined many of the themes from the manga and is arguably
4060-403: The Nausicaä story and On Your Mark , the music video Miyazaki created for the Japanese duo Chage and Aska . They interpreted the release of the winged girl at the end of the music video as Miyazaki setting free his character. Miyazaki started creating On Your Mark the same month the seventh volume of the Nausicaä manga was released. Kyle Anderson of Nerdist describes the setting as
4176-504: The ecology boom , explaining his shift from a desert to a forest setting. Nakao's influence on his work has been noted by Shiro Yoshioka. Miyazaki has identified Tetsuji Fukushima's Sabaku no Maō [ ja ] 沙漠の魔王 ( The Evil Lord of the Desert ) , a story he first read while still in primary school, as one of his earliest influences. Kentaro Takekuma has also observed this continuity in Miyazaki's work and places it within
4292-425: The tankōbon spans 7 volumes for a combined total of 1060 pages. Miyazaki has said that the lengthy creation process of the Nausicaä manga, repeatedly tackling its themes as the story evolved over the years, not only changed the material but also affected his personal views on life and changed his political perspectives. He also noted that his continued struggle with the subject matter in the ongoing development of
4408-493: The " Blue-Clad One " of prophecy; in the manga, the Dorok Mani-tribe Elder is the first one to acknowledge this. Voice cast: Hisako Kyōda (Japanese), Tress MacNeille (English, 2005) Pejite-city ( ペジテ市 , pejite-shi ) Asbel ( アスベル , asberu ) Prince of Pejite, forced to journey in exile after Princess Kushana invades Pejite. He becomes Nausicaä's and later Yupa's, friend and ally throughout
4524-571: The December 1981 issue of Animage , it was announced that a new manga series would start in the February 1982 issue of the magazine, despite the fact that Miyazaki had not completed the first episode. The illustrated notice introduced the new series' main character, title and concept. The first chapter, 18 pages, was published in the February 1982 issue. Miyazaki would continue developing the story for another 12 years with frequent interruptions along
4640-560: The Dorok lands through a coup d'état. Originally a just and honest ruler, but eventually came to hate the peasants for their "incorrigible stupidity" and also apparently fell under the sway of the Master of the Crypt. Father of the two brothers Namulith and Miralupa upon whom he bestowed dual reign of the Dorok Empire. Died prior to the main events depicted in the manga, from a failed attempt to prolong his life. Appears as an illustrated character only in recollections of other characters and
4756-477: The Doroks and Torumekians as soldiers, but later come to view Nausicaä as their goddess and savior, accompanying her to the Crypt and protecting her during the final battle. Miyazaki has said that he invented these people from the very start, to represent inequality and to explore the nobility of those whose existence may be abhorrent to the rest of society. He described them as being of the lowest caste but regrets not being able to explore them more deeply in spite of
List of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-545: The Earth of toxins using the genetically engineered Sea of Corruption, then use the old sciences and creatures contained within the Garden to rebuild the world. Though he attempts to persuade Nausicaä to remain in the Garden, her will is very strong and he permits her to leave, saying that the door of the Garden will always be open for her should she ever choose to come back. Nausicaä gives him her name when she leaves, saying that he
4988-734: The Emperor, at first. He switches allegiance to Kushana when he realizes the Emperor will probably kill him after he fulfills his usefulness. He was once a pilot and shows his flying skill when he evades Asbel's attack on the Torumekian fleet and shoots him down. Kurotowa prides himself in being a cynical survivor, but he also feels irresistibly attracted to the idealism and purity of spirit of Nausicaä. Voice cast: Iemasa Kayumi (Japanese), Chris Sarandon (English, 2005) Vai Emperor ( ヴ王 , vu ō ) Fearless, ruthless, as well as would even assassinate his own children should he perceive them to be
5104-597: The Mani Tribe ( マニ族僧正 , Mani zoku sōjō ) Makes the Ohmu attack Kushana's forces by using a captured, injured baby Ohmu. After Nausicaä stops the attack, he recognizes her as the "Blue-Clad One", a savior from old legends. Dies using his psychic powers to save Nausicaä from Miralupa, who considers the legends heresy. Ketcha ( ケチャ , Kecha ) An interpreter from the Mani tribe who befriends Asbel and Yupa. People of
5220-409: The Master of the Garden, away from politics and safe from war. Dorok ( 土鬼／ドルク , Doruku ) This theocratic empire and its characters are exclusive to the manga and do not appear in the film. Throughout most of the story depicted in the manga, authority is divided between the hereditary ruling class and the priesthood. Eriko Ogihara-Schuck identifies the Dorok as a religious group, not present in
5336-770: The Netherlands by Glénat Benelux, in Germany by Carlsen Verlag , in Korea by Haksan Culture Company and in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan. In Brazil it was initially published in July 2006 by Conrad Editora , before it ceased in March 2009 after only five volumes were released and since August 2022, it is being republished by Editora JBC . When serialization of the manga was underway and the story had proven to be popular among its readers, Animage came back on their promise not to turn
5452-469: The Ohmu encapsulates her inside itself in a protective serum, allowing her to survive the mold. She is recovered by her companions, people she met after leaving the Valley and who have joined her on her quest for a peaceful coexistence. The fact that the mold can be manipulated and used as a weapon disturbs Nausicaä. Her treks into the forest have already taught her that the Sea of Corruption is actually purifying
5568-472: The Periphery. A mentor figure to Nausicaä, he travels with Asbel and Ketcha in the early parts of the story. In the manga he sacrifices himself protecting Kushana from the vengeful Mani Tribe in the final days of the war. He is 45 years old. Voice cast: Goro Naya (Japanese), Patrick Stewart (English, 2005) Mito ( ミト , Mito ) The sergeant-at-arms and King Jihl's chief retainer. His primary role
5684-487: The Sea of Corruption, a poisonous forest, 300 years ago. An inquisitive young woman, she explores the territories surrounding the Valley on a jet-powered glider, and studies the Sea of Corruption. When the Valley goes to war, she takes her ailing father's place as military chief. The leaders of the Periphery states are vassals to the Torumekian Emperor and are obliged to send their forces to help when he invades
5800-536: The Valley of Wind in the "Viz Select Comics" series. This series ran until 1996. It consists of 27 issues. In October 1990 Viz Media also started publishing the manga as Viz Graphic Novel, Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind . The last of the seven Viz Graphic Novels in this series appeared in January 1997. Viz Media reprinted the manga in four volumes titled Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind: Perfect Collection , which were released from October 1995 to October 1997. A box set of
5916-578: The Western translators, which introduced a dualistic worldview absent in the original. The manga was serialized in Tokuma Shoten 's monthly Animage magazine between 1982 and 1994. The series initially ran from the February 1982 issue to the November 1982 issue when the first interruption occurred due to Miyazaki's work related trip to Europe. Serialization resumed in the December issue and
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#17327918104856032-434: The animation industry as an inbetweener at Toei in 1963 but soon had additional responsibilities in the creation processes. While working primarily on animation projects for television and cinema, he also pursued his dream of creating manga. In conjunction with his work as a key animator on the film The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots (1969) his manga adaptation of the same title was published in 1969. That same year
6148-539: The anime version of Nausicaä , Miyazaki expressed his own belief in the animistic world view and is at his most direct in the manga by putting the dualistic world view and the animistic belief in tension and, through Nausicaä's ultimate victory, makes the animistic world view superior. No chapters of the manga were published in the period between the July 1983 issue and the August 1984 issue of Animage but series of Nausicaä Notes and The Road to Nausicaa were printed in
6264-402: The anime, with a dualistic world view that parallels Christian apocalypticism. Ogihara Schuck writes that the Dorok are responsible for the creation of the Sea of Corruption in the manga, whereas the Sea of Corruption is attributed to pollution resulting from the Seven Days of Fire in the anime. She attributes Nausicaä's motivation for sealing the Crypt in Dorok holy city of Shuwa in the manga to
6380-576: The attention of Miyazaki himself, who invited Smith to Studio Ghibli for a meeting. On Miyazaki's insistence, Smith's own company Studio Proteus was chosen as the producer of the English-language translation. Smith hired Dana Lewis to collaborate on the translation. Lewis was a professional translator in Japan who also wrote for Newsweek and had written cover stories for such science fiction magazines as Analog Science Fiction and Fact and Amazing Stories . Smith hired Tom Orzechowski for
6496-422: The authority of the priests and takes the title "Divine Emperor ( 神聖皇帝 , shinseiKōtei ) " when he assumes the sole reign of what remains of the Holy Dorok Empire. Namulith captures Kushana, hoping to marry her and thus claim the two empires. He eventually tires of life as he sees that everything seems to always go as the Master of the Crypt says they will and so passes on the burden of rule to Nausicaa after he
6612-468: The company was unwilling to fund anime projects not based on existing manga and because the rights for the adaptation of Rowlf could not be secured. An agreement was reached that Miyazaki could start developing his sketches and ideas into a manga for the magazine with the proviso that it would never be made into a film. Miyazaki stated in an interview, " Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind only really began to take shape once I agreed to serialize it." In
6728-412: The course of the series. He points out that, particularly in the first chapters, the panels are densely filled with background, which makes the main characters difficult to discern without paying close attention. According to Takekuma this may be partially explained by Miyazaki's use of pencil, without inking, for much of the series. Takekuma points out that by employing pencil Miyazaki does not give himself
6844-473: The crypt any longer. She orders the God-Warrior to destroy its progenitors, forcing humanity to live or die without further influence from the old society's technology. Nausicaä exits the crypt in time to see its total collapse, and the death of the old king of Torumekia. Nausicaä commands the crowd that has been waiting outside the crypt that "... they must live." Miyazaki began his professional career in
6960-467: The darkest film of his career.” Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was initially translated into English by Toren Smith and Dana Lewis. Smith, who had written comics in the U.S. since 1982, wrote an article on Warriors of the Wind (the heavily edited version of the film adaptation released in the U.S. in the 1980s) for the Japanese edition of Starlog , in which he criticized what Manson International had done to Miyazaki's film. The article came to
7076-410: The earth-bound remnants of humanity can still use gliders and powered aircraft for exploration, transportation and warfare. Powered land vehicles are entirely nonexistent though, with humanity regressed to dependence on riding animals and beasts-of-burden . Nausicaä is the teenage princess of the Valley of the Wind, a state on the periphery of what was once known as Eftal, a kingdom destroyed by
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#17327918104857192-534: The end Miyazaki had created 59 chapters, of varying length, for publication in the magazine. In an interview, conducted shortly after serialization of the manga had ended, he noted that this amounts to approximately 5 years worth of material. He stated that he did not plan for the manga to run that long and that he wrote the story based on the idea that it could be stopped at any moment. The chapters were slightly modified and collected in seven tankōbon volumes, in soft cover B5 size . The first edition of volume one
7308-597: The first live-action Studio Ghibli production, the short film Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo , was released, which shares the same fictional universe as Nausicaä . A kabuki play adaptation, covering the events of the movie, was performed in December 2019. In 1994, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind , received the Japan Cartoonists Association Award Grand Prize ( 大賞 , taishō ) , an annual prize awarded by
7424-468: The forest ( 森の人 , mori no hito ) Selm ( セルム , Serumu ) A man of the forest who helps Yupa, Asbel and Ketcha when they crash into the forest. He is with Nausicaä in spirit many times when she needs his guidance, including at the end when she confronts the Master of the Crypt. Yupa notices that he has the "same gaze as Nausicaa". Ceraine ( セライネ , Seraine ) Selm's sister. Worm Handlers ( 蟲使い , mushitsukai ) A people who dwell on
7540-438: The foundation of Studio Ghibli , the animation studio for which Miyazaki created several of his most recognized works. The story is set in the future at the closing of the ceramic era, 1,000 years after the Seven Days of Fire, a cataclysmic global war, in which industrial civilization self-destructed. Although humanity survived, the land surface of the Earth is still heavily polluted and the seas have become poisonous. Most of
7656-844: The four volumes was later released in January 2000. In 2004 Viz Media re-released the seven-volume format in an "Editors Choice" edition titled Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind . In this version the manga is left unflipped and the sound effects are left untranslated. Viz Media released its own deluxe two-volume box set on November 6, 2012. The manga was also licensed in Australia by Madman Entertainment , in Finland by Sangatsu Manga , in France by Glénat , in Spain by Planeta DeAgostini , in Italy by Panini Comics under its Planet Manga imprint, in
7772-525: The fringes of the Sea of Corruption, domesticating the slug-worms and living as scavenger merchants and mercenaries. Generally viewed as disgusting and treated as outcasts and an "untouchable" race by all the other societies, they are also at first the only people who have had encounters with the Forest People, whom the Worm Handlers greatly respect and idolize. They are originally hired by both
7888-412: The idea to Yutaka Fujioka at TMS. In November 1980, a proposal was drawn up to acquire the film rights . Around that time Miyazaki was also approached for a series of magazine articles by the editorial staff of Tokuma Shoten 's Animage . During subsequent conversations he showed his sketchbooks and talked about basic outlines for envisioned animation projects with Toshio Suzuki and Osamu Kameyama, at
8004-435: The knowledge of the ancient world within an isolated and concealed area referred to as "the Garden", an idyllic place containing plants and animals long extinct in the outside world and samples of literature, music, as well as advanced sciences. The Master, an engineered life-form who has lived for over a thousand years, cures Nausicaä of her radiation poisoning and reveals to her the plan of the previous civilization: to purify
8120-479: The land and draws the insects into the battle, killing as many Doroks as Torumekians. In doing so, the Sea of Corruption spreads across most of the Dorok nation, uprooting or killing vast numbers of civilians and rendering most of the land uninhabitable. The Ohmu and other forest insects respond to this development and sacrifice themselves to pacify the expansion of the mold, which is beyond human control. Nausicaä resigns herself to joining in their fate. However, one of
8236-421: The last scientists of the industrial era had foreseen the end of their civilization. They created the Sea of Corruption to clean the land of pollution , altered human genes to cope with the changed ecology, stored their own personalities inside the Crypt and waited for the day when they could re-emerge, leaving the world at the mercy of their artificially created caretaker. However, their continual manipulation of
8352-407: The length of the saga. Giant God Warriors ( 巨神兵 , Kyoshinhei ) Gargantuan biomechanical beings, Daniel Haas has referred to them as "man-made living weapons", considered to have been the primary instruments of destruction during the Seven Days of Fire. While the ceramic skeletons of God Warriors are a common sight across the landscape, the creatures are believed extinct at the beginning of
8468-419: The lettering and retouching. Studio Proteus was responsible for the translation, the lettering, and the retouching of the artwork, which was flipped left-to-right to accommodate English readers. The original Japanese dialogue was re-lettered by hand, the original sound effects were replaced by English sound effects, and the artwork was retouched to accommodate the new sound effects. When Miyazaki resumed work on
8584-548: The magazine during this interim period. Frequently illustrated with black and white images from the story boards as well as colour illustrations from the upcoming release of the film, these publications provide background about the history of the manga and development of the film. 1984 was declared The Year of Nausicaä, on the cover of the February 1984 issue of Animage . Several other Nausicaä related materials have been released. Hayao Miyazaki's Image Board Collection ( 宮崎駿イメージボード集 , Miyazaki Hayao imējibōdo-shū ) contains
8700-435: The magazine to illustrate the evolution of Miyazaki's ideas into finished projects. The book contains reproductions from Miyazaki's Image Boards interspersed with material created for the film, starting with selected images related to the two film proposals rejected in 1981. The book also contains commentary of assistant director Kazuyoshi Katayama and a summary of The road to Nausicaä ( ナウシカの道 , naushika no michi ) . It
8816-466: The manga following one of the interruptions, Viz chose another team, including Rachel Thorn and Wayne Truman, to complete the series. The current seven-volume, English-language "Editor's Choice" edition is published in right-to-left reading order: while it retains the original translations, the lettering was done by Walden Wong. The touch-up art and lettering for the Viz Media deluxe two-volume box set
8932-400: The manga his death is attributed to long-term poisoning caused by the Sea of Corruption. In the movie he is killed during an invasion of the Valley of the Wind by Torumekian troops. Voice cast: Mahito Tsujimura (Japanese), Mark Silverman (English, 2005) Yupa Miralda ( ユパ・ミラルダ , Yupa Miraruda ) Also referred to as Master Yupa, or Lord Yupa. An explorer and the greatest swordsman in
9048-403: The manga into an animation project and approached Miyazaki to make a 15 minute Nausicaä film. Miyazaki declined. Instead he proposed a sixty-minute OVA . In a counter offer Tokuma agreed to sponsor a feature-length film for theatrical release. The film adaptation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released on March 11, 1984. It was released before Studio Ghibli was established, but it
9164-407: The manga, Michael Wieczorek of Ex.org compared the series to Princess Mononoke stating, "Both stories deal with man's struggle with nature and with each other, as well as with the effects war and violence have on society." Wieczoek gave a mixed review on the detail of the artwork in this, 8.08 in × 5.56 in (20.5 cm × 14.1 cm) sized, edition, stating, "It is good because
9280-451: The manga, Miyazaki wrote that he was also inspired by The Lady who Loved Insects , a Japanese tale from the Heian period about a young court lady who preferred studying insects rather than wearing fine clothes or choosing a husband. Helen McCarthy considers Shuna from Shuna's Journey to be prototypical to Nausicaä. The story’s fantasy and science fiction elements were influenced by
9396-495: The manga, as well as more detailed environmentalist themes. The tone of the manga is also more philosophical than the film. Miyazaki has Nausicaä explore the concepts of fatalistic nihilism and has her struggle with the militarism of major powers. The series has been interpreted from the views of utopian concepts, as well as religious studies. In The Christianizing of Animism in Manga and Anime , Eriko Ogihara-Schuck conducted
9512-550: The manga, dissatisfied with the manner in which these themes had been handled for the film. Drawing on the scene in which Nausicaä sacrifices her own life, in order to placate the stampeding Ohmu, and is subsequently resurrected by the miraculous powers of these giant insects, Ogihara-Schuck notes that "Japanese scholars Takashi Sasaki and Masashi Shimizu consider Nausicaä a Christ-like savior, and American scholar Susan Napier considers her as an active female messiah figure". Ogihara-Schuck contrasts these views with Miyazaki's own belief in
9628-549: The manga. Voice cast: Yōji Matsuda (Japanese), Shia LaBeouf (English, 2005) Rastel ( ラステル , Rasteru ) Princess of Pejite and Asbel's twin sister. Dies shortly after being rescued by Nausicaä from a wrecked Pejite airship that escaped Kushana's invasion in the manga; in the anime, it's a Torumekian airship on which she was imprisoned. Voice cast: Miina Tominaga (Japanese), Emily Bauer (English, 2005) Torumekia ( トルメキア , Ttorumekia ) Kushana ( クシャナ , Kushana ) Princess of Torumekia. She cares deeply for
9744-496: The men under her command and commands their unwavering loyalty, but is portrayed as brutal and harsh to her enemies. Hideaki Anno , who worked on the Nausicaä film, had planned to do a manga side-story centered around Kushana's military exploits, but Miyazaki denied him access, believing that Anno was intending to use her to "play war games". Kushana has been noted as a complex antagonist. Susan J. Napier and Patrick Drazen note
9860-415: The name of the emperor who reigned before Namulis's father staged a coup. Charuka ( チヤルカ , Chiyaruka ) A Priest and commander of the Dorok armies. Though at first he fears the appearance of the " Blue-Clad One " as the prophesied warrior come to destroy Miralupa and the Dorok Empire, he later sees that Nausicaä is in reality a good person after she helps him attempt to destroy the engineered mold that
9976-423: The neighboring Dorok lands. The Torumekians have a strong military, but the Doroks, whose ancestors bioengineered the progenitors of the Sea of Corruption, have developed a genetically modified version of a mold from the Sea of Corruption. When the Doroks introduce this mold into battle, its rapid growth and mutation result in a daikaisho (roughly translated from Japanese as "great tidal wave "), which floods across
10092-483: The omnipresence of gods and spirits and Hiroshi Aoi's argument that Nausicaä's self-sacrifice is grounded on an animistic recognition of such spirits. Ogihara-Schuck quotes Miyazaki's comments in which he indicated that Nausicaä's self-sacrifice is not as a savior of her people but is a decision driven by her desire to return the baby Ohmu and by her respect for nature, as she is "dominated by animism". Ogihara-Schuck concludes that in many of his later films, much more than in
10208-422: The option of much variation in his line. He notes that in the later chapters Miyazaki uses his line art to draw attention to individuals and that he more frequently separates them from the background. As a result there are more panels in which the main characters stand out vividly in the latter part of the manga. Miyazaki has stated in interviews that he frequently worked close to publication deadlines and that he
10324-400: The panels are just beautiful to look at. It is bad because the size of the manga causes the panels within to be very small, and some of these panels are just crammed with detailed artwork. That can sometimes cause some confusion about what is happening to which person during an action scene." The Perfect Collection edition of the manga is out of print. In his column House of 1000 Manga for
10440-416: The polluted land. The Forest People, humans who have learned to live in harmony with the Sea of Corruption, confirm this is the purpose of the Sea of Corruption and one of them shows Nausicaä a vision of the restored Earth at the center of the forest. Nausicaä travels deeper into Dorok territory, where her coming has long been prophesied, to seek those responsible for manipulating the mold. There, she encounters
10556-423: The population and the world's environment is at odds with Nausicaä's belief in the natural order. She argues that mankind's behaviour has not been improved significantly by the activities of those inside the crypt, and the crypt itself is incapable of change. Strife and cycles of violence have continued to plague the world in the thousand years following their interference, as Nausicaä believes humanity has no need for
10672-430: The precept that a film requires an opening and a closing of the story. He stated that, within the confines he set for closing the story, he took the film's narrative up to Nausicaä's "Copernican turn ( コペルニクス的転回 , koperunikusutekitenkai ) ", which came after the character realises the nature of the Sea of Corruption. There are significant differences in plot, with more locations, factions and characters appearing in
10788-493: The role of his mother, to control his destructive powers and to adjust his single minded perception of the divisions in the world. Soon afterwards Ohma starts deteriorating and rotting away until his death, although a reason is never given, it is assumed that it is due to his premature hatching and the continued use of his nuclear powers (The fire of heaven). Through their interactions Ohma's intelligence increases drastically and he begins to mature: discoursing about justice and how he
10904-449: The role. Reito Adachi observes that the name of the ' Nausicaä' character was changed, to the more English sounding, " Zandra " for the simplified and cut New World Pictures release of the film, titled Warriors of the Wind (1985). Jihl ( ジル , Jiru ) Nausicaä's father. King of the Valley of the Wind. Shown as a bedridden old man throughout his appearances except in flashbacks. The manga and film differ in his ultimate fate. In
11020-454: The same coin", but Kushana has "deep, physical wounds". Voice cast: Yoshiko Sakakibara (Japanese), Uma Thurman (English, 2005) The name of the Kushana character was changed, to the more English sounding, "Selina" for the simplified and cut New World Pictures release of the film, titled Warriors of the Wind (1985). Kurotowa ( クロトワ , Kurotowa ) Kushana's aide and a spy for
11136-432: The same mistakes that he did, saying that killing even one treacherous noble will lead to a path of endless killing. Three princes ( 3皇子 , 3 ōji ) The first prince dies when his airship is attacked by insects. The two other princes are shown to be similar to the first, but state that their behavior was an act to convince their father that they were stupid and therefore, not a threat. The two are content to stay with
11252-482: The screen and new characters were created who appear exclusively in the film. Valley of the Wind ( 風の谷 , Kaze no Tani ) Nausicaä ( ナウシカ , Naushika ) The protagonist of the film is Nausicaä, the Princess of the Valley of the Wind. As a courageous and caring person, she has a special connection with animals and the natural world. From a young age, she explores the ecosystem of her world and also develops
11368-515: The series on hiatus to work on the films My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service . The series resumed for the fifth time in the April 1990 issue and was halted in the May 1991 issue when Miyazaki worked on Porco Rosso . The series resumed for the final time in the March 1993 issue. The final panel is dated January 28, 1994. The last chapter was released in the March 1994 issue of Animage . By
11484-497: The series ran again until June 1983 when it went on hiatus again due to Miyazaki's work on the film adaptation of the series. Serialization of the manga resumed for the third time from the August 1984 issue but halted again in the May 1985 issue when Miyazaki placed the series on hiatus to work on Castle in the Sky . Serialization resumed for the fourth time in the December 1986 issue and was halted again in June 1987 when Miyazaki placed
11600-403: The series: Miyazaki's sepia-inked art is precise, delicate, and detailed. He achieves an incredible dynamism and motion across the page. The rich array of characters, multiple themes, and densely interwoven plot ensure that the message, while worthy, is nuanced. Exploring conflict, politics, and religion, Miyazaki achieves a grand, epic sweep that is rarely seen in comics, and particularly in such
11716-613: The story. They have the ability to fly by "twisting space" and can fire devastating energy beams. These abilities are fueled by nuclear energy and contact with them is known to cause radiation poisoning , which suggests that the Seven Days of Fire may have been at least partially a nuclear holocaust . The characters of the manga refer to the radiation emitted by the God Warriors as "poisonous light." As later proven no conventional weapons work on them and all attempts to destroy them were futile. Ohma ( オーマ , Ōma ) A God Warrior who
11832-415: The time Volumes 1 through 6 were in print. Volume 7 was not released until January 15, 1995. By 2005, over 11 million copies had been released for all 7 volumes combined. In December 2020, it was announced that the series had more than 17 million copies in circulation. Nausicaä was included by Stephen Betts in the comic book–centered reference book 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die , who said of
11948-508: The time working as editors for Animage . They saw the potential for collaboration on Tokuma's development into animation. Initially two projects were proposed to Tokuma Shoten, that are significant for the eventual creation of Nausicaä : Warring States Demon Castle ( 戦国魔城 , Sengoku ma-jō ) , to be set in the Sengoku period , and the adaptation of Corben's Rowlf , but they were rejected, on July 9, 1981. The proposals were rejected because
12064-541: The tradition of illustrated stories, emonogatari ( 絵物語 ) , and manga Miyazaki read while growing up, pointing out the influence of Fukushima on Miyazaki's People of the Desert which he in turn identifies as a precursor for both Shuna's Journey , created in watercolour and printed in colour, and Nausicaä . Miyazaki drew the Nausicaä chapters primarily in pencil. The work was printed monochrome in sepia toned ink. Frederik L. Schodt observed differences between Nausicaä and other Japanese manga. He has noted that it
12180-451: The two works. He went on to note that, in spite of a brief Yamakawa revival around that time, the media for story telling had progressed and a turning point in time had been passed. The story of the Nausicaä film is much simpler than that of the manga, roughly corresponding to the first two books of the manga, the point the story had reached when film production began. In his interview for Yom (1994) Miyazaki explained that he worked from
12296-566: The way. Miyazaki had given other names to the main character during development, but he settled on Nausicaä based on the name of the Greek princess of the same name from the Odyssey , as portrayed in Bernard Evslin 's Encyclopedia of Greek mythology , translated into Japanese by Minoru Kobayashi. In his essay On Nausicaä ( ナウシカのこと , Naushika no koto ) , printed in volume one of
12412-406: The world into a good and evil dichotomy . Kulubaluka ( クルバルカ , Kurubaruka ) The family name of the dynasty of Dorok kings that ruled before being dethroned in a coup d'état by the first "Holy Emperor". Only mentioned in the story in textual references. Name not revealed: once a pupil of the Master of the Garden, but departed with four Heedra to save the world, then usurped authority over
12528-423: The world is covered by the Sea of Corruption, a toxic forest of fungal life and plants which is steadily encroaching on the remaining open land. It is protected by large mutant insects, including the massive Ohmu. Humanity clings to survival in the polluted lands beyond the forest, periodically engaging in bouts of internecine fighting for the scarce resources that remain. The ability for space travel has been lost but
12644-537: Was also done by Walden Wong. Eriko Ogihara-Schuck compared the Japanese-language manga and anime with their English translations, and demonstrated that American translations resulted in the " Christianizing of Miyazaki's animism ", especially in the film version. One cause is the lack of English equivalents for some Japanese concepts; the other is the Judeo-Christian background and idioms of
12760-577: Was influenced by Mœbius . It was serialized intermittently in Animage from February 1982 to March 1994 and the individual chapters were collected and published by Tokuma Shoten in seven tankōbon volumes. It was serialized with an English translation in North America by Viz Media from 1988 to 1996 as a series of 27 comic book issues and has been published in collected form multiple times. Since its initial serialization, Nausicaä has become
12876-410: Was not always able to finish his monthly instalments for serialization in Animage . On such occasions he sometimes created apologetic cartoons. These were printed in the magazine, instead of story panels, to explain to his readers why there were fewer pages that month or why the story was absent entirely. Miyazaki has indicated that he continued making improvements to the story prior to the publication of
12992-619: Was released by Tokuma Shoten on September 5, 1995. The book contains artwork of the manga in watercolor, a selection of storyboards for the film, autographed pictures by Hayao Miyazaki and an Interview on the Birth of Nausicaä. Glénat released the book in French on November 9, 2006. Viz Media released the book in English on November 6, 2007. Viz's version of the book was released in Australia by Madman Entertainment on July 10, 2010. In 2012,
13108-478: Was released by Tokuma Shoten on June 20, 1984. Haksan released the art book in Korean on December 29, 2000. Glénat released the art book in French on July 7, 2001. Tokuma Shoten also released the contents of the book on CD-ROM for Windows 95 and Macintosh , with the addition of excerpts from Joe Hisaishi 's soundtrack from the film. The Art of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind : Watercolor Impressions
13224-480: Was serialized in the large A4 size of Animage , much larger than the normal size for manga. Schodt has also observed that Miyazaki drew much of Nausicaä in pencil without inking, and that the page and panel layouts, as well as the heavy reliance on storytelling, are more reminiscent of French comics than of Japanese manga. In appearance and sensibilities, Nausicaä reminds Schodt of the works of Mœbius . Takekuma has noted stylistic changes in Miyazaki's artwork over
13340-419: Was tasked with judging mankind. Together they travel to Shuwa where Nausicaä instructs him to deliver the final blow to the heart of the Crypt, once she discovers the nature of the entities in the Crypt and their designs for the future of the world. Ohma dies from the massive damage received while battling the crypt. Master of the Garden ( 庭の主 , niwa no nushi ) A mysterious entity tasked with preserving
13456-423: Was threatening to overwhelm the Dorok lands. Charuka then regrets and aids her during the rest of her journey and was willing to give up his life to save the Dorok people from the Emperor's tyranny. Charuka was saved by Nausicaä as he was about to be executed and later worked with Nausicaä and Chikuku to bring the survivors of the Daikaisho to safety. He valued the lives of the Dorok people above all else. Elder of
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