Depicting a world so different from ours, he drew intricate and detailed artwork of a strangely beautiful forest and creatures who inhabit it, of strange looking machines such as flying gunships, and of people and their lives which seem to be set in the Medieval Era rather than in the distant future. Yet, the issues which Nausicaä faced during her journey are the very issues we are facing today. The ending of this manga is likely to surprise you and make you think.

"Nausicaä" has been highly acclaimed and is very popular in Japan. In 1994, Miyazaki received the Japan Manga Artists' Association Award. "Nausicaä" sold more than 10 million copies total in Japan alone.

THE STORY

One thousand years after the "Seven Days of Fire", an apocolyptic war which destroyed modern human civilization and the world's ecology, the earth is covered by the "Sea of Corruption", a vast forest of fungi and plants that give off poisonous miasma (gas) and is inhabited by large deadly insects. Life in this world is most difficult for humans, but humans are still fighting over the small portions of inhabitable lands left to them around the edges of the Sea of Corruption. A war is about to broke out between the Kingdom of Torumekia and the Dorok Empire, and Nausicaä, the princess of a small country, the Valley of Wind, now has to leave the valley to join the Torumekian army, which is about to invade the Dorok Empire.

Although she is a skilled warrior, she hates killing, and is torn between the duty as a chieftain of her people and her love for every living creature, including Ohmu, the huge insects who protect the forest. Nausicaä's true desire is to solve the mystery of the Sea of Corruption, and find the "Blue Pure Land", a place where people can live without being threatened by the poison from the Sea of Corruption.

Through her desperate attempt to prevent anyone from being killed, she stumbles onto the secret of the Sea of Corruption. But this is just the beginning of her long, hard journey. In the end, she has to face the true secret of the world in which she lives and make a very difficult decision about the ultimate fate of the entire world.

A synopsis of the manga up to the volume five is available.

Also, see Time, Places and Characters.

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Serialized in:

Animage, the Japanese anime magazine published by Tokuma Shoten.

From Feb. 1992 to March 1994.

(Miyazaki went on hiatus several times to make movies)

                           

Published as:

Animage Comics Wide-Ban, "Kaze no Tani no Nausika" 1-7
(Animage Comics Wide, "Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind" 1-7)
1982-1995, Tokuma Shoten.
Softcover, B5 (10.1" x 7.2")

  also available as:

"Kaze no Tani no Nausika" (Joukan & Gekan)
(Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, Vol. 1 & 2)
1996, Tokuma shoten, 5631yen each.
Deluxe edition. Boxed hardcover, A4 (11.8" x 8.3")

For more detailed information, see Nausicaä around the World page.

                                      

English Translation:

VIZ Graphic Novel "Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind" 1-7

  also available as:

VIZ "Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind" Perfect Collection 1-4

(For more detailed information, see Nausicaä around the World page.)

A PC volume contains two GN volumes or one and part of another, so it's a more affordable version. The GN volume presentations is nicer since it has a dust cover, and better quality paper and includes a watercolor page inside (except vol. 6 and 7). Both are about the same size (about 8"x 5.5"). Volume 1-5 of the GN are now out of print.

Both are available from Viz Communications PO Box 77010, San Francisco, CA 94107.

They are beautifully translated by Studio Proteus, and later by Matt Thorn.

To know more about how "Nausicaä" was translated into English, see the interesting article by Toren Smith (Studio Proteus) at Comic Box page.

                        

In Other Languages:

"Nausicaä" has been translated into English, Chinese, and Italian. For more information and sample pages from these versions, please see Nausicaä around the World page.

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Related Media:

Animation Film:  "Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä", directed by Miyazaki, 1984.

Books:  See Booklist

CDs:  See CD list

FAQ:  See FAQ (for the manga and the film)

                         

Interviews:

Unofficial Miyazaki Web Page
Comic Box Web Page

(These interviews by Miyazaki often contain major spoilers about the ending of the manga. Please proceed with caution if you have not read the entire series.)

                 

Reviews:

At Amazon Com. Bookstore