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"Kaze no Tani no Naushika", or "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" (known to fans as simply '''Nausicaä''' or '''Nausicaa''') is a 1264-page graphic novel written and drawn by Hayao Miyazaki. | "Kaze no Tani no Naushika", or "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" (known to fans as simply '''Nausicaä''' or '''Nausicaa''') is a 1264-page graphic novel written and drawn by Hayao Miyazaki from 1982 to 1994. The story reflects Miyazaki's self-proclaimed interest in the social role of technology and nature, as well as in strong female characters. While Oni's Wilderness, born of the [[BioCrisis]], seems to be inspired by the toxic wilderness in Nausicaa, the story was never stated by Oni's developers to be an influence on the game. | ||
The movie features a dramatically shortened plot | The manga was adapted as a feature-length animated movie in 1984, directed by Miyazaki himself and produced by Studio Ghibli. The movie features a dramatically shortened plot, and it was adapted early in the life of the manga, so it omits the story's "true ending" that came a decade later. The movie also simplifies the story by leaving out the Doroks and Shuwa, instead focusing on Kushana's misunderstanding of the Forest. | ||
==Overview== | |||
===Prior or further reading=== | |||
Wikipedia has an article [[wp:Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (manga)|about the manga]] and [[wp:Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|about the movie]]. For more insight, read the (rather long) [[Nausicaa/Miyazaki interview|interview about the manga]]. Other interviews and facts can be found in the making-of books (a particularly remarkable one is "Watercolor Impressions"...). | |||
= | ===A sorta summary=== | ||
==A sorta summary== | |||
;HERE BE SPOILERS | ;HERE BE SPOILERS | ||
The graphic novel originated from a few diverse concepts Miyazaki had been experimenting with. They all had in common a somewhat improbable blend of technology (airplanes, guns, bombs) with a fantasy design (knight armors, beasts, medieval state regimes). This was reconciled within a | The graphic novel originated from a few diverse concepts Miyazaki had been experimenting with. They all had in common a somewhat improbable blend of technology (airplanes, guns, bombs) with a fantasy design (knight armors, beasts, medieval state regimes). This was reconciled within a post-apocalyptic theme. | ||
Nausicaä's world was nearly destroyed a thousands years ago by the Seven Days of Fire, and is plagued by polluted areas known as the Sea of Corruption. The human population in the scope of the story is fragmented into kingdoms that often engage in war. The sources of the conflict are the people's misunderstanding of the dynamics of the Sea of Corruption (it expands in reaction to attacks, but its role is to purify the world) and abuse of biotechnology granted to one leader or the other by the Guardian of the Crypt of Shuwa (in exchange for protection). The Guardian of the Crypt watches over Mankind through the dark centuries of pollution, but it periodically breaks the military balance by overpowering the leader it seeks protection from, and thus sends the world into cycles of war. | Nausicaä's world was nearly destroyed a thousands years ago by the Seven Days of Fire, and is plagued by polluted areas known as the Sea of Corruption. The human population in the scope of the story is fragmented into kingdoms that often engage in war. The sources of the conflict are the people's misunderstanding of the dynamics of the Sea of Corruption (it expands in reaction to attacks, but its role is to purify the world) and abuse of biotechnology granted to one leader or the other by the Guardian of the Crypt of Shuwa (in exchange for protection). The Guardian of the Crypt watches over Mankind through the dark centuries of pollution, but it periodically breaks the military balance by overpowering the leader it seeks protection from, and thus sends the world into cycles of war. | ||
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Having identified the Crypt of Shuwa as the source of military unrest and spiritual alienation in the world, Nausicaä enlists the newborn God Warrior and sets off to destroy the Crypt, but not without finding out the secret behind that calamity. It turns out that the Crypt is the repository of all knowledge from the old days, supposed to guide Mankind towards symbiosis with an eventually regenerated Earth. In an act of faith, Nausicaa refuses this programmed evolution and destroys the Crypt. | Having identified the Crypt of Shuwa as the source of military unrest and spiritual alienation in the world, Nausicaä enlists the newborn God Warrior and sets off to destroy the Crypt, but not without finding out the secret behind that calamity. It turns out that the Crypt is the repository of all knowledge from the old days, supposed to guide Mankind towards symbiosis with an eventually regenerated Earth. In an act of faith, Nausicaa refuses this programmed evolution and destroys the Crypt. | ||
==In-depth analysis== | |||
If you forget about the Seven Days of Fire, Miyazaki's story pretty much fits as a distant sequel to Oni, along the lines of [[Hasegawa]]'s plan as interpreted by [[Mai]]. It is also compelling to introduce some of the more elaborate aspects of Miyazaki's storytelling into Oni's universe, be it general literary wisdom or more specific concepts. | |||
==Lack of an Enemy== | |||
Miyazaki's story is remarkable for its lifelike complexity and the absence of well-defined antagonists, which is not a common thing in war/fantasy stories. Even the most ruthless characters are redeemed by a credible set of beliefs and motivations, and character roles evolve a lot as the story progresses. Such a story might be confusing and even frustrating to readers, as it is at odds with popular storytelling canons: it's actually more characteristic of "belles lettres" literature, or sophisticated science-fiction such as [[wp:Stanisław Lem|Stanislaw Lem's]]. More than anything, Miyazaki's story is a reflection on the nature of man with its intrinsic imperfections and weaknesses, and an anthological one at that. The dialectical handling of technology and its role in the evolution of Mankind is a sort of "sound pessimism" akin to that which permeates Stanislaw Lem's stories (and more notably the essay [[wp:Summa Technologiae|Summa Technologiae]]). | |||
==Lack of an | |||
Miyazaki's story is remarkable for its lifelike complexity and the absence of well-defined antagonists, which is not a common thing in war/fantasy stories. Even the most ruthless characters are redeemed by a credible set of beliefs and motivations, and character roles evolve a lot as the story progresses. Such a story might be confusing and even frustrating to readers, as it is at odds with popular storytelling canons: it's actually more characteristic of "belles lettres" literature, or sophisticated science-fiction such as [[ | |||
It is interesting to develop Oni in an enemy-less way. In what way is Muro evil? and his Strikers? | It is interesting to develop Oni in an enemy-less way. In what way is Muro evil? and his Strikers? | ||
:Could it be that they are doing what they think is right? What about Hasegawa's plan for Mankind? | :Could it be that they are doing what they think is right? What about Hasegawa's plan for Mankind? | ||
==Female heroine== | ===Female heroine=== | ||
Nausicaä is a skilled fighter with a few supernatural powers, including the "wind sense", telepathy and a touch of telekinesis when she's angry. She's also poised between her distinctive love for all living things, her great sense of responsibility, and her dramatic, fateful decisions. Her quest for the truth is marked by the deaths of many exceptional people, and she also seals the very fate of Mankind at the Crypt. | Nausicaä is a skilled fighter with a few supernatural powers, including the "wind sense", telepathy and a touch of telekinesis when she's angry. She's also poised between her distinctive love for all living things, her great sense of responsibility, and her dramatic, fateful decisions. Her quest for the truth is marked by the deaths of many exceptional people, and she also seals the very fate of Mankind at the Crypt. | ||
Arguably, Oni's Konoko lacks that sort of wisdom, but it's a trait that could be developed in a post-Oni Mai. | Arguably, Oni's Konoko lacks that sort of wisdom, but it's a trait that could be developed in a post-Oni Mai. | ||
==Autoevolution of man and paradigm of controlled technology== | ===Autoevolution of man and paradigm of controlled technology=== | ||
In the last volume of the graphic novel, it turns out that all of the population in Nausicaä's world was genetically engineered to adapt to the polluted world - humans, birds and mammals to a somewhat lesser extent than insects. The humans did this to themselves in order to live through the impending centuries of "dead air and foul water" after the Seven Days of Fire. The Sea of Corruption is in fact a man-made entity that purifies the water and the air, slowly but surely. As it is, there are areas deep inside the Sea of Corruption where the regeneration is complete, however the air there is so pure that it is deadly to the human population. | In the last volume of the graphic novel, it turns out that all of the population in Nausicaä's world was genetically engineered to adapt to the polluted world - humans, birds and mammals to a somewhat lesser extent than insects. The humans did this to themselves in order to live through the impending centuries of "dead air and foul water" after the Seven Days of Fire. The Sea of Corruption is in fact a man-made entity that purifies the water and the air, slowly but surely. As it is, there are areas deep inside the Sea of Corruption where the regeneration is complete, however the air there is so pure that it is deadly to the current human population (which, again, is genetically engineered to survive in a toxic environment). | ||
Nausicaä's dilemma as she destroys the crypt of Shuwa is whether this reparation of environmental damage should or not be monitored by those who started it. The Guardian of the Crypt tells her that the regeneration is all planned out, complete with the technology that will make humans able to walk the regenerated Earth once again, undoing the original changes to both the world and its inhabitants. Nausicaä denies the "light" and destroys the Guardian, stating that programmed evolution | Nausicaä's dilemma as she destroys the crypt of Shuwa is whether this reparation of environmental damage should or not be monitored by those who started it. The Guardian of the Crypt tells her that the regeneration is all planned out, complete with the technology that will make humans able to walk the regenerated Earth once again, undoing the original changes to both the world and its inhabitants. Nausicaä denies the "light" and destroys the Guardian, stating that this "programmed evolution" is against the very nature of man, just as the "perfectly harmonious and peaceful life" that's supposed to begin after the regeneration is complete. | ||
==See also== | |||
=See also= | |||
:[[Ergo Proxy]] and [[Wonderful Days]] - 2 other anime about the regeneration of a polluted Earth. | :[[Ergo Proxy]] and [[Wonderful Days]] - 2 other anime about the regeneration of a polluted Earth. | ||
:[[Beyond Good and Evil]] - another strong heroine, another messiah figure, another day saved. | :[[Beyond Good and Evil]] - another strong heroine, another messiah figure, another day saved. | ||
:[[Female fronted]] - various female figures in culture. | :[[Female fronted]] - various female figures in culture. | ||
[[Category:Added value]] | |||
[[Category:Oni influences]][[Category:Added value]] | |||