Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Difference between revisions

'''''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind''''' (''Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä'') is a post-apocalypic [[Science Fantasy]] manga and anime movie by [[Hayao Miyazaki]]. [[In a World]] dominated by a caustic jungle full of huge (horse-sized to town-hall-sized!) and dangerous insects, one of the few places left habitable is the Valley of the Wind -- aWind—a place where toxic spores produced by the jungle are kept from settling by the incessant breeze. The crash of a gigantic airplane into the valley leads to an invasion by [[The Empire|Torumekia]] and the revelation of a secret that could destroy what's left of humanity, if not the world...

Visually inventive and quite gripping, the heroine --— the eponymous NausicaaNausicaä --— eventually learns a [[Green Aesop]] about how Gaia knows best.

The success of the movie --— Miyazaki's first independent work --— led directly to the founding of [[Studio Ghibli]] and inspired [[Final Fantasy|Chocobos]]; it's also where [[Hideaki Anno]] got the prototype for the [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|EVAs]] (since he actually was the lead animator for the inspiring scene).

''NausicaaNausicaä'' suffered from a [[Macekre]] in its first English dub: characters were renamed, the [[Aesop]] was turned into a fragfest, and over half an hour of the film that lacked [[Stuff Blowing Up|any sort of action]] [[Executive Meddling|was thoroughly excised]]. The resulting mess was titled ''Warriors of the Wind'', and this particular [[Macekre]] led to Studio Ghibli's current policy to not allow their films to be cut for international distribution. (The current English version is provided by Ghibli's North American distributor --— [[Disney]] --— and it is uncut and unaltered.)

Two video game adaptations of NausicaaNausicaä were released; both were generic top-down shooters, which greatly offended Miyazaki, since the games openly subverted the message of his film. He has never allowed video games to be made from his films since.

* [[Ace Pilot]]: NausicaaNausicaä, of course.

* [[Action Girl]]: See aboveNausicaä.

** [[Action Duo]]: WithNausicaä and Asbel.

* [[Anachronism Stew]]: A sword-swinging calvarycavalry charge is usually backed up with machine gun fire from levitating bell jars. Not to mention that the Torumekian gunship pilot uniform consists of full medieval-style plate armourarmor complete with a spiked visor helmet.

* [[Armies Are Evil]]: At least the Tolmekians are {{spoiler|and the Pejite}}.

* [[Artificial Human]]: The Heedra and {{spoiler|the Garden Master}}.

* [[Badass Pacifist]]: NausicaaNausicaä. Most of the time she prefers to solve her problems nonviolently, and the one time she used a weapon to kill ([[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|after her father died]]) she was overcome with guilt. She does use a gun to ''[[Technical Pacifist|threaten]]'' the Pejite, though.

* [[Badass Princess]]: NausicaaNausicaä and Kushana.

* [[Barehanded Blade Block]]: Lord Yupa does this to prevent a slaughter aboard a ship, taking a sword point in the forearm, through his armor. Despite Yupa's calm, unflinching demeanor, NausicaaNausicaä is the only one who notices the blood dripping from the hilt, and the shudder of pain in Yupa's body, showing the extent Yupa will go to to keep the peace.

* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: All semblance of the compassionate, loving and unconditionally kind NausicaaNausicaä gets ripped away when her father is murdered: In her place emerges [[Unstoppable Rage|a rampaging beast in the guise of a Princess]], who proceeds to ''[[Foe-Tossing Charge|slaughter]]'' the soldiers responsible. This is even more pronounced in the manga, where NausicaaNausicaä's father only dies later of natural causes and she flies off the handle simply because the soldiers were trespassing on her kingdom and getting spores everywhere. She only kills one guy, though.

* [[Call a Rabbit Aa Smeerp]]: Ohmus, or giant trilobites. It translates to "king insect", not too far off given their size and [[Nigh Invulnerability]].

* [[Call a Smeerp Aa Rabbit]]: [[wikipedia:Fennec fox|Fox]]-Squirrel, or striped chihuahua-cat-rat life form

* [[Coat, Hat, Mask]]: Master Yupa wears an outfit like this when NausicaaNausicaä first meets him, which makes sense since humans have to wear gas masks at all times to protect themselves from the Toxic Jungle.

* [[Cool Plane]]/ [[Cool Ship]]: NausicaaNausicaä's Mehve/Möwe. The Valley's Gunship gets its own share of the spotlight, too.

* [[CrucifiedDaddy's Hero ShotGirl]]: WhenNausicaä Nausicaaappears risksto hertake lifeafter toher stopfather thequite Pejitea frombit, destroyingwhich theis Valley,why she flies atinto themsuch ona herrage gliderwhen with her arms outstretchedhe's {{spoiler|andmurdered getsby shot twice. She gets betterthe thoughKolmekians}}.

* [[Expy]]: NausicaaNausicaä is an expy of Maki Oyamada, a character in the final episode of the 2nd series of ''[[Lupin III]]'' "Farewell, Beloved Lupin". She even shares the same voice actor, [[wikipedia:Sumi Shimamoto|Sumi Shimamoto]]. Of course, this episode was made by Hayao Miyazaki.

* [[The Final Temptation]]: NausicaaNausicaä's (involuntary) stay in the {{spoiler|Garden}}. [[Lotus Eater Machine|Just being there]] saps visitors of their determination, soothing their hearts to the point they forget their mission and even friends who have {{spoiler|just died}}.

* [[Fiery Redhead]]: Subverted with NausicaaNausicaä.

** Master Yupa explicitly alludes to this when NausicaaNausicaä, consumed by rage, takes on the exact same attitude as an angry Ohmu.

* [[Friend to All Living Things]]: NausicaaNausicaä takes this much further than most. She's able to calm the rage of rampaging giant insects in addition to being able to befriend cute-looking animals.

** [[Friend to Bugs]]: NausicaaNausicaä is sympathetic toward the giant insects of the poisonous forest, particularly the dinosaur - sized ohmuOhmu. In a flashback scene, she's shown trying to keep a tiny ohmuOhmu as a pet as a small child, and tried to hide it from adults.

* [[Garden of Evil]]: The Sea of Corruption, {{spoiler|at least at first.}} In the manga, though, NausicaaNausicaä considers {{spoiler|the Hidden Garden}} to be uncomfortably close to this.

* [[Heel Realization]]: {{spoiler|The King of Torumekia}}, although [[Redemption Equals Death|too late to do anything about it]], as well as nearly anyone who takes NausicaaNausicaä seriously and isn't a [[The Chessmaster|Chessmaster]].

* [[Important Haircut]]: Kushana slices off her braids as a pledge to avenge her soldiers who were killed when her brothers betrayed her. Also, NausicaaNausicaä in the manga gets an [[Important Haircut]] prior to leaving the valley.

* [[Implausible Fencing Powers]]: NausicaaNausicaä. Whether wielding an [[Ancestral Weapon|ancestral]] [[BFSBig Freaking Sword]] longer than she is tall, or her signature Ohmu-shell blade, she's a whirl of destruction all on her own. Only Master Yupa stands above her.

** [[OldElderly MasterSensei|Who do you think taught her?]]

* [[Improbable Aiming Skills]]: Again, NausicaaNausicaä, oh so much. She doesn't carry a rifle in her glider for ''ballast''.

* [[Improbable Piloting Skills]]: Who else? NausicaaNausicaä's mastery of the winds lets her do things with her glider, even when its engine breaks down, that people in jet engine gunships can only ''dream'' of doing.

* [[The Ingenue]]: NausicaaNausicaä, sort of. She's kind, gentle and forgiving but instead of child-like innocence it underscores her maturity instead. She's also much more [[Action Girl|physically inclined]] as well.

* [[Inferred Holocaust]]: The defeat of {{spoiler|the Crypt of Shuwa}} marks a subtle endgame scenario. Selm tells NausicaaNausicaä that the center of the forest, {{spoiler|where the toxins have been cleansed, is uninhabitable by the present humans, plants, and animals. Everything was modified to survive along side the forest, and cannot survive in the cleansed world.}} The forest will survive, but {{spoiler|all mankind will perish.}} The final confrontation reveals {{spoiler|the Crypt's}} plans to restore the world to it's pre-Days of Fire state using its {{spoiler|"eggs", preserved animals and humans}}, which are destroyed by Ohma. Without the advanced engineering {{spoiler|the Crypt}} possesses, humanity is doomed to slow extinction. This fulfills NausicaaNausicaä's role as {{spoiler|the Blue-Clad One: the prophecy is revealed in the fourth book to not be of a messianic savior, but an angel of death and release, harbinger of the ultimate end.}}

** And yet, NausicaaNausicaä assures him that {{spoiler|though he believes humanity is doomed to destruction, life may just find a way without the [[Ancient Conspiracy|interference of the Cult.]]}} In fact, her own experiments about the Sea of Corruption, as well as the Dream of the Ohmu, point to {{spoiler|a world where the current humanity can indeed exist in a world already purified by the forest}}. It is only the {{spoiler|Crypt of Shuwa which calls her on destroying (the old) humanity's chances, but the Heart of the Crypt isn't exactly the best judge of character nor does it care for (or desire) the current humanity's survival.}}

* [[Let's Get Dangerous]]: Lord Yupa. For most of the film, his swordfightingsword-fighting skills are just an [[Informed Attribute]], until he [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown|takes down]] a squad of [[Mooks]] with them.

* [[Loyal Animal Companion]]: Teto to NausicaaNausicaä. Kai and Kui also sometimes act like this towards NausicaaNausicaä and Master Yupa.

* [[Magic Skirt]]: Played straight with in the introductory scene where NausicaaNausicaä is landing her glider, but otherwise averted as her skirt flies up all the time (she's wearing tights).

* [[Martial Pacifist]]: NausicaaNausicaä, and all the people of the Valley.

* [[The Messiah]]: {{spoiler|NausicaaNausicaä}}.

* [[Missing Mom]]: NausicaaNausicaä's mother appears in a flashback, but at the time of the film only her father is alive. {{spoiler|And not for long, either.}}

* [[Modest Royalty]]: NausiccaNausicaä is a princess, but you'd never know it by looking at her.

* [[Named After Somebody Famous]]: NausicaaNausicaä is also the name of a character in ''[[The Odyssey (Literature)|The Odyssey]]''.

* [[Nay Theist]]: {{spoiler|NausicaaNausicaä,}} of a sorts. There are creatures running around that are pretty close to [[Physical God|PhysicalGods]], like the God Warrior and the God of the Crypt, but she refuses to treat them as deities.

* [[No OSHA Compliance]]: Justified in that the OSHA died out along with Industrialized Civilization. The Pejiti excavcationexcavation is really ''not'' safe and has a ''lot'' of accidents, including one of Kurotowa's soldiers falling a hundred or so feet to his death in front of him.

* {{spoiler|[[Our Hero Is Dead]]}}: [[Back From the Dead|But not for long.]]

** [[Prophecy Twist]]: "''And that one shall come to you garbed in raiment of blue and descending upon a field of gold...''" But the prophecy didn't foresee that the "raiment of blue" would only be so because it was {{spoiler|drenched in Ohmu blood}}, and the "field of gold" consisted of {{spoiler|the shining, golden feelers of the innumerable Ohmu gathered below and around NausicaaNausicaä}}. Even the tapestry depicting the prophecy tries to subvert the audience's expectations by displaying [[The Messiah]] as a ''male'' figure of Middle Eastern appearance with some sort of brown pheasant perched on his shoulder.

* [[Psychic Link]]: NausicaaNausicaä (and Selm) can project her will, and sometimes actual thoughts, upon other people, as well as perceive the same from Ohmu and the hivemind of lesser insects. This is part of what makes her a [[Friend to All Living Things]], and often results in [[Psychic Dreams for Everyone]].

* [[Psychopathic Manchild]]: In the manga, the God-Warrior that NausicaaNausicaä basically raises. When she has to raise her voice, ''the building sized radioactive engine of destruction starts cowering with its hands on its head'', whimpering that Mommy is angry. She wasn't even yelling at him.

* [[Ribcage Ridge]]: The overgrown, hollow exoskeletons of the fallen God Warriors are everywhere -- ineverywhere—in fact, a massive 'skull' rising from the Sea of Corruption is one of the first images of the manga.

** NausicaaNausicaä and Kushana.

** All the Former Eftal cheiftanschieftains. It's in their treaties with Torumekia that they have to fight alongside them in wartime if they want to retain their nominal independanceindependence.

* [[Save the Villain]]: NausicaaNausicaä rescues Kushana when their ship is going down. This turns out to have serious consequences later on.

* [[Secret Underground Passage]]: NausicaaNausicaä has one in her room leading to a garden.

* [[Schizo-Tech]]: Medieval castles and armourarmor coexist alongside WWII fighter planes and tanks. See [[Anachronism Stew]].

* [[Science Hero]]: NausicaaNausicaä, to an extent. As the scene in her underground greenhouse shows, she's able to solve the problems between humanity and the Ohmu because she understands them and realizes why the balance of nature needs to be preserved.

* [[Science Is Bad]]: In the manga, this is subverted. While the scientists who are responsible for the world's current state almost certainly caused more problems than they solved, their creations are shown to be just as capable of kindness and wisdom as any natural lifeform. NausicaaNausicaä also dabbles in botany and chemistry, using science to determine that {{spoiler|the plants of the toxic jungle are not actually toxic}} which is a subversion.

* [[Small Girl, Big Gun]]: NausicaaNausicaä when she grabs aholda hold of a Pejite machine gun. She doesn't actually kill anyone with it though, just intimidates them.

* [[Surrounded Byby Idiots]]: The men under Kurotowa's command seem to be rather incompetent, which annoys him to no end.

* [[Sword and Gun]]: All over the place, including the knife and rifle carried by NausicaaNausicaä herself. Guns are used as ranged weapons and swords as melee weapons (and in an interesting twist, the guns are rather archaic but swords are incredibly durable).

* [[Unfinished, Untested, Used Anyway]]: Kushana's attempt to use the Giant before it's complete.

* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: NausicaaNausicaä, after [[You Killed My Father|her father is murdered]] by the Tolmekians. She kills nearly everyone in the room before Master Yupa intervenes.

* [[Victoria's Secret Compartment]]: When her ship is going down, NausicaaNausicaä stores Teto in the front of her shirt.

* [[Warrior Prince]]: Kushana, of course; NausicaaNausicaä to a lesser extent.

* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: At the very end of the manga, it's revealed that {{spoiler|the [[Master Computer|Heart of the Crypt]] was programmed this way. It was built to raise an entire ecosystem that would wipe Earth clean of its creators' mistakes, and then ''destroy'' said ecosystem so the original humankind could be resuscitated to rule the world again. And it's willing to kill the current humans to do so}}.

** [[Word of God|Word of Miyazaki]] states that NausicaaNausicaä's resurrection near the end of the movie was not meant to be analogous to Jesus and that he would have changed it if somebody had pointed out the similarities before the film came out.

* [[Winged Humanoid]]: Explicitly averted and ridiculed: when NausicaaNausicaä is identified as [[The Messiah]] by a throng of religious people, they wonder where her (prophesized) angel wings are. [[Wise Beyond Their Years|Chikoku]] angrily states that only a monster would have wings and that, instead, NausicaaNausicaä's white glider fills this role.

* [[ZipYoungest MeChild UpWins]]: KushanaNausicaä asksis Nausicaayounger tothan fastenany of her armoursiblings atand, oneunlike pointany inof thethem, manga.lived [[Leslong Yay]]?enough to become Ofan courseadult.

[[Category:Nausicaa of the Valley of The WindTopcraft]]