Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi

Creator/Studio: Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghilbi

Company: Buena Vista

DVD Info: 1 hour 56 min

Summary: Nausicaa, the princess of the Valley of the Four Winds, fights to defeat a poisonous jungle from infecting her land, as well as the the Tomikians, who wish to conquer it.

The Good: Like all of Studio Ghilbi's movies, Nausicaa is a masterpiece. (This was actually the studio's first film!) The story has a positive message and a poignant tone. Many of Miyazaki's movies have strong female leads (San in Princess Mononoke, Chihiro in Spirited Away and Shera in Castle in the Sky are all good examples) and Nausicaa is no exception. Her fearless, compassionate personality endears her to the audience. The story also has a great musical score.

The Bad: The animation slightly shows its age (it was made in 1984), but that's not really a minus.

Offensive Material: The movie has some violent moments, but nothing too frightening or disturbing for young children. There is a pagan undercurrent that is common in fantasy. However, as Rienna_the_Red of the Christian Anime Alliance puts it in her review: "Nausicaa actually comes across as a Christ figure. There is a legend in the Valley of the Four Winds that tells of a mysterious figure who will one day cleanse the land of the poisoned forests and bring harmony to the scattered outposts of human settlements. In the last 5min of the film that legendary figure is revealed to be Nausicaa. She gives up her life to save the warring clans of her people as well as the Ohmu insects. However, Nausicaa does not remain dead but picks herself up and proceeds to walk off into the clouds. Some may take offense to this loose parallel of the Judeo-Christian Messiah, but I don't feel that it's worth getting upset over. Miyazaki is certainly not making an attempt to substitute Jesus with Nausicaa."

Overall: This is Ghilbi's debut and a great classic. They were certainly off to a great start with this one! It's a must see for any serious anime fan.

My review: 4.0 Category: B (Borderline. Parental Guidance suggested)

Comment: This was also the first Miyazaki film to be released in the US. However, our version, retitled Warriors of the Wind was horribly butchered and saddened Miyazaki. Thankfully, Disney's version is untouched. Other Studio Ghilbi titles include Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko, Porco Rosso, My Neighbor Totoro, Only Yesterday, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is also available as a manga from Viz.