Gahhh I love the Nausicaa manga SO MUCH and really need to finish it. It expands on her character so amazingly, it really lets you get to know her in a way the film sort of stumbles on due to time constraints. And I thought it was interesting that they emphasised her gender much more than in the film; early on, her father muses that a woman has never led them before, and that it could be problem, because while she’s a great leader with great potential people might not accept her. I mean, there’s implicit stuff in the film (like the way it’s assumed the ‘chosen one’ figure is a man, and it ends up being her), but never as blatant IIRC? It makes sense since the manga also emphasises the political side more, of course.
But I just love that Nausicaa is this interesting mix of being a very physically capable heroine, who can hold her own in a fight, fly, etc. etc. while also being a very compassionate, emotional person. She’s not any kind of extreme, she’s made up of a lot of different traits, and that’s cool to see. Being tough doesn’t have to mean being cold! Women do not have to be written as closed off all the time to be badass!
And, you know, she’s a ‘princess’ style character who actually has to deal with what that means, which I always love. Female daughters of leaders: actually have to worry about the ‘leading’ thing at some point, ahem, Disney.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Warrior/pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.
A pre-Ghibli movie by Hayao Miyazaki, the Ghibli films still hasn’t got that Totoro logo yet. This movie is quite old but the Ghibili magic is still there. This movie’s story is similar to Princess Mononoke in terms that it’s about war, human greed and the forest trying to preserve itself. You will not see magical beings, fantasy like other Ghibli movies. But you will not see gods or demons here, but rather gigantic insects, the ohms and a deadly polluted forest. The air is toxic that people have to wear a mask once they enter the forest. The protagonist of this story is Princess Nausicaa, in order to save her people from the rage of the ohms and the greed of another kingdom, she has to make decisions and make big sacrifices. She is selfless and brave, her heart goes out to the forest and she understands the insects with her ways. A ship crashed on their kingdom bringing with them a great calamity. Now torn between the war of two kingdoms, and her own kingdom in a brink of extinction and massacre, she must stop these pointless wars and the ohms from destroying her home.
P.S. This movie made me cry. T^T
Requested by lunaticwisdom.
(By the way, I have this saved on my computer as “BAMF scene.” I think it’s appropriate.)
