Rating: 
Summary: The (second) translator's perspective
Review: I translated the last 3/7 of this series, and in nine years of translating about 5000 pages of manga, this was the best and most important title I worked on. If you go way back to the earliest reviews here (1998), you'll find some very nice comments by Toren Smith about my translation, but I must say Toren and Dana's was a hard act to follow. They did an excellent job on the first 4/7, and my biggest challenge was to maintain both their tone and their level of quality. I give it four stars here only because I'm a bit disturbed by the way fans treat this work as a sacred text, flawless and beyond criticism. It is a great work, but, no, it is not the Lord of the Rings. Tolkein spent his entire life creating the world of Middle Earth (and not doing much else, itseems, other than teaching linguistics). For Miyazaki, the Nausicaa manga was a side project he worked on in between his many brilliant animated films. There were often long breaks, and many fans feared he would never finish it. As a result, yes, there is some inconsistency in tone and even theme. But the story only gets better and better as Miyazaki matures and his thinking becomes more nuanced and complex. The Nausicaa we see here in the later volumes is not the two-dimensional messiah figure of Miyazaki's (excellent) 1983 animated film of the same name. She is wracked by doubts, is sometimes ready to give up, and even experiences what might be a nervous breakdown. But what I want to talk about here is the experience of translating Nausicaa and the almost religious devotion of non-Japanese fans to this work. I never got so much e-mail about anything else I ever translated. For example, one time I had to translate an episode while I was on the road, and I didn't have the previous translations with me. A character appeared who hadn't appeared since the first volume, and I couldn't remember how Toren and Dana had transliterated her name, so I took my best shot and asked the editor to check for consistency. The editor didn't check, and as it turned out I had transliterated it differently (I think they had named her "Ketcha" and I had named her "Kecha," or something like that.) Wow! When the episode was published, fans went ballistic! What was more surreal, though, was the fact that fans were relying to a great extent on a so-called "fan translation" of the animated movie for reference. This unauthorized "translation" is laughably bad, and was done by a person who, although prolific, is utterly unqualified to translate Japanese. But this self-appointed translator has (or at least had) an almost god-like status among fans, and I would get letters complaining that I had "mistranslated" a line, because my translation differed from that of the unauthorized translation. In other words, the gross mistranslations of the "fan-subber" had become canonical, even where they completely reversed the meaning of the original! Today I am an associate professor in Japan's first and only Department of Comic Art, at Kyoto Seika University. I teach about the history and sociocultural aspects of manga and comics from around the world to some of the most talented aspiring manga artists in Japan. (Every year, about 400 applicants vie for 40 openings in our program.) You could say that I have dedicated my life to preaching the gospel of sequential art, and I mean that only half-jokingly. So I think I'm qualified to say this. Take a deep breath now. Step back, and look at things in perspective. This is a great manga. No, it's a great comic, or graphic novel, or whatever you want to call it. But it is not the Bible. It is not the Koran. It is not the Talmud, or the Lotus Sutra. It's the side project of a man who considers himself foremost an animator, and who creates comics almost as a hobby. There are actually many manga that are arguably better than this (though this may be the best ever translated into English). Uncritical worship will only make prospective readers skeptical. Four stars is probably good enough, and four stars is nothing to sneeze at.
Rating: 
Summary: Nausicaa cries out to become an anime series.
Review: Hayao Miyazaki lent his drawing talent, and extraordinary eye for detail and storytelling to this epic. A cautionary tale of an all too possible future, focuses on what ignorance, neglect, and exploitation of the environment may cause. The scope of this tale could easily translate into a season or two, of quality anime in Japan. It would be hard to turn down such a Miyazaki backed project, given his track record. Unfortunately, his production company specialized in movies, and not anime series. A movie of Nausicaa was made, and the Japanese version is considered a classic. The film however, condensed too much of the story that existed, and other parts had not even been completed as yet in the manga. It would be nice one day to present the entire epic in anime form.Like many long epics, this story follows the classic line of what is called, the "Hero's Journey". Nausicaa a young girl with a kind, determined heart, and a sense of destiny, is the hero. Like most tales of such scope, the hero's call to action, must be precipitated by dire events. The hero is not usually someone who sees him or herself in that role. Like Nausacaa's character, they possess extraordinary characteristics, which are brought to the surface by need or tragedy. Along the way, (Journey) the hero, (heroine in this case) is changed by his/her accomplishments. This graphic novel set is unlike any other that I own. I can read through a 200-page Ranma 1/2 book in an hour. Many others, whether humor or action, rarely take more that an hour and a half. They are entertaining for sure, but I rarely feel like I've read any real literature. Nausicaa is different, I found that to follow, and enjoy the story, reading 20-30 pages at a sitting was quite fulfilling. The depth of story, detail of the art, inspired my imagination, and I wanted to take a break to digest what I'd read. It took me six months, of off and on reading to complete the four volumes, "Perfect Collection". I think the author of the graphic novels forward was correct in saying, this is considered to be the greatest graphic novel ever written. This is definitely not for the casual comic book reader. If you want to see big booms, and bangs on every page, pass these books on by. Better yet check out the free pages Amazon.com has posted and determine if you like what you see. You'll rarely find a better value than this, in compiled manga collections.
Rating:
Summary: Nausicaa
Review: This graphic novel has a great and diverse plot creating a wonderful experience in japanese animation. Loved it!
Rating:
Summary: A must read for any Miyazaki or Tolkien Fan!!
Review: Yes, it is in fact all you hear from these online reviews. You hear maybe even possibly *slightly* biased reports on how fantastic this book really is. Okay, so maybe I too am slightly biased. I am a complete Miyazaki fanatic, My Neighbor Totoro being the first movie I ever sat all the way through in a theater in my life, but i truly believe that this is as good as it gets (in the world of Manga). It is my belief that the world would be a better place if everyone read this, because it really puts things into perspective for you. Most people turn their noses up at a so called "comic book" (and trust me I have tried time and time again to convince an old English teacher of mine that it was in fact a real book with a plot, etc.), but they really dont know what they are missing out on. Being not one of the many slapstick, martial arts-related, or gals-and-guys-that-look-way-too-good-to-be-real mangas sets this apart from anything else I have ever read. I love Princess Mononoke. This, for all of you who have seen and enjoyed this movie, is better (dont explode on me, but it really is!). This is also for those of you who enjoy a good Tolkien story. It has an intriguing plot with complex characters and, though far-fethced, believable circumstances. It is really a movie in the form of a book, the technique and dialogue is extremely theatrical. My only regrets are that they flopped the graphics, so everything is in the reverse of how it was intended to be, and that the series finally ended! I am looking forward to seeing the re-released movie adaptation of this book, which supposedly is in the process of being dubbed in English. I wrote the above portion of my review several months ago, and it is now Dec. first and i have just completed reading this entire work for the third time since late may. Really, it is that good! I have noticed something new each time i read it,just like in princess mononoke (which i have watched AT LEAST 30 times), where i realized last week that the reason he restrings his bow while fighting Nago is that it broke when he and Ji-san fell out of the tower into the tree. I like every theme or plot element, because each of them exhibits how life is a gift, and that all creatures are treasured. Also, one of the astounding things about the plot is that no one is exactly evil, but rather we are all human. There is virtue in every character, from Nausicaa herself to Kushana the princess who "walks the crimson path", Kurotowa the somewhat backstabbing officer, Charuka the religious leader, and even the master of the crypt himself. It is as much possible to relate to the plight of the Dorok people as it is to the Torumekians, or even the wormhandlers. Overall, this is an excellent work, i cannot emphasize this enough, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, and am even so bold as to say it is the best thing i have ever read! Forgive my ramblings, but what better to write about? Miyazaki is a genius, and i wish his works were more appreciated in the US.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful
Review: One of the best books I've read in a VERY long time. The story was absolutely amazing. It was a little confusing at first trying to figure out who everyone was and what was going on, but it was so totally worth it. Nausicaa is an example of what we should all try to be.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent manga, but not Lord of the Rings-caliber.
Review: I've read reviews comparing this series to Lord of the Rings and Dune. The comparison to Lord of the Rings is unwarranted in that the scope and detail of Nausicaa is much more limited. While the themes are somewhat similar to those in LOTR (technology = death, etc.), Miyazaki does not create a tangible mythology, as Tolkien did. And as for Dune, the comparison is very clear (humans existing in a wasteland, warring factions, blah blah blah). I would give Nausicaa 4 stars because it is very heavy-handed at times; it seems that Miyazaki is shoving his message down the reader's throat. A more subtle style would have been less off-putting, but if you've seen Princess Mononoke, you know that Miyazaki's delivery can be very harsh. The art is spectacular and the writing is very good. If you liked Princess Mononoke, you'll probably love Nausicaa.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Manga Series out There!
Review: If you do not know who Hayao Miyazaki is, shame on you! Hailed as one of the few to master Japanese Animation, Miyazaki has delighted many through his films, which contain beautiful art and incredibly rich story lines and charcterzation.
This is the cream of the crop, the "baby" of all of Miyazaki's projects. It took him exactly 15 years to conclude Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind and it couldn't be any better. With his tradmark style and flare, this world-reknowned film maker as proven once again that you do not have to like Japanese Anime or Manga in order to praise excellent story telling.
Set a thousand years after the Earth was burtally scarred in a devestating ecological diaster, humans are a dying species. For those who are still alive, they live outside and far away from the posionious forests in vallies and contries. Now a fight between them has come about, and who ever wins will claim the last of Earth's usable resorces. Caught in the middle is Nausicaa, the last heir to the Valley of Wind's thrown and the only surviving daughter of the now dying king. Despite she doesn't want to be apart of the war, she braves ahead as she discovers a prophacy that states that this war will begin a cleansing of the Earth and that she is the one to do it.
An engrossing and time consuming manga, this is a major treat for anyone who either loves Miyazaki's pervious works or Anime and Manga in general. Although it tends to get political and lenghty at times, there is still plenty of action and suspence to keep the reader on his toes and discover the startling conclusion of this wonderful series.
Rating:
Summary: How many masterpieces can you create in a life time?
Review: Oh, the joy! Nausicaa is a fantastic graphic novel. Miyazaki has many masterpieces, but this is one of his greatest. Let me start by introducing the world that Nausicaa the Princess lives in. A long time ago, there was the Seven Days of Fire, a war, or battle that tore the civilization to pieces with it's advanced Technology. The Seven Days of Fire are also the starting point of a great Eco system, the Sea of Corruption, where giant poisonous insects roam, scattering poisonous spores and miasma. The story begins thousands of years later. In this "corrupted" land lives a young woman, named Nausicaa, princess of The Valley of Wind. Unlike other people, Nausicaa is not afraid of the Sea of Corruption, and goes there often. A war starts to brew, and Nausicaa is forced to go to war instead of her father. But Nausicaa could not possibly destroy human beings or insects. Soon, a strategy involving making a gigantic mold, the Daikaisho, a span of time when the forest bubbles over, spreading spores and poison. Along the way Nausicaa must make new friends, learn the secret of the forest (was it really created by God to punish human kind?), and find a way to bring peace to the lands. Some people think that the manga was based on the anime, but it is really the opposite, and for some reason I get really upset when people think that the manga was created to go deeper in the history of Nausicaa's world. Oh, and even though this does not have to do with the manga, Warriors of the Wind is yet another product of Disney's stupid butchering of the original film, which I here is SO much better. So please, Just wait till Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is released in the U.S! It is rumored that Miyazaki may be coming out with a sequel to this four volume manga, and I sorely hope he does. No artist can evoke such emotion, and passion out of you. READ THIS!!!
Rating:
Summary: only Manga book i read
Review: I'm japanese and I'll tell you that Japan is flooded with comic books also known as Manga.Threre are hundreds of weekly all comic magazines published and almost EVERYBODY is into some sort of those things. And I'm not. I can't stand reading and gazing at drawings at same time, it almost seemed like impposible to me. Until I saw this. I saw the animated film version of the same title and was blown away! I had to read the Manga version. The story is deep. There is a lot more going on here than in the movie. Way more complicated, and made me cry so many times. You won't understand in 1 read. I've read it like a thousand and one times, but every time you read it you find more to it. Another message here, different meanings there.....
Mr. Miyazaki took like 16 or so years to complete this. It's a masterpiece. only 1 thing is towards the end it feels like he rushed himself to end it, like very anxious to finish it and get it over with.It could've been 50 more pages to have it ended more dramatically. But well it might've taken him another 3 years for that so.... that was enough for him I guess. Anyway...
I think it's great and this is the only manga book I own and love.
Rating:
Summary: A Prediction of Our Future? Miyazaki's Literary Masterpiece
Review: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was originally Miyazaki's acclaimed movie, but now he has expanded the story to heights never thought imaginable. Despite being put into a graphic novel this epic should not be thought as a simple childrens tale. It is as deep and profound as any of the great legendary storytellers. It is especially meanigful now in the year 2003 when we are in the middle of a war that's conclusion may turn the world that Nausicaa lives in, into reality. I strongly recommended this to the world. It is complex and thought provoking, but most of all, it warns us that we are heading towards a destruction that will make this story even truer than it already is.
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