From AR402004@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU Sat Apr 4 18:01:38 1998 Date: Sat, 04 Apr 98 17:52:14 EST From: Steven Feldman To: "Mike Johnson, nausicaa listowner" Subject: Review of NAUSICAA and AKIRA Resent-Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 17:18:38 -0800 (PST) Resent-From: "Michael S. Johnson" Resent-To: "Michael S. Johnson" >From THE NICE PAPER (Providence, RI); Dec. 26 (1990)-Jan. 8, 1991; p. 13: OH BOY! FUNNYBOOKS!: NAUSICAA AND AKIRA by Steven Feldman The Japanese are no less guilty than Americans of harboring post- apocalyptic fantasies, so it should come as no surprise that some of their comics deal with the subject. Three such are AKIRA, HOKUTO NO KEN (FIST OF THE NORTH STAR), and NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND. While HOKUTO NO KEN is primarily a kung fu version of CONAN THE BARBARIAN by way of THE ROAD WARRIOR, the other two demonstrate great understanding on the part of their creators as to what survival after conflagration is all about. AKIRA deals with disaster on a smaller scale, detailing the second destruction of Tokyo (the first is recapped in flashback) by an immense psychokinetic force-wave, while NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND delineates with allegory and precision the ecological adjustments produced by mutation on a global scale. AKIRA, as originally conceived by writer/artist Katsuhiro Otomo, was intended to run about 16 to 25 issues (by Epic Comics' numbering), but strong island-side sales engendered editorial pressure to expand the story. This expansion makes up the greater portion of the post- apocalyptic material. The film version of AKIRA comes closer to the original conception, with more of a nod towards BLADE RUNNER than, say. BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES. This said, I should state up front that the first 16 issues of AKIRA are great sci-fi, whereas that which follows is a meandering musing on the state of man, sort of like BATTLE FOR THE PLANET FO THE APES or MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME. AKIRA begins with the hospitalization of a young biker named Tetsuo who inadvertently runs into the force field of a psychokinetic child while battling a rival bike gang. Little by little, Tetsuo comes to realize he is being curried as a governmental superweapon: a high-level psychic capable of astonishing feats of ESP. As he progresses, he comes to learn of Akira, an ESP adept so powerful that he must be kept in stasis in absolute zero temperature in a seven-layer bunker 17 levels below the ground. Meanwhile, Tetsuo's biker buddies become embroiled with the Army on his behalf, and his best friend/enemy, Kaneda, begins to unravel even more secrets, including the plans of a radical group who hopes to kidnap Akira for their own ends. Tetsuo rejects his humanity and becomes a threat to everyone. The Army, however, is not without its resources. Three other ESPers are called on to keep Tetsuo in check. The manga (Japanse comic) and anime (Japanese animated film) diverge at this juncture. In the manga, Akira was not disseced and cryogenically preserved, but placed in complete suspended animation (no pun intended). Although Akira does destroy Tokyo a second time in both versions, he does so only as a psionically-reconstituted entity in the anime. In the manga, Akira is an actual person. Unlike in the anime, where the science and metaphysics are never adequately explained, the secret behind Akira and the paranormals who preceded and followed him is finally revealed in the revelatory AKIRA #20. In this terrific issue, the mystical outcast ESPer Lady Miyako tells Tetsuo the whole story, including how to tap into the power seemingly available only to Akira. Although the philosophy and metaphysics of Miyako's explanation frustrates Tetsuo, he takes her advice, and in issue #23, is reborn. In the following issue, we learn that the detructive waves accompanying Akira's power-burst in #16 and Tetsuo's in #23 both created miniature "Big Bangs," which goes far in explaining the end of the anime version. Otomo's drawing style is exacting, and his panel-to-panel continuity quite strong, but two things stand out: he avoids "the Big Eye look" which turns so many people off to manga, and he draws open-mouthed emotional extremes almost the same way Sal Buscema does! What hits the reader first, however, is AKIRA's color. Since this reprinting of a Japanese comic for an American audience is overseen by Marvel Comics' adult subdivision, Epic Comics, the artwork is "enhanced" (some say subverted) by state-of-the-art computerized color. While many charge that this is no more than an excuse to sell comics to Marvel Zombies lobotomized into thinking black and white comics are inferior, it does make for some terrific effects now and then. Writer/artist Hayao Miyazaki's NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND is, like 95% of all original manga, in black and white. With its painstakingly meticulous detall (the artist suffers continually from finger cramps), color would, if anything, obscure the subtle beauty of the linework. Miyazaki, who is by trade a multi-award winning animator (NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND, LAPUTA:CASTLE IN THE SKY, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO and KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE), is also Japan's top-grossing filmmaker (!), so many might find it odd that not only does he continue to do comics, but that his contain more thematic depth and panels per page than that of most people working in the business today. With six panels to a page being average for a Marvel comic or typical manga, Miyazaki uses an average of ten. I needn't tell you how much more storytelling can be packed into ten panels than six, so I'll just suggest that you take a look at Viz Comics' NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND, PART TWO #1 & 2. Within these two issues is a 60-page battle sequence like no other I have seen in comics, and I've read over 10,000 of them! Strategy -- replete with counter-assaults, ambushes, retreats, rallies, parlays and concessions -- is shown off in glorious specificity, making you wonder how you ever settled for such relatively insignificant conflicts as the Thing vs. the Hulk or Wolverine vs. Sabertooth. This is not to say that NAUSICAA is a war comic; although not pacifistic, it is anti-war and pro-ecology. NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND relates the efforts of a messianic Princess of a small kingdom named the Valley of Wind to set aright what her careless ancestors wrought centuries before. Civilization as we know it vanishes in the Daikaisho, or Seven Days of Fire, brought on by the deployment of God Soldiers, skyscraper-high bio-mechanical robots possessed of hideous destructive power. In its wake came the Sea of Corruption, the group term for vast toxic forests of mutated vegetation and gigantic insects. These forests belch forth deadly spores which cause unprotected breathers to vomit blood, so everyone in their proximity must wear air filters. Neither are the actual seas exempt from the effects of the Daikaisho; they are highly acidic and burn all who touch them, including that which makes up the Sea of Corruption. Therefore, most people travel between kingdoms in ancient ceramic flying machines. In this post-apocalyptic world, civilization has reverted to feudalism and man has somehow forgotten the art of smelting. In place of metals, a type of tempered ceramic is developed. The scavenged discarded shells of growing Ohmus (huge telepathic insects which lord over the Sea of Corruption) are stronger, but dangerous to obtain. The use of ceramics for the construction of weaponry and machines is ecology safe, but no one dares attack an Ohmu for fear of a stampede of thousands of its incensed brethren; least of all. Princess Nausicaa (pronounced Nah-OH-shi-ka), who, for reasons beyond her understanding, has a rapport with them and the rest of the unnaturally large denizens of the toxic jungles. Her ability to communicate with the Ohmu infuriates and frightens the leaders of the two major kingdoms, so they conspire to kill her, while, secretly. they scheme to resurrect a God Soldier to burn the jungles with nuclear fire, not realizing that this will only fertilize the forest further Eventually, Nausicaa comes to realize that the Sea of Corruption is, in fact, a self-healing manifestation which will soon purify the land . . . if the God Soldier doesn't upset the ecological balance with new radioactivity, that is. While ecological responsibility is the bedrock upon which the story is built (as in the brilliant science fiction film, SILENT RUNNING), internecine encounters between ruling factions (as in DUNE and STAR WARS) make up the ostensible narrative, with sporadic bursts (pun intended) of epic heroism and divine prophecy (as in ELFQUEST, LORD OF THE RINGS, and DUNE, again) woven in for good measure. NAUSICAA draws upon THE ODYSSEY for inspiration. and the sprawling feel of myth-making happenstance is much in evidence, with Nausicaa acting as the proverbial eye of the hurricane (A book about the epic poem's Nausicaa, named HOMER'S DAUGHTER, was written by one Robert Graves.) Two aspects of Miyakaki's drawing style stand out. First, his style of linework is more in keeping with French comics' style than that prevalent in manga (Miyazaki and Moebius are mutual admirers). Second, his people's faces look "cute." Don't let this scare you away. Wendy Pini's very excellent ELFQUEST had "cute" faces, too. NAUSICAA is decidedly more serious than ELFQUEST in tone and execution, so chalk it up to Miyazaki's extensive background in animation that his characters should possess the big, expressive eyes de rigeur in manga (the God of Japanese comics, Osamu Tezuka, started the Big Eye look -- with ASTRO BOY -- as an homage to Disney). NAUSICAA is much more demanding and mature than AKIRA. Although you may not realize it if you judge them by their name, rather than their manga. 1984's NAUSICAA anime (released in harshly truncated form in the US under the title "Warriors of the Wind") is very good, but really not much more than a thumbnail sketch compared to the manga. On the other hand, 1989's "Akira" anime is great; it cuts through the dross and presents the best aspects of the manga. In other words, buy the NAUSICAA manga (reprinted in four graphic novels by Viz Comics), and the "Akira" anime (The anime retails for $29.95 and is available through your friendly neighborhood comic shop which can order one for you.) I really cant recommend NAUSICAA enough. I feel that Miyaziki's work on this hook is ultimately comparable to the best material Gilbert Hernandez, Frank Miller, and Alan Moore have produced to date. Go read it and let me know if you agree (I can be reached care of the paper). Consider this review as my holiday gift to you, and NAUSICAA as a gift to yourself. Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah to everyone -- except Keith D'Arcy and Matt Reed, who each get a lump of coal. END