From AR402004@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU Sat Apr 4 17:52:28 1998 Date: Sat, 04 Apr 98 17:49:38 EST From: Steven Feldman To: "Mike Johnson, nausicaa listowner" Subject: dl Resent-Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 17:18:39 -0800 (PST) Resent-From: "Michael S. Johnson" Resent-To: "Michael S. Johnson" The following is the full version of a letter sent to the NAUSICAA lettercol which -- not surprisingly -- removed all references to AKIRA: + + + + + + + >From THE ROSE (the fanzine of Anime Hasshin); Vol. 3, Issue #15; page 9: COMIC REVIEW NAUSICAA by Steven Feldman I've only seen the American versions of the Nausicaa manga (from Viz Comics) and anime (from New World Pictures), and so am ill equipped to make comparisons to the originals, yet feel compelled to extol Miyazaki's creation. Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind blends familiar elements in the fantasy canon, alternately recalling Lord of the Rings, Dune, Star Wars, and even Elfquest in its hybridization, but smoothly synthesizing the parts into a whole that is fresh and unique. This is in large part due to Miyazaki's particular emphasis on less frequently utilized genre motifs. It could be argued that The Road Warrior, too, had an environmental angle to it, but post apocalyptic scenarios from Planet of the Apes to The Terminator always bemoan the destruction of nature while giving few suggestions on how to set things right (Silent Running is a notable exception). Nausicaa's eco-system, however, functions narratively on a variety of levels, many of them overt and immediate. The harshness of the landscape is no mere springboard for dramatic confrontation between warring tribesmen as in Robert Altman's Quintet, but serves as a veritable personification of a long struggle's aftermath. Man is oppressed by a Nature gone mad by his own madness, but he doesn't realize that this oppression is temporary -- the Sea of Corruption is, in fact, a sort of self-healing manifestation that will allow him to someday reap Gaea's bounty once more. Princess Nausicaa lives among a tribe of holistic post-nuclear descendents who strive to get along with their environs more than others. She, in particular, is attuned to the mutated giant insects which overrun a deadly poisonous, spore-choked forest (the Sea of Corruption). No simple girl, she is a budding messiah, recognized by the secretly sentient largest insects, yet not by people. Before the elements of inter-tribal intrigue and messiahship lead one to comparisons with Dune, let it be clarified that Nausicaa's trials are neither as dark nor portentous. Despite the story's often dynamic and realistic treatment of "fantasy" fare, the characters display heart and a generally rational approach to problems, so that conflicts are not grossly overstated nor characters one dimensional. Characterization, nuance, and tone are great concerns here, making Nausicaa a surprisingly rewarding comic. It has great range. There is excitement, even mayhem, on the one hand, and drama, pathos and life affirming revelation on the other. While these elements are similar to what make Robotech Parts One and Two tick, they are more fully realized as a tight fusion in Nausicaa. I guess you could say Robotech II: The Sentinels is to Justice League International as Nausicaa is to Watchmen. The drawing style Miyazaki used for the Nausicaa manga differs from the style seen in Warriors of the Wind and) popular manga for two main reasons. Firstly, he has a predilection for many rather than few (an average of ten) panels per page. Secondly, his line-work resembles the French comics style moreso than the Japanese. While these two elements would superficially imply that Miyazaki is "less cinematic" than his countrymen and more conversant with the American style of dense comics storytelling, the result is paradoxically otherwise. For example, Nausicaa is much more thrilling and demanding than Marvel's Akira (which is very good, by the way), although it is less personalized and quite epic in its scope. Practically every issue includes ten or so principle characters, as well as a cast of literally thousands, which are used bodily and often, as real participants, rather than ciphers, for the grandness of the story's purview. In Akira, great ramifications are constantly alluded to, yet infrequently demonstrated or revealed. Akira's suspense derives from its tenuous restraint; Nausicaa's from its passionate abandon. This is not to say that Akira is generally restrained, and Nausicaa not so -- nothing could be further from the truth! -- yet the approaches and execution of the comics creators and guiding lights are wholly different. A comic book with an abundance of heart, intelligence and action, Nausicaa bridges the gap between last year's two industry award winners, Watchmen and Concrete. The novelistic coherence and depth of the former is omnipresent in Nausicaa, as is the humanity and deceptive simplicity of the latter. Truly, Nausicaa is in a class of its own. I could go on and on with comparisons but would lose readers with even more obscure references. Suffice to say, Nausicaa is top-flight entertainment, and like all great entertainments, is rewarding for many age groups and on a variety of levels. END