Customer Reviews:
 A brilliant intro to Miyazaki's anime. May 31, 2006
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
The collection of 7 books that make up the Nausicaa collection are fantastic. I read them all in about two days, once you start them you cannot stop. The paper quality is a bit low, but what can you expect for the price. It has additional stuff to the film and more depth. A brilliant intro to Miyazaki's anime.
Indispensible! May 11, 2006
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
For those new to Manga, "Nausicaa" is an excellent place to begin reading, and for the committed fan or for one who has been introduced to the genre the Nausicaa epic is an indispensable addition to a growing library. From any standpoint, there is no reason not to read these books, particularly as they are neither rare nor expensive.
The story and art have been documented well enough to make much further comment on it unnecessary, but I'll make a comment on the edition itself: the series is presented in manga-format, which is read right to left, but sticks to the A4 ish graphic novel standard rather than the smaller "Tokyopop" format, but the paper is that dry, cheap grainy paper often used in inexpensive softbacks, rather than the smooth, dense paper used in Western graphics - for this reason, and only for this reason, I give out four stars instead of five.
(But then the books are pretty cheap, so one can hardly expect a glossy hardcover. On the plus side, the printing is in sepia (a nice touch)and comes with a fold-out map on the inside cover. All sound-effects are in the original katakana, (referenced on the back page) so the art hasn't been retouched at all, and the translation is good with believable dialogue and clear progression of panels.)
Along with "Akira" and "Lone Wolf and Cub," "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" is essential reading for first-timers, die-hard fans, the curious, and anyone interested in expanding his or her field of literary reference, although it is not "literature" in the same way as "Watchmen," for example, "Nausicaa" serves a different purpose, and stems from a different cultural tradition, but as always the cultural distance between Japanese and European storytelling make for observations as interesting as the work itself, and all this aside, "Nausicaa" is a gripping story with fine characterisation, is well-paced and defined by periods of silence and excellent draughtsmanship. I just wish there was a "complete" oversized version with nice binding...
 Book(s) of the film - and almost as good December 8, 2004
17 out of 19 found this review helpful
If you like anime, I'd advise you to get a hold of Nausicaa on DVD and watch... and if you like the film, I'd advise you strongly to consider this book.The drawing is good, drawn with a lot of detail at all times, the characters are done well, and the story has a lot more to offer than a lot of other manga. Overall its a quality experience. The one thing to be aware of, and that might impact your attitude, is that this is NOT a straight forward copy of the film on book. In fact, the storyline is a lot larger, darker and has a whole massive element that I won't spoil but isn't in the film at all.
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