As someone who wants to work with animation, I decided that I really need to broaden my repertoire, whether it be films, animated films, or animation series. Because our school has a pretty decent media center, I decided to make full use of it - after all, I'm paying all those bucks! I've been watching many classics, especially Hitchcock's works, but recently, I've been watching more animated works.

As a starter, I've been watching works of Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary animated film director. His "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbor Totoro" are probably the most famous and well-known works in the U.S. Although I've already watched 4 or 5 of his works, I decided to start over and watch his entire works. 

I decided to watch something I hadn't seen before and thus started with "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" (1984). 

The basic story is this: 

Much of human civilization and the Earth's original ecosystem were destroyed by the "Seven Days of Fire" 1,000 years ago. Ever since, both land and sea have become polluted - the Sea of Decay, a toxic forest of fungal plants, has been slowly encroaching the Earth. Giant insects, particularly the Ohmu, protect the Sea of Decay, and there has been endless battle between humans and insects.

Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, is an intelligent, brave and warm-hearted girl, who has an unusual gift for communicating with animals, including the Ohmu. She seeks to truly understand the nature and origin of the Sea of Decay and the polluted land. 

One day, an airship crashes near the Valley of the Wind. It was carrying an embryo of the God Warrior, which is an ancient biochemical being responsible for the "Seven Days of Fire." Soon after the crash, the powerful state of Tolmekia, headed by Princess Kushana, invades the valley. She is driven by the ambition to destroy the Sea of Decay and the insects by using the God Warrior. 

Legend has it that a mythological figure in blue will appear surrounded by a sea of gold and reunite the people and nature. Nausicaä, with her comrades, seeks a way to stop the Tolmekians and their destructive plan. 

This story was originally a manga series, which was serialized from 1982 to 1994. 

<Cover of the manga series. Nausicaä windriding on her gilded craft, with an Ohmu right behind her.>

The film is based on the first 16 chapters of the series. 

First off, Joe Hisaishi's music for this film is beautiful. Although I am not a big fan of the old school synth used throughout the film, that doesn't change the fact that the music is amazing. Besides... I do admit that the textures of the synths fit well with the exotic and unknown qualities of the Sea of Decay. (And I'm pretty sure those synths were considered modern during the time.)

Anyway, to my knowledge, this film was the start of Miyazaki and Hisaishi's friendship, and they have worked together ever since. It's not an exaggeration to say that Miyazaki's films are not complete without Hisaishi's music. Although Miyazaki's artwork and storyline are amazing by themselves, I think - and most would agree - that it's Hisaishi's music that really makes his works so distinctive and special. Hisaishi's melodies, harmonies and orchestration - his musical colors are perfect for Miyazaki's watercolor sceneries and simple but deep storytelling. 

I love all of Hisaishi's music for Miyazaki's films, but I must say that there's something particularly about this music which I cannot bring myself to describe. It's just so... beautiful. It describes so well the world that exists within the story. It is fragile yet strong, it is like listening to an old and ancient tale - it just simply takes me away. 

I love how Miyazaki describes the fine line of relationship between human and nature - their interdependence and the importance of mutual respect for coexistence. He also makes you reflect on humanity and human nature. As with many of his works, the protagonist is a young girl who is brave and courageous, strong-willed yet warm-hearted. It is truly amazing how he sends a powerful message to the audience, regardless of age, gender and race, through his storytelling and the main character. The feeling that I always get after watching his works is hope, warmth of heart, happiness, and a bright future. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons why his works are so loved. 

It is thrilling, it is beautiful, it really touches your heart. Highly recommended. (And, as always, watch it with the original Japanese dubbing. No offense to the American voice actors. :S Although, I was very impressed by Uma Thurman's voice acting. And I was extremely surprised that Shia was Asbel. Yes. Shia from Transformers. Umm.... Didn't really like his voice acting... Sorry, Shia...)