Parent Guide to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Navigating anime movies can be difficult for parents who aren’t familiar with the genre. It is my desire that this post will serve as a guide so you can enjoy Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind with your children.
As always, use your own discretion when selecting movies for your family.
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Movie Summary
After an ecological disaster wipes out most of humanity and transforms the planet, survivors are forced to cluster in small villages. As the centuries pass, man is in conflict with nature and with each other. But one young woman, Nausicaa, is drawn to the beauty of her hostile world. Can she lead her people into a new era of peace and healing?
Movie Information
Nausicaa is director Hayao Miyazaki’s second film, but the one that would launch the career of his studio. Miyazaki, a man of prodigious talent, had actually begun the story as a manga (Japanese comic book) that he wrote, drew, and published for 12 years. In the middle of its serialization, Miyazaki also led the production of the animated film adaptation.
Stylistically, this is the earliest Studio Ghibli film (in a broadly correct sense) so that makes it an interesting one to start with. Many key themes that will show up again and again in later Studio Ghibli films such as strong heroines, flying, nature, and the supernatural are already present here.
It’s also the most action-packed and least meditative film, which helps sell it as a good first taste of Ghibli. There is some violence but no gore, and there is little else in terms of mature content. These scenes plus the length suggest children 8 and up would enjoy it most.
Where to Watch
You can purchase a DVD or Bluray on Amazon.
Watch a Japanese trailer on Youtube.
Family Conversations
What makes Nausicaa special? How does Miyazaki show you she is different from others?
What makes the valley of the wind special? How is it different–culturally, technically, and geographically– with other tribes of humans?
Do others treat Nausicaa the way you expect they would?
Discuss the prophecy from the beginning of the film and whether you feel like Nausicaa fulfills it. Compare this prophecy with other stories of “chosen ones”, like King Arthur, Luke Skywalker, Neo, Harry Potter.
Are the “bugs” good or bad? How does your view of them change as the film progresses?
This post is one of several in our series, “A Parent’s Guide to Studio Ghibli.” Links to the individual movies will be added as they are published.
Other Studio Ghibli Guides:
Castle in the Sky
Kiki’s Delivery Service
My Neighbor Totoro
Spirited Away
The Cat Returns
Howl’s Moving Castle
Ponyo
Arietty
- Parent’s Guide to The Secret World of Arrietty from Studio Ghibli - September 16, 2019
- Parent’s Guide to Ponyo from Studio Ghibli - September 9, 2019
- Parent’s Guide to The Cat Returns from Studio Ghibli - August 26, 2019
