Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Volume 1 (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)

STORY-Story wise, other reviewers have gone into depth on that, but let me just say that this is an absolute MASTERPIECE, possibly the greatest manga and comic ever written in my opinion.The animated film was great, but this blows the film out of the water, developing much deeper and wider and with Miyazaki's own, beautiful artwork, it is a truly remarkable work.Great story, with rich, meaningful themes, masterfully told and developed thoroughly, in a fascinating world populated but great characters and tremendous action.What more could you possible want?EDITION- (For prespective - I have had the 'Perfect Collection'(also available on here) box set of Nausicaa for quite some time and it's a very nice collectors item, but it is printed on such delicate paper that I refrain from using it for fear of breaking it. It is also printed in quite a small format.)This edition however is what I would refer to as the definitive 'readers' edition.PRO'S - The A4 size lets the artwork shine in bigger format. It's great the read this story again in such a comfortable format. The larger size is truer to the original artwork and definately suits Miyazaki's style more than a compresed format. The story feels like it breathes more on the page and suits the epic nature of the subject matter.The stable binding makes this paperback a reliable one, and one that you won't be afraid to read and bump around a bit.The artwork is also printed with a 'sepia' tone to it, which is a nice touch and there are full colour maps included too.The story is presented in its original left-to-right format, with japanese sound effects left as they were. For me this is a plus as I dislike images being flipped or rearranged as this was not the original vision of the artist, leaving it like this makes it truer.CON'S - The ONLY con, is that the paper quality is not the highest, if it was higher grade this would be the 'Perfect' edition. It does not however diminish the enjoyment of the work, and for the cost, the paper is fine.As a long time fan of the work, I can say that this is my preferred edition.

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...

Creased, a little torn, and slightly faded.Not worth what I paid, in all honesty.

The collection of 7 books that make up the Nausicaa collection are fantastic. I read them all in about two days as once you start them you cannot stop. The paper quality is a bit low, but what can you expect for the price. You get the full story, plus it has additional stuff to the film and more depth. This shows off Miyazaki's amazing drawing skills and his ability to weave a story with a message is renowned. This has strong environmental themes and manages to make a point without ramming it home. You have to read these in the traditional Japanese way (I.e. back to front from a western perspective) but this only adds to the charm and overall experience. A brilliant intro to Miyazaki's anime.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

I love both the story and the artwork. the artwork is so amazing, the black and white backgrounds and environments are so amazing. I use it as a reference to great Manga artwork.

I only recently discovered that Miyasake didn't only produce screen features but also this manga. Great find.

Lovely book my daughter is really pleased she loves Studio Ghibli will definitely order more once she has read them!!!

very happy with the service you provide. solid.