Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, first released in 1984
in Japan, is one of the best Miyazaki Hayao movies. A thousand years after a
global war, a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of
only a few areas still populated. Princess Nausicaa is the young defender of a
dying post-apocalyptic world. Nausicaa is tasked with protecting her village
from both giant insects and the destructive forces of the remaining traces of
humanity. By today's standards, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is undeniably
creaky. But it's also my favorite animated film. Why?
