5 Greatest Anime Series and Movies Similar to Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind
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Studio Ghibli, one of the most famous Japanese anime studios all over the world, has offered lots of renowned anime movies since it was founded in 1985, led by its leader Hayao Miyazaki. Every animation directed by Hayao Miyazaki is highly recommended to both kids and adults.
Here is an introduction to his early masterpiece titled Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind and other recommendations similar to it. If you miss the classic film, check these 5 best anime series and movies like Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind including other Studio Ghibli anime movies and other modern series.
About Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind
Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ) is the second full-length anime movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki, following the first work titled The Castle of Cagliostro released in 1979. The classic fantasy film was created in 1984 by an old animation studio Topcraft, the predecessor of Studio Ghibli.
Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind was adapted from the same titled manga series written by Hayao Miyazaki that consists of 7 volumes published between 1982 and 1994. It is based on only a part of the whole story of the manga (until the middle of vol.2).
The setting of the story is the world where 1000 years pass after the war Seven Days of Fire. Poisonous forests are created by the war, which are hazardous to humans. A 16-year-old girl Nausicaä, who is the princess of the Valley of the Wind, exerts herself to ensure coexistence with both humans and nature including the toxic forests.
5 Recommended Anime and Movies Similar to Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind
1. Princess Mononoke
If you like Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind, it is highly recommended to watch Studio Ghibli anime movies, especially Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫). The 1997 anime generated about 20 billion yen, which was the record of the highest-grossing Japanese film at that time. It has gained praised for its quality by not only Japanese but also foreign people since then.
Princess Mononoke is set in Japan in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), centering on a 17-year-old man named Ashitaka. The last prince of the declining Emishi tribe meets the Princess Mononoke named San who lives in the forest with wolves. Ashitaka insists that they can live with each other in the same world and exerts himself for the realization of his dream.
2. Spirited Away
Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) is one of the most recommended Studio Ghibli movies for the fans of Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind. The most famous and popular Japanese anime movie, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, was released in 2001. Making over 30 billion yen at the domestic box office, which remained as the highest-grossing film in Japanese history until it was replaced by the 2020 smash-hit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train. It is also well-known that the fantasy anime won the 75th Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.
Spirited Away focuses on a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro. She enters a fantasy world, where her parents are transformed into pigs and she is robbed of her name by a witch Yubaba. However, she works at a bathhouse run by Yubaba to help her parents, keeping her identity in the strange world.
3. Akira
Akira, categorized as science fiction and cyberpunk, is an outstanding anime movie that is well-known worldwide like Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind. In 1988, it was also adapted from the originally manga series written by Katsuhiro Otomo, directed by himself. He has contributed a lot for Japanese anime to get much more popular all over the globe as well as the director of Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind.
Akira is set in the fictional, catastrophic city called Neo-Tokyo in 2019, which is deserted for by an enormous explosion 37 years ago. It revolves around two main characters: Shotaro Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima. They get involved in the chaotic conspiracy of the government, which is related to Akira who looks like a small child and has the devastating psychic power.
4. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう), categorized as fantasy and drama, was released in 2018. It was produced by P.A.Works as the first anime movie directed by Mari Okada, who is also famous for screenwriting for the popular drama anime series Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day and and the modern fantasy movie The Anthem of the Heart. It is one of the finest recommendations for those who like the fantasy world of Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind.
The setting is a remote region, where the people of Iorph live. Iorph is the longevous people who lives for hundreds of years maintaining their teenage appearance. The story proceeds when they are attacked by the Mezarte army for the blood that grants the outside people long life. The fantasy anime movie centers on an orphaned Iorph girl named Maquia, who takes in a human baby boy Ariel in the forest.
5. Sound of the Sky
Sound of the Sky (ソ・ラ・ノ・ヲ・ト) is a fantasy anime series with the theme of war, broadcasted with 12 episodes in 2010. It was produced by a famous anime studio Aniplex and a broadcasting company TV Tokyo. There are also manga and video game adaptations released in 2010 and 2011. Sound of the Sky is less-known globally but recommended to watch for if you like Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind.
The setting is a post-apocalyptic world in the distant future, where a major war brings down civilization. Sound of the Sky centers on a 15-year-old girl Kanata Sorami, who joins the 1121st Platoon. The fantasy and slice-of-life anime depicts the daily life of her and other four girls of the 1121st Platoon, is stationed in an outlying military base.
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I'm writing by my motto: helping travelers spend their limited time experiencing something priceless in Japan. My articles won't let you down! Living in Tokyo and traveling many popular and hidden sites all over Japan, I deliver well-selected and latest tourist information to you from the perspective of “100% Japanese local”. My specific interests are island hopping, eating countless bowls of ramen, watching anime and reading manga. Enjoy Japan Web Magazine for recommended food spots, hidden gems Japanese Otaku (geek) culture, and everything about Japan :)
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