Week 6 - Ghibli

For this week I read the manga for Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. This was a reason I've always wanted to get into, because I have never actually experienced Miyazaki's manga for myself. I have seen the movie prior to this, which I have enjoyed very much, but I would assume the manga goes past where the film ends, seeing the amount of chapters there are. The film did do the manga justice, though, seeing the backgrounds in full colour really add onto the impact of the toxic forest, but that doesn't mean the manga isn't just as beautiful on its own.

From my perspective, the thing I love the most about Nausicaa's character is how Miyazaki's philosophy on female protagonists shines brightest in this work. All the female protagonists in his works are very strong and admirable, but it's incredible seeing Nausicaa experience new things and she just seems to know what to do in every situation. She's strong-willed and confident in what she does, and we even get to see everyone in the manga react to her skills with admiration. Nausicaa is an incredible leader, and that's what I think makes her stand out.

I also went to the Pom Poko screening, the film by Isao Takahata. I have also seen this film prior to this, but watching it a second time gave me a better understanding of the film in association to Takahata's narrative methods. Miyazaki's films have a magic to them, a magic that is more fantasy driven, but Takahata's films retain this Ghibli magic in a traditional way. He seems to like to focus on the interesting factors and messages of Japanese folklore (Pom Poko, Princess Kaguya), as well as the heart of traditional family and growing up (Only Yesterday, My Neighbors the Yamadas.)

Looking onward, I'm interested in seeing how Studio Ponoc carries on the Ghibli legacy, I have not yet seen Mary and the Witch's Flower, but seeing the style of the animation, I have confidence they're going to be able to make beautiful films. I believe it would be hard to live up to the magic of Miyazaki and Takahata's storytelling, but that's okay.