10 Essential Manga You Need To Read Before You Die
4. Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind (Hayao Miyazaki)
It's Miyazaki; how can you not read it?!
Hayao Miyazaki is best known for being the father of Studio Ghibli and, in many ways, the man behind the popularisation of anime movies worldwide. However, while he's best known for epic films like Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and My Neighbour Totoro, he has also brought his signature magic to the page.
Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind tells the story of the titular princess, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by war and now suffering from a collapsed ecosystem as a result. Just surviving in this toxic jungle is hard enough, but Nausicaa seeks to go further by bringing peace to this world.
It probably goes without saying that the story has a compelling message about environmentalism and the decadence of humanity, which seems prevalent now more than ever. It fills this morality tale with wonderful characters, a rich fantasy world and gorgeous illustrations.
It has everything you'd expect from Miyazaki; a compelling story, a sense of wonder, dark elements and an overall creativity that's hard to replicate. If any of that sounds appealing to you, then you'd better grab yourself a copy.