Hayao Miyazaki: Exploring the Early Work of Japan’S Greatest Animator
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Greenberg, Raz. "To the Valley Below." Hayao Miyazaki: Exploring the Early Work of Japan’s Greatest Animator. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018. 77–106. Animation: Key Films/Filmmakers. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 26 Sep. 2021. <http:// dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781501335976.ch-004>. Downloaded from Bloomsbury Collections, www.bloomsburycollections.com, 26 September 2021, 13:49 UTC. Copyright © Raz Greenberg 2018. You may share this work for non-commercial purposes only, provided you give attribution to the copyright holder and the publisher, and provide a link to the Creative Commons licence. C h a p t e r 4 TO THE V ALLEY B ELOW Although Th e Castle of Cagliostro was not an instant success upon its release, the fi lm did draw the attention of prominent fi gures in the animation industry, and as well as getting enthusiastic responses from foreign viewers (as detailed in the previous chapter) it also made a strong impression on the editors of the Japanese magazine Animage . Founded in 1978 as a serious platform for the discussion of animated productions, while at the same time appealing to the now- established and ever growing fandom of animation in Japan, the magazine commissioned articles and sketches from Miyazaki, and in 1981 the editors agreed to serialize a long- running manga drawn by him (there are confl icting reports as to the circumstances that led to the publication of the manga, discussed further in this chapter).1 Th e series, Kaze no Tani no Naushika ( Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind ) aimed from the beginning to be a long and complex work; its fi rst chapter was published in the magazine in 1982 and its concluding chapter was published 12 years and over a thousand pages of story later, with occasional long hiatuses taken by Miyazaki to work on animated features. Th e series is set in a post- apocalyptic world in which humanity has regressed into pseudo- medieval society, struggling for its survival as it must co- exist with Th e Sea of Decay—a huge toxic forest that emits poisonous miasma into the atmosphere, populated with mutated insects and giant Ohmu worms. Yet even such a harsh existence does not prevent the diff erent human kingdoms from waging war on each other, using deadly weapon- technology inherited from the days before the apocalyptic “Seven Days of Fire.” Two main powers struggle for domination: the militant kingdom of Torumekia, somewhat reminiscent of the Roman Empire, and the Dorok Empire, a tribal society ruled by religious priests. Peaceful lands are caught in the struggle—the series begins when an ancient powerful 77 78 Hayao Miyazaki I n s p i r e d b y s c i e n c e fi ction literature and fi lm, the world of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is one where nature dwarfs mankind, making its presence in the world less and less signifi c a n t a s t i m e p a s s e s . weapon is discovered in the industrial city of Pejite, and as a result the city is invaded and destroyed by Kushana, princess and ruthless leader of the Torumekian army. Refugees from Pejite attempt to make their way to another peaceful kingdom, the Valley of the Wind, set at the edge of Th e Sea of Decay. Th e Valley of the Wind is led by the aging and dying King Jhil, whose beautiful daughter Nausicaa is renowned for her pacifi sm and strong belief that humankind can co- exist with the dwellers of the forest. Kushana arrives at the Valley to hunt down the remaining survivors from Pejite, and soon enough crosses paths with Nausicaa. But since the Valley of the Wind is a military ally of Torumekia, Nausicaa has little choice but to join Kushana in the latter’s conquest campaign. Th roughout this campaign, however, Nausicaa proves herself to be highly devoted to her mission to end wars, violence, and the continuous destruction of nature by mankind. Witnessing her leadership by example, many other characters—notably the vengeful prince Asbel of Pejite, the high ranking commander- priest of the Dorok army Chruka, and eventually Kushana herself—are won over by Nausicaa’s pacifi sm. And, as Nausicaa discovers, the toxic environment that dominated the world has its own purpose, and humans have a role to fulfi ll in it. It is just unclear whether this role will bring their salvation or extinction. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a triumph. It is a sweeping tale of epic proportions that presents an incredibly rich futuristic world To the Valley Below 79 populated with unforgettable characters and weaves together a complex and captivating tale that is occasionally brutal but also deeply humane. Th is story is deeply rooted in works that infl uenced Miyazaki, discussed in depth throughout this chapter, but its two most direct creative ancestors were produced by Miyazaki himself. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was not Miyazaki’s fi rst foray into manga drawing. He had previously published (under a pseudonym) manga adaptations of both the Puss ’n Boots and Animal Treasure Island fi lms that he worked on during his time at T ō ei. His fi rst signifi cant work as a manga artist, however, was Sabaku no Tami ( People of the Desert ) serialized between 1969 and 1970 in a children’s newspaper. 2 Th e series takes place against the historical backdrop of Central Asia in the eleventh century, albeit in the fi ctional land of the Soqute clan of nomads, whose people face an invasion by the militant clan of the Kittarl. Th e series follows a young Soqute boy named Tem who witnesses his father’s death at the hands of Kittarl warriors aft er giving shelter to a fellow Soqute fugitive. Tem goes on a journey to avenge his father’s death, and with friends he makes along the way—a boy named Tahn and a girl named Sasan—aids the Soqute people in their struggle to free their capital Pejite from the oppressive Kittarl. Several elements from People of the Desert resurface later in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind : like Miyazaki’s later work, it is a tale of struggle and conquest, involving an aggressive militant power showing how such struggles have a tragic eff ect on people’s lives, especially young people. Th e brutality of war as it is portrayed in People of the Desert is particularly echoed in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind : in two memorable (and quite disturbing, considering that the series was aimed at young readers) scenes, Tem sees his friends killed by Kittarl soldiers. People of the Desert itself is inspired by Miyazaki’s previous works and by the works that infl uenced him. Fukushima’s Devil of the Desert inspired the exotic backdrop of desert landscapes that are foreign to Miyazaki’s native Japan, where a threat of apocalyptic nature arises. Of course, Miyazaki has used this setting in a far more serious and somber tone, replacing the supernatural threat and exciting adventures from Fukushima’s manga with the grim historical backdrop of a tragic war. Miyazaki’s own work on Th e Little Norse Prince provided a strong narrative background for People of the Desert —again, the story of a boy who unifi es an entire community in a struggle against an oppressor, and much like the residents of the town in Takahata’s fi lm, the Soqute people in Miyazaki’s manga are initially frightened, suspicious, and even willing 80 Hayao Miyazaki to turn against other members of their own clan to ensure their survival. And like Hols before him, Tem is the “civilized” child who educated the people of the “jungle” in their struggle against oppression. Like Th e Little Norse Prince , People of the Desert features many early elements that would become the hallmarks of Miyazaki’s later acclaimed works, but in comparison with these works, it is underdeveloped and immature. When compared with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind , in particular, People of the Desert features inferior art (characters have sketchy design and landscapes are very low on detail) and feels like a juvenile story—while Tem’s “education” of his people amounts to uniting them in a fi ght against their enemy, Nausicaa teaches the people of her world about the futility of war and the importance of the preservation of nature. Th ere are also no true antagonists or truly bad people in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind : characters have their faults and they sometimes surrender to their selfi sh impulses, but almost everyone eventually repents. Th e second early work by Miyazaki that paved the way to Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind , on the other hand, can be considered as his fi rst true masterpiece. In 1978, Miyazaki wrote and directed Mirai Sh ō nen Conan ( Future Boy Conan ), a 13-hour epic television series spread across 26 episodes. Th e series loosely adapts Th e Incredible Tide , a novel by American author Alexander Key (probably best- known today as the author of another science fi ction novel, Escape to Witch Mountain , which has been successfully adapted several times by Disney).3 Miyazaki gave the source material his own unique touch, and it could be considered as the fi rst solid appearance of his personal style, familiar to the audience of his fi lms today. Compared with Miyazaki’s previous directorial eff orts—the Yuki’s Sun pilot, the Lupin the Th ird episodes he co- helmed with Takahata, and even his fi rst solo feature as director Th e Castle of Cagliostro that came out a year later—Future Boy Conan features far more complex themes and plotting, and it can be said to have truly pushed Miyazaki’s work to the next level.