Episode 215: Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicäa

Thank you to the commenter who mentioned Jade Cocoon. I somehow avoided all of the Final Fantasy games on PS1 and most other JRPGs, so Jade Cocoon was my biggest window into that world until years later. The bleak tone, sense of loneliness and isolation, beautiful background art and Pokemon style gameplay still make it one of my favourite curios of that era. The hero's journey bears much more relation to Mononoke, but the aesthetic and tonal influences of Nausicaa are hard to miss.

Alex Bullock

I just listened to this episode and enjoyed every minute of it. Nausicca is probably my favorite Miyazaki film for many of the reasons covered in the show. More to the point though, I REALLY appreciate it when you take a chance on content and do something a little different that is tangentially related to the Retronauts primary theme of retro gaming. It makes for great discoveries, like learning about the Etrian Odyssey tie in, for example. So, to put my money where my mouth is, I just bumped up to the next tier in recognition of taking chances. Nice work, guys.

RyoGeo

And speaking of Moebius, the Panzer Dragoon series is heavily influenced by Nausicaa.

Brian Easton

Really looking forward to listening to this one: My first exposure to Miyazaki was the english-dub version of this called "Warriors of the Wind" on a cable-scrambled HBO (you had to put a wad of paper between the cable channel dial and box, then SLOWLY move the dial until you could make out the picture.). I was blown away and left thinking about it for weeks. I would eventually find, and buy, the VHS and THAT cemented my love for anime and Miyazaki. BTW, it had one of the worst covers ever! It had almost nothing to do with the movie. Thanks again!

VanDiagram

I found it odd that the team missed the influence of Moebius, namely "Arzach" - Miyazaki has actually spoken of the influence in the past: <a href="http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/interviews/miyazaki_moebious.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/interviews/miyazaki_moebious.html</a> That said, having only watched the film in the past year, I was glad to hear about the manga and it's hardcover release, which I just purchased.

Mat Segal

Hey, just finished listening. You all took the topic and really went for it, awesome! For my own part, I first saw Nausicaa, along with more-differently ecologically themed Pom Poko, during a cable Ghibli marathon in the mid-2000s. While the music, art, and general feel stuck with me, I felt the premise as a whole was underdeveloped and liked the latter movie more. After Breath of the Wild re-ignited my interest in the property, I finally read the manga and was, suffice it to say, blown away. Whether anime or manga, it is great to see Nausicaa's enduring impact on video games: the gaming landscape is better for it. Here's hoping you receive continued support for exploring the cultural works that have influenced games and the gaming community.

Benjamin Swan

Great episode! The Nausicäa manga is just as great of a fantasy as Lord of the Rings in my opinion, with some fantastic world building. I'd like to add that the look of Nausicäa itself was lifted wholesale from Moebius, the french illustrator, and in particular his "Arzach" comic. Giraud and Miyazaki were close friends and Moebius even ended up naming his daughter Nausicäa. Panzer Dragoon feels like a mashup of both Miyazaki and Moebius with the big insect like bosses.

Excited to give this one a listen! Discussing more topics not directly related to games is a great way to revisit things we love or might have missed from back in the day. Also, I gotta give a big Thank You to Bob and Jeremy for coming to Midwest Gaming Classic 2019! It was my first time attending and Retronauts was my primary reason for making the drive. You guys are genuinely nice people and that is still refreshing these days!

Will Oliver