Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is the 1984 Hayao Miyazaki film widely regarded as the unofficial first Studio Ghibli release — made before the studio even formally existed. Going in, I knew the weight of what I was about to watch. Coming out, I find myself with the difficult task of separating what this film objectively achieves from what I personally got out of it.

Let's start with the praise, because there is plenty of it to give. Visually, this film is stunning. Remembering that it was made in 1984 and hand-drawn makes the achievement even more impressive. The world Miyazaki builds — the Sea of Decay, the giant insects, the contrasting peace of the Valley itself — is rendered with extraordinary detail and atmosphere. Joe Hisaishi's score is unconventional, occasionally strange, and pairs brilliantly with what's on screen. The sound and the visuals together do an enormous amount of work, and it pays off.

The story is also doing serious thematic lifting. Miyazaki is making a clear environmental argument — partly drawn from the real-world Minamata Bay disaster — about humanity's relationship with nature and the consequences of ignorance and greed. These themes still feel urgent today, four decades after the film's release. There is something genuinely meaningful being said here, and it's said with care.

Where I struggled was with the pacing. There were stretches throughout the film where my attention drifted and I found myself checking the clock. Certain scenes lingered longer than I could stay engaged with, and while I understand from a craft perspective why those moments exist — they're building atmosphere, deepening the world — as a viewer I wasn't always able to stay with them.

That's a personal thing. I want to be clear about that. The film isn't doing anything wrong. This is simply not a style of storytelling that consistently holds my attention.

If you love Miyazaki, animation, slow-burn world building, or films with strong environmental themes, this is essential viewing. For me, the appreciation is there but the connection wasn't.