Interested in the dystopia or fantasy genre? Check out one of the best Ghibli films by Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting where humanity is on the brink of extinction. After apocalyptic conflict destroyed most of the world’s ecosystems the remaining number of humans scattered into smaller habitable places left on the planet. The world experiences pollution from both the earth and air. Forests release poisonous spores that make the air toxic and are guarded by mutated insect-like creatures called Ohms. Despite the poisonous forests including the ohms engulfing the lands, humans continue to fight for power and control. A young woman named Nausicaa is the princess of the valley of the wind, which is one of the few populated locations of fertile land. The peace of the land is interrupted by one of the ships from one of the other empires crashing into the valley which carried a giant unborn warrior from 1000 years ago. Not long after the crash, soldiers from the other empire Torumekia decides to take over the valley and take the princess and some of her soldiers hostage. They plan to unite the two kingdoms and revive the giant warrior so that it can destroy the poison forests, in hopes that the world can become habitable again. However, Nausicaa discovers that destroying the forests does more harm than good and that there are other ways to coexist amongst the forests. It is up to Nausicaa to use her pacifist ways to find a compromise between humanity and nature. For a film made in 1984, the animation and themes were ahead of its time, talking about pollution and how man’s development of technology affects its relationship with nature. The hand-drawn animation is so stunning that each of the scenes can be a painting. The character development is also one of the best aspects of the movie as it shows how Nausicca realizes that violence only leads to more trouble. From the Ohms’ rage almost destroying humanity to planes fighting each other in the skies, the movie is full of suspense and drama. Overall, give the film a shot, this action-packed fantasy will leave you with wonder and awe.