Again, your decision to buy this has to rest on your interest in the art, not insight into the development of the film or manga. I might have issues with the repetitive nature of Miyazaki's commentary, but it's easy to overlook that in the face of such incredible art. Any fan of art will likely find this fascinating, simply to observe composition and color usage. Despite Miyazaki's modest/dismissive tone in his remarks, each page is filled with a stunning watercolor portrait. Ultimately the commentary, though it would seem to be this hardcover's biggest asset, isn't that great. It seems he didn't want to draw about 75% of these stunning pieces, which makes me wonder what he can accomplish when he actually is engaged in the artistic process. It's a fascinating look into the mind of this acclaimed director/artist/writer, but at the same time I was able to predict what he was going to say on every page.

Since most of the pieces are of the princess in different poses, there's only so much the creator can say, and most of the time he's highly critical of his work or the situation in which he was working. Miyazaki's thoughts on each piece range from insignificant to mildly interesting, but each segment tends to only be about a paragraph. To me the art was key while the commentary was just a somewhat useful bonus. This is the bulk of the hardcover, so it's definitely going to be the deciding factor in determining whether this is worth your time. Kicking off this stunning art showcase is the commentary/image gallery. At over 200 pages, this is easily worth the investment, though it's more intended as an art showcase than a deep 'Making Of' companion piece. Included is a massive gallery of promotional art and covers for the manga and film, commentary by Miyazaki on each piece, an interview/feature on the evolution of the story, design sketches and much more. Two years ago the film made its way to our shores, and now Viz is bringing the Art of Nausicaa hardcover to store shelves. Despite being a box office sensation in Japan, Hollywood studios refused to release the film outside of a highly-edited version that Miyazaki himself asked fans to forget. Writer/Artist: Hayao Miyazaki Publisher: Viz Price: $34.99 It took over 20 years for Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa to reach Western shores in its original form.

Nausicaa watercolor impressions