Exploring the Mycoverse Presents...
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Manga (and film)
Organized and hosted by Aaron Tupac
Sponsored by Arlington Garden
Join us in discussing one of the most popular Japanese mangas ever. We will focus on how fungi (plus slime molds) inspired the central plot of remediating a damaged planet after an apocalypse. A cautionary tale of what appears at first to be monstrous and other turns out to be in fact our best ally. An insightful commentary from the 1980’s on mycophobia and the fear of the natural world.
It tells the story of Nausicaä, a princess of a small kingdom on a post-apocalyptic Earth with a toxic ecosystem, who becomes involved in a war between kingdoms while an environmental disaster threatens humankind. Pushed by her love for others and for life itself, Nausicaä studies the ecology of her world to understand the Sea of Corruption, a system of monstrous flora, fauna, funga that came into being after the Seven Days of Fire..
Before our discussion, we invite you to:
- Watch the film adaptation (it's based loosely on the first two of the five books but gives you a sense of the incredible world-building)
- Read the manga! Don't let the size intimidate you. It's a beautifully illustrated thriller. The manga provides a richly detailed story of the world's ecology, including the myxo-myco relationships, as well as what actually happens – whereas the film can only give a convenient ending to a much more complex story.
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