Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
When I first watched Nausicaa in 2011 I did not have very high expectations. While I have been well aware that there is a lot of anime that enjoys an adult fanbase since the 1990s I actually was not aware of Miyazaki's masterpieces until I decided to check them out based on the IMDB top 250. Nausicaa, in particular, is a special case since it remains the gold standard in terms of epic science fiction anime. When I first watched it I expected it to be a science fiction anime genre representative on the top 250 list but my expectations were completely blown away. I became a hardcore anime fan essentially because of Nausicaa.
Combining a marvelously epic atmosphere with fantastic direction, and effectively integrated new-age/neoclassical soundtrack, and Miyazaki's eye for direction and detail, Nausicaa is still without the shadow of a doubt the masterpiece in terms of science fiction anime, the ultimate yardstick of the genre. It also features one of the greatest and most memorable fictional characters in Nausicaa. She is the quintessential Miyazki heroine but also a larger than life character kinda like Jesus from the New Testament, her dignity and morality is situated well above those around her.
What impressed me the most about the movie was how silly it was. Yes, silly: Nausicaa is completely and uncompromisingly sappy and the seriousness in which the movie takes its fantastical setting by itself is indeed impressive. Western genre movies are not so uncompromising, this dramatic intensity is a feature of Japanese culture, here applied to an absurd fantasy setting. Miyazaki is said to often cry when he is working on his movies as he gets very emotional and his passion certainly has reached my heart. I consider Nausicaa a strong contender for my favorite movie of all time (the other contenders are also other Miyazaki's movies, Spirited Away and Totoro), so it certainly is among my top 3 favorites.
Of course, this movie is a movie that appeals to specific audiences: it is Miyazaki's most otaku-aimed movie in the sense that it appeals mainly to an audience of young straight Japanese nerdy males with Nausicaa as an obviously Japanese-nerd sex symbol (kinda like Mila Jovovich's characters in western sci-fi movies), while other Miyazaki's movies have a broader appeal. Kinda like the eastern equivalent to D&D. In a way, it is Miyazaki's most Miyazaki movie since all his obsessions (environmentalism, flying, innocent and pure girls*, military equipment, nerdy steampunk-like technology) is on full and uncompromising display here.
Still, the movie has some flaws but these flaws add to the charm: the relatively poor animation quality as well as the lower level of detail of the background paintings (if compared to later Miyazaki movies). But these details are a perfect fit for such a post-apocalyptic desolate world.
I don't need to say how I rate it.
*Innocent and pure characters as opposed to nihilistic and dishonest characters. Girls seem a natural fit for this kind of character archetype, at least in Miyazaki's conception.