Nausicaa’s world and its inhabitants are slowly being consumed by an ominous place called the Toxic Jungle. As the movie starts out, you get a terrifying glimpse of how the lethal spores of the jungle have spread, and the devastation they have left in their path. The story is epic, and its characters are full of life, determination, and hope. Nausicaa, the protagonist of the story, is a spirited young princess who flies through the skies atop her gliding machine, like a soaring bird. She lives out her life in her kingdom called the Valley of the Wind, the only place the Toxic Jungle can’t touch. The wind from the nearby sea protects the village from drifting spores. Although highly dangerous, Nausicaa goes against the villagers wishes, and surprisingly, takes many journeys into the lethal jungle, collecting anything she can find that can be of aid to her fellow villagers. While everyone loathes and fears the Toxic Jungle, Nausicaa respects and is at peace with its many insects and creatures. She even has the ability to comfort and sooth the insects raging hearts by using a spinning device she calls an insect charm, which gives off a harmonic noise. As fate would have it, the peace, and prosperity of her village is shattered when a Torumekian airship infested with insects, from the jungle, crashes into the valley. Amongst the rubble, a giant creature used in an ancient war that once devastated the world, is found lying dormant. The Torumekian empire soon invades the valley, aiming to obtain, and resurrect the ancient warrior. Their goal is to take over the world and use the creature’s devastating power to burn down all remnants of the Toxic Jungle. As practical as that may seem, the Toxic Jungle can’t be burned down using fire. If one were to try, protectors of the jungle called the Ohmn would just rampage forward, fighting and dying to preserve their home. Toxic spores would then take root in their lifeless bodies, and more of the land would become consumed by the jungle.
Following out the Torumekian’s orders, the villagers have no choice but to do their biding. Meanwhile, in a secret chamber below the village, Nausicaa breeds toxic plants from the jungle and purifies them with water and soil from deep underground. She discovers that the jungle is poisonous because the top soil of the entire world is completely polluted. As the movie plays out, Nausicaa and a boy from the village of Pejite, called Asbel, find themselves trapped deep below the depths of the jungle. They find that the air is clean, the water fresh, but all the trees have died. To Nausicaa’s amazement, she notices that the trees are dying, fossilizing, and crumbling into sand. The trees have incredibly evolved to purify the earth of it’s worldwide pollution. When the pollution is absorbed they die and petrify, crumbling into purified sand. Just as the trees do their part to slowly purify the world, the insects also play their part in protecting the jungle, and that very process. Unbeknownst to Nausicaa, the Valley of the Wind is being consumed by the toxic spores and the giant warrior is almost completely resurrected. Nausicaa and Asbel later arrive at the village of Pejite to find it completely destroyed by the rage of the Ohmn, as well as the villagers ambitious plan to bait insects into Nausicaa’s valley so they can steal the giant warrior, burn down the jungle, and take back the earth. Inevitably, they carry out their plan, by using a baby Ohmn to lure a massive group of Ohmn outside the jungle, and across the valley. Nausicaa, aboard her flying glider, desperately tries to protect the baby Ohmn from the Pejites and ultimately, they all come crashing to the ground. In an attempt to calm the baby Ohmn, Nausicaa gets pushed into the acidic waters of the polluted sea, and receives severe injuries. With the giant warrior fully resurrected, the Torumekian army, use its frightful power, to subdue the rampaging Ohmn. Their attempt fails, and the Ohmn continue to charge with rage.
Nausicaa, with the baby Ohmn, stands her ground against the oncoming rampage, only to get flung into the air. As she hit’s the ground amongst the rampaging Ohmn, she dies instantly. The herd suddenly stops, quieting their rage, as they surround Nausicaa’s lifeless body. Sensing that Nausicaa gave her life to save the valley, and the baby Ohmn, they give her new life, healing her wounds, and reviving her. Peace is restored to both the Ohmn and the warring nations. Everyone continues on with their life as they extract pure water into the valley and plant a plethora of new trees, breathing new life into their once dying valley.
