Studio Ghibli Quietly Brings Back Hayao Miyazaki’s Original Nausicaa Manga

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Before Hayao Miyazaki founded Studio Ghibli, he created his first original manga series. Now, over forty years later, the official Ghibli store has re-released this beloved manga for a new audience.

We’ve added a beautifully restored two-volume edition of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind back to our online shop. Originally released in 1996, this edition collects all 59 chapters of the complete manga story.

The story first appeared in chapters in the Japanese magazine ANIMAGE from February 1982 to March 1994. It was then collected and published as a seven-volume book series by Tokuma Shoten. You can see official photos of the upcoming deluxe 2026 edition of Nausicaa below.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind’s Original Manga Returns to Studio Ghibli’s Official Store

I’m so excited about the new Nausicaa manga release on Donguri Sora! It’s a ‘wide-format’ edition – basically, what many of us in the West call a premium collector’s item. The hardcover volumes are absolutely beautiful, with stunning cover art that really captures the magic of Nausicaa‘s world. And the best part? The first few pages of each book are filled with gorgeous, full-color watercolor illustrations just like they were in the original ANIMAGE release! It’s a real treat for fans.

The Nausicaa manga was crucial in the early days of Studio Ghibli. Before 1984, it was the only major work by Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. Years later, Miyazaki started developing the idea that would become the anime film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Because it was a completely original story, he struggled to find funding for the project.

Feeling stuck with development, Miyazaki chose to launch Nausicaa as a manga series first. He worked with Toshio Suzuki, who was an editor at ANIMAGE magazine at the time. The manga quickly became popular with readers, leading to the green light for an anime film. When Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was first released in theaters in Japan, it earned over 1.48 billion yen (around US$6.2 million in 1984).

I’m a huge fan of Nausicaa, and it’s fascinating to see how the manga and anime differ! Both stories take place a thousand years after a massive disaster – they call it the Seven Days of Fire – which basically wiped out everything we know as modern civilization. Now, the world is a really dangerous place, covered almost entirely by this incredibly toxic jungle called the Sea of Corruption. It’s a pretty bleak setting, but so captivating!

The story also features a dangerous, man-made mold originally created for fighting wars. However, it quickly spirals out of control and ends up causing even more destruction to the environment.

The deluxe, wide-format editions of volumes 1 and 2 of Nausicaa are available for purchase individually on the Donguri Sora website. Each book costs 7,150 yen (about $44.56) with tax, so getting both volumes will cost fans around $90. Each volume also includes a special display box with additional artwork.

Donguri Sora only ships within Japan. However, the recent re-release of Nausicaa might be available from online retailers that ship internationally, such as Sugoi Mart and Meccha Japan. You can also watch Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind on streaming services like HBO Max or Netflix, depending on where you are located.

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2026-04-30 22:42