Description
"Shuna, the prince of a poor land, watches in despair as his people work themselves to death harvesting the little grain that grows there. And so, when a traveler presents him with a sample of seeds from a mysterious western land, he sets out to find the source of the golden grain, dreaming of a better life for his subjects. It is not long before he meets a proud girl named Thea. After freeing her from captivity, he is pursued by her enemies, and while Thea escapes north, Shuna continues toward the west, finally reaching the Land of the God-Folk. Will Shuna ever see Thea again? And will he make it back home from his quest for the golden grain?"--
Publication
St Martin's Press (2022), Edition: 1, 160 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member Asbjorn.Academy
It is simple writing giving voice to a complex adaptation of an ancient Tibetian tale of hope and dedication to save a people.
The story is addictive and fulfilling. The watercolor images are awe-inspiring and classic Miyazaki, very reminiscent of Ghibli's best.
The story is addictive and fulfilling. The watercolor images are awe-inspiring and classic Miyazaki, very reminiscent of Ghibli's best.
LibraryThing member reader1009
graphic fiction published manga-style right-to-left, orig. published in Japanese in 1983 and only now translated into English. CW: child slavery, cannibalism (rec for older children, teens, adults)
gorgeously-rendered story with beautiful, soft, warm, pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, loosely
gorgeously-rendered story with beautiful, soft, warm, pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, loosely
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based on a Tibetan folktale about a brave hero who risks his life to bring grain/food back to his starving people. Show Less
LibraryThing member electrascaife
Miyazaki (of Studio Ghibli fame) treats us to a sweet and lovely retelling of a Tibetan folktale in which a boy sets out from his destitute village to find the source of the desperately-needed healthy grain seeds and finds himself on a long journey with sometimes dangerous and generally magical
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adventures. I loved it. Show Less
LibraryThing member John_the_Other_One
The last book I read in 2022, and what a way to close the year! You could analyze the crap out of this book, or read it as the simple and compelling story it is. It goes without saying, but if you're a fan of Miyazaki's filmography, you'll easily pick out numerous foundational ideas that eventually
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worked their way into his films. This English translation (which I've been told is the first of it's kind, and was only published in February) has two excellent afterwards by both the author and translator, which I recommend you read to fully appreciate the story. Great story, beautiful artwork, solid translation. Show Less
LibraryThing member quondame
A rather high body count tale of a young man who has real reasons for his journey but only one solution to dealing with those who both outnumber and oppose him. Not much cleverness, just head first into the fray. The illustration style is anime, but quality anime, expressive and quirky.
LibraryThing member chirikosan
This is the first time I believe this story has been translaed to Spanish, and the timing couldn't have been more auspicious given Hayao earned his second Oscar. I am uncertain if this edition was translated directly from Japanese or it is a second translation over the English version. One part of
As I expected, even though this edition was printed in Mexico City, the translation is in Spain Spanish instead of a neutral Latin American. It isn't badly translated per se, but it does use some seseo verb tenses and unusual words that are not in common use in Latin America.
What we do get is very high quality printing with glorious riveting colors. So while I might regard some linguistic preference reservations about the translation despite being a Mexican subsidiary of the US editorial, the printing quality is fabulous. A worthy collector's item for hardcore Ghibli Studio artwork fans.
I was always aware Hayao wrote Nausicaä manga over the years, but I never knew he wrote this story. And given my copy is the 2nd print barely fresh out of the printing house, I have high hopes sales will be good enough to entice the editorial to translate the rest of Hayao's work to Spanish. Manga sells like hot pancakes in Mexico no matter the cost, and I have high hopes Nausicaä would sell very well even if each tome was priced at 300 mxn a pop.
Given I am unfamiliar with Hayao's work, I entered this book with no prior knowledge of it, only that it instantly has artwork and character designs that were used later on in Nausicaä and The Princess Mononoke.
It is a simple story, imbued with Hayao's magical touch and a strong & brave female supporting character to help Shuna along the way. A fast read that I finished in just 1 hour, it's a fun story that can be enjoyed even by people that are not well attuned to Hayao's feature films.
Good read.
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the text mentions it is a Japanse -> Spanish translation. But at the same time, the book includes a 3 page message from the English language translator.As I expected, even though this edition was printed in Mexico City, the translation is in Spain Spanish instead of a neutral Latin American. It isn't badly translated per se, but it does use some seseo verb tenses and unusual words that are not in common use in Latin America.
What we do get is very high quality printing with glorious riveting colors. So while I might regard some linguistic preference reservations about the translation despite being a Mexican subsidiary of the US editorial, the printing quality is fabulous. A worthy collector's item for hardcore Ghibli Studio artwork fans.
I was always aware Hayao wrote Nausicaä manga over the years, but I never knew he wrote this story. And given my copy is the 2nd print barely fresh out of the printing house, I have high hopes sales will be good enough to entice the editorial to translate the rest of Hayao's work to Spanish. Manga sells like hot pancakes in Mexico no matter the cost, and I have high hopes Nausicaä would sell very well even if each tome was priced at 300 mxn a pop.
Given I am unfamiliar with Hayao's work, I entered this book with no prior knowledge of it, only that it instantly has artwork and character designs that were used later on in Nausicaä and The Princess Mononoke.
It is a simple story, imbued with Hayao's magical touch and a strong & brave female supporting character to help Shuna along the way. A fast read that I finished in just 1 hour, it's a fun story that can be enjoyed even by people that are not well attuned to Hayao's feature films.
Good read.
Show Less
Awards
Eisner Award (Nominee — 2023)
USBBY Outstanding International Book (Grades 9-12 — 2023)
Harvey Award (Nominee — 2023)
Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (Selection — Grades 9-12 — 2024)
Excellence in Graphic Literature Award (Finalist — Adult Fiction — 2023)
Language
Original language
Japanese
Original publication date
1983-06-15
Physical description
160 p.; 8.75 inches
ISBN
1250846528 / 9781250846525