Exploring the Mycoverse: The Return of Nausicaä (Part II)

Organized and hosted by Aaron Tupac
Sponsored by Arlington Garden

Our last discussion was so captivating, and we barely scratched the surface of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. That's why we're bringing an encore discussion next month. If you missed our last one, this is your chance to join us for a truly engaging conversation!

This time we'll be focusing on the later parts of the story in the manga (graphic novel), Chapters 5, 6, and 7 or the second half of the series. This part of the story dives into rich detail about purity, artificial intelligence, ecological restoration, and hope in the face of darkness.

Before our discussion, we invite you to:

• Read the manga! Specifically Chapters 5, 6, and 7. 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 – the film is only roughly the first two chapters of the seven in total.
  

More about Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind:

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...

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Host or Publisher Arlington Garden in Pasadena