Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki in our manga review – Tower

If the name Hayao Miyazaki Appears in the anime credits, you know it’s a masterpiece from home Studio Ghibli Actions. The Japanese animation studio has become known around the world for films such as “Princess Mononoke,” “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” and also has a large fan base here. But what many people don’t know is that Miyazaki wrote a comic in 1983 called “Shuna no tabi” which has now been translated into German for the first time by Nora Berisch. Under a German title “Shouna Trip” The story, which is neither a classic manga nor a full-scale graphic novel, has now been published by Reprodukt-Verlag and shows that Miyazaki can radiate his magic even without anime.

The narrative begins in a small kingdom located deep in a valley surrounded by glaciers. No one knows why people settled there, as there is hardly any food there and the sun barely reaches the Earth. Shona is the prince of this poor country who has no choice but to watch his people starve. However, one day, a stranger gave him a dead seed that was supposed to provide places farther west with a bountiful harvest. The old man has been searching for more Golden Seeds himself, but his power is waning, which is why Shona is now heading west with his Jakul.

On the way, he reaches a large city that thrives on the slave trade. There he meets Thea and her younger sister, but Shauna is unable to help them. They are taken away and Shauna can only free the two after the attack before the slavers pursue them. Eventually, Shauna gets separated from the girls and his mount and sets out on his own to find the source of the golden seeds. However, this journey robs him of his sanity, and only through Thea’s care can Shauna find her way back to herself.

A storyboard, also called emonogatari in Japanese, doesn’t require a lot of words or descriptions. In addition, the layout does not correspond to classic manga, which is divided into panels, but rather “Shuna’s Journey” is read from right to left. However, you immediately find yourself in a new story with a familiar style, because you recognize Miyazaki in every brushstroke and every word. The character drawings are very reminiscent of “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”, which is no coincidence since the storyboard was created at the same time as the film. Shona’s mountain, Jakul, is also familiar from “Princess Mononoke” and the entire scenes are reminiscent of films from the Miyazaki collection. That’s why you feel at home as a fan. In addition to this, the serious topics that the artist also likes to address in his films.

The story is a reinterpretation of the Tibetan folk tale “The Prince Who Turned into a Dog”. Although Miyazaki changed some basic elements of the story, he remained faithful to the folk tale in many ways. There, too, the prince goes in search of more food for his poor people, who can ultimately be saved through his love for a young woman. In his conclusion to the story, Miyazaki confirms that he wants to make an animated film out of it. Since he was unable to realize his plan, it has become a comic that can now also be read outside Japan.

What is striking about “The Shona Journey” is the similarities to his other works, which come only later. Anyone who knows Miyazaki’s various films will find similarities on every page, yet this is a completely new story. Its epilogue and an additional speech by journalist Alex Dudok de Wit provide further information about the genesis of the “Shona Journey”. Therefore, these pages are no less important and interesting than the comic itself Reading sample It can be found on the publisher’s official website.

Shona journey Published by Reprodukt-Verlag.

• ISBN: 978-3-95640-395-8
• 15.3 x 21.6 cm
• Colored
• 160 pages
• 20 euros

Order your Shona trip now on Bücher.de

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Order Shuna Journey now on Amazon.de

Our online magazine ntower is a member of the affiliate networks Amazon PartnerNet, Awin, Webgains, Media Markt E-Business GmbH and Saturn online GmbH. When you order through one of our affiliate links, we receive a variable commission from the relevant store operator. There are no additional costs for end customers.