MISC. MANGA, *Shuna's Journey

Way back in 1983, Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki created a one-shot graphic novel based on an old tale from Tibet about a wandering prince. The entire book was entirely illustrated in watercolors and titled Shuna's Journey. Miyazaki planned to turn the story into an animated feature, but not finding any outlet for it he decided to release it as a manga instead. Ideas and characters from this went on to influence future Miyazaki projects, especially Princess Mononoke, as well as Tales From Earthsea which was directed by his son Goro Miyazaki.

Shuna is the prince of a small mountain village whose residents are starving because of a low harvest. An old man rambles into town claiming to be a prince himself and shows Shuna some fresh grain that he claims to have found in a valley in the west. The prince dies of exhaustion, which leads to Shuna determined to find this mystical land and bring some of its harvest back to his hungry subjects. Our young adventurer mounts up his elk friend Yakkul to seek out this hidden land. Shuna's quest has him coming among slave traders and freeing a pair of sisters. The lad does finally locate the enchanted land with bountiful grain which is inhabited by giant insects and plant golems which might be recycled human spirits. Shuna does get some samples of grain and tries to head back, but he gets chased down by the magic folk of this hidden realm and falls into the sea. He washes up in a village with the sisters he rescued, one of which marries Shuna, and the three of them eventually head back to Shuna's land to feed his malnourished tribe.

Shuna's Journey is a visually outstanding manga, better in its visuals than the actual story, which might explain why Miyazaki wasn't able to pitch it as an anime. First Second Books did an impressive job translating the long-forgotten manga, although they should have put a little more effort in making the text slightly more readable as it is sometimes difficult to make out. The hardcover offering is worthy of your permanent physical manga library.