Did You Notice This Hayao Miyazaki ’Star Wars’ Connection?

With the release of Star Wars‘ latest film, fans from around the world are buzzing about the franchise. The eighth Star Wars episode brings audiences back into contact with Rey and her quest to take down the First Order. However, anime fans are still ogling Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

After all, the trilogy starter does have some uncanny parallels with a lesser-known classic from Hayao Miyazaki.

If you are a fan of Hayao Miyazaki, you may have seen Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The beloved film debuted in March 1984 and stands as one of Japan’s greatest sci-fi epics. The story follows a young girl named Nausicaa in a futuristic wasteland, and the girl is the princess of a place known as the Valley of the End. The girl comes to odds with the kingdom of Tolmekia when they comes to an impasse that leads to war.

Ever since the trailer for The Force Awakens was released, fans have connected Nausicaa to Rey. The head-strong heroines are masters of their own fate, but they struggle to embrace the destinies which they could fulfill. Now, fans are pointing out the pair have more in common than just their stories. They have some very similar artwork too.

As you can see above, fans on Reddits have resurrected the movie comparisons with pictures. The side-by-side shots show images from The Force Awakens compared to Miyasaki’s classic, but that is not all. Over on Youtube, entire videos like the one seen atop this article have broken down every overlap between the Star Wars and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Of course, there is no telling whether the parallels are intentional or not. Disney, which owns the Star Wars franchise, is a noted backer of Miyazaki’s works. However, J.J. Abrams has never mentioned his affinity for the Japanese director or his work. So, for now, it is up for fans to decide if they think there’s more to the overlaps than coincidence.

Do you think there’s something to these anime mirrors in Star Wars? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!