Environmentalism and nature are strong themes in Hayao Miyazaki's films. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind takes traditional fantasy tropes and complicates them, sending an important message about agency, choice, and activism to contemporary audiences. Nausicaä's planet is staring down the barrel of a mass extinction event. Humans polluted the world into something that can no longer support humanity. The larger kingdoms distract themselves by burning trees and playing vicious wargames as the world dies. It's hard to say that this is a metaphor when it hits so close to home in light of current events. Rather than a metaphor or allegory, the kingdoms are a direct retelling of the real world — just with airships and bigger bugs.