Ask John: Does Nausicaa Wear Underpants?

Question:
In Miyazaki’s Nausicaa movie, this was one of the most questioned questions of the last 10 years since I saw it, and I really wanted to know that if during the fly scenes of Nausicaa in her “glider” thing, does she wear underpants or not? That bothered me for years and no one dared to answer it. I wonder if you can answer it. No, I’m not a pervert. It’s just struck me since I saw it and many have asked it.

Answer:
This question has been around for nearly as long as the Nausicaa movie itself has existed. I think the rumor that Nausicaa doesn’t wear underpants was given rise to by poor quality copies of the film circulated among American fans during the 1980s and early 1990s. Nausicaa wears tan colored trousers that are close match to her skin color. This is apparent when watching a good copy of the film. But when watching hazy multi-generational VHS copies, it may be difficult to distinguish between trousers and bare skin, making it seem as though Nausicaa isn’t wearing any pants.