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- Anime Review: Mushi-Shi Vol. 1 and 2
Anime Review: Mushi-Shi Vol. 1 and 2
- By Gretchen Lee
- Published 01/9/2008
- Anime and Manga
- Unrated
Gretchen Lee
Gretchen is an anime junkie who spends far too much time reading manga and searching for that elusive new favorite series. She lives with her cat, and raises tomato trees.
View all articles by Gretchen Lee
In the beginning, there was Volume 1, and that was good; then came Volume 2, and that was even better. I watched these two volumes some time back, and just recently had a marathon re-watching of the first ten episodes. Mushi-Shi is one of those series that stands up well to multiple viewings. Each episode presents a different, self-contained tale, all tied together by the presence of mushi, living beings at the most elemental form of life, and Ginko, a traveling mushi master. The plots are as rich in detail as the artwork, and while re-watching, I picked up tidbits that had been missed the first time around. At times sad and beautiful, or sweet and creepy, and at others rather gross, the series always offers something interesting to think about.
Ginko is a mushi master. He travels the land helping people who have been affected by mushi, which tend to be invisible to most folks. A few individuals, including mushi masters, can see them. Needless to say, mushi can be a source of fear and confusion for people who can see them, but don't know what they are looking at. The lack of understanding extends to friends and family, who begin to wonder about the person's sanity. It is helpful that there are people like Ginko, who can offer an explanation.
Neither good nor evil, mushi do what is necessary to survive, like any other creature. Sometimes their means of survival brings them into contact with humans, and the relationship is not always symbiotic. When this happens, Ginko helps the mushi move on, always striving to find a compromise rather than resorting to extermination. Ginko's respect for life, whether human, mushi, or otherwise factors greatly into how he approaches each situation.
The stories presented in each episode feel like folktales. The plots tend to explore human nature and touch on everything from self-sacrifice and guilt to love, learning to live again after tragedy, and the price of unbridled curiosity. A man chases a rainbow to prove his father's sanity. A husband waits on the shore for his wife to return after her boat is lost at sea. A girl grows old each night only to awaken the next morning young again.
A doctor who really should know what manner of paranormal object he's buying before leaving it out for anyone to find. The stories tend to get rather messy, and like life, rarely end in a tidy package. The endings, however, are appropriate and satisfying, even if they aren't necessarily neat and pretty and happy. They all leave the viewer with something to ponder, and linger long after the screen has gone black.
And the artwork. I am a sucker for pretty pictures, and Mushi-Shi is such a lovely series. There's a lushness that one doesn't always find in an anime intended as a weekly television series. The plants practically glow with life; clouds are diaphanous and soft. I spend way too much time drooling over the backgrounds, and how well the characters fit into this world.
The soundtrack isn't exactly something that will leave you humming after the series is over, well, except for the delightfully simple theme song, but it fits seamlessly with the action. The score subtly sets the tone for each scene and highlights the action on the screen. Often soft and haunting, the music underscores the series' dreamlike nature.
Mushi-Shi is a series I intend to own. Some may find the lack of overarching plot off-putting, but I rather like the individual nature of the episodes. It's a bit of a change to just watch any episode, with no attachment to the one before or the one after. Each story is unique, and there's no sense of repetition or redundancy, except perhaps with regards to my reviews. There's something very fresh and endearing about this series that I can't quite put my finger on, but it draws me, all the same. More than just putting this series on a wish-list, I've already pre-ordered the next volume, and am very much looking forward to where Ginko's travels might take him next.
Details: Volume 1 runtime 2:00, contains episodes 1-5. Extras include a director's interview with Ginko's Japanese voice actor, an interview with the director, a production studio tour, textless songs, and some trailers.
Volume 2 runtime 2:00, contains episodes 6-10. Extras include a director's interview with the character designer, and one with the art director, textless songs, and some trailers.
Both dvds come with reversible covers, a booklet of liner notes, and in the case of Volume 1, an art card.
Ginko is a mushi master. He travels the land helping people who have been affected by mushi, which tend to be invisible to most folks. A few individuals, including mushi masters, can see them. Needless to say, mushi can be a source of fear and confusion for people who can see them, but don't know what they are looking at. The lack of understanding extends to friends and family, who begin to wonder about the person's sanity. It is helpful that there are people like Ginko, who can offer an explanation.
Neither good nor evil, mushi do what is necessary to survive, like any other creature. Sometimes their means of survival brings them into contact with humans, and the relationship is not always symbiotic. When this happens, Ginko helps the mushi move on, always striving to find a compromise rather than resorting to extermination. Ginko's respect for life, whether human, mushi, or otherwise factors greatly into how he approaches each situation.
The stories presented in each episode feel like folktales. The plots tend to explore human nature and touch on everything from self-sacrifice and guilt to love, learning to live again after tragedy, and the price of unbridled curiosity. A man chases a rainbow to prove his father's sanity. A husband waits on the shore for his wife to return after her boat is lost at sea. A girl grows old each night only to awaken the next morning young again.
And the artwork. I am a sucker for pretty pictures, and Mushi-Shi is such a lovely series. There's a lushness that one doesn't always find in an anime intended as a weekly television series. The plants practically glow with life; clouds are diaphanous and soft. I spend way too much time drooling over the backgrounds, and how well the characters fit into this world.
The soundtrack isn't exactly something that will leave you humming after the series is over, well, except for the delightfully simple theme song, but it fits seamlessly with the action. The score subtly sets the tone for each scene and highlights the action on the screen. Often soft and haunting, the music underscores the series' dreamlike nature.
Mushi-Shi is a series I intend to own. Some may find the lack of overarching plot off-putting, but I rather like the individual nature of the episodes. It's a bit of a change to just watch any episode, with no attachment to the one before or the one after. Each story is unique, and there's no sense of repetition or redundancy, except perhaps with regards to my reviews. There's something very fresh and endearing about this series that I can't quite put my finger on, but it draws me, all the same. More than just putting this series on a wish-list, I've already pre-ordered the next volume, and am very much looking forward to where Ginko's travels might take him next.
Details: Volume 1 runtime 2:00, contains episodes 1-5. Extras include a director's interview with Ginko's Japanese voice actor, an interview with the director, a production studio tour, textless songs, and some trailers.
Volume 2 runtime 2:00, contains episodes 6-10. Extras include a director's interview with the character designer, and one with the art director, textless songs, and some trailers.
Both dvds come with reversible covers, a booklet of liner notes, and in the case of Volume 1, an art card.