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Plot Synopsis

Imagine that there are creatures that are neither vegetables nor animals, but they are the very essence of the life living around us. Imagine that not everyone can see them, but they can influence your life in the strangest manner. They are called "mushi".

Genko is a "mushishi"; a mushi hunter. Follow him as he wander across the land, studying, healing or teaching, trying to help normal people to live in harmony with mushi.Written by modens2099

Story & Characters

In the world of Mushishi, there exists a form of life known as "mushi" - strange creatures that are more primitive than animal, plant or bacteria, yet are closer to the source of life than any of the former. Although only a few people can actually see the mushi, they interact with the world in bizarre ways. It is not (generally) in their natures to cause harm, but their entirely alien natures means that when human and mushi interact, neither comes off better. This has led to the rise of Mushishi - people who mediate human-mushi affairs. Ginko is one such mushishi, a man who is constantly traveling from village to village to study these mysterious beings and the effects they have on people, trying to help out where he can. Each episode of Mushishi follows Ginko's journeys through a world that resembles rural, medieval Japan. Although the series is episodic in nature, there are a few recurring characters besides Ginko because Ginko will occasionally return to a village to check up on the friends he has made there.
The series is essentially a "mushi of the day" type of show as there seem to be an infinite variety of the creatures; no two remotely alike. However, unlike hero series where the "monster of the day" always ends up in a battle (with recycled footage), Ginko is not always trying to fight the mushi unless he is given a good reason to (i.e. it is deteriorating the life of the villagers.) Ginko is more of a researcher than a mushi exterminator (although the show implies most mushishi are of the latter mindset) so the mushi battle episodes are greatly interspersed with mushi investigation episodes and help keeps the series from being too repetitious or predictable. This also helps maintain the portrayal of mushi as being utterly foreign to our understandings, not as malevolant beings (with a few exceptions.) Because of this, the story remains relatively peaceful and subdued, and one that makes you think instead of one where you can tune out and watch people fighting crazy things.
Summary: The story is simple and episodic, with each following a general formula (Ginko arrives at village, finds mushi, deals with mushi) but the variety of mushi and people that Ginko interacts with helps maintain a freshness for each episode. As the series progresses, you can see how Ginko truely cares for the people and mushi that coinhabit the world and often gets emotionally involved in events, allowing the viewer to also develop an attachment to people and events. If you're looking for something other than high-school romantic drama or fighting mechas, this is a good series to try out. Besides, with its episodic nature, you can check out a few now, see if you like it, and come back a good time later to see more if you decide to continue with the series.

Rating

8 (good)

Art

The art of Mushishi is subdued and simple in nature, which is fitting to how the series is presented. The colors are often in a dull grey/brown/green palette which helps set a somewhat somber (but not dark) nature to the show. There's not a whole lot of variety in character design (except for Ginko, with his surprising white hair and green eyes) or scenery (there are only so many ways to portray a forest or a rural village.) If it weren't for the different mushi themselves, the artwork for the scenery and people in each episode would be interchangable. However, the true variety lies in the design of the mushi. They can be glowing, floating jellyfish, or feathery birds, or a rainbow with the colors inverted, or a white bamboo in a grove of green. Each mushi's form is generally relevant to their nature, and there is plenty of variance in that.
Summary: Simple artwork with a subdued palette, there's not a lot of variety in a rural medieval Japan setting, but the amount of different mushi help address the lack. Effective, but nothing to knock your socks off.

Rating

7 (above average)

Sound

Voice acting: Sort of like the interchangability of the character art (except for recurring characters), their voices are fairly interchangable as well. Although competently done, unless you tie character art + voice + story + mushi together, it can be difficult to tell people from different episodes apart. Thankfully the few recurring characters do have distinct voices (Adashino-sensei is voiced by the well-known Yuji Ueda, who also voiced Honey and Clover's Morita, Love Hina's Keitarou and Kenshin's Sanosuke, among others.) Ginko also maintains a distinct voice, but my favorite performance was Mika Doi's Nui, who portrayed Nui as a reclusive hermit who is old before her time, yet manages to develop a deep attachment to Ginko in the short time they are together. She also does well as the narrator, using the same elderly voice that conveys authority to the narration.
Music: The music of Mushishi is fairly quiet and simple but still very beautiful and haunting. No heavy orchestral workings in these songs - they rely more on simple piano/synth and a lot of traditional Japanese bells and chimes, which helps it maintain the medieval Japanese setting. Most of the music is slow and somber, but then most of the episodes are slow and somber. There are a few fast-paced pieces that are used when Ginko is fighting a music, but for the most part the music is soft and idyllic like the episodes. The opening song is a little ditty that sort of reminds me of a Bob Dylan piece (except the words are more easily understood) with its simple harmony and stylings. The lyrics fit the series well (it talks of traveling) but took me a little while to get used to.
Summary: Relatively bland voice acting (with a few exceptions) but a soundtrack that really sets the stage for the story and scenery.

Rating

7 (above average)

Presentation

Mushishi is a relatively simple series artistically, musically, and in the set-up of the plot, but the content of each episode, and the relationship between humans, mushi, and how Ginko deals with them can be very complex. Due to the episodic nature, it's hard to get attached to anyone except Ginko himself, but the degree to which Ginko gets attached to people and places makes you at least want to try. The episodic nature also means that you can go back and watch any episode you feel like if you found any particular village or person or mushi rather interesting. This series is suited for people who want a more thoughtful series at the expense of gorgeous art, action-packed battles, extensive character development and teenaged angst, and is aimed at a slightly more mature audience.
There are a lot of comparisons between Mushishi and Kino no Tabi considering both are episodic series that follow a person traveling from land to land and learning about the people/nature of each place. There are some major differences between the two, which actually makes me enjoy both series better:
Kino is the detached traveler who takes Star Trek's Prime Directive directly to heart; she almost never gets involved in a country's business, and sometimes goes out of her way to maintain her distance. Kino no Tabi is a showcase of different lands, each one with a dark and horrible twist at the end that makes you go WTF and think the author is smoking something serious. Kino's detachment allows you to view each country from an outsider's perspective and see what the locals cannot, what makes their land utterly absurd and ironic.
Ginko is rather the opposite - he goes out of his way to help people in very place he visits, often coming back several months later to see if he had truely been able to help. He can and often does get deeply, emotionally involved in the situations he comes by, even if he knows things will not turn out the way he wants. This makes him an accessible character and one you can emphathize with, and his fascination with the mushi and their endless variety are transferred to you. With each episode, you wonder, as Ginko does, what sort of people and mushi he will encounter, and what he might be able to do to help both.
It's refreshing to get different perspectives on world views, and I like both series because of it.
Summary: Simple, thoughtful series. No action or angsting here. Probably why I like it so much. Am definately interested in checking out the manga.

Rating

9 (very good)

Final Verdict

8.00 (good)

Reviewed by Tama-Neko, 1y 48wk ago