Anime Mushishi

[Dagger]

Mushishi is still airing in Japan right now, but ultimately it's supposed to be a full twenty-six episodes. It's a kind of drama/horror/supernatural series--it's actually difficult to pin down, as you can't really characterize it as Anime X, but on crack or Valium or your poison of choice. I can't think of many anime that resemble it in either spirit or storyline. I guess its atmosphere and structure aren't too far off from what you'd find in Kino's Journey, although that's where the similarities end. Certain scenes also bring Princess Mononoke to mind, thanks to their quietly riveting beauty and the fact that the show is more or less steeped in nature and Japanese folklore.

([url=http://www.hooverdam.net/crap/ondrugs.html][u]Speaking of drug similes...[/u][/url])

Anyway, the main character is a traveler named Ginko. He's a Mushishi, which is an expert on supernatural creatures known as Mushi. Mushishi is mostly episodic, although there are occasional references to previous episodes and at least one recurring character (besides the lead). Some Mushi are benign, while others cause problems for humans. In the latter case, Ginko intervenes.

Mushishi is a subdued but gorgeous-looking show, with strong production values and a powerful sense of mystery. The animation reminds me of Victorian Romance Emma. Not a huge amount happens in any given episode, but it manages to avoid feeling slow, and the restrained background music is very effective. The episode stories are memorable; some are downright haunting. I don't have high hopes for it being licensed anytime soon, but that would be wonderful. I don't think there's been anything like this in recent memory.

~Dagger~

[Starwind]

I've never heard of this one, but from what you have described it sounds quite promising. I was wondering if you could tell me where to find this anime, or info on it. It sounds like a fun ride and since you mentioned it might not be licensed anytime soon I'm eager to get a jump on it now.

[Dagger]

PM'd... In any case, let me know what you think if you ever do end up watching it. :)

Episode 11 brought the Mononoke vibe into the forefront. I liked its depiction of [spoiler]guardian spirits,[/spoiler] and it had some very striking visuals. It was particularly interesting for what it suggested about Ginko. I've read that episode 12 is supposed to delve into his past a little, and I'm looking forward to it.

I was going to name my favorite episodes, and then I looked back and realized that I had listed virtually all of them, haha. I'm so glad this isn't going to be a half-length series.

~Dagger~

[Lindus]

Given that I love (and still love) slow-paced shows like Emma, I'm definitely willing to give this a shot. The way you described it reminded me a bit of Kamichu!. Not because of the content of course, but how you described the inclusion of Japanese folklore and nature (though that show was much more slice-of-life-ish).

I'll definitely give it a go! You have good timing, by the way. I had just read about the manga on ANN.

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] I watched the first episode, and I found it to my liking. I sort of hoped that it wasn't an episodic anime after I finished the first episode, but whatever. I thought the idea of the mushi and such was great. The scene with the [spoiler]little boy and the mushi creatures around him walking around/floating made my happy. :] I love magical realism.[/spoiler]

Anywho, I love the subdued mood of the anime. I've never watched Victorian Romance Emma, but I'm willing to give it a shot if it's like this one.[/color]

[Starwind]

I just watched it the other day, and I gotta say I'm impressed.I've gotten myself obsorbed now and I'm presently downloading the 6 and 7 episode. Thanks for tipping me off on this one. I owe you.

Thanks Dagger

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Awesome. I just got done with Erementar Gerad and I needed something new to see.

I'll tell you what I think in a couple of days. Thanks, Big D.[/color]

[Dagger]

It warms my heart to see more people becoming interested in Mushishi. I do hope you enjoy it. :catgirl:

[QUOTE=Lunox][color=darkslateblue]
Anywho, I love the subdued mood of the anime. I've never watched Victorian Romance Emma, but I'm willing to give it a shot if it's like this one.[/color][/QUOTE]
Well, Emma takes place in a totally different setting and such (but I recommend it anyway!). It's probably the only maid anime in the entire world in which the maids actually wear plain clothes and do unglamorous things like, you know, clean stuff. And it's a lovely period romance, with a surprising level of historical accuracy. The art style and smooth animation in Mushishi was what brought Emma to mind for me.

I just watched episode 12, and I think it's one of the best episodes yet. It explains why [spoiler]Ginko looks the way he does, as well as how he got his name and lost his eye.[/spoiler] I'd love to see more episodes featuring [spoiler]Ginko as a (post-Tokoyami/Ginko) child,[/spoiler] but I guess that isn't too likely.

Aside from what's mentioned above, the most important thing about this episode is that it lays the groundwork for one of the strongest philosophical elements of Mushishi: the idea that because [spoiler]the Mushi have no ill intent toward humanity, it's best to help people avoid them, instead of attempting to destroy them. Even though Nui taught Ginko that lesson before he lost his memory, I think it must have stayed with him in some way, because it seems to be one of the basic principles by which he lives his life as an adult.[/spoiler]

I would be interested in watching an episode about a rogue Mushishi--i.e., one who directly confronts the Mushi, either out of greed (wanting capture them for profit and such) or rage (wanting to eliminate them). That kind of thing might not be up the show's alley, though.

One other thing I wanted to mention: if anyone is interested in seeing detailed episode summaries and/or screencaps, Garten from [url=http://www.designchronicle.com/memento/archives/mushishi/index.html][u]Memento[/u][/url] has been doing a fine job of blogging Mushishi. The main page is mostly spoiler-free, but you should watch out for spoilers in the extended entries.

~Dagger~

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]After twelve episodes (and volume one of the manga) I can safely call this one of my all-time favorite anime nd I am completely obsessed. It's got the journeyman's aspect and deep plotlines of Kino's Journey but with utterly breathtaking visuals and a much more driven plot. Where Kino could get a bit slow at times, Mushishi always keeps things 100% interesting and it doesn't screw arounf -- often it gets right to the point of an episode and deals with the problem.

These are some of the most creative creatures and situations I've ever seen anywhere, which is always an enormous plus. It manages to not go overboard like King of Bandits Jiing (not that I don't like Jing, but it can be a little WTF at times) and it manages to maintain an ever-serious air. Most of te mushishi encounters have left my jaw on the floor.

In episode four when the man [spoiler] cuts the pillow in half and his chest explodes[/spoiler] that was one of the greatest moments in anime history. I almost did a backflip when I saw it.

Ginko is a likeable caracter and has a very cool stle. I love how he appears out of the blue often and has no general direction. Whearas Kino had a very purpose-driven travel and took everthing extremely seriously, Ginko s a little more lad back and even directly admits to not having a purpose. Both are great characters, but Ginko has a bit more of a human quality to him that I enjoy.

I like how certain things reappear in leter episodes like the gree sake bowl and how Ginko repeatedly visits his collector friend on the fishing village. Everything about this show appeals to me, basically.

My only complaint is that sometimes the way Ginko explains things can be a little complicated, but in the end the story always peces everything together. My verdict is: I adore this show, and thus revive this thread. [/COLOR]

[Dagger]

:love:

Ordinarily I would toss out a list of favorite episodes or something, but that's really hard to do with this series. Well, looking at what you have coming up if you continue to watch it, 14 and 21 are two of the creepiest (interestingly, they have similar themes). 17 and 20 are great, too. But who am I kidding? I love all of them. I can't wait to see this again on DVD. I wish Funi would hurry and get a trailer up... they've already posted a trailer for at least one of their other summer series (Suzuka).

~Dagger~

[theiceisfrozen]

Although I just started watching this series (i'm on episode 5) I can already tell this series is something I will greatly enjoy! It hooked me right from the first episode with its sad story and the oddness of the actual Mushi. They remind me very much of the spirits found in Princess Mononoke.
The beauty of the animation and overall ephemeral quality of the scenery is what drew me in. I have also checked out the manga that is out right now for it and am looking into the live action movie of this series but decided to hold off until i have finished watching the episodes of anime first. I am greatly looking forward to what creative ways they show the Mushi later on in the series. I think its great that it has the horror aspect, I rarely see anime that actually makes me kind of squeamish but this one has certainly gotten me to react at points.

[Tsu-chan]

Recently I started catching episodes of this on the Funimation channel. I really enjoy it so far.

Basically (from what I've seen) there are Mushi these weird spirit like things that in habit everything and they can be good or bad. The bad ones tend to harm people so Mushi Masters go around "slaying" them. The main character is the Mushi Master Genko.

I've only caught a few episodes here and there and I can't really get a handle on what's going on. Genko is the only consistent character from what I've seen. (course I have been watching them at random) In each episode there is a Mushi problem and Genko goes and solves it.

I'm wondering if this anime actually has a storyline or not...

It almost seemed like it might in the one episode but then the next episode just continued on with random Mushi encounters.