Mushishi

Mushishi is not just an anime , its a piece of art, its a episodic anime but still I loved it , the character design and personality r just perfect, the art works r beautiful. After watching the first episode I thought that its gonna be a happy happy anime , in which every things turns all right, but it wasn't, I mean that, there are lots of sad moments in it .This anime touches the heart so bad and so these are the all tjings a love about this anime. PEOPLE DON'T JUDGE ANIME BY THE COVER. IF U LIKE SLICE OF LIFE , MYSTERY AND EPISODIC ANIME , I Differently recommend this anime to u. its an old anime but its art styles and works r just amazing and soothing.

Setting. When you open up, start up, whatever Mushishi, that's the first thing that will be apparent - the main 'characters' and art complement each other perfectly to tie together a beautiful world not too far removed from our own. "Characters?" (I like to think) I hear you cry? But there's only the one white-haired dude? Well, there is him, Ginko as he's known, but each episode (and this series is episodic, taking on a 'monster-of-the-week' style format) introduces a new 'Mushi', a kind of bacteria-like organism that, as stated in the bio, have no other purpose than to just 'be', 'live'. What I liked, and what did strike me straight away is, even if the mushi were in the form of something terrible such as a disease, they're not 'evil'. The team did not 'cop out' so to speak, I mean these mushi just exist to live, they don't know what they're doing is destroying someone's life. And sometimes, they're just harmless lights, other times, they're a goddamn beautiful rainbow! I'm sorry I keep gushing about it, but the art and world-building/setting is the highlight and selling point, in my opinion of course. For example, Ginko, in his travels (there's a reason he wanders which I won't spoil, is nothing of massive concern though), wanders to a fishing village. Of course there's fisherman and a story contained in just this episode, but to me, the misty water, the weather-beaten shacks, the overcast sky with rain just waiting to pour - it's all very atmospheric and when Ginko travels to villages that have forests (my second favourite natural place IRL, only second to the ocean), and just the sunlight hardly filtering in through the canopy, secret little pools with catfish (which is a reference to japanese mythology, thank you Mr. Gaijin Goomba), well, it's an experience, almost as good as going to a hidden forest in untouched countryside out there, in the real world. To wrap this, the intro song ia fantastic, one of those songs you wish you could play on guitar (I'm trying!), the ending is also brilliant, and there's some action-y type music in the episodes which complement the scenes they're in. I haven't touched on character because talking about the mushi would spoil the episodes, and Ginko's character and goals are pretty much explained in the bio. But yes, a wonderful series that really shines in it's world and the atmosphere the world creates. A beautiful masterpiece. Easy 10.

Overall I can't agree with that average score this show has... This show is episodic and has mainly just one character wandering alone. It also doesn't help that said one main character is practically lifeless. What kind of life can you have without people around you? Ginko, the lead, can't be attached to anyone since he's wandering from village to village. Well, he has to. It's a plot point. That doesn't mean someone couldn't have been traveling with him... The stories about the different mushi were somewhat interesting, I guess. In ten plus years of watching anime I haven't seen any show that mentions these odd creatures. It's too bad the mangaka couldn't weave them into a plot and give the plot at least a small group of connected characters... Sound theme song note, not a fan. I thought the theme songs were pretty terrible too. I like watching theme songs so a show without at least okay themes loses a 1-3 out of 10 just for that...

Mushishi and a manga by Yuki Urushibara, containing 10 volumes and an anime adaptation with 26 episodes, produced by the studio Artland. Mushishi has nice effects, great BGM's, not to mention its splendid history and incredible. Mushi are creatures invisible to human eyes, except for some people called Mushishi. These creatures for some, are harmless and are just trying to live with all beings, but they are always involved in strange facts, without explanation. Ginko, the series protagonist, is a Mushishi. People who can see these beings, and walk from place to place solving cases where the Mushi are involved, for people who are inexplicable. Due to an accident he had with a Mushi on his childhood, he has the green eyes and white hair. His personality and relaxed, and does not clearly show their emotions. The characters of the series, each episode is totally new, except some characters appear more than once because each episode is unique in its history and its end it. For some it may be tedious, since it does not follow a chronology of events but did not and why the anime "lost" for others. He holds your attention with its light environment, their musical themes surprising, amazing and interesting stories. This was the only anime that could be better than Bakemonogatari, in my opinion, it was one of my best anime he lost position to Mushishi. The opening theme: The Sore Feet Song by Ally Kerr sung a song is relaxing, calm, which combines perfectly with the anime. Without many details, just shows the nature where they found many cases of people who had contact with Mushi. In each episode the endings are new, without any presentation of characters and environment, with only a soundtrack accompanied by credits. Only at that point the studio could have worked a little more. If you have not seen Mushishi, is hoping to start today? This is an anime which certainly is historic.

Overall - 10/10 Mushi-shi is so far the only anime, to get a full score (10) in my eyes, for it's the only one I have found that is perfect. Truly admire, a production of the highest quality. A rarity for sure. The quality of the product, such as the utterly simple, yet amazingly strong story overpowers the very few weaknesses. Animation - 09/10 A very fitting style to the story. An eerie, slow (but not in a dull way) and relaxed atmosphere, very few mistakes (inconsistencies) is the foundation of this masterpiece. When needed anything is nicely detailed, has a matching background color or shadow, the human anatomy and movement is drawn with precision. The coloring is magnificent. Sound - 09/10 A stronghold of Mushi-shi is that the vocals, the music and the ambient sound is quite fitting. Perhaps it is because the series has a slow pace and a simple structure. Nonetheless, aside from some background noises of nature, nothing is missing. There is no annoying or unneeded sounds or echos. It lends a good hand to the animation. Characters - 10/10 The only main character has strong, interesting and calm personality, which is very fitting with the atmosphere of the anime (or rather the anime is constructed to fit this character). He isn't being "introduced" and the viewer eventually gets to know him and explore his past due time. He's not a "hero", he's not the best, and he's not special. He's just a human, he makes mistakes and learns from them, he has feelings, and he gets angry sometimes. In short, he is rather real, and so, easy to understand and associate with. Other characters are easily distinguishable, despite the fact that they mostly look alike (without all having the same boring and repeating character), specially by being in different environments. By this I mean the characters don't have absurd hair colors or flamboyant clothes. Story - 10/10 The story is practically free of inconsistencies, something that defines the whole quality of a work (and something that is hard to see in anime). It has no contradictions within, like a deep blue color, it fills the viewer with a light feeling. The world that is being described here is fairly realistic, despite the fact that it a complete fabrication and purely imaginary. Most Mushi have rather natural-like existence, which makes them feel rather familiar, but still the element of surprise, which is used smoothly, gives it all a special color. There are sufficient numbers of different type of Mushi that differ in shape, color, power and function. This makes it impossible to get bored with them. The viewers never know what is waiting for them and what makes this even more enjoyable, is that the same applies to Ginko (the main character), in other words he's on the same ground as the viewers (which increases the bond between the viewer and the story). There are no secrets, no magic and no coincidences. Everything is seen the way they really are. Enjoyment -10/10 Since this series is not made for kids, it is not filled with cheap means of enjoyment i.e. some wild action, some out-of-the-blue events, a trivial love story or the so called fan service, yet it is a great pleasure to watch the series. All the elements that make up the work combine in a pleasant manner and an incredible balance. Overall, it is indeed a masterpiece.

Mushi-Shi. An episodic show with no specific plot to follow except for traveling to villages to help people. The story was great. It gave me a new perspective in life. To see things differently than they are. That some of the least important things have the most effect on life. With the story, there was never really something that was the same. Each episode was it's own story. Some were about life in mountains, some were about life in towns, there was one with a traveling person, and a few episodes that have Ginko's past. The art was wonderful. All the colors were vibrant. Everything looked awesome. Mushi-Shi is set in a different time era than the current time, and the art shows that. How everything was brighter and more alive before factories and other large buildings came. The art has all the colors in the rainbow and the shades to match. The sounds, too. It matched every scene perfectly. The ending themes also ended each episode in it's own way. The opening seemed to show that Ginko is traveling to get some place important to him. The characters were great, but most of the younger boys looked the same. They all had the same nose, eyebrows, mouth, and eyes. That got a little annoying. But Ginko comes into the scene so I didn't really care too much about it because Ginko looked totally different in a new way. I enjoyed this show a lot. It was very interesting. This show never failed to disappoint me in any way. Everything was just about flawless. Overall. This show deserves a ten. Just because it was calm, no action. Just life and how humans and other creatures interact with each other to thrive.

Mushishi, a unique show with a unique premise, is one of the best works of art the anime industry has to offer. It's a full package deal with phenomenal world-building, storytelling and mood setting. Additionally, it provides the viewers with breath-taking visuals and scenery apace with a gentle and blissful soundtrack. In short, watching mushishi feels like a holy sensory experience. Episodic anime are not usually my cup of tea, as most of them seem like a journey with no destination. However, mushishi proves to be an exception as each and every episode is a whole journey on and of its own. Other than our main guy Ginko, most of the characters are never to be seen again. Nonetheless, all of them are fleshed out really well with interesting and unique backstory, alongside just the right amount of angst and hardships that only serve to make them that much more relatable and sympathetic. Honestly, props to the creator for their massive brain and phenomenal creativity. Now, on to the MC. Ginko, being the only constant throughout the whole show, is a very likeable and entertaining main character. He may seem monotone and emotionless (kuudere) at first, but the more the story progresses the more his true personality shines through and you get to see how much he truly cares and enjoys what he does, which in turn makes you enjoy it just as much. 10/10 must watch and 1000/10 recommendation for new anime watchers as it has none of the typical anime cringe.

Mushishi is a collage of very simple stories set in a very complex world, very much alive. It will not score many marks on character, drama, action, or tension, or any of the things that tend to captivate viewers. It remains, in spite of all that, compelling; and because of all that, refreshing. It's not possible to talk about Mushishi and not talk about the setting. The setting makes the story, and the character. In Mushishi, we have Mushi as the fundamental life-force of the world. For most, these remain invisible, for some, they are objects of curiosity acquiring tangible form, for a few, they are a fact of life. Mushi are integrated into every aspect of the world: a place without Mushi is barren and lifeless, but too much of it spells disaster and invites tragedy. In many ways, the setting of Mushishi mimics life: Mushi themselves are incapable of good or evil, that is why they are simultaneously beneath human morality and above it. They are part of nature, part of a grand balance. The balance is constantly shifting, changing, but is a balance nonetheless. As humans, the question is whether to accept this balance, and coexist with it, or to fear it, and attempt to master it. There is a second facet to the world of Mushishi. As always, the human element exists secondarily to nature. Expecting something more akin to Kino's Journey, I'd been surprised when I realised that the story was set in an alternate Edo-era. Part of this decision on the part of the mangaka, I suppose, was due to nostalgia, and part of it, I think, must be due to the idea of coexistence. Perhaps it came down to a very simple question like: how did people live before machines? And before industrialisation? And perhaps most importantly of all, before they lost their vital link to nature. The world is alive, and fluid, it is not just a blank tablet made for humans to carve meaning into. To exist, then, one must also coexist. Then we come to the characters. Ginko is the name of the man. White-haired, roguish, stoic, dressed in distinctly western garb, (and not to mention somehow popular with both the gents and the ladies) he is in many ways the outsider, and as a result of that, he is who we identify with. Ginko is human, flawed, apathetic, eccentric, which makes him all the more endearing (I speak for myself) and relatable. Simply put, Ginko is the Red Schuhart of Mushishi. Ginko does not belong anywhere. He does not hate people, nor nature. He gets along. Likewise, he does not hate mushi. It is through his eye(s) that we see the world in all its ethereal and Lovecraftian splendour (I will explain the Lovecraft parallel later). Yet he is always the visitor, the drifter. There is something that enthralls every Romantic, the idea of walking the world, without goal, without ambition, just taking in everything, and being alive. Something Chris McCandless would have agreed with, surely, but perhaps not the 'alive' part. I digress. Ginko is more than an outsider. He coexists. He belongs in the natural world of Mushi, just as much as he is ill at ease in the human world of, well, humans. Ginko is part of the setting, part of the living world. It is not man against nature but man with nature, man as part of nature, and vice-versa, and so on. I suppose, one might see mushi as characters in their own right. Like people, they are capricious, having their own needs, stubborn. But they are not people: theye have no motives, except insofar it serves their bodily needs. They have no agenda but for survival. They are not capable of deceit. Like Ginko, they are misunderstood. Like Ginko, they come and go. And not unlike Ginko, they are nature. The structure of the series is episodic. Every part can be watched separately in no particular order, which complements the content perfectly. There is no real beginning to the story, nor any ending. The conflict and coexistence between human and mushi will endure. Other than the worldbuilding, another keystone to Mushishi is the tone. The sound and the visuals synergise with each other to weave a sense of serenity. I have few words to say about the visuals. I'll admit that I have little by way of taste, but I can tell you that they are quaint, and calming. Various mushi seemed to be modelled on real creatures, so that they are familiar but enthralling. The colours seem subdued, so that you always feel as if you're looking at a corner of a great rolling painting, rather than at a jumble of them. Still shots are common, and Ginko often alone, but it manages to be neither melancholic nor foreboding. There is always the sense of wonder. The music compliments tone, the best I can do to describe it is that it's about 'being' and not 'doing'. There are no hectic marches, no heroic anthems. In the same way that the plot is more about existing and restoring nature, the music exists: it goes nowhere, it just is. One might even see Mushishi as a Taoist work. The concept of a balance mirrors that of the 'Tao', and the idea of living simply and mindfully tallies with 'Wuwei'. In a way, the music underlines Ginko's principles: it is not as though Ginko cannot act; it is that most of the time, he refrains from doing. Finally, let me end with the Lovecraft comparison. There's no need for me to go into detail. The topic has already been thoroughly discussed by JeffersonAirship in his post titled 'Mushishi: the Anti-Lovecraft' which you can peruse at your leisure. The gist of the matter is that whilst both works deal with superhuman natural forces: sometimes gargantuan, often dangerous, always unpredictable, Mushishi accepts what Lovecraft has rejected: the idea that humans are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Yes, there are things too terrible to call creatures lurking all too near us, yes, we are so tiny that they do not even notice us, yes, if and when the do notice us, we perish, and yet, Ginko shows us that we can still live in knowledge of them. Lovecraft would treat mushi as a lore rightly forbidden; Ginko seeks mushi and seeks to know everything about them: the reassuring truth, the ambivalent truth, the unsettling truth. All. In a way, Mushishi is the enlightened view to Lovecraft's Luddite-ness. I have noticed that I've given Mushishi unimpressive scores on most of the criteria, and for some reason it still holds a special place among the anime I've watched over the years. There are facets and nuances that simply cannot be captured by a ratings. The bottom line is that it's a fresh perspective for things we have too long taken for granted. Things like nature, coexistence, mastery, and our place in the Great Chain of Being. The setting is at the centre of it all. Character, plot, music and art all revolve around a world that is fluid, immutable and unknowable. Ginko and the mushi are interwoven into the very mystery of nature. Perhaps we are, too.

This is what I would call fairy tale ( or fairy tales ) for adults. For me the anime was a long-needed proof that you don't need to have insanely elaborate story-line with shallow relationships and bizarre characters to make an awesome anime. I would certainly recommend this for anyone who likes a little bit artistic and peaceful story. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who thinks that it takes huge explosions and people screaming their special ninja-karate-magic attacks at people. Most important thing to say, which occurs to me after looking at the specific review fields below: this anime doesn't have anything that could be any different from what it is. I felt that all the contributing factors make up into a very good package of entertainment. I found the animation rather beautiful, however, not as beautiful as I would've hoped. In some of the episodes I wish they would've stuck to normal animation instead of using painfully obvious 3D animations and effects. However, they didn't take away too much of the enjoyment. Other then that it's visually very soft and pleasant to look at. Some people might yearn after big and watery eyes but I never felt so. The characters and the atmosphere blend nearly perfectly together and neither take away attention from the other. Like with the animation, I felt the music sat very well together with the whole thing. It wasn't something people would rush to download I think, but it served it's very important purpose on making the whole anime nice and peaceful to watch. In the anime at least there actually doesn't seem to be any grand plot. It's merely a series of tales of a man dealing with mushis in various ways. One may think that this is a bad thing but personally, I thought it was nice. The makers of the anime knew what they were doing and didn't try to insert anything more complex then what was necessary. As for the stories per episode, I thought they were quite fun. It was interesting how they explained some myths and such with mushis. I also liked the explanations on what mushis were and why they did what they did. The stories in each episode were simple and very likable. They may have been a little philosophical but not in a way that's painfully obvious nor were those philosophies ever delivered by showing the ( usually ) main character on close-up saying something would-be deep. It was left for the viewer to realize in the way they wanted, if they wanted. There is only really two characters in the series that show up more then once. However, the people that showed up in the stories were pleasant enough with a lot of variation when it came to personality. On looks they may have all looked a bit too similar, however I didn't see this as that bad of a thing: rather have the believable looking characters that don't stand out much then have vividly designed characters that take away the attention from the story. The character that stood out most but still fitted very nicely with the atmosphere was obviously the main, Ginko. He is cool but not brooding ( for a change ) and does have a little story of his own that explains his history. However, the anime does not make a huge fuss about it. The other character that stands out only because he has a monocle is Ginko's... I want to say "friend"... who seems to collect things related to mushis ( something also addressed ), however save for two episodes he doesn't really do anything groundbreaking. Well, that goes for the whole anime. As a whole, the anime doesn't really focus on any character any more then is necessary for the story. It does not try to sell itself on characters that are really sexy, intriguing and such. Which somehow for me at least seemed to result in much more interesting characters then. I have already watched the series twice and no doubt I will watch it completely again. Goes very well together with a rainy summer day and a cup or two of tea. It's not that the anime is so incredible, it's just that it's nice and relaxing like your favorite fairy tale.

No contest the most chilled-out anime I've ever watched. Can almost feel my heart rate dropping when I watch it. Story & Character: The story is episodic, only the main character and a few, select, others appear more than once. Some episodes were definitely better than others, and there was some general plot going on but nothing comes of it. Art & Sound: Acceptable. Enjoyment: Definitely something to decompress to; I wish it wasn't episodic.

"Cure lies in the curse" With this simple, yet deep message as the core theme, the masterpiece named Mushi-shi is presented to us as the purest form of entertainment. A lot of pieces of art and literature try too hard to get their message across through a good concept, and at times fail to do so. However, Mushi-shi delivers its message perfectly, accompanied by an excellent and perfect concept, without ever seeming desperate. Mushi, the entities closest to life itself, is one of the most brilliant fantasy, supernatural elements I've come across. The wonderful design and subtle motion really bring these existences to life. As neat as it is, this anime doesn't rely on its fantasy genre to cover for sloppy writing and polishes the elements well enough to be plausible all by itself. It is detailed, well fleshed out and its field is widely spread. As mushi are involved in different spheres of the people's lives, we get a peek into and observe these various parts of life. The phenomenon concerning the mushi and how to deal with these occurrences is explained extremely well. Nothing in it ever felt forced, but simply natural. While the element is perfect by itself and coherent to the theme of this anime, that's not all that Mushi-shi offers. Mushi-shi presents, explores and explains different Japanese folk tales, traditions, custom, legends, in short, Japanese folklores through its own unique concept. No other attempts on this has been better, as far as I've seen. Mushi-shi has many other original concepts that are unique to Mushi-shi only. These elements are nicely explained as well. The stories usually revolve around villages, mountains, towns and forests. With the touch of the brilliant art, these places are masterfully presented. The rivers, houses, household materials, fallen leaves, all the little details make the places seem real. And despite the stories occurring surrounding these areas, none of the setups are completely identical to each other. This show is episodic in nature. Although every story is mushi related, one can't really find a specific pattern or formula of the series of incidents. In other words, this anime is not repetitive and each episode provides us with new experience. While the stories are unique, they are also incredibly well written. As I always say, "Mushi-shi is the compilation of 49 masterpieces (26 episodes+20 episodes+3 specials)". Every episode of Mushi-shi is a life lesson and more or less a masterpiece. From the beginning to the end, every episode held on to its atmosphere, never losing a bit to fatigue. The stories are told wonderfully. The small details are highlighted carefully through conversations and actions, never falling to the level of information dump, or anything close to that. It knows when enough has been told and where to start showing. The balanced transition of dialogues and actions is excellent. The narration is done perfectly, not too much, nor too less and perfectly timed. The narrator's voice blends in nicely with the storyline, giving us an experience equivalent to hearing stories told by Grandma while sitting in a room of a small house in the rural area. This is a priceless experience. All the episodes have excellent and satisfying ends, some of which are in my top five anime ending list as "some Mushi-shi endings". Being a purely episodic show, other than the MC, Ginko and Dr. Adashino, the characters rarely appear in more than one episode. While that might seem quite a disadvantage, Mushi-shi used it to its advantage, which we get to see later on. Within this very short span, Mushi-shi fleshed out the characters wonderfully. As someone who has lived a long time in a village, I could understand and relate to the characters and was also able to discern the small yet adequate amount of differences among them. I grew care for the characters and that's what matters the most, since Mushi-shi is about their lives. Some of them even develop in this short period of screentime in a plausible way. The main character, Ginko is a brilliant character. What I'm about to write next didn't derive from myself but I totally agree with it. And his/her presentation is better than what I can come up with, so why not! It goes somewhat like this: "Ginko is not the last piece of the puzzle. He's the one who will have you put together the pieces and finish the puzzle. Ginko is you". Well, it's been a long time since I saw that statement and I only read it once so I probably didn't use the exact words he did, but this is more or less it. Ginko's past is explored enough and he had superfluous character development. Also, he isn't inhumanly perfect. He makes mistakes, he acts on instant impulses. His characteristics has its own distinctive ornaments. In fact, it is a wonder how the personalities of the mushi-shi(s) are so different from each others', their methods of dealing with the mushi phenomenons included. Their views and outlooks on matters are also varied. This shows how the group of mushi-shi(s) is not monolithic. Actually, every important character in this anime is interesting in their own ways. Some characters' behavior may seem a bit overdone or weird, but they're always in a realistic limit and most of the time justified through the concept of mushi. I may forget their names, looks and actions, but their essence will always remain strong in my mind. The character design for most side characters in Mushi-shi is actually quite similar, but they're never identical. Although little, there are differences in the design of each characters. That much difference is adequate in my opinion because you can't expect all the village people to be totally different from each other. It's artistic and quite realistic as well. The anime is not a piece of art, rather a huge collection of tremendous amount of art pieces. "It literally uses moving artworks as its background", is what someone I know said and I don't see any reason to disagree. The sceneries are the most beautiful I've seen in anime or anywhere else in entertainment industry. With masterful use of effects and wise choice of colors, each frame is a valuable piece of natural portrait. The excellent animation job does everything necessary to bring these sceneries to life. The slow and subtle animation deepens the tone of the moments and gets us completely absorbed into the scenario. This is accompanied by excellent background music played by Masuda Toshio, which blend in perfectly with the atmosphere, intensify the moods and move us subconsciously with their captivating rhythms. They don't distract the viewers, but rather engage them more into the anime. Both of the opening songs are extremely refreshing and enjoyable. Just listening to them removes your weariness. The ending themes are different for each episode with different sceneries presented with them. They are relaxing and possessive. The voice acting is realistic and amusing. The sounds that the mushi make, along with the visuals are ecstatically wonderful. The environmental sounds are equally compelling. The natural sounds alone can form the sceneries. The screenplay and audio are carefully measured and synched. The production of this anime is perfect in every way. Well, nothing made by man is absolutely perfect. Even the definition of 'perfection' is imperfect. But, Mushi-shi has no flaw worth mentioning. There are very few shortcomings that cannot be pointed without nitpicking. Albeit rare, there are cases when the mushi related incidents are not as explained as the others. Due to this, those occurrences seem a bit implausible and absurd. But they're far from what one can call 'sloppy writing'. Some people do complain about Ginko's attire being the only Western one, but that's not at all the point. However, it is not really illogical, given Ginko is a traveling mushi-shi. It's not really impossible that he's one of the few people who was influenced by Western fashion considering the era. And it's certainly …

If you're thinking of giving this anime a chance, then please, go for it. Mushi-shi is very unique and very episodic. My personal opinion to you, this is an anime that I wouldn't recommend binge watching. It's that special kind of anime that you keep tucked away for a rainy day and just pull out to watch an episode or two. If you are the kind of person who likes to see animes with a bunch of tits, explosions, autistic male MC's (see my IS review), and boooooooty shakin, then this ain't for you. Now, I will try to explain the anime very quickly and keep it short because if you want a huge review, look at the other people that put more effort into it than my lazy ass did. The anime centers around our main character named "Ginko" who is a mushi-shi. In this world, there are thinks called mushi that are supernatural in their own way. They can have both good and bad affects to the people, animals, and the environment around them. You go from episode to episode seeing Ginko travel to different places and try to assist those who are affected by the Mushi-shi in a bad way. There is no continuous story and each episode has their own little story with different characters and settings. For the settings, stories and characters in these episodes, they were done well. Nothing over the top and nothing really annoying. Some are done so well taht you even get an emotional bond to one character even tho it's only for one episode. I found the soundtracks to fit very well with the anime itself. The mushi in each episode were also very interesting in how they interacted with humans and how Ginko tries to find the solution. The art style is old fashioned but is very nice and the environments are beautiful. All-in-all, I enjoyed every episode and had no problems with it. It is a breath of fresh air after seeing the stereotypical and lackluster animes that are out currently (looking at you Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha). And to those who dislike the fan service thrown into animes, this one has none. So you can enjoy that too.

This is my first review so don't be strict on me :) What more can i say about this anime that you all didnt't already say. It's mastepiece . One of a kind . I haven't watched this kind of anime in a long time . Story : 10 Story is magnificent . Talking about unnatural phenomes and people that are connected with that . Episodes arent connected with each other . Each episode has its own story and background that is one of the best animes in history . I can't beilieve that writer had such imagination . Art: 9 Art is a bit of old but I like it that way. I didnt give it 10 'coz I'm used to new animes,new ''art'',I started watching animes recently,maybe that's why . Well its not old anime but it's not new generation . Sound: 9 I really don't pay much to sound but this anime but there is that song and I kinda like it so its 9 :D Character: 10 What else to say than brilliant . Characters are unique . Best of them of course Ginko. A boy who lost mother in early days and becoming one of the greatest mushi shi-s . Always calm and full of understanding and above all COOL . Dealing with whole bunch of mushi-s and also caring about them not just people because they are also part of this world and things that make this world . Enjoyment: 10 I wolud gladly say i enjoyed watching these episodes . Every episode was new and exciting. Every mushi was different ,different people having different problems and all those research methods and paranormal stuff . It kinda gives me chills. Overall: 10 I said it beggining, a piece of art and one of the best animes i watched so far . When you see it on myanimelist you think look that man standing there ,nowhere girls to find etc . I thought like that too but I wanted to give it a shot and I was suprised . Don't ever judge a book by its cover! Ty about your reviews it helped me a lot to think about this anime to watch or not and sorry about my bad english.

Mushishi is a masterpiece An episodic supernatural tale about a mushishi named Ginko travelling the world to solve problems caused by mushi beings that transcends the understanding of reality and possess god like powers. Because of this set-up each episode is unique, inviting and is executed to its fullest potential. Due to fact that mushi can see and interact with people but people can't interact or see them(except for a minority) its interesting to watch the effect they have on the human society and how some people use or abuse the power that the mushi hold. For example an island town uses a certain mushi to reincarnate citizens on the verge of death. The art in Mushishi is godly to put it simple. That being a bit of an exaggeration but they are really god. The scenery for the anime is stunning, vibrant and gives the impression that this anime is based in the early times. The character designs are rough yet mature and match the anime very well, you won’t find any moe girls or walking breast in this anime which is definitely a plus. The only flaw to the character design is the fact that basically all supporting characters look the same but this doesn’t hinder your experience as the mushi design in the stronger selling point. As stated in the synopsis mushi are depicted as beings from another world and this really shown in the art. The mushi come in all different colours and sizes with some accompanied by a mystical glow. SO to wrap it up I give the art 10/10 The sound has been used really well. The voice actors all did a decent job in matching the characters and the protagonist was given a voice in which don’t mind hearing for 26 episodes. The background music is matched well with the setting of the anime , you’ll be hearing the tune at the right times with causes this anime to transcend above others. The OP is a wonderful song that in some way matches the whole travelling aspect of this anime, the OP is also visually appealing with its water coloured paintings filling the screen. The ED is quite peculiar in the fact that it is just text with a black background for about half of it, then pictures of fauna fade in from the darkness. But what’s really peculiar about the ED is the music, there’s no vocal just instrumental with a supernatural twist but it leaves me with goose bumps and the urge to watch more of mushishi. All of the supporting characters in this series only stick around for one episode max with the exception of a mushi collector but despite this the guest characters of the episode get a background story with a tinge of character development and it’s not done half assed so you’ll definitely be hit in the feels to some degree every episode . The star of the show Ginko is a perfect match for the series. To put it simple he has a carefree attitude, intelligent, wise and get serious when the time calls for it. What’s nice about ginko is that he also provides some comedy relief and the timing of it is good. This is anime is no doubt one of my all time favourites and out of all the supernatural themed anime it stands on the top, overtaking natsume yuujinchou. Despite how much I love this anime and how good I say it is, I don’t recommend it to everyone. The anime is quite slow and when I say this I mean it feels its length. You’ll come across a lot of series that feel longer or shorter than they actually are for example how mars of destruction felt like 40 minutes then 20. Because of the slow pacing in each episode a few heads will turn. An anime that feels like a fairy tale This anime is a once in a decade series and should be given a go.

Opinion; I have watched many, many, many anime, yet this one easily makes my top 3. Simply put, it's a masterpiece. It took me many years to truly appreciate each anime for it's own worth, and not to compare one anime to the other. If you are also open-minded about anime, I urge you to watch Mushishi. It's episodic, so the plot line doesn't follow on from each other, but each episode is beautiful, and may even give you a feeling of peacefulness. Plot; The story is about a wondering traveler who is known as a 'mushishi', a person whom deals with spiritual beings. The anime follows a man named Ginko and his journey through various troubled towns, and the people he meets a long the way. Note: If you liked Natsume Yuujinchou, this is a must watch.

Mushishi is quite frankly, a brilliant and engrossing anime that catches your attention in the oddest way possible: by being very very simple. The very beauty of Mushishi is in its simplicity. It doesn't try to catch your attention with cheap, tried and true formulas. It doesn't try so hard to be deep that it trips and falls on the slippery slope of pretentiousness. It doesn't contain squicky and gory high octane action scenes. Mushishi manages to keep your attention for all 26 episodes just by being what it is: A simple, mysterious, and beautiful anime. [ Story 10/10 ] Mushishi is an episodic anime. Each episode sees the main character Ginko dealing with a different person, a different mushi, and a different conflict. There are as many different types of mushi as there are people, so each supernatural phenomena is as interesting as the last. The various characters introduced throughout the anime are just normal everyday people who's lives have been affected in some way by the mushi. Despite the fact the mushi can cause grief and illness to many people, Ginko stresses that the mushi aren't inherently evil. They're just trying to get by in life, much like humans are, and shouldn't be hated for it. Little comments like these could possibly be interpreted as having a deeper meaning. But like I stated above, Mushishi doesn't try way too hard to be deep. The story is simple yet interesting. Its very easy to keep up with and follow. There's always a new and interesting case waiting to greet both Ginko and the viewers in each episode. [ Characters 10/10] Ginko, the main character, is the only character that appears in every episode. Over the course of the anime, aspects of his character as well as his past are slowly revealed. Ginko is very calm, slow to anger or panic, and displays a knowledge and outlook on life that betrays his young appearance. A bit of his past is revealed later in the anime, explaining how he became a mushi master and how he attained his odd, otherworldly appearance. As a main character, he's pretty likeable. The anime focuses more on the individual cases he takes on, rather than Ginko himself. A new batch of characters is introduced every episode. None of these character's growths or personalities are formulaic. Of course, with each episode being 30 minutes, its difficult to fit in significant character development for each character. But its interesting to see how each person changes once the episode is over. Its also interesting to see how each person reacts to the mushi they are confronted with. [ Art and Sound 10/10 ] The opening theme is a peaceful little number that perfectly suits the atmosphere of the anime. The insert songs were great as well. The animation is top notch considering its age. I found it hard to believe I was watching an anime that was a little over seven years old. Care was put into the lush and beautiful backgrounds. There isn't that much variety in the character designs, aside from Ginko. But they are far from bad, and it goes hand in hand with Mushishi's whole air of simplicity that I mentioned earlier. Probably the most interesting to look at are the mushi. The way the transparent, colorful little guys dance around the screen is a real treat to watch. From the cute little ones from the first episode to the creepy swamp mushi, they've all got some interesting and quirky design. The voice acting for Mushishi is another well done addition to the series many good points. Having watched the dub, I can safely assure you that its a quality one. Travis Willingham's performance as Ginko is definitely worth praise. Several voice actors appear for the different characters in each episode and they all do a great job as well. The script is devoid of any awkwardly worded translations that plague some anime. There's no over the top screaming, gratuitous cursing, or the inevitable "EHHHH?" (or in English "WHAAAAAT?") being thrown around at the drop of a hat. Thanks to that (and probably a good voice director), the dialogue never comes off as forced or awkward. [ Enjoyment 10/10 ] As you can tell, I enjoyed this anime a lot. It was a real treat to watch. I appreciate and praise its ability to keep my short attention span glued to the screen without any cheap gimmicks. Its a very peaceful and chill anime that I particularly enjoyed while drinking green tea after a long day at school. [ Overall 10/10 ] Overall, this is one rare gem of an anime that no one should pass up. Its very hard to find a flaw in this anime. Although I think people who want a series with a lot of action, explosions, hot chicks, and an overarching plot may not find what they are looking for in Mushishi. Mushishi just isn't that kind of anime, but its still easy to get in to and enjoy. Perhaps try watching Mushishi after you're done watching that crazy, over the top, adrenaline pumping anime like I did. You might be able to appreciate it simple yet interesting plot a lot more. + Superb art and animation (for its time) + Splendid English Dub + Interesting story, characters, and world + Original, creative, and easy to follow

I first came into contact with Mushishi through a snippet of footage seen in an AMV. I still remember that particular fraction of a second quite clearly, so striking was its' aesthetic. I won't give anything further away here. I watched Mushishi over the course of a fortnight. It became the thing I looked forward to in the evening and rapidly took second place out of all fictional works I have ever experienced. Mushishi is, as closely as I can define it, an absolutely charming collection of ghost stories. Told from an unknown point of view, it follows a single lone traveller through an old land - a country that has not yet seen the march of human progress, a country that could be old Japan, old Britain or old Germany, but for the language the people speak. I say this because the stories feel as though they could happen anywhere, and the people feel as though they could exist anywhere, and the landscape looks as though it could be anywhere. This 'anationalism' lends Mushishi a feeling of timelessness, and it allows each story to be told to anyone, regardless of home or way of life. It resembles, in some small ways, pre-Christian British and European folklore - stories about land-gods and spirits that are not human and can never be human and can never understand humans. Stories that happen to be united by a single calm, inquisitive character. Some of these stories, under the surface, convey a very important message, and one that cuts deep: desperation, in the form of possessiveness or hope or stubbornness, festers quickly. Others are rather more fatalistic: if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you may suffer ill fortune that you did not deserve: what matters is how you respond to it. In short, Mushishi is restful. It does not tell Western stories in that it does not necessarily rely on action or drama or even interpersonal strife to drive it - in fact in several cases, it feels very much more like a documentary that just happens to catch details and events in peoples' lives in passing. It tells spiritual stories and sometimes those stories sit behind events which even now are inexplicable to most of us - a waking coma, or autism, or early blindness. In even-shorter: Mushishi is incredibly hard to define in that overall, despite being a story about the inhuman, it is one of the most human anime that I have ever watched. It plays in subtlety and minimalism, and tells an even more powerful story precisely because its arrangement somehow resembles real life.

Mushis are primitive beings, described as the essence of life itself, basic and pure. When Mushis gather, supernatural events tend to occur. Most people can't see Mushis, but there are those that spend their entire life interacting and studying the critters. They are the Mushishi. Animation wise, Mushishi delivers a very different impact with its simple character designs, colored almost entirely in pastel hues. The animation, though simple, is dreamlike and fluid as it flows from one vignette to another. Through out the series, it retains a somber mood, rarely broken with action, humor or visual comedic devices. Mushishi unfolds as a series of individual stories revolving around Ginko, the white-haired, one-eyed travelling Mushishi. The series' slow pacing delivers the impression of an after-dinner storytelling session by the fire. There is no particular order to the series; each story is a one-shot deal, a bonus for those who hate episodic arcs. The mood of each episode varies with each Mushi, all beginning with the dreamy guitar strings of the opening theme (It is good to note that the series has no ending theme. It changes in every episode). Several episodes are amusing and lighthearted, some dark and sinister and others, simply thought-provoking. Behind the seemingly simple and child-like narratives that often precede each story, we are treated with glimpses of philosophy, culture and Japanese customs, all superbly done. An obvious disadvantage of the series is its lack of action and climax. Unlike other anime series whose episodes lead to, well, something, Mushishi does not do this. It continues on a parallel, with occasional curves and dips but does not conclude. This can take a while to get use to, but 5 episodes in, the lack of action won't matter as the engrossing storytelling takes over. Overall, this is one impressive anime, without the frills of excess, perfect for cold rainy days with a mug of Maggi curry at hand.

Mushishi is a unique anime series. Here was my reaction at the end of every episode: "Hmmm... Huh... Ahhhh..." (while nodding my head with a slight smile). What kind of reaction is that? Pensive, I suppose. Mushishi isn't a story that tries to blow your mind with unthinkable ideas - it's just the opposite, really. It takes simple concepts that you don't normally think about, and then portrays those ideas in clever ways that then entice you to go climb a mountain and ponder it for a while. Or take a peaceful nap. The music, imagery, and dialog is all very soothing. =] Every episode is about a really laid-back guy named Ginko, who aimlessly travels around helping people with problems involving colorful creatures that are invisible to most peoples' eyes (sometimes they're glowy insect things, or like gooey parasites, or they blend in with nature in some way, for examples). There is no over-arching plot. There is no mystery, suspense, action, romance, high-level drama, or even a lot of character development (Ginko's in every episode, but the episodes are rarely actually about him). While I say there's little character development, there are practically no "stock characters" in the entire show. All the one-shot side characters Ginko helps are truly treated as if they were real people. (That wear kimonos.) Oddly enough, at the same time everyone in Mushishi is rather... well, a normal, everyday person. This is not typical for anime, or fiction in general, to be honest - but it works. The situations everyone ends up in for every episode makes the show plenty interesting. Having said this, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Some episodes are better than others (as in all animes) but overall there really isn't much I can say bad about the show. Just make sure you're in the mood for something quiet and slow-paced. For allegory, Mushishi's not a series of explosions - it's a bonsai tree. One freaking awesome bonsai tree.

This anime surprised me a lot. My good friend tends to suggest a lot of anime to me, and his tastes are pretty similar to mine. But when he mentioned this anime I was rather skeptical, by the way he described it. "X-files meets anime." is what he told me. Well that might freak you out too. But it's almost as simple as that. It's X-files meet a sort of feudal Japan, in an anime. That still may freak you out, well then let me explain: Story - 10 The storyline of this story is kind of hard to describe, that's why my friend say 'X-Files' as unexplainable things happen in that show. But unlike X-Files we as viewers know what the general cause of the problem. Basically the reason behind the problems people have, which seem 'supernatural' are due to this entity called "Mushi." Mushi are creatures with only a few can see, and aren't plant nor animal. Ginko (the main character) is a mushi-shi. They are like mushi doctors. They asses problems associated with the mushi, and try to fix them. Each episode has a different story, similar to that of X-Files. But Ginko is still Ginko. Now the reason I enjoyed a the stories, is because this isn't something you could ever think up. The Mushi cause some strange problem, which may or may not seem ordinary to us, and Ginko finds interesting and exciting ways to fix things. To put how interesting the stories are, let me put it in perspective for you; my parents find anime very strange, and are almost opposed to be watching such. When I told them about this anime, they actually watched it with me, and actually enjoyed the show, and the different stories associated with each episode. Art - 10 Due to my friend's continuous complaining about certain aspects of shows, I too have become picky. But the art in this show is phenomenal. I was really happy to see that the animators seem to put in a lot of time an effort into the environments and character design. Each character, now matter how minuscule their part was, was given individual features, which could part them from the rest of the characters. But the most notable part of the art would have to be the environments. Sound - 10 I'm not a big noticer of sound and music. Now I liked the music in the show, but that's just about all I can say, aside from the fact that it fit really well. The sound effects were very well done as well. Your probably asking what kind of effects could they use in an anime such as this one. Well one example is what you would hear if you were deaf. If you cover your ears you can still hear the vibrations in your head, they were able to do that in the anime, and it was very impressive. Character - 10 Ginko is a very cool guy. He's a very lax, sarcastic dude, who gets serious only when he needs to be, and is rather mysterious. His background is completely unknown til later episodes, where a lot of things are explained about him. Due to Ginko's sarcastic personality he's tends to be the comic relief at some points, and due to his completely relaxed attitude, you tend to drop a load in your pants when he says something ridiculous then explains it like a genius. But he's a very nice dude, he's very considerate, and usually doesn't take money as payment for things, but rather objects to help further his understanding of mushi, that or he'll sell the object to his doctor friend for money. xD Enjoyment - 10 There is only one thing I didn't enjoy about this show: It ended. I was really happy with every episode, every story. I enjoyed it to the max, except when they stopped animating it. Everything kept me wanting more. Overall - 10 Overall this anime was awesome. There need to be more like it, because it's way different than any other anime out there. If you want to try something different watch this anime. I was that was helpful, it was my first review. :D