Mushi-shi

Synopsis:

Mushi, supernatural lifeforms that co-exist with humans but go unseen by most. Mushi are creatures of habitat that have their own methods of survival and even though the Mushi are only acting upon their own instincts, it sometimes clashes with the human way of life... even endangering it. For this there are certain individuals who can not only see the Mushi, but also, provide assistance to anyone whose life may be affected by the presence of a Mushi even though they may not know it. Ginko, is one such individual... A Mushi-shi. Ginko is a traveling man that jouneys from town to town on a never-ending quest to help humans and Mushi to co-exist even if the methods may seem unorthodox and also gives healing to individuals whose lives have been negatively affected by the presence of a Mushi. Follow Ginko in his travels to help mortals co-exist with the supernatural... one person at a time.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26


Review:

Out of all the anime I've seen, Mushi-shi manages to do something that no other anime has. It manages to create a relaxing atmospheric viewing experience for the audience without relying on anything but it's own calming aura to captivate the viewer. There's no action, guns, or blades, no re-occurring characters, no ninjas, and no babes. Just one man trying to help people cope with the fact that there isn't always a logical explanation to everything that happens. As Ginko assists people who encounter a Mushi you begin to realize that the Mushi aren't just some trouble-making pest but rather an entity that roams on a parallel plane of existence that is doing nothing more than what comes natural. The interesting part is that each Mushi's method of survival sometimes tends to have adverse affects on some living creatures, especially humans, and this is where Ginko comes in by either expelling the Mushi, relocating them, or assisting someone in living with a Mushi.

There are also times you'll get to see Ginko learn that his intervention is not always needed either. Ginko himself is a rather likable character as his laid back attitude and his level-headed way of explaining mysterious happenings are informative and easy to understand. But, as the show progresses you might find questions start to arise in the back of your mind about Ginko himself but Mushi-shi already predicted this and there are a few episodes that are dedicated to explaining where Ginko came from and how he become a Mushi-shi. The anime even manages to give some back story as to why you only ever get to see one of his eyes after this the anime quickly returns audience to following Ginko again and to what his next challenge is.

Now, you're probably thinking that this all sounds rather boring and I'll be honest with you... if the thought having to learn something about what you're watching sounds lame then you may want to pass on this altogether. While Mushi-shi is a no-frills anime it does expect the viewer to actually learn about the Mushi through the shows episodic presentation and this is what captivated me because I actually wanted to know more about these supernatural beings and how they exist. With this, Mushi-shi is a rare and very enjoyable experience from beginning to end and is highly recommended. The only real mystery that is never solved is why is it that Ginko is wearing modern day clothes while everyone elses wardrobe is from a previous time period?

Mushi-shi (trailer)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English