[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Mushishi episode 8: A disappearance at the seashore
Ah, another fansub review. I’ll be able to start buying DVDs again soon (the wonders of a full time wage, eh?) but in the meantime I’ve been catching up on all my ongoing fansub series. Episode 8 of Mushishi proves to be another fascinating and visually beautiful character study with the usual supernatural goings-on instigating the events that take place.
This episode, From the Sea Border takes place in a coastal village where Ginko meets a man sitting alone at the seashore. It transpires that he is waiting for his wife who was lost at sea three years previously. After being told the story Ginko persuades his to move on and start his life but soon the mushi that may have been responsible for her disappearance returns…
As far as the mushi designs are concerned this episode and the previous one did not leave me as impressed as the earlier ones did. Instead, the focus of this outing is very much on the characters: the husband had a disagreement with his wife before she disappeared and from that point on wanted to see her again and make amends. This all culminates in Ginko and the husband taking a trip out to sea to investigate the mushi and validate the local legends that state how objects that disappear in the mushi’s mist can return the next time it appears.
As always Mushishi builds up a strong bond between the characters and the viewer. I really felt for the poor guy who lost his wife to the sea, especially considering how they had parted on unfriendly terms; the fact that he wanted to risk his life to find her again was very touching indeed. The mushi on the other hand was rather uninspiring and vague but the effects that it had on the village’s inhabitants is much more significant.
From the Sea Border hasn’t been my favourite episode so far but it is still a tender and subtle drama that tells a heart-rending story of loss, regret and hope. It is at times like this when Mushishi’s only (and, it has to be said, minor) flaw is evident: each episode is a small film in itself but all the same I wished that there had been more time to explore this interesting cast of characters before moving onto the next episode. As it is, this was an enjoyable instalment that showed itself to be a delightful way to unwind from a long, exhausting day.
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