[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Mushishi episode 10: White in the Ink Slab
The tenth episode of Mushishi, White in the Ink Slab marks a re-appearance of Adashino, the doctor who Ginko met back in episode 5: he asks for Ginko’s help after three children sneak into his storeroom and explore his collection of mushi-related artifacts. It appears that their curiosity has landed them in trouble when they fall ill with a strange condition in which their body temperature starts to fall alarmingly. It’s then up to Ginko to trace the origins of the offending article, an ink stone that the children played with, to identify the mushi responsible and find a cure.
It’s nice to have some continuity in the form of a returning character, and Adashino is quite an interesting one: he’s the typical obsessive collector whose concern for his patients is almost matched by his attachment to the inkstone that causes the problems. The source of the inkstone, a craftswoman by the name of Tagane, tells the story of how the object came about; once again it is a rather saddening tale of ordinary human lives and those of mushis interfering with one another, with unfortunate and long-lasting consequences.
The usual pattern of a Mushishi episode plays out as Ginko meets the ‘case of the week’, does his fascinating detective work and works out a solution. As formulaic as this sounds as a concept, the subject and themes of this episode prevent it becoming stale or repetitive, especially when the people (and mushis!) he meets are different every time. Each central character of any given episode has a tale to tell and Tagane is no exception - the thoughtfulness of the writing shines through once again, as does the beauty of the scenery and animation.
White in the Ink Slab is another quietly compelling piece of fantasy drama that gives imaginative escapism to a timeless place while at the same time presenting some issues that are very down-to-earth and real. As the series reaches the halfway point of its first run I’m just as hooked as I was at the beginning.
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