[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Mushishi episode 15: The Fabricated Spring
After a few downbeat episodes with less-than-happy endings it’s a refreshing change to see the series with a more jovial atmosphere. The Fabricated Spring is less heavy-going than other recent instalments but has some real charm of its own and there is even a little shift of focus towards Ginko himself.
This time he stops by at a remote house to seek shelter during a snowy winter and stays for a while with its owner Suzu and her younger brother Miharu. Miharu is a typical young naturalist: he picks up various plants and creepy-crawlies to satisty his youthful curiosity but unfortunately this extends to his fascination with mushi. Suzu is unable to see them and is concerned about this and his increasingly strange behaviour, which causes him to go wandering into the forest without warning and sleep for weeks on end.
There is no tragic death this time around but it is nevertheless an interesting study on the Mushishi universe and a timely reminder of how the existences of mushi and humans can interfere with one another. In this case, it is an inquisitive youngster’s interest in them that lands him in all manner of trouble, followed by Ginko’s usual investigations and explanations. In the case of this mushi though, his knowledge is limited so early on our hero is almost in the dark as we are.
There is an additional aspect to this episode in that Suzu and Miharu’s home is a tempting place for Ginko to stay for good: it seems impossible to stem Miharu’s interest in mushi (he is interested in Ginko’s work and would make a good mushishi someday, I think) but of course Ginko’s affinity for the creatures means that a permanent home isn’t a very likely proposition. Looking at Suzu’s concern for Ginko and the way he behaves when he is around her I suspect there is a more personal reason in addition to this that makes him indecisive as to whether to stay with her and her brother; as always the clues are so subtle there may not be anything to them but it’s certainly food for thought.
Visually this was an outstanding episode - the mushi’s habitat of the ‘fabricated springtime’ of the title was a highlight, as was Ginko’s unusually emotional encounter with the people he meets. It would be interesting to see whether he does go back to Suzu and Miharu in the future; as with every episode so far it’s always fun to speculate about what happens after Ginko parts company with the people he comes into contact with. In true Mushishi style we are reminded that, regardless of his own well-concealed emotions, his journey is indeed an endless one.
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