[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Mushishi episode 17: Picking the fake cocoon
My Mushishi catch-up continues as Ginko visits an old acquaintance who has lost her sister through the complex interactions that sometimes exist between the human and mushi worlds. I’ve learned that watching this show after drinking is probably not the best idea when trying to understand the finer points of what’s going on but this is still an uplifting tale of loss and hope.
Aya and her sister Ito were selected to help an old man near their home in working with mushi to help with the communications that the mushishi use. Through an unfortunate accident Ito is snatched away and Aya is left awaiting her return.
There are a few details dropped into this episode, such as the ingenious (and, as we come to realise, risky) method by which mushishi and the people they help can communicate: using the mushi themselves. It’s surreal, at times hard to follow but nevertheless fascinating.
This was yet another stunning example of how ordinary people come to terms with difficult aspects of their lives and how hard it is to let some things go. The circumstances surrounding Ito’s disappearance are not the fault of her, her sister or anyone else; they are not exactly the fault of the mushi either but whichever way you look at it, Ito is a victim and so is Aya. What is most touching is that, even when Ginko explains to Aya how unlikely it is that she will never see her sister again, Aya refuses to give up hope. The ending is yet another superb piece of storytelling and for the upteenth time I find myself saying that this is another one of my favourite episodes so far.
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