[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Mushishi episode 22: The Offshore Shrine
After being dragged through the emotional wringer by the heart-rending tale in the previous episode this instalment, The Offshore Shrine, is a more uplifting affair. Unusually it portrays the effects of a mushi as having a positive effect on human lives; at least that’s how it appears initially.
Imagine you can bring back a dying loved one, just by taking them to a sacred spot a short boat journey out to sea, and later they can be literally reborn. That is the situation at a certain island village, the home of the mythical Uminaoshi. Isana is the reborn Mana, given a new lease of life through her daughter Mio. It is a common occurence in this village: many inhabitants have found happiness by this method.
In situations like this (especially considering how no Mushishi story is ever simple and straightforward!), I couldn’t help but wonder where the catch was. Sure, the family are happy to see Mana return, even if she is now a child and did not resemble her old self straightaway. On the other hand, it is obviously a mushi-related phenomenon and it interferes with the natural order of things. If you are raising a reborn relative as your own child, it will inevitably bring about some mixed feelings. Furthermore, the person is in a literal sense the same but what about the spiritual and less tangible aspects of individuality that come from life experiences rather than genetics and physical appearances?
Ginko realises that despite the potential misgivings the likes of Mio and Isana may have, it is an arrangement that works out well for both humans and mushi who are involved so sees no reason to interfere. As much as it seems to me at least to be an escape from the harsh realities of death and loss, the overall result is a happy one from their own point of view. Once again, the ethical and moral questions are posed without the answers being made too obvious, all wrapped up in beautifully subtle music and animation. Fantastic stuff.
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