posts tagged “Mushishi”
[Anime Reviews]
14 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
In order to have any hope of catching up on Mushishi with the way things are going generally I’m going to go for one episode every two days…episode 16, The Daybreak Snake, is another sad and solemn affair that highlights how people deal with problems in their lives in an understated and eloquent way.
Ginko is approached by a boy named Kaji who is concerned about the erratic behaviour of his mother Sayo: she’s always been rather clumsy and forgetful but lately, accompanied by chronic insomnia, her memory has worsened and she can no longer even remember what meals she has eaten or the names of relatives.
It’s clear that she is too young to be suffering from any natural cause of senility but eventually Ginko identifies the mushi responsible. As is always the case with Mushishi this is no open-and-shut case and Sayo and her exasperated son have to come to terms with some harsh realities. It’s one of those episodes where Ginko catches up with them later to see how they got on; when this happens it’s always interesting but often bitterweet as well.
It’s something I’ve pointed out before but it’s such a central theme to Mushishi that I feel that I have to repeat it. Even though this series has strong supernatural elements and a idyllic historical setting we can draw parallels between the show’s issues and those of our own time. The sight of Sayo, at times frustrated with her failing memory and at others blissfully unaware and going about her daily life, is a familiar-looking sight that anyone can relate to. The Daybreak Snake demonstrates how we have to accept such situations and make the best of things; sometimes though, some things are better off forgotten.
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[Anime Reviews]
11 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
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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[Anime Reviews]
04 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
After the heartbreaking events that took place in episode 13 I was hoping for a more optimistic tale this time around. For the most part though, ep 14, Inside the Cage, is perhaps equally depressing but no less poetic and brilliant.
Ginko meets a man in a bamboo forest who has not seen a stranger in around three years - the man, whose name is Kisuke, explains that he has become lost and asks if he can accompany Ginko to find a way out. When the two of them wind up going in a big circle, the cheerful Kisuke admits that he was using Ginko’s company to test a theory: the forest-dweller cannot leave and neither can anyone who travels with him. When Kisuke feels a little guilty at the trick he played he explains how he came to live in the forest with his wife and daughter (below) and how he is unable to return to his former home in the village nearby.
It is at this point that the episode becomes another tearjerker. Ginko finds out that Kisuke’s wife Setsu is half-mushi: he used to regularly visit the girl in the forest and, in the fullness of time, they got married and bore a child. Unfortunately the villagers (including his own sister, shockingly enough) shunned the man who left them for his half-mushi wife and did little to help them when they became prisoners in their own forest.
After Ginko hears the full story his investigations uncover the mushi responsible for the sad state of affairs but things only get worse for Kisuke and Setsu: she believes that she is responsible for her husband’s problems and her reaction has dire consequences. It is a tragic mistake, an act of desparation done out of love, but at the very end of the episode there is still a glimmer of hope.
This was a great episode, even if that’s what I’ve said about every instalment of Mushishi so far. The predicament that Kisuke and Setsu find themselves in is through no fault of their own: it is a mixture of circumstances and the typical human traits of ignorance and fear of the unknown. The mushi involved (above) is the root cause of the situation in a very literal sense but what caused Kisuke and his family so much suffering is the attitude of the people who he once considered to be his friends. Inside the Cage is another unflinching examination of the human condition but rarely is it as visually stunning and dramatic.
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[Anime Reviews]
30 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
Sometimes Mushishi takes the viewer to a very dark place indeed - this episode, One Night Bridge, is certainly one of them.
The situation portrayed here can only be described as tragic. Zen and Hana (above) are two people whose romance is about to be brought to an abrupt end by a marriage arranged by Hana’s family. Zen persuades her to join him in fleeing the valley across its precarious bridge to a life of freedom in the lands beyond. The tragedy comes in when Hana falls from the bridge as they make their nightime escape; somehow she survives the fall but is little more than an empty, emotionless shell of her former self from then on.
Numerous local legends speak of occurences similar to those that have afflicted Hana but these are of little concern to her family, who are anxious to find a cure and marry her off as planned. Ginko makes a nerve-wracking journey to the village (above) to see if he can cure Hana’s condition; there is yet more bad news in store when he figures out what is wrong with her.
As always there is some interesting scientific explanation involving mushis but rather unusually Ginko shows more emotion and humanity than some of those around him. The girl’s condition is terminal and, if his hypothesis is correct, the treatment will kill her: as empty as her existence is, he refuses to end her life outright. Zen also refuses to give up on her and forces himself to stay in the village, but for this reason he lives as an outcast with little or no prospects for the future.
The ending to this episode is possibly the most poetic and downbeat so far but is all the more compelling for it. Right from the start life had dealt Zen and Hana a bad hand and it soon becomes clear that it will not ‘turn out okay in the end’. Whether you see this as a symbolism-laden portrayal of loneliness and doomed love or just a particularly beautiful and downbeat episode I doubt anyone will fail to be moved by this one.
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[Anime Reviews]
23 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
It’s late, it’s dark outside, the rain is lashing at the attic window and I’m tired…somehow watching an episode of Mushishi at times like this just feels right. Episode #12, One Eyed Fish is a break from the norm in terms of theme and structure; it’s also the most interesting one yet.
A boy is found lying unconscious in the forest. His his mother, a travelling peddler, has been killed in a landslide and the boy, named Yoki, is injured. The passerby takes him to her house in the woods and nurses him back to health (above); she is a mushishi by the name of Nui (below). As he recovers Yoki helps Nui with household tasks while she teaches him about the mushi that live in the forest and pond near her home. Yoki has always been able to see mushis but in the past his mother, unknowing and afraid of his ability, dismisses them as ‘illusions’. Now his new friend is telling him about the mushi and how they can affect humans; one particular type manifests itself as a form of darkness, and eats the mushis in the pond which then give out light. It is this light that has given Nui’s hair and eye their distinctive colour, and also explains why the fish in the pond only have one eye…
It would be so easy to let slip massive spoilers here but I’m guessing that you’ve probably figured it out for yourself already. Whether you have or not, this episode is unmissable for any fan of the series: Nui’s knowledge adds more information to the Mushishi universe and as always the central themes are a compelling mixture of folklore, nature and fantasy. It’s quite a sad story in a way, especially considering Nui’s real reasons behind her solitary life next to the pond and the potentially damaging mushi that lives within. I was scratching my head all the way through, coming up with numerous theories and assumptions surrounding Nui and Yoki but gradually the fog began to clear.
Then, as the episode draws to a close, there is the satisfying and mesmerising sensation of everything falling into place. In the space of twenty-five minutes I had not only seen an imaginatively-written Mushishi episode but an explanation that resolves my only criticism of the series so far. If you’re a fan of this series you have to watch this episode - whatever nagging questions you may have about story and its characters chances are you will find them here.
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[Anime Reviews]
17 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
When Ginko visits a village with some strange phenomena surrounding the mountain nearby he decides to investigate; this leads to a search not for a mushi but for a fellow mushishi, a man named Mujika. It transpires that Mujika lives on the mountain outside the village but has not been seen for some time: this could be connected to the unusual occurences in the area. Sure enough, Ginko discovers that a river of life is flowing through the mountain, and that Mujika is the guardian who watches over it. Mujika however appears to have gone missing.
I must admit that even by its own (very high) standards Mushishi has excelled itself this time around. This episode, Sleeping Forest, is one of the most enjoyable so far: not only is the artwork among the best I’ve seen (just look at the screencap above) but the story is insightful and really quite bittersweet. It is interesting to see Ginko react to meeting and conversing with a fellow mushishi, partly because it involves conversation steering to how they found themselves in this strange profession. Mujika appears to have left his life of a travelling mushishi behind to use his skills as the village’s guardian; it is intriguing to find out why he did this, but what is just as telling is the new information about Ginko that comes out here. I won’t spoil it by elaborating but it’s certainly food for thought!
The story behind Mujika (above) is quite a saddening one but not as much so as that of his apprentice Kodama (below). The young lad is very enthusiastic about becoming a mushishi and he seems to have a talent for it too - needless to say it’s an observation that is not lost on Ginko. The events that transpire as a result of Mujika’s actions lead Ginko and Kodama into some pretty tricky situations that test our hero’s knowledge to the full: his behaviour is not out of character exactly, but more of his emotion and humanity comes through here. It could be because of meeting a man not unlike himself, or perhaps he saw a little of his younger self in Kodama; whatever the reason, it makes for an episode that is something of a departure from earlier ones.
The Sleeping Forest is a damn good episode, pure and simple. The supporting cast are fascinating, Ginko’s character receives a bit of extra attention, the story is thought-provoking and the visuals are stunning. Great news, then, that the first of the remaining six episodes of the Mushishi TV run was scheduled to air only three days ago. I for one cannot wait.
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[Anime Reviews]
10 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
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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[Anime Reviews]
03 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
The Heavy Seed is another episode in which we see how humans misuse the power of mushis for their own ends, even without realising it. While on a search for some food Ginko winds up in a village that suffers from some strange phenomena that revolve around a curious local legend: whenever there is a natural disaster in the village the buried ancestors allegedly allow a bumper rice crop the following year. Needless to say there is bound to be a more interesting explanation which is mushi-related so Ginko takes it upon himself to investigate.
For whatever reason I actually found the finer details of this episode quite hard to follow, which could be explained by the complicated terminology that appears to be bound quite deeply in Japanese folklore. The general gist is clear though: the village’s priest is aware of the real source of the high rice yields, and through the generations the succession of priests have been tampering with nature without their neighbours’ knowledge.
This all comes out after a lengthy investigation on Ginko’s part: seemingly unrelated events point towards one coherant solution which is clouded by the fact that human lives are at stake. The fundamental question is that if one course of action will save a whole village from starvation, is it all right for this course to sacrifice one villager’s life? The ending to this episode is a powerful and profound one, and one of the best episode conclusions so far. We even learn one or two (albeit minor) details about Ginko’s life to boot.
As with any Mushishi episode it is not just the ethereal mushis that are the main event here: it is also the way in which humans interact with them in their daily lives. During the course of this episode we learn that the village’s priest shares Ginko’s ability to see mushis but he is still making life-or-death decisions about using natural forces that are on the edge of human understanding; this is a scenario that we see in our own science-orientated world as well as in Ginko’s world of half-seen supernatural life forms. Even though these stories are set in a world far removed from our own this does not detract from the themes’ emotional impact or relevance.
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[Anime Reviews]
27 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
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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[Anime Reviews]
24 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
One thing that never ceases to amaze me about Mushishi is the imagination that created it; every episode is so unpredictable and fantastical each new instalment is a pleasant surprise. So far we’ve had parasitic creatures, rivers of life, travelling swamps and many others besides but this is a story of a man who is literally chasing rainbows!
While sheltering from a rainstorm Ginko meets a man with a large pot on his back. After a few polite questions he learns that this stranger intends to use it to find and catch a rainbow - not any old rainbow but the very one that had somehow wrecked his father’s life. Ginko soon realises that this is another mushi-related incident so offers to help the man find the rainbow and understand the affliction that has struck his family.
To be honest a mushi rainbow sounded a little far-fetched even by Mushishi’s standards but as always it is the human or humans affected that is as much a focus of the story as the ethereal mushi. Seeking out the strange rainbow is more of a supporting element to the heart of the story: as they journey on the man opens his heart to Ginko and explains the circumstances surrounding the rainbow, his father and even his own name. While I shared Ginko’s mixed feelings about the stranger’s motivations it was easy to see how he and his family had suffered because of the strange ‘rainbow’.
The final explanation of the mushi/rainbow’s nature was a little vague however (even if I wanted to spoil it and explain it to you I wouldn’t be able to) but the episode’s final scene carried much more meaning. Some aspects of this latest mushi-manifestation are not explained fully; for that reason this is probably not the strongest episode so far but the character aspect made up for the weirder fantasy elements. Even though there are several other unlicenced series catching my interest right now Mushishi is too damned good for me to let it go.
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