[Anime Reviews]
19 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
This time around Ginko is called to a remote island by a young boy who has alerted him to the strange behaviour of the island's inhabitants. The place is remote to say the least: surrounded by a turbulent sea and not the most hospitable of places, it can only be accessed at times of spring tides and life is hard for those who live there (below). Traditionally one member of the island community's ruling family has the status of 'living god', a person who lives in a trance and ages every day to be reborn the next morning. This person is a messiah of sorts, attracting reverence and attention and allegedly able to cure dieases. The current 'living god' is a girl who is a friend of the boy, who believes that her powers are a result of a mushi-related illness.
In a situation reminiscent of the isolated communities of the real-life Easter Island and that of the film
The Wicker Man the community has an attachment and dependence on something that they do not understand and have ultimately abused to suit their own ends. It goes without saying that the Living God's powers stem from mushi possession but as always the intrigue comes from Ginko's investigations into its cause and cure. There are some home truths about human reactions to the unknown, our relationship with the natural world and the cost of those affected with the conditions that result; for all the symptoms she shows and the fact that she is being exploited, how much is the Living God (below) suffering because of her status?
Every episode of
Mushishi is similar in structure and atmosphere but very different in storyline; ep 4 finished tragically while ep 5 had a much happier ending. What makes this series so refreshing is that every instalment ends differently - this outing's conclusion is far from predictable and by no means cut-and-dried. Because of the lack of background to Ginko's character (my only remaining criticism of the series at this point) it is hard to gauge his motivations but what is clear is that he wants to help people and understand more about the mushi and their relationship with humans.
In
The Crowd that Inhales Dew we see once again that this relationship is far from simple: regardless of whether the outcome is good, bad or bittersweet Ginko learns more about his strange world and so do we.
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[Anime Reviews]
13 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
It's getting harder and harder to put the visual aspect of what I'm reviewing into words so I've decided to try putting a couple of screencaps in, just to give you an idea of the aesthetic side of things. Mushishi is a great example of this: I can give you a run-down of the story but the artwork has to be seen to be believed!
In this episode,
The Travelling Swamp, our hero Ginko (above) stops at a coastal village where he is discussing his recent travels with the local doctor. It's good to have references of past episodes appearing here but the main focus of this story is that of another strange phenomenon that he has witnessed. As he made his way through the mountains Ginko thought he'd seen a swamp that moves! His curiosity was heightened when he noticed a strange girl apparently living in the swamp (below): if his suspicion that this swamp is some mushi-related manifestation is correct, the girl's life might be in danger.
It is a race against time to find out the route taken by the travelling swamp and also to find a way to rescue its trapped occupant.
Mushishi always proves to be an emotional rollercoaster and this instalment is no exception - the story behind how the girl came to be living in the swamp is quite a sad one, and the suspense really kicks in towards the finale when Ginko and the people of the village rush to save her.
I'm thoroughly enjoying
Mushishi so far. Granted, Ginko is still an enigma and apart from a few details this episode is pretty much unrelated to the others but it has a magical quality like some dark fairytale: the sort of thing old Japanese people tell their grandkids over a cup of hot sake on cold winters' evenings. The idea of a moving swamp is certainly the stuff of fairytales, so there's no way of knowing what the writers of this strange but compelling show will come up with next.
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[Anime Reviews]
08 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Mushishi]
Ginko is a mushishi - a man who studies a mysterious type of creature known as mushis. Supernatural and invisible to many, mushis represent the most primeval form of life but sometimes interfere with the lives of humans. Mushishi charts the day-to-day life of Ginko as he journeys the length and breadth of Japan, helping people whose lives are affected by the mushis. In one episode, he attempts to cure a girl whose blindness has been caused by mushis inside her body; in another, a man is given the ability to predict future events through mushi intervention in his dreams, which proves to be as much a curse as it is a blessing.
Mushishi is a strongly episodic series in which Ginko, who appears to be a mixture of curious naturalist and benevolant witch doctor, meets a different person each episode who he tries to help with their mushi-related problems using the knowledge he has acquired on his endless journey. The artistic style and feel of the series is beautiful but most unusual, vaguely resembling Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke and ABe's Haibane Renmei with its serene rural settings and folklore-inspired themes. The music is suitably traditional and haunting, with a thoroughly relaxing opening theme called The Sore Feet Song by Scottish singer/songwriter Ally Kerr.
It is too early in the series for the 'case of the week' format to be repetitive, but Ginko is a rather 'distant' character. He is friendly, helpful and likeable enough for it, but we are far from learning much about his life or past. Right now his character is not so much the focus of the story as the lens that we see it all through but I can't wait to see what this lonely traveller shows us next.
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