Mushishi Review     Oct 10, 2008     reviewed by ChocoMilkTea    

compelling, mysterious and thought-provoking anime on being's known as Mushi. This unique show proves that an anime doesn't need to have romance, action, comedy or something thrilling to be interesting to watch. ^_^

Mushishi is comprised of a bunch of episodic adventures where each episode follows its own mini story of, Ginko's encounters with the natural phenomenon known as Mushi. Each heartfelt episode manages to cleverly bring a great deal of drama involving different types of Mushi, with different problems, and there are episodes that stand out from the rest. It's pretty unique how this anime is set out like 26 different Japanese folktales, which is a welcome change from the usual anime.

Having every episode telling a different story there's always something new to expect however this also means that there are new characters to every episode. With only Ginko being the only character to appear throughout the series it's pretty hard to get emotionally attached to any of them but at least they make the most out of the time they have.

Mushishi has some superb animation, which successfully makes the most out of the earth look and colors. So much detail is put into the environment; water and ambient lighting that even the slightly dull premise of the show can be easily overlooked. The music is a tranquil selection of guitar and age-old Japanese tunes that suit the calm nature of the show. Both the animation and music are the aspects that allow the viewer to be immersed into this deeply, compelling show.

Overall Mushishi is a pretty amazing anime, with no beginning or end but just a collection of adventurous stories. It manages to bring something new to the saturated anime market, without any use of gimmicks. With all that said the only real reason why I didn't rate this any higher was due to the lack of everything; apart from adventure, mystery and storytelling. So this show really isn't suitable for people who require action, romance or anything thrilling in their shows, because Mushishi is really something that you can kick back and relax to.

^_^

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Extraordinary manga     Jan 05, 2008     reviewed by iokomo    
(Mushishi Vol. 01)

Well, I assume you heard about this manga and are wondering what it is about. First I'd like to say that this is not your typical manga where the plot is driven by your normal antagonist and protagonist. There is not really much about it in normal manga terms, BUT it is full of magic. I know this might sound funny, but Mushishi allows you to step in to a new world of Yuki Urushibara, who uses her creativity and dreams to produce these works of art and philosophy.

The stories in her work involve your everyday people who suffer from strange things, caused by the Mushi's (entities of life in its purest form) who simply strive to survive as much as we do. The Mushi-shi of the story, called Ginko, is a master of his Mushi arts (one of the very few) who can not only see Mushi at any given time (mushi's are mainly invisible to human eyes) but can even manipulate them so that he can cure the people who have fallen ill due to their doing. The stories involve little stories that tell about these tales of Ginko's work as the hero of the story because he frees people from the spiritual sufferings. The cure lies in its curse as part of the title gives you more of a hint I hope.

Even though this might sound a bit blunt to most the stories are deeply philosophical and will leave you with many thoughts after reading. I would love to go further in to detail but I am afraid to spoil the stories.

Overall, I highly recommend this manga for people who do not only seek entertainment of sorts, but who will also appreciate something that will stay with them for a while.

iokomo also recommended: Ghost in the Shell, Death Note, Elfen Lied, etc,
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A Breath of Fresh Air     Sep 11, 2007     reviewed by Chelle63    

Mushishi is the single most original and intelligent anime I have ever seen. Although episodic, and despite the fact that there is only one main character, the series is warm, and thought-provoking. It's almost like curling up with your favorite book. If you're looking for action, fighting, and swordplay, this is NOT the series for you. If you want to take the road less traveled and watch a series that will make you think, ponder, and even laugh and cry a little, this one is for you.

The scenery artwork in this series is absolutely breath-taking and so realistic. You almost feel as if you're traveling to these different towns with Ginko, and viewing the beautiful Japanese countrysides. The opening song is just as original as the series, itself. The characters, though episodic, will truly tug at your heart strings, and make you care for them.

I cannot recommend this series ENOUGH. It definitely earns it's 5 stars from me.

Chelle63 also recommended: Kino's Journey,
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Mushishi     Jul 30, 2007     reviewed by Parasyte    

Mushishi is one of the best seinen manga in America and Japan. Being incredibly popular in Japan, it's been adapted into a 26 episode anime and a live action movie. Because of its originality, it's difficult to describe the style, but it's in no way slap stick or romantic, ecchi, or horror. It's the story of a Mushishi(Mushi Master) named Ginko who helps people with their tormenting, mushi-related problems. Not exactly insects or plants, mushi are life in its purest form. Mushishi has been running in monthly seinen manga magazine Afternoon since 1999.

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GET IT     Jun 19, 2007     reviewed by frogswordsman    

mushishi is fantastic the anime is extremly well animated and the manga is extremly well drawn. both anime and manga have the same stories so you wont miss anything if you decide to only collect one but getting both is highly recommended. to any who love to see the lush japanese country and hear stories and like shows such as twilight zone or the outer limits this is somthing you must checkout.

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