After a pretty rough week at college, I finally found myself some free time to revisit one of my personal favorite anime series, Mushi-Shi.
Now, one of the few reasons the anime has not reached my top 10 list is because I actually have not gotten the chance to see all of it yet.
So! I hope to get an even better look at the anime AND complete it all while sharing my adventure with you all!
Enough with this intro filler! Let's get the summary started!
Summary:
So, for those who are familiar with the series, we know that the story follows the not-so-linear path of a mushi master named Ginko-
OH WAIT, WHAT THE HECK ARE MUSHI ANYWAYS?!
Oh yea, them. Well, to put it in the simplest of terms, they are essentially a fictional form of life that belongs neither to the plant nor animal kingdoms. Basically, they are a group of VERY diverse creatures that are often mistaken for spirits (or what actually might explain the phenomenon of spirits OoooooOoOoooh) because of their ethereal and otherworldly properties and abilities. They live in incredibly close proximity to the humans of Japan and they have practically adapted to our specific ways of living. While a good number of them can be malicious entities, most affect humans passively although in the majority of cases, they cause negative effects on people.
I would just love to show you photos demonstrating their diversity, but I think I would feel incredibly bad just spoiling some of their designs before you know what they are capable of doing. But just take my word for it, they are freaking AWESOME. They range from microscopic sizes to the size of whales and they can do anything from create artificial life to controling weather or... well I can't really say much more concerning that.
Anyways, the story follows Ginko, a mushi-shi or as translated, a mushi master, in his travels across rural Japan encountering mushi and what effects they are having on the humans that happen to live by them.
This rural Japan is set in a fictional time period between the Meiji and Edo periods and, subsequently, in a time where Japan was still not open to foreign trade. This setting cultivates the traditional values of the Japanese (although in a technically fictional setting) and creates an old world atmosphere where all the things in the world and the mysteries of nature are still relatively inexplicable. So expect some traditional architecture, archetypes, values and themes as the series begins and progresses.
OH WAIT, WHAT THE HECK ARE MUSHI ANYWAYS?!
Oh yea, them. Well, to put it in the simplest of terms, they are essentially a fictional form of life that belongs neither to the plant nor animal kingdoms. Basically, they are a group of VERY diverse creatures that are often mistaken for spirits (or what actually might explain the phenomenon of spirits OoooooOoOoooh) because of their ethereal and otherworldly properties and abilities. They live in incredibly close proximity to the humans of Japan and they have practically adapted to our specific ways of living. While a good number of them can be malicious entities, most affect humans passively although in the majority of cases, they cause negative effects on people.
I would just love to show you photos demonstrating their diversity, but I think I would feel incredibly bad just spoiling some of their designs before you know what they are capable of doing. But just take my word for it, they are freaking AWESOME. They range from microscopic sizes to the size of whales and they can do anything from create artificial life to controling weather or... well I can't really say much more concerning that.
Anyways, the story follows Ginko, a mushi-shi or as translated, a mushi master, in his travels across rural Japan encountering mushi and what effects they are having on the humans that happen to live by them.
This rural Japan is set in a fictional time period between the Meiji and Edo periods and, subsequently, in a time where Japan was still not open to foreign trade. This setting cultivates the traditional values of the Japanese (although in a technically fictional setting) and creates an old world atmosphere where all the things in the world and the mysteries of nature are still relatively inexplicable. So expect some traditional architecture, archetypes, values and themes as the series begins and progresses.
Characters:
(NOTE: this is just a thing to get familiar with the characters, I will do character analyses and other ting like that in subsequent entries)
Ginko
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| Also the resident sexy(ish) male if you are into smokers |
The "protagonist" who the story follows consistently from what I have seen. Sure, he can't create a spirit bomb or slice up baddies with a sword, but he is a living font of knowledge when it comes to the mushi (an incredibly surreal and very much mysterious concept with little to nothing known about them from the likes of commoners).
He is incredibly resourceful and very kind hearted and usually does not sit idly by if a village or a specific person is being tormented (or affected) by mushi.
Ginko also is very in tune with the traveling lifestyle and he is very familiar with the mushi going as far to state that the mushi are not purposely harming people for the sake of causing harm, they are just creatures trying to survive like every other living thing. Their methods of survival and procreating are just... peculiar.
Ginko is usually seen with his swiss army knife of a backpack with almost anything he needs to deal with a particular mushi situation and a cigarette lit in is mouth which is really around to- Oh wait! I can't tell you that yet!
Ummm... Well yea, he is really the only character you will be seeing around every episode. Due to this series' episodic nature, there are not that many other reoccurring characters and if there are, they will be seen relatively inconsistently.
He is incredibly resourceful and very kind hearted and usually does not sit idly by if a village or a specific person is being tormented (or affected) by mushi.
Ginko also is very in tune with the traveling lifestyle and he is very familiar with the mushi going as far to state that the mushi are not purposely harming people for the sake of causing harm, they are just creatures trying to survive like every other living thing. Their methods of survival and procreating are just... peculiar.
Ginko is usually seen with his swiss army knife of a backpack with almost anything he needs to deal with a particular mushi situation and a cigarette lit in is mouth which is really around to- Oh wait! I can't tell you that yet!
Ummm... Well yea, he is really the only character you will be seeing around every episode. Due to this series' episodic nature, there are not that many other reoccurring characters and if there are, they will be seen relatively inconsistently.
Anything else to say before we dive in?
Well, if anything, I can only ask that you stick around with this particular series. Because it is so episodic, one episode could totally suck while the very next one, a fresh new narrative hot off the story line, could blow your freaking mind. I know that has happened to me with this series.
It is honestly one of the most beautiful animes I have seen in terms of sound, color, setting, design and atmosphere and I really haven't found anything quite like this one. I have not gotten the chance to read the manga but there is one available and I am sure it is just as good, if not better, than the anime.
It is a good thing to watch when you just want to relax, disconnect and reflect, something that I need a little more of in my pre-med nightmare days. So we will have fun together with this if it all works out!
My first episode reaction comes out later tonight stick around!
I hope you enjoy the show!
- AvatarHippo
It is a good thing to watch when you just want to relax, disconnect and reflect, something that I need a little more of in my pre-med nightmare days. So we will have fun together with this if it all works out!
My first episode reaction comes out later tonight stick around!
I hope you enjoy the show!
- AvatarHippo
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