Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Drama
Often times I tend to watch anime to shut my brain off and simply be entertained by mindless potty humor and absurd harem scenarios, but every now and then I like to turn to something with a little more substance. Mushi-shi is a fairly recent anime I came across and thoroughly enjoyed. Non-anime watchers tend to make generalizations about how anime is unsophisticated and comprises of mostly shallow and fractured plotlines. In some cases, they would be right, I'm not going to lie about that. Aside, for anyone who tends to make a generalization about anime lacking wide appeal with various audiences, show them a few episodes of Mushi-Shi and they'll start to change their minds.
Story
Mushi are not plants or animals, they are the most basic forms of life in the world. Ultimately, mushi do not have a particular role or purpose in the grand scheme of things other than living. They can exist in various forms and mimic things in the natural world such as plants, fire, disease, clouds, and can cause an assortment of phenomena. No one exactly knows why they still exist; there is still a lot left unknown about different species of mushi.Mushi-shi are those who research mushi to further understand their purpose in the world as a whole. Ginko is a traveling mushi-shi on a journey going wherever the next rumor about a mushi occurrence takes him. Throughout his travels, his role as a mushi-shi can be best described as a medicine-man, doctor, biologist, anthropologist, geologist--he's very multi-faceted to say the least.
Arranged like East Asian folktales, each episode is completely independent of the others. Each episode covers a different species of mushi which has caused problems for ones who have encountered and/or interacted with them. As the story unfolds, Ginko conveniently shows up to unravel the mystery behind that particular mushi, for better or worse. A simple formula, but it delivers on complex and powerful metaphorical messages to the audience.
Character(s)
Since each episode is unique in and of itself, Ginko is the only recurring character in the series. He is not a particularly dynamic character, but he exudes coolness; always with a cigarette in his mouth staring off into the distance in a contemplative state. Considering his profession as a mushi-shi, he must be knowledgeable about the nature of plants, animals, humans, and mushi alike. Almost always calm, composed, and logical; he is unparalleled to the people he encounters. Highly regarded and respected, one could evaluate him as a god-like character. Though not explained, his attire comprises of contemporary clothing which would hold him to be above or at least distinguishably different from everyone else who is dressed more old-fashioned.
In regards to the supporting characters, every episode's unique character is very plain for the most part. With most of them living a rustic and pastoral lifestyle, their lack of understanding about other worldly things such as mushi make it easy for one to sympathize with each respective situation. When progressing through the series, you'll start to notice each young boy, or young woman to look exactly the same; there isn't too much variance--only their stories will set them apart.
Voice Acting/Sound
Yuto Nakano, the Japanese voice actor for Ginko, does an amazing job with the lead character. His voice is calm, collected, and nonintrusive, but solemn and powerful at the same time. I honestly feel he was perfect for the role of Ginko.The same goes for the soundtrack of the series. The series' opening theme by Ally Kerr, The Sore Feet Song sets the perfect tone for the show. Other tracks from the series comprise mostly of the chill and ambient variety. Unique to this series is an individual tune played at the end of each episode which provides a strong lasting impression of the events which occurred earlier; I was often left in a pensive mood afterwards.
Loved
Beautiful Environments: I'm a big fan of landscape art, and ArtLand did an impeccable job with the background landscapes. Mountains, trees, valleys, snow, and other environments are simply breathtaking to say the least. While the numerous characters in each episode look fairly standard and almost identical to one another, the scenery is nothing to sniff at--wonderful.Universal Appeal: With most anime nowadays, it's very easy for audiences to get lost within the complex plot, unrecognizable jargon, or numerous pop culture references. As stated above, the plot in Mushi-shi is simple enough for anyone to watch, but has an underlying deep message for those looking for one. Each episode always leaves a hint of open-endedness/mystery for the audience, and can be interpreted in many different ways; it keeps one thinking about what would happen afterwards.
Hated
Repetitiveness: With a large platter of anime still to watch, I have a tendency to marathon through these series. With Mushi-Shi, one should take it slow and watch maybe one or two episodes per day. Each episode will comprise a section where Ginko will be explaining the facets of a particular Mushi; and it will get repetitive and tiresome for watchers to take in all that information and process it. Maybe, it's just me, but a fair warning.
The Lowdown: If you're looking for a fairly simple, yet thought provoking anime, Mushi-Shi is right up your alley. Artistic beatniks looking to be hip and cool can also give it a shot. Not all episodes were created equally, with some more engrossing than others, but with all respect, it's an excellent anime--highly recommended.
Notes: Watched all 26 episodes from beginning to end (niizk fansub).
