Mushi-Shi

Reviewer: Tara Black
Rating (out of 5): *****

Mushi-Shi opens up with an Oba-san (a Japanese woman of mature years) explaining that there are creatures beyond our world, creatures respected and feared by people. They are called Mushi. The Mushi, also known as Green Things, are closest to life itself. Most people cannot see or hear them, but can be affected by them. This is where Ginko comes in. He is a Mushi-shi, basically a medicine man who specializes in problems caused by the Mushi. There are as many Mushi in the world as there are other organisms. Most are benign, a few are parasitic in nature, others simply harmful by their very presence. Much of their effect is almost mystical in nature, such as stealing sound from their host. Others have varying levels of sentience that bring an almost god-like, spiritual quality to the story. Ultimately, however, Mushi are living creatures like any other.

The main character, Ginko, is mysterious and kind. Through his eyes, we see the people he encounters sympathetically and often more generously than it'd otherwise be. While he is not the narrator, he does give a tone and voice to the series as a whole and a more balanced view of Mushi, often more balanced than the people he encounters. Different episodes have different moods. Some are sweet or amusing with slight, understated humor while others are tragic or grim. Either way, the people Ginko meet all have unique stories that never leave you untouched.

Mushi-Shi is a gorgeous series in every respect. All elements of the series mesh well, complementing each other. From the theme, you quickly get a feel for Mushi-Shi. The song is folksy and happy, set to a backdrop of what is largely nature artwork. The character drawings are very plain, with people looking like human beings and not some nebulous anime idea of people, and the backgrounds are often given more detail than you'd find in any other series. There are no reproductions of backgrounds that I could tell, no bland buildings. And since much of the series occurs in the forested mountains of Japan, there's a lot of gorgeous scenery.

The music is simple and serene with light notes and soft tunes in appropriate places. Sometimes it's a song of peace, other times the music is eerie, even disturbing. The minimal music is used to wonderful effect. However, much of the series doesn't have music, just ambient sound: birds singing, sounds to represent Mushi, wind and white noise. When Ginko is walking through the woods, you can almost close your eyes and think you're the one in the forest. The sounds and music even change to enhance the sense of the season the story is set in, bringing to mind one's own memories of summer or winter. Mushi-Shi is the most relaxing anime I've ever seen, and I mean that as a compliment.

However, I will add that Mushi-Shi can be difficult to get into. It's a very languid, almost quiet anime. But even I, lover of flash and action, found Mushi-Shi to be one of the best anime shows out there. The sheer artistic talent brought to the series cannot be denied. No aspect was neglected, not even in later episodes. And the depth of the story gives it a lot of replay value. It deserves to be in everyone's DVD player, if not on their shelf.