Ranked #1907

Mushi-Uta

Mushi-Uta Review.
Writen by: Erisu

Since someone else made a very negative review about this series, I decided to give you another look on the situation.

Story
Mushi-uta's story takes place in the near future. Ten years before the story's opening, strange insect-like creatures known as "Mushi" began appearing. The Mushi are able to consume peoples' dreams and thoughts in return for supernatural powers. At the end of episode one, protagonist Daisuke "Kakkou" Kusuriya encounters a young girl named Shiika Anmoto. The two, in time, become quite close. However, unbeknownst to Kakkou, Shiika is an escapee from a secret prison known as GARDEN where those posessed by the Mushi, known as the Mushitsuki are held. GARDEN's military force, the Special Environmental Conservation Executive Office, dispatches its finest killer to track down Shiika. However, they are faced with resistance from the Mushibane resistance organisation, led by the secretive "Ladybird".
(ANN)

First, Mushi-uta didn't attract me at all, since I really hate bugs. But this is so much more than only bugs! The Story resembles around the normal high-school boy, Daisuke Kusuriya. He is, in reality, known as ''Kakkou'', who works for an orginization that kills other people's ''Mushi''. He meets both Shiika and Rina, Rina also known as ''Ladybird'' is the leader from the resistance against the orginazation where Daisuke works for. Shiika has a very rare Mushi, so she's known as ''Fuyuhotaru''. She is the only one who escapted from GARDEN after her Mushi got killed by Kakkou (Daisuke). After watching some episodes, I really got addicted to Mushi-Uta. While watching it, I had a good feeling about this series and that turned out to be right. This has alot of tragedy but it's really worth watching.

Art
I don't have objections about the animation. The characterdesigns are well done and I didn't saw alot of mistakes. I think it's very nice made and wouldn't want it any other way.

Sound
Well, let's start with the opening and ending music.
The name of the opening song is ''Mushi-Uta'' (how original) sung by Akatsuki, which was a very good song. I didn't mind hearing it every episode at all.
Then, the ending song, ''Sayonara'', sung by Hiromi Sato was really a big +! I loved it and even now I can't get enough of it.
When the moment for some background-music came, they gave it to us and I've also heard enough sound-effects to make this come out to a 9.

Character
The good thing about this is, that you won't only get to know the main characters. I also learned some things about the supporting characters, so you'll also get to know them! I really loved everyone in Mushi-Uta except Kakkou's boss.
I loved Daisuke very much, because how he looks on the outside turns out to be very, very different from the inside! He was kinda mysterious but did seem to have a soft spot for Shiika. It also looks like ''Daisuke'' and ''Kakkou'' are two different persons, if you didn't knew that Daisuke was Kakkou, I don't know if I would've known that they are the same person. He's different from the usual male lead's, so I really liked him.
Than, Shiika, my personal favourite character. Even though she might look like the normal ''sweet'', ''shy'' girl, for me, she was different. I liked having a girl like her who doesn't seem to hurt anyone have such a great power as she has. Without her, it wouldn't be the same!
Last, Rina, who's in the same class as Daisuke. Think everyone of us will know her type of person, the big-mouthed girl at school, and yes, outside the school, she's ''Ladybird''. Ladybird is the leader of the resistance who falls in love with Daisuke! As I said, she falls in love with Daisuke without knowing that he's Kakkou, her enemy. I also loved her personality and how she tries to do the best thing. Even though Daisuke does not seem to love her, he really did like her.
So... here's the thing! Mushi-Uta's characters for the win! XD

Enjoyment
10! Yeah, I really enjoyed everything of this. No episode bored me even through you must watch until the end if you want to understand everything. The plot might seem a bit confusing, but the confusing thing might end up being Mushi-Uta's charm, as for me.

Overall
Anyway, overall, this anime wins! It will remain as one of my favourite animes ever and I can't wait for season two (yes, there's going to be a season two!). I hope that you guys will give it a chance and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did!

-Erisu- read more

Before I start naming the 'buts', let me tell you what really intrigued me with Mushi Uta; the things that really had this series going for me.

For one, the animation. It's a 12 episodes long show, which is really short considering the amount of storytelling needing to be done. However, unlike many 12 episodes having Anime's, the animation quality wasn't bad and in fact one of this Anime's strong points. Action scenes were worked out nicely, coloring was nice and fitting, the animation was smooth and the backgrounds and effects looked particularly interesting enough.

Besides animation, the sounds are well done (though not exceptional) and the whole concept lurking behind this Anime is extremely good. To be honest, without knowing anything about this Anime I had a peek into the first episode. I ended up finishing it and a curious mini me inside me was triggered into watching more and more. The idea itself was great, the characters seemed perfect and the concept seemed worth it. Worth time that is.

More about the characters before I start ranting on and on about the concept. The visuals (designs) are, just like the animation, pretty good. It's not exceptional or really interesting; but it fits in with the story that's being told and therefore is pretty likeable. Especially likeable is the main character who seems like the perfect 'badass'. He wears goggles, is an assassin and besides that, is the strongest guy around! I mean, no more wimps as lead characters, finally a strong guy! At least, so I thought. However, let me get back to the concepts.

The concept was great, the characters had potential. Then where did it go wrong? Wrong you say? Yes, because somewhere in time Mushi Uta lost my interest -and besides that- wrongfully used the potential I saw in it that much earlier.

Let me clarify. For starters, the 'badass' main character was put into 'development', a forced development by that. The creators figured it was his time to develop; thus they made him develop. It was so wrong! All of a sudden Mr. Perfect Assassin turned into a wimp! It's cool and all if he starts getting emotions, but why did he turn weak again? Why did he get ill? And I'm not trying to spoil things here, but he really did turn weaker towards the middle/end. Which is a shame.

Besides that, there is a love triangle going on which -in my honest opinion- isn't adding anything to the story. It's like making a mixture of coke light and coke. I mean, what's the point really?

Of course the concept isn't consisting of just one character. But it's consisting of it's story and how the story develops (alongside it's characters).

Things seemed rushed towards the middle/end. Even an unneeded addition of a love story was added. What the f, this is an action packed fantasy story, and you are adding a love triangle. Wake up call please? Besides that the story gained an uninteresting plot twist. The idea of bugs (where the story is about) turned chaotic and plain weird as the story progressed. Unnecessary scenes were inserted and more than once have I been tempted to just 'STOP' the player and start doing something that I do like.

For that reason, just the feeling of wanting to 'STOP' something -despite being well animated- is more than enough reason for me to tell you to warn you.

It's not that bad an Anime really, heck you might even like it. But for me, it's a 12 episodes long Anime that needed more episodes, a renewal of it's complete story and it seems like I wasted time watching 51 episodes of something unenjoyable while it's only 12 episodes long.

To me, it's not worth more than a 6. But seeing how crappy some Anime I rated a 6 are, and seeing how it did have loads of potential (especially earlier episodes)... I'm giving it a 7.

The genres are mostly action/drama, in a fantasy world setting.
It's 12 episodes long. Most enjoyment I had with this was from it's first episode; after learning about it's concept. Least enjoyment I had with this Anime was probably in one of the middle episodes or ending episode. read more