Mushishi Zoku Shou 2nd Season Episode 8 Discussion

EpicRemy said:
The fact that almost everyone missed that the mother was mentally ill is quiet shocking. Her body language and behavior make it clear that she is suffering from something, likely (postpartum) depression. Knowing that you should love someone deeply and being completely unable to do so would be an extremely scary and upsetting experience, yet everyone is only seeing her as selfish.
Mushishi tends to blame many psychological issues on mushi, so my first reaction was that Ginko would see a mushi inside the mother as well, I was surprised when that wasn't the case. Despite that it's a very powerful and real story.

were we watching the same thing? Thats not how it happened at all. Because of the mushi inside him, the lightning would falll where he was, as in his location. He attracted lightning. Which means that would endanger the people around him, which is why he used to go to that tree which was a safe distance away from his own house (and his parents) as well as the villagers.

That's what Ginko tells the mom. Her mom's explanation, that he goes out to attract lightning because he hates her was complete BS because she didn't understand his reason, until Ginko explained it to her. He was saving their (and her) ass. That's why he pushed her away at the end, not because he did not want to die with someone who didn't love him. He was saving his mother. And everybody else.

I wish I was as tough as that kid. He's my new inspiration.

I'm baffled by some of the comments here, and how this episode did not seem to faze people. I had goosebumps at least 3 times during the episode, and I felt that it was one of the most moving Mushishi episodes. Excellent, even by Mushihsi standards. Which is saying a lot.

soundscape said:


This.

I guess some people lack the knowledge or life experience to understand it? Idk... There are many in this thread that got it though, that's surely not everyone

niwasatou said:
I'm so angry right now... that really hit hard.



100% agree with your post. Reki obviously did care and it's literally spelled out that he protected his mother by Ginko. Not sure what the other posters were watching.

pakoko said:
Second consecutive depressing episode... I can't personally relate to the mother so I hated her guts for being so selfish and stubborn, but I can sorta understand that you can't force yourself to love something or someone.

leslie7622 said:
Ok what was that last scene about? Was that his umbilical cord that Reki was holding? Did he take it so that his mother couldn't find it? Did he not want to get rid of the mushi?

veluriel said:
(...)

tingy said:

I agree. Honestly I missed it at first too when I was watching it, but as I typed out my own thoughts on this episode, I was able to separate from my emotions and take a step back to look at the bigger picture. By the end of my post after describing Shino as being very apathetic yet still able to see that something was wrong with her, I realized that that was a symptom of depression (as well as the very obvious one, her suicide attempt). It's easy to judge from your POV and based on what you know, but a lot of times people are unable to look past what they see and analyze the circumstance that a character is in or has faced. I feel like this episode of Mushishi separates the people who are able to look deeper and empathize versus the people who only see the surface.

serendipityarise said:
Wow, this one hit me in the gut. I too had a child that I did not want. But unlike this mother, I could not help but love my baby in spite of everything. My heart went out to that boy who only wanted his mother to love him, but also to that mother because I wanted her to love him so badly. How could she not, especially after she found out he'd been saving them all this time? But on the other hand, I don't think she was being selfish, she was just broken and unable to feel for some reason. She wanted to feel but could not---and that I can relate to as well. I love my children fiercely and I thank God for them every day despite the unfortunate circumstances that led up to their conception that I wish I had done differently. Yet I think can understand why another might not have that kind of strength or presence of mind, so I don't fault her there. Because there are lots of times in most other areas of my life that I just don't feel anything at all. At least she was able to embrace the child and tell him the truth. That is better than lying to him. And that she hoped she could be a better person in the next life. She admitted she was wrong. But there's one other thing that bothered me... who tied the boy to the tree? He was calling to her for help...

1lau said:
I feel bad for Reki for getting child abused that harsh by Shino it's actually murder
Still he cares enough to protect the villagers and his mother

Nothing justifies this even pre arranged marriage

serendipityarise said:
Wow, this one hit me in the gut. I too had a child that I did not want. But unlike this mother, I could not help but love my baby in spite of everything. My heart went out to that boy who only wanted his mother to love him, but also to that mother because I wanted her to love him so badly. How could she not, especially after she found out he'd been saving them all this time? But on the other hand, I don't think she was being selfish, she was just broken and unable to feel for some reason. She wanted to feel but could not---and that I can relate to as well. I love my children fiercely and I thank God for them every day despite the unfortunate circumstances that led up to their conception that I wish I had done differently. Yet I think can understand why another might not have that kind of strength or presence of mind, so I don't fault her there. Because there are lots of times in most other areas of my life that I just don't feel anything at all. At least she was able to embrace the child and tell him the truth. That is better than lying to him. And that she hoped she could be a better person in the next life. She admitted she was wrong. But there's one other thing that bothered me... who tied the boy to the tree? He was calling to her for help...

Zadion said:

This episode took on more of a "show, don't tell" approach, leading some of the events to be rather vague, but the way I understood it, Reki's mother is the one who tied him to the tree in an attempt to kill him - hence why she was trying to block the sound of his cries.
--
As much as I truly sympathize with the mother, I find her actions and thoughts truly and utterly despicable. If my interpretation is right, she tried to kill her living, breathing son just because she was forced into an arranged marriage. I understand the deep emotional turmoil she endured, but people ultimately have absolute control over their own actions, and there is not a single thing to justify a number of them. That said, between Reki's selfless attempts at self-sacrifice, painful loneliness and suicidal attitude stemming from his mother's lack of affection and love, and his mother's traumatic mental war and guilt stemming from her inability to love her own son, both characters deeply resonate with me.

"Let's die together. In my next life, I'll be born as a mother who can love her children."

Zadion said:

I appreciate this post so much. My heart was so heavy from this episode, and I feel like reading this made it explode. ;_;

This episode took on more of a "show, don't tell" approach, leading some of the events to be rather vague, but the way I understood it, Reki's mother is the one who tied him to the tree in an attempt to kill him - hence why she was trying to block the sound of his cries.

The direction, execution, and the themes in this episode were truly phenomenal. Mushishi yet again proves how well it has mastered the ability to portray real life issues in an art form. It was so poignant, beautiful, and thought provoking. It feels like the flip side of the previous episode; the mother in episode 7 lost her son who meant everything to her, and the mother in this episode lost her son who meant nothing to her.

As much as I truly sympathize with the mother, I find her actions and thoughts truly and utterly despicable. If my interpretation is right, she tried to kill her living, breathing son just because she was forced into an arranged marriage. I understand the deep emotional turmoil she endured, but people ultimately have absolute control over their own actions, and there is not a single thing to justify a number of them. That said, between Reki's selfless attempts at self-sacrifice, painful loneliness and suicidal attitude stemming from his mother's lack of affection and love, and his mother's traumatic mental war and guilt stemming from her inability to love her own son, both characters deeply resonate with me.

I can't put into words how amazing this episode is, and the ending music wrapped it up beautifully with its melancholic, bittersweet melody. I adore this series.

"Let's die together. In my next life, I'll be born as a mother who can love her children."

Lyrisia said:
That was quite cruel of her... not loving him is one thing but to tie him to a tree when there is thunder outside...

koreye said:


God, what were you guys smoking when you were watching this episode?

"Reki finds it creepy that his mother hugged him...he doesn't want to die with someone who clearly doesn't love him"

"It was enough for him to hate his mother as shown from his eyes. He sees lightning as something that loved him because of how it always seek for him no matter where he was."

were we watching the same thing? Thats not how it happened at all. Because of the mushi inside him, the lightning would falll where he was, as in his location. He attracted lightning. Which means that would endanger the people around him, which is why he used to go to that tree which was a safe distance away from his own house (and his parents) as well as the villagers.

That's what Ginko tells the mom. Her mom's explanation, that he goes out to attract lightning because he hates her was complete BS because she didn't understand his reason, until Ginko explained it to her. He was saving their (and her) ass. That's why he pushed her away at the end, not because he did not want to die with someone who didn't love him. He was saving his mother. And everybody else.

I wish I was as tough as that kid. He's my new inspiration.

I'm baffled by some of the comments here, and how this episode did not seem to faze people. I had goosebumps at least 3 times during the episode, and I felt that it was one of the most moving Mushishi episodes. Excellent, even by Mushihsi standards. Which is saying a lot.

Anyone else notice how we've had 3 episodes based around mother-son relationship this season?




You "think" and you "feel" such and such should be a fact of life, but its not. I've seen mothers who have been absolutely horrible with their children. This was nothing in comparison with what I have witnessed, heard and read in real life. You know about mothers who have actually murdered their own children, like this one mother I read about once in the states who drowned all her children in a bath tub?

Your opinion doesn't matter when in reality things are different. There are all kinds of weird people in this world, including those mothers and fathers who don't give two shits about their children.

In the case of this mother in this episode, she just didn't or couldn't love her child. She just doesn't have the capacity to, and there's nothing unrealistic about it.