Mushishi
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| Another deep thought provoking episode,(Mushi grants repeats of life) plus another close call for Ginko. Oh, and I must say, I found the background scenery of the island and ocean to be beautiful. |
| That was a beautiful episode, probably my favorite one so far. |
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| indeed this was a fucked up episode, giving birth to your own mother, like really, in what twisted mind??? lol I was glad that in the end Mio accepted Isana as her own daughter and be happy. "Dying without wishing to be reborn makes it harder to be happy" damn... |
| This island will definitely not last long in peace... When the people everywhere else hear about it, they'll be travelling there to save their loved ones, the people there will be paid for information and rebirths and the 'tourism' kind of thing will ruin their lives. Instead of all the 'daughter giving birth to mother' kind of thing, why not just have a couple of women on the island who act as the surrogate kind of thing - that way a person of any age and sex will be able to 'request' a rebirth. This way is better than only doing it if they are actually capable of getting pregnant, and it doesn't seem very similar to inbreeding. Why are the children of the mothers raising their mothers? They could have had a rotating system where reborn people are passed around with different families and there is no repetition. Also, I don't think of it as living in the past or wrong in that way because it's not as if the reborn person has the same memories, only that they have very similar personalities and genetic traits. This way new memories are created and it's more like a true utopia. However, this rebirth stuff would definitely cause some ethical clashes as some islanders will think 'I want him/her back!' and others will think 'I'm a reborn child and it feels like I'm just a doll, an existence for a purpose - I was made how I am because people wanted it and it makes me wonder about my existence!' Also, people from the mainland and other places would call this crazy, unnatural and somehow not right, and kill all the islanders - or stop this rebirth stuff somehow. Anyway - back to the episode in general - I thought it was awesome, a great idea and the story did well not to make it too complicated. I was worried all the time of two things - Ginko would find something wrong with it and the islanders would go crazy and attack him to stop him from threatening their utopia. The other thing: all the reborn people would suddenly reveal themselves as weird mushi people (like the previous episode) and take over the island whilst capturing and possibly attacking Ginko! |
| interesting that the epsiodes that had 'cloning' took place on an island and there is that movie called 'the island' which is all about clones n that. ILLUMINATI |
"Urushibara Ruka. The mannerisms and voice of a woman... No... More feminine than any woman. But he's a guy. Taller than Mayuri, but so very thin... But he's a guy. Looks great in a miko outfit... But he's a guy. It's already twilight And yet, it's so hot. The cicadas are crying. But... He's a guy." |
| So deep! |
| After a spell of rather mediocre episodes during the middle of the series, the last 3 or 4 have been amazing again. I especially love it, when Mushishi touches on philosophical topics as it did again here, even if they arent of much practical use/ relevance. The most interesting aspect of this episode probably was the discussion of rebirth and its consequences. Would a life, which can be repeated again and again, really be that desirable? Sure, from a superficial point of view, it seems like an utopia. Being able to live forever with your loved ones, never having to let go, never having to fear death for yourself - this notion sure has its appeal, but at what price does it come? For one the memories and experiences a person accumulates during their life time and the worth of life itself become marginalized. Fearing to lose their loved ones, people reincarnate them in order to superficially cling to their wordly/ bodily presence, even if it means to sacrifice their "life time", all their memories and experiences, which shaped them (and their relationships!) in the first place. Furthermore, the absence of the need to let go also leads to an inability to move on: people live in the past and are painfully reminded of what was every day, unable to face towards the future. To paraphrase both Ginko and Game of Thrones: maybe it really is a blessing that all men must die. Moreover, this episode tackles the age-old "nature vs. nurture"-debate, one of the most important issues in psychology. Which parts of a persons character and behaviour can be attributed to his/ her innate native qualities, predetermined by genes, which parts can be influenced through upbringing and can be altered by the different experiences an individual encounters during their lifetime? From Mio's perspective the picture Mushishi initially paints with respect to these concepts is rather bleak: her daughter Isana is the spitting image of her own mother Mana, constantly and painfully reminding Mio of her deceased parent and preventing her from accepting Isana as her daughter. Isana's character and even her thoughts seem identical to her grandmothers', even intensifying Mio's emotional conflics, which becomes especially apparent through the anecdote about diving into the sea in order to fall asleep. Incidently, this annecdote depicts exactly what happens, when people are reborn using the mushi: they are pulled deep down into the sea and enter a state not unlike a deep slumber/ hibernation, only to wake up and begin a new life, when they are reborn. Mana telling Mio this story, when she was still a child could hint at many preliminary cycles of death and rebirth undergone by Mana/Isana beforehand - otherwise its still a nice reference. For Mio, the Mushishi-internal "nature vs. nurture"-debate ends on a hopeful note, when Isana changes her mind about wanting to make her mother undergo rebirth, if that would mean sacrificing their joint experiences and memories. Understanding, that Isana has her own personality shaped by her own experiences, finally allows Mio to accept her as her daughter, even though Isana shares her grandmothers' genes. At some point, I would love to write essays about some of the interesting episodes of Mushishi or at least get a discussion started in the comment section... maybe during season two :P. My body is ready! |
MrPrinceSanjiMar 10, 2014 4:56 PM
| The only thing similar between the old body and the reborn body is that it's physically identical (same DNA) but the memories and personality are different. Basically it's the same body but a different person. A mere clone. I'm conflicted. On one hand, I could kind of understand that the "rebirth" would bring those left behind some sort of comfort even if it's just from the presence of someone who looks like their loved one. Also, the dying would gain comfort from knowing they simply won't fade away when they die. On the other hand, I find it extremely selfish. Especially with how Mio's dad acted. "Please give birth to your mom because our relatives and I want to see her again." Did they even consider Mio's feelings? Apparently not. Did they consider how the rebirth'd Mana would feel? Apparently not. Yeah Isana you were reborn because grandpa and our relatives wanted to see you again. Oh by the way, you used to be grandpa's wife and he'll be calling you Mana every once in a while. And how about that other couple..."he waited ten years to wed her again" huh? That's just selfish and creepy. |
"May those who accept their fate be granted happiness." "May those who defy their fate be granted glory." |
| Give birth to your mother? Creepy. |
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| Things keep getting weirder by the episode, but I like it. I was expecting something tragic to happen since it can, in Mushishi. Although nothing too tragic happened, I found this great, nevertheless. |
| Very interesting. So it's pretty much an endless cycle, especially with the mother and daughter because if they were to continue using the mushi for their needs, they would just switch positions every time. Although with what the little girl (mother) said at the end, I doubt it'll continue with them. Wow, cool episode. |
| This episode was WAAAAY better than the last episode. When Isana said she would give birth to Mio if she died, I thought for sure that Mio was going to die. Thankfully I was wrong and Mio and Isana bonded, knowing that ,like Ginko said, that Isana is everybit her child and that Isana will never be her mother as Isana says that she would rather see her die as her mother rather than giving her lifetime to whole different person. I personally wouldn't want anything to do with uminaoshi seeing as they're just different people with the same faces; it just wouldn't be the same. Pointless, refusing to accept reality, that's what it is. |
| this one was a little weirder than usual imo still a great episode strange concepts XD |
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| I'm not really a fan of this show but I really loved this episode, a lot of cool things happened. This is a very interesting mushi because it can talk and think, I kind of want one. Idk.... |
| What a reflective episode .. I didn't expect such ending but I'm satisfied anyways. These episodes are getting even better now when it's 4 eps to go :/ |
| This plot would work well in sci-fi as well. |
fuven said: This plot would work well in sci-fi as well. actually , what make this episode interesting is not about the idea of eternal life...but about the cloning issues . It's a facinating subject , and this episode reminded me about some class i had about " bioethics " . Fact is , it's pretty sure that , considering science developpement , we will be able to make clone of someone in the future , just by using one adn sample , and making the feotus grow in an "artificial uterus". This could be your clone...or the one of your parent or grand parent that died recently...you would just have to take one hair of said person...basically , you wouldn't need two person to make a baby like this . one can easily see all the problem and issues this idea can bring . katsup said: this was a good episode. though i wonder why the reborn-mother isana had the same thought about the sleeping. If her lifetime was taken away, wouldn't her personality be different possibly? hmmmmm. taking aside this "surnatural" element , the important thing is that the children shouldn't be considered as a single "clone" , but as a human beeing , with it's own personnality . Experience is something that should be considered way more than the genes when it comes to the personality of someone ( well actually , that's a huge debate in psychologie studies , but i'm digressing ) . so , in the end , the idea that the process can bring eternal life is an illusion , and it could bring a lot of pains in the family if this is not understanded correctly . |
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Dullboy said: fuven said: This plot would work well in sci-fi as well. actually , what make this episode interesting is not about the idea of eternal life...but about the cloning issues . It's a facinating subject , and this episode reminded me about some class i had about " bioethics " . Fact is , it's pretty sure that , considering science developpement , we will be able to make clone of someone in the future , just by using one adn sample , and making the feotus grow in an "artificial uterus". This could be your clone...or the one of your parent or grand parent that died recently...you would just have to take one hair of said person...basically , you wouldn't need two person to make a baby like this . one can easily see all the problem and issues this idea can bring . katsup said: this was a good episode. though i wonder why the reborn-mother isana had the same thought about the sleeping. If her lifetime was taken away, wouldn't her personality be different possibly? hmmmmm. taking aside this "surnatural" element , the important thing is that the children shouldn't be considered as a single "clone" , but as a human beeing , with it's own personnality . Experience is something that should be considered way more than the genes when it comes to the personality of someone ( well actually , that's a huge debate in psychologie studies , but i'm digressing ) . so , in the end , the idea that the process can bring eternal life is an illusion , and it could bring a lot of pains in the family if this is not understanded correctly . Well said. Yet another great episode. Damn, these last few episodes have been a strong reminder of the dangers of being a mushi master. Ginko's life has been at risk several times lately. o_o I actually thought for a minute he might actually be swallowed up and reborn... and the rest of the series would've taken place a couple or three decades in the future, after Ginko had matured again. Would've been an interesting plot twist. Though, actually, that might be a good example to prove Dullboy's point above. It's Ginko's experiences which make him who he is. If he had been swallowed and reborn, would he still have been Ginko? It would be as if he never met Nui, had never been influenced by the Ginko (mushi), and he probably wouldn't end up a mushi master again... Neat story. Fun to think about. |
 ☩ Discord: the.path.to.pathos ☩ RateYourMusic ☩ last.fm |
| :: insert tentacle jokes here ... where's a tentacool gif when I need one :: I was laughing a bit at Ginko's reaction to getting caught. |
BurntJellyOct 27, 2014 8:13 PM
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| It's not a rebirth at all, just a genetical clone, no different than real life identical twins. Sure, traits and appearnce can be carried over, but no memories and no "soul". Just think about how many embryo's that mushi created in all those eggs, that would mean it would have split the consumed person's soul. It's a blueprint not a rebuild. Theoretically if two women would eat the eggs of the same batch, they should be able to give birth to multiple copies of the same person too. |
| "I'm a middle schooler bartender!" - Mishima Hitomi |
| Some good stuff. |
| "Let Justice Be Done!" My Theme Fight again, fight again for justice! |
| The whole idea was pretty disturbing to me, but the episode overall was good as usual :) |
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| You would think he would stop that Mushi, but no. Ginko does as he pleases. |
Oh, pitiful shadow cloaked in darkness. Thy actions cause men pain and suffering. Thy hollow soul drowns in thy sins. How would you like to see what death is like? -Enma Ai |
| Endless cycle of moms being reborn, nice food for thought. |
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| Very good ep. It was exciting! Never really considered the awkwardness behind the idea of rebirth and family the way this episode portrayed it. |
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."  |
| 5/5 |
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| Good ep..interesting concept of rebirth.. |
| Was that a somewhat positive episode? I'm really surprised that there are Mushi which don't affect negatively the lives of those who gain from them. |
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| I wonder what Ginko meant when he said that being reborn would be a bad joke |
I'm a jazz number with no beat, tune, or direction. |
| Aw, baby Ginko would've been cute hahaha. It'd be a bit weird living with all those rebirthed people. A lot of them seemed to be happy though. But I'm sure there were more people like Mio who had problems with it also. Really interesting mushi though. |
| Very interesting episode. Two episodes in a row about birth. |
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| Episode 20: Ginko - " ..I might die tomorrow" Episode 21: Gets stabbed by a woman Episode 22: Almost drowns/ gets reduced to his embryological form Arrgh.. Ep 23 please be kind on him! T-T |
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| I still can't get over the fact that she gave birth to her mother, that's just beyond weird o_O |
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| This ep was just fuckin weird |
| Mhmm. Another brilliant episode. Ginko almost died there again, I got worried (even tho I know he's gonna survive but you know) |
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| ginko almost die last episode and almost got reincarnated in this episode . what else could happend in next episode |
| "Mountains, beings, and nature's laws are bound by an arrangement, and within it, we live." -Mushishi Zoku Shou Suzu No Shizuku |
| These villagers are soooo strange... I get that they want their loved ones to stay with them eternally, but the way to go about this is very strange indeed :/ |
| I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't use that mushi, not sure if I could do it tho... nice episode as usual. |
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| So that one guy waited only ten years to marry the reborn version of his wife. I seriously hope I misunderstood that part. souledge94 said: Im not sadden by this episode. I feel more like a wha? with these people. Whats the point of the rebirth of someone when that person has zero memories of who they were. Its basically a clone. They look and proboly share some personality traits but thats it. Its not your mom that your giving birth to its a whole new person. It just doesint make sense in the end since you want to bring that person back but its not the same exact person. I guess this is the point where the question of whether souls exist comes into play. I personally don't believe that, so I also considered the "reborn" individuals to be essentially clones. But I might still prefer having the clone of a dead loved one around, rather than nothing at all. I don't know... human cloning raises a whole bunch of weird questions that are very difficult to answer. On the other hand, I most definitely wouldn't ask my own daughter to carry her mother's clone. MrPrinceSanji said: For Mio, the Mushishi-internal "nature vs. nurture"-debate ends on a hopeful note, when Isana changes her mind about wanting to make her mother undergo rebirth, if that would mean sacrificing their joint experiences and memories. Understanding, that Isana has her own personality shaped by her own experiences, finally allows Mio to accept her as her daughter, even though Isana shares her grandmothers' genes. That really is the most comforting thing about the episode. |
LeeTailorJul 26, 2017 3:10 PM
| So the mother became a loli. Lovely, interesting rebirth plot. |
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| That was a really interesting Mushi these guys come up with such strange things. |
| damn ginko close to death :O that was intense for a moment. another cool story told in this episode. |
| Two birth episodes in a row. At lest 3(?) stories of such so far. Also, "the minute differences in personality means she isn't my mother" seems like a forced justification for the fucked up situation rather then genuine sentiment. I guess Ginko thinks they'll figure it out on their own, since the 'daughter's' willingness to put herself in danger to keep her mother the way she is, might signal a change in the next generation's attitude to the ritual of rebirth. Not my favorite episode. |
| Even if the people who underwent rebirth looked and had mannerisms that are exactly like those who were submerged into the water, if the memories and experience of the reborn were eaten along with their dying bodies, are they really the same person you once knew? Isana definitely looks like Mana but she isn't the same person because she's her own person regardless of what she looks like. It's a very convenient way of coping with loss but it doesn't work all the time. I'm still afraid of dying though so I'll go pack my bags and say "It's rewind time!" if I ever get the chance. |
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| Oh boy, Ginko being in a bind really had me worried for a bit. Nonetheless, this was a pretty good episode! |
| It may be me but what I am curious about is, when they get the embryo how they know its their beloved one? I mean this mushi, as fasr as I understood, eats fish n stuff aswell? What about if they take like a fish embryo, will they accidentaly give birth to an fish? I am confused XD |
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