Despite having a relatively high rating, my expections for anime was rather low. It doesn't have action, it doesn't have romance so pretty much I just watched this anime on a whim. But after finishing Mushishi, I found myself thoroughly impressed because this was indeed a great anime.
Mushishi is an episodic anime set in fictional old Japan. Watching Mushishi reminds me of folktales and legends. The way the story is told, mixed with gloomy and sometimes relaxing atmosphere of the show, really gives you this feeling of eeriness. The story itself is unique and creative. There is no overarching plotline so there are new characters every episode with new mushi problems and of course our mushi hero Ginko appears to save the day. The story sounds simple but I have respect for the creators of Mushishi and writers who create episodic stories in general, because not only will they have to create new stories every episode but also every episode needs to be just as good as the last one. And unlike non-episodic anime, episodic shows doesn't have cliffhangers to keep viewers from watching.
Artwise, Mushishi's backgrounds and sceneries are well-done, capturing historical Japan very nicely. However, I can't really say the same for the character designs. The characters looked to much alike. There were a number of times where I thought I was looking at a character from a previous episode. Well that is pretty much the only gripe I have with regards to the art but all in all Artland did a great job.
Anyone who watched Mushishi will definitely remember the opening theme "The sorefeet song". The song doesn't really have anything to do with the story or theme of Mushishi but I personally think it's the perfect op for Mushishi because it surprisingly fits well with the atmosphere of the show.
There are a lot of characters in Mushishi because it is episodic and most of them will never appear again in later episodes. So I'm not going to talk about the supporting characters anymore because they are not given much characterization and are only created solely for one episode. Let's just talk about Ginko the main character. Ginko is by far not a complex character but that doesn't mean he is shallow. He is level-headed, insightful and very knowledgeable. He kind of reminds me of Kakashi from Naruto. Put simply, he is the type of characters cool boys wants to be when they grow up but fails miserably.
Overall, Mushishi is a great anime that you shouldn't miss. If you want a breather from all the battleshounen or romance shoujo you're watching and would like something that is unique and well-thought-out, then you should watch Mushishi. Highly recommended.
