Reviews

Mushishi is definitely a masterpiece. Mainly because it is the most original anime I have ever seen. Well, of course, there are other very original animes. But to my mind, the difference is, that all those animes were later copied. The word "copy" might be to harsh. We could say that other animes, were created, following the same idea with more or less similarities, but I have not heard of an anime so similar to Mushishi, that you could say it is not original anymore. The scale of its uniqueness is still enormous, even if we compare it to other media. Well, you might say, that there are other episodic animes with weird stories and new character introduced each time. But that is not where Mushishi's originality lies. The point is in its atmosphere, the whole idea of the world, and the stories themselves.

And those stories are my favorite part of Mushishi. To a person who hasn't watched this anime yet, I'll try to describe it. In each episode, the main character Ginko travels around the world and helps people with Mushi problems. And every story will be fascinating to everyone. Because at first look, those stories are just fun to watch. Some are goofy or hilarious, some are extremely emotional and sorrow and some just make you feel happy. But! If you try to dive into the depths of every story and understand it inside out you will find mushishi very thought provoking. Some episodes provoke thoughts quite easily, while others have the meaning hidden under heavy allegories. And that is why everyone will like Mushishi, deep philosophical problems hidden under simplicity and fun. And the range of those philosophies is pretty wide. From something as basic as connection between humans and nature to the complexity of emotions and the meaning of life and death.

Another amazing part of Mushishi is its atmosphere. It is truly outstanding because it's so soothing and relaxing that you could just fall asleep watching it. The environment is perfectly synchronized with with ambient sounds and music creating a unique atmosphere similar to Tarcovsky's movies. The budget does not seem to be top notch, and technically speaking its mediocre. But the director's work makes it up with usury. The idea of mushis and how they look helps a lot. They blend into the entirety enhancing the soothing atmosphere with those shining, tingling, wavy creatures flying around everywhere. All this sums up and becomes a phenomenon in the world of anime art.

Like in every episodic anime, you will meet a lot of different characters that you will forget quite easily. Besides Ginko himself there are few important characters introduced in the backstories of Ginko, but the main story, or should I say stories, are concentrated around one-time characters. They are usually created in a way to help the idea of each story. Sometimes symbolic. But we also see realistic characters in episodes where they are psychologically analyzed. But no matter what kind of character it is, when you watch Mushishi, you get really attached to them feeling their pain and sorrow, or joy and happiness.

All in all, if you are wondering if this anime is your type. I'd say wonder no more, because Mushishi fits almost every type. Except maybe action, but to my mind, action lovers will enjoy the relaxing atmosphere as much as everyone else.