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Mushishi has the rather dubious distinction of being one of the most critically acclaimed and popularly ignored anime of the past few years. It’s easy to see why: the show has no nearly-naked girls, no giant robots, no vampires, and no ninjas. What it does have are compelling characters, gorgeous art, understated storytelling and an engaging concept. It’s a gentle yet powerful series, and anime for grown-ups who liked to be moved and made to think at the same time. And that’s exactly why it will never be popular.

The series is based on the manga by Yuki Urushibara. First, the concept: mushi are simple creatures, with no more intelligence or motivation than a bacteria. Their existence is so ancient and primal, in fact, that most higher-functioning creatures aren’t aware of them; on the whole, mushi are invisible t the human eye. Despite this simplicity, they come in an astonishing array of shapes, sizes and colors. Many resemble deep sea animals like squid or jellyfish; others look like primitive worms, birds, or snakes, and still others appear as corkscrews or formless masses. Some mushi eat silence; others eat mall animals or plants or eyeballs. Some live in rafters, some in caves, some in human bodies. The one thing all mushi have in common is that at some point, each variety causes will cause trouble for humans. This is where mushishi come in, a rare breed of human who can see and interact with mushi. Their abilities often attract mushi, so to avoid causing trouble for their neighbors they live on the road, acting as wandering problem-solvers, stopping in towns and villages troubles by mushi. Since little is known about mushi, mushishi rely on mushi lore passed down from their teachers, knowledge swapped with other mushishi and their own innovations.

The mushishi of the title is Ginko, a traveling mushishi who does a steady business. Ginko’s appearance is odd- he has white hair and a single green eye. But he’s really a pragmatic sort, and he still finds his job fascinating. Unflappable, intense, with a reserve of wisecracks and an air of jaded loneliness, Ginko is the kind of hero you can’t help but like.

Like the similar series Kino’s Journey, Mushishi is entirely episodic. Every episode is a self-contained story, and they could easily be watched in any order (should you desire to do so). Each follows the same basic plot: Ginko is called to (or stumbles upon) a mushi-related situation, and the episode invariably details the various means he uses to bring about a resolution (or, as sometimes happens, he discovers he cannot resolve the problem). The formula is repeated twenty-six times, yet the series never feels repetitive. This is partly due to the infinite variety of mushi and the problems they cause, but the real draw of Mushishi is the ever difficult-to-define ‘heart’ of the show. Each story illuminates some sliver of human nature, good or bad, in a way that has never been done before.

Each of Ginko’s clients has a drastically different situation; one man seeks a rainbow-like mushi to vindicate visions seen by his father years before. An inkstone-maker’s product is infected by mushi, putting the lives of three children in danger. A man’s prophetic dreams fail to predict a tragedy that kills his daughter. A little girl becomes a village’s ‘living god’. A mushi created deadly illusions of summer in a winter-bound forest. A man’s wife, missing for years, returns, but she is both more and less than she was before. Mushishi is a long string of extraordinary moments in an otherwise ordinary world.

And the world of Mushishi is ordinary, even if it’s not exactly our world. The roads Ginko travels take him to rural places; villages clinging to the base of mountains and fishing communities at the edge of the sea. The characters wear traditional kimonos and wooden sandals, but there are hints of modernity. Ginko’s friend Dr. Adashino wears a monocle, and Ginko himself is usually dressed in khakis And a button-down shirt. He smokes cigarettes, yet carries his equipment in an old-fashioned wooden box strapped to his back. The landscape could be rural Japan, but it could also be numerous other places; the ambiguity surrounding the time and setting of Mushishi lends more dreaminess to the already surreal atmosphere.

Mushishi benefits from some truly impressive art. Studio Artland has assisted with shows like Agentosoma, Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Darker Than Black, but it has few shows of its own. Hopefully Mushishi will get it some attention. The animation is crisp and clean, but that’s nothing unusual in an era of crisp, clean digital animation. It’s Mushishi’s backgrounds that really stand out- every misty mountain, far-off island or dense forest looks lovingly hand-painted, so evocative that the viewer can almost smell the tang of sea salt of feel the breeze rustling through the trees.

Mushishi’s music is so subtle as to be almost unnoticeable. The background music is almost ambient, and sounds as if it is played on traditional instruments. The opening song, simply titles, “The Sort Feet Song”, is a gentle love song in English by Ally Kerr. The series makes the unusual move of forgoing an ending theme, using more ambient music over the credits, or sometimes even continuing the story as the credits roll past.

For an adult anime fan. Mushishi is pretty much the perfect show. I’ve only one (admittedly minor) complaint: Ginko, while less a main character than our guide through this strange world, is still the show’s only constant; you can’t help but become attached to him. Yet in the series’ final episode, he doesn’t even show up until halfway through. It leaves the viewer feeling vaguely unsatisfied.

Funimation has done a beautiful job with the show’s release; the DVDs have reversable covers and come in cardboard slipcases. Each DVD also comes with a postcard showcasing the series’ lovely art.

This, however, is the tiniest of snags in an otherwise exemplary anime. Mushishi is one of the finest anime available today, the kind that will delight critics and transcend the medium, earning more respect to the entire industry. Make sure you watch it amd get everyone you know to watch it, too.

Details

Publisher: Funimation
Director: Hiroshi Nagahama
Stars: Star 5
Running Time:
MPAA Rating: N/R
MSRP: $26.99
Release Date: 2007
Buy:

http://www.amazon.com/Mushi-Shi-Vol-1-Y%C3%BBto-Nakano/dp/B000NQR8K6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1216567752&sr=8-2