Mushishi: Box Set

This is among the most popular manga series in Japan being voted number one by the Japanese fans at several recent conventions. Unfortunately I have not read the manga, deciding to get right into the anime thanks to a $15.99 price on Amazon. This set continues the excellent lineup of releases on the S.A.V.E. series by Funimation. As a note: I watched this series in the original Japanese with English subtitles.

Speaking of subtitles, Funimation has outdone themselves in this set. I almost wonder if another studio had prepared them. The reasoning is that Funimation rarely explains certain words underneath the subtitles. In episode 7 they use this a few times to explain one of the character’s name. The translation is quite good overall and the subtitles are very easy to read.

The backgrounds are gorgeously painted with a kind of soft watercolor style to them. They almost seem like a blend of watercolor painting and old Chinese ink and silk painting. There is a lot of green in the series, it’s often used as a sign of life and vitality. The characters are all pretty straightforward in their design and drawing, so it does leave a lot of the characterization up to the dialogue. The animation is crisp and it looks great on a 46″ HD TV. Everything is presented in widescreen as well.

The story is the true wonder of this series. The episodes tend to stand alone with one story arc each. Early on the stories seem a little lighthearted and the Mushi (the little spirits) seem quite non-aggressive. It almost seems like these Mushi get mixed up in the human world and so some bad things occur because of this interaction. But it seems at first that this interaction is coincidental. As the series moves along, we encounter more frightening Mushi, and many characters who are affected by them have permanent afflictions. A few even die (though most of these are revealed in flashbacks).

The stories are incredibly engaging, and the characterization of the supporting characters is nothing short of spectacular. The supporting characters only have one episode (for the most part) to make an impact on the viewer, and they do. I equate their characterization to Japanese Haiku. Their stories are told in few words, but their stories and their actions seem to grip the audience and resound with them. It’s quite pleasing to watch and I never had the feeling that an episode was ‘slow’ or ‘boring’. Instead I enjoyed getting to know these characters for their brief time on screen. I felt empathy for many of them, and I am sure most viewers will also.

I have always enjoyed anime, and I do fondly remember the amazing 80s and the pretty good 90s. With a few exceptions the 2000 – 2009 years suffered a bit (maybe because of the Japanese economy, Korean outsourcing of animation, etc…), but I have encountered some spectacular series lately, and I am hopeful that this decade may signal a new golden age of anime. These days we are seeing more and more series translated and released in the US, and quality series such as Mushi-Shi are shining stars of modern anime. I highly recommend this series to anyone enjoying a stately paced series with lots of the supernatural and little action. Even my partner who isn’t really into anime enjoys it. It’s marvelous.

This series is greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat, and so was the value of this box set!… hence the “S.A.V.E.”, lol. High quality all around… and I just found out the cover is reversible! That’s the icing on the cake. Highly recommended!

As for a brief review of the anime itself, it’s incredibly Eastern in its views, and the combination of smooth, simple animation (with the characters, anyway, and complex with how it depicts nature, which is excellent) and fantastically told stories (that don’t always end well for the characters involved) makes for an incredibly unique, sensory experience unlike any other. Ginko really is just a wanderer who goes around and attempts to get people to be at peace with Mushi, and by extension, nature itself. I love it.

The episodes are entirely episodic, and usually 100% self-contained… with a couple exceptions. It also jumps around tonally from episode to episode. You could go from a fairly straightforward love story in one episode, to a straight-up horror experience the next. But the thing to remember is that EVERY episode is amazingly written, and accomplishes what it sets out to do.

In summary, I would HIGHLY recommend this, but caution you to look into other reviews and such before viewing it yourself. As someone who knows quality when I see it, you can trust me when I say that the less you know going into this series, the better. If you want a taste of what you’re in for, look up the terrific soundtrack. It’ll give you a feel for what you’re in for, which is really an unforgettable anime.

Fell in love with this character some years ago. So glad to have added him to my collection.

graphiquement superbe, la cadence tranquille de cet anime s’apprécie comme un moment de recueillement. Un délice à ne manquer sous aucun prétexte!

It’s the full series and it come with 4 disk has a play all option

Mushishi boxed set is a collection of neat, if somewhat spooky Japanese Anime stories. I bought and watched these some years ago before giving them away. I kind of wish I still had them. Kind of spooky, but not real scary, they present the story of a Japanese Spiritual Hunter who goes about solving various psychic/ghost sort of problems experienced by Japanese villagers. These do not seem to be traditional stories, but are contemporary stories made for the video market. The animation quality is good but not of the standard of Miyazaki.