Mushishi

*image borrowed from here

Mushishi
by Artland
Rating: 9.5/10

Quick Synopsis: Mushishi follows the life of Ginko, a "mushishi", as he travels around Japan studying "mushi" and helps people infected by these creatures.

Quick Review:

"Mushi" literally translates to "insect" but in the context of the anime (adapted from the manga), "mushi" are supernatural organisms, neither animal nor plant. But they do coexist with earthly organisms in this world and sometimes they disrupt the lives of humans for their existence.

Anyone who likes xxxHolic (which I reviewed here a long time ago) would surely like Mushishi.There is the same folkloric feel and air of mystery in both series -- though xxxHolic can be more comical at times.

Comparison aside, Mushishi is very likable for its unique stories. Watching them certainly feels like standing in a warm room while listening to grandma's stories (as I said, it has a folkloric feel). The main character, Ginko, might probably not the type who makes girls squeal, but I really like him. He'd be a good example of a nerd during his era (which doesn't really exist in Japanese history, but for the sake of fiction, it exists before the present Japanese era).

The series is not episodic, so you can start anywhere at times and still won't get lost in the story. Some characters, however, appear more than once. As for the characters, a lot of them are very interesting. Won't spoil anything here, but watch out for cool characters.

I find the background art very impressive but the art for the characters don't cross the line to awesomeness. Anyway, it fits the story very well. Sometimes simplicity is best to convey a meaning well.

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Minitokyo