Mushishi

This story is quite lovely. Each episode is pretty much closed off. You can start watching anywhere in the actual show and never really miss anything. The story doesn’t really overlap and the only real character that you need to know is Ginko. It helps keep the story straight and you don’t have to remember every little detail like when it’s a show like Durarara!!! that has a number of different main characters and secondary characters in it. The stories themselves are so cute and yet most of them have a rather sad ending or beginning that really makes you feel depressed and doesn’t help you feel better though. The only times I did feel better is the tiny bit of comedy that happens with Ginko and some of his friends. Ginko is sadly not explained much except for one episode in which they talk about his past but I really would like to know much more about that past.
The whole art style is a feast for the eyes and animation almost never falters. This is a show that you would watch if you want something slow and calming as there aren’t ever fighting or hard core battle scenes. Most of the time it’s more talking and careful thinking within the story. Each background is carefully detailed, even when the show is clouded in mist, you can still see a lot of details within it. Characters seem a bit lacking at times though, some of the side profiles look a little dull and skulls seem deformed. It is just the art style though and not laziness. You can tell that they put a lot of heart into the product.
The music is very pretty, gentle and sweet. The Background music never ever breaks the show and each story has one main song although it is hard picking out that one song out of the many. I fell in love with the Opening as it really sets a mood. I believe it is in English in both the Japanese Dub and English Dub. The dubs are also good in both English and Japanese, though I lean to the English in this. That does mean that there are a lot of voices that are reused but as I never really notice that stuff, I didn’t really care.
This is a must see for anyone that likes slow shows but don’t touch it if you are really into fast pace Mechas.

The storyline of Mushishi isn't quite like any other anime I've watched in the past, not that I've watched a ton of anime, but still. Each episode has its own kind of individual short plot while the twenty-six episodes over all have a small "plot" if you call it, teaching you more and more about the Mushi and this master, Ginko. However, music for this anime wasn't every impressive, but seemed to go with the mood.

During my depressing days without a computer and no anime to download, I found myself going through any means necessary to get my anime fix. While my days of boredom almost had my brain turning to mush, I found a series that peeked my interest.

Mushi-shi: The Cure Lies In The Curse
Here is my review

WARNING: May contain spoilers.

Though I am normally "picky" about watching certain anime in subtitles, I didn't exactly have a choice to watch it in English dub on Hulu. And I have to say, the voice-actors were decent and did not hurt my brain :3.

Mushi-shi is a very peaceful Japanese animation. It is extremely calming, tranquil, and alluring. Do NOT mistake this for boring, because the anime will have the tendency to put you to sleep if you are watching it comfortably--laying down or plopped on a couch with pillows and blankets. This is a very interesting anime. Definitely something you will love to add to your library.

The main character is Ginko, the mushi-shi or Mushi Master (in English). He goes around the "world" learning about mushi or helping people who have been influenced by them. Mushi are spirits in between the real world and the afterlife. They are "life in it's purest form". Most look like ghastly plankton that float everywhere. They do, however, take other shapes and forms such as: plants, humans, and other forms of nature. Not many people can see them. The few who do are either fascinated by them or afraid.

Too many mushi in an area can influence human life and cause bad things to happen. But Ginko's description is they are not evil nor good. They are simply "beings that are merely trying to survive."

Believe and trust when I say this is a very interesting anime . There are 26 episodes, and like all anime, it originated from manga. (Which I have not read yet >.>.)

I highly recommend this anime to any one looking for something different to watch. Because it is just that, different.

The scenery of Mushi-shi is that of a "feudal" era. But Ginko himself, wears modern clothing.

Because of an incident Ginko had with a particular mushi, he is one of the few Mushi Masters that draws mushi in if he is stationary to one place. He continuously moves and has a view that he does not always want to "destroy" mushi. He knows how to respect them and shares this opinion to the people he encounters.

I did not feel it ended with a cliffhanger but I was left with a few questions I'm sure could be answered if I ever find the manga . I give this anime a 4 out of 5 and I hope that those of you interested in watching this anime, give it a chance to see the uniqueness of it's storyline.

~Mousie

Mushishi is a collection of original Grimm style fairy tales that takes place in a pre-feudal Japan. Each chapter is presented in a very well constructed short story form, with only two similarities carrying through the series of different stories.

The first is a strange form of life referred to as Mushi. Life forms that don't really exist within our reality, but at the same time do. Those sensitive to the mushi are the only ones able to see them and thus a lot of people and children with this sensitivity are thought to be crazy. Mushi take a variety of different forms such as amoebas, single celled organisms, they can resemble human beings and some are even great creatures the size of mountains.

Mushi are not actually evil, they're not really sentient enough. Instead they're just like any animal or creature, doing what they can to get by. In doing so however they can cause dramatic, strange and often horrific incidents when they come into contact with human

The second connection between the stories is the protagonist Ginko, a one eyed, white haired mushishi. Basically a profession like a doctor, but for mushi related problems and conditions. Ginko is a mushi magnet, why isn't really clear, but it forces him to constantly travel the countryside, never stopping for too long. So he wanders from town to town, offering his services and helping victims of the mushi in every way he can.

Ginko is a somewhat mysterious character, he's very knowledgeable and seems to nearly always have some knowledge about what's going on. The most likable characteristic about him is just how far he goes to help those plagued by the troubles of the mushi, going to great lengths and putting his life on the line to help and save them. Future volumes will hopefully reveal more of Ginko's past and character.

These stories are obviously not aimed at younger children, having some quite strong horror themes, just like an original Grimm's fairy tail. A young teenager to an adult would appreciate the stories far more. 'A light behind the eyelid' is the story that won the manga award that is proudly displayed on the front of the cover. It's about a young girl who's eyes have been infected with mushi, and any sort of light, even with her eyes closed, causes her pain. How will Ginko be able to cure her? That's the other nice thing about this manga, the endings are never predictable, things rarely end with a "and they lived happily ever after".

Yuki has obviously mastered the art of short stories and Mushishi is an example of this art at it's pinnacle. A great read for anyone that enjoys a good story, not just manga lovers or teenagers.