The Bottom Line
Mushi-Shi is very much a fantasy anime so an interest in that genre certainly wouldn't hurt. Luckily, I love that genre and loved this anime as well. The artwork is mesmerizing, full of rich colors and fantastic backgrounds. The story itself is enchanting as well, as we follow Ginko, a mushi master from place to place, story to story.
Pros
- Engaging storyline
- Exquisite artwork, beautifully done
- Sticks closely to the orginal manga
- Loads of extras
Cons
- Standard audio options
- Few repeat characters
Description
- Rating: 14+
- Genre: Fantasy, sci-fi, adventure
- Release date: July 31, 2007
- DVD extras: Director, VA discussions, studio tour, booklet insert, Mushi-Shi notecard insert.
- Packaging: Standard DVD and artbox available (get the artbox if you can - its gorgeous.)
Guide Review - Mushi-Shi: DVD 1
In the first DVD, we meet Ginko, a mushi master or "mushi-shi". Mushi are invisible life forms, not really of this world but yet they have a definite influence on human life. Ginko can see the mushi and travels from place to place helping others deal with the issues that the mushi have created.The DVD contains episodes 1 through 5, with each episode representing a new "story" in Ginko's travels. We meet Shinra in episode 1, a boy who has the magical ability to give life to anything he draws. Episode 2 introduces us to Sui, a young girl with a rare disease that leaves her blind except for the "true light" she can see when she closes her eyes. And in episode 3, Ginko finds himself in a village that becomes deaf every winter.
And in each of these stories, Ginko must find a way to banish the mushi cause and ease the suffering of the humans they have affected.
Because each story is self-contained, the only real recurring character is Ginko himself. I listed this as a con because I know some of you enjoy a series that carries over from episode to episode but in truth, I kind of like the way this one works. There's no "tune in next time" which used to drive me crazy when waiting for Gohan to finally power up and send Cell running (DBZ) and while you don't form the same attachment that you would with a whole host of regular characters, you'll find yourself entranced with this one all the same.
