Mushishi

Mushishi transports you to an imagined era nestled between the Edo and Meiji periods, making it a delightful experience for fans of historical Japan.

Story: 9

The narrative is non-linear, focusing on Ginko's journey—a white-haired, green-eyed Mushishi—traversing the land to assist people and mushi. He resolves issues caused by these enigmatic creatures. Occasionally, characters are interconnected, but most events stand alone. Despite this randomness, the storyline remains engaging, thanks to the author’s skill in maintaining suspense and anticipation for Ginko’s next adventure.

Art: 8

Urushibara Yuki has a distinctive artistic style, particularly effective in her depiction of scenarios and mushi. Her work is visually pleasing. Characters often share similarities due to their Japanese ethnicity, which somewhat limits diversity but highlights Ginko’s uniqueness.

Character: 8

Ginko stands out as the unforgettable protagonist. His character is well-crafted and developed, making him a compelling companion throughout your journey. Other characters tend to be forgettable, serving merely as temporary plot devices.

Enjoyment: 9

Mushishi is highly enjoyable, especially if you appreciate traditional Japan. It effectively immerses you in a past that feels authentic and captures the essence of its setting. Each story is engaging, encouraging you to unravel mysteries alongside Ginko. The author excels at leaving you curious about what unfolds after each tale concludes and pondering alternative outcomes without Ginko’s involvement.

Overall: 9

Mushishi is essential reading for manga enthusiasts or newcomers alike. It offers a concise yet enchanting journey from start to finish. While not flawless—with room for deeper stories and more significant secondary characters—it remains an outstanding work by Urushibara-sensei.

Story: I never imagined I'd grow so fond of this manga style. It follows a wandering man through rural Japan, in an era that's ambiguous but clearly pre-electricity. The storytelling consistently surprises me with its unique angles. Sometimes the conclusions aren't what you'd expect - the hero doesn't always triumph - yet each chapter offers profound reflections on humanity or valuable lessons. These standalone stories are truly captivating.

Art: The artwork is remarkable, featuring a good amount of etching. I admire the artistic approach, especially how mushi and human characters are depicted.

Character: With nearly an entirely new cast every chapter, I'm continually amazed by the distinctiveness of each character. Initially, I thought they might start to fall into stereotypes over time, but they've remained refreshingly diverse. This variety is highly impressive.

Overall, I'm thoroughly impressed by this manga and am definitely going to check out the anime adaptation.

Story: N/A
This anthology lacks an overarching narrative, making it difficult to provide a comprehensive rating. The stories range from psychological horror to pure fantasy and fairy-tale-like chapters, varying significantly in their appeal. Overall, the quality is high, but the repetitive structure—Ginko arrives at a village, solves an issue, then moves on—can be monotonous. Some chapters deviate from this pattern, but it remains a prevalent structure. Despite occasional repetition of themes, enough variation usually prevents boredom.

Art: 8/10
Nearly every aspect of the manga's art is outstanding, with breathtaking landscapes, unique and imaginative mushi, and unsettling body horror (though not excessively graphic). However, the character designs are severely lacking. If you've read my other reviews, you know I always highlight distinct character designs, and here they fall flat. Almost everyone looks the same, differentiated only by clothing and hair, which is limiting when there are multiple characters in a chapter.

Characters: 3/10
The manga lacks memorable characters. Ginko is consistently calm and knowledgeable, showing little to no growth. Other characters are similarly one-dimensional, often blending into each other without distinctive personalities. This uniformity detracts from the storytelling and emotional impact.

Overall: 7/10
Despite some flaws, "Mushishi" is a work of art worth experiencing for its creative scenarios and beautiful visuals. It's recommended for those who appreciate innovative stories and stunning artwork.

Good
• Extremely creative stories

Bad
• The artist uses nearly identical faces for all characters, making it hard to differentiate them unless relying on clothing or hair. This flaw becomes especially problematic in chapters with many characters, diminishing the impact of certain stories.
• Lack of recurring characters makes the world feel like it exists solely to showcase the "mushi," reducing the sense of a cohesive universe.

As you're well aware by now, I have a deep love for the occult and anything that exudes sophistication in its writing. I fell head over heels for the anime version of Mushishi, and now I've grown equally fond of the manga. The manga closely mirrors the anime, with identical stories and timelines. While some might find this disappointing, it doesn't bother me at all. Given how excellent the anime was, the manga didn't need to reinvent the wheel to be equally compelling, and any changes would likely have detracted from its charm. The stories themselves contain valuable life lessons that resonate deeply, some of which are ancient wisdoms we once needed to heed. Since these tales revolve around 'mushi,' mysterious creatures driven by their own desires, they also hold relevance to our modern world. These timeless beings can influence us even in today's high-tech society. Some narratives parallel contemporary human desires, such as becoming consumed by excessive hunting or feeling superior due to a newfound discovery. Other stories explain seemingly inexplicable events like losing one's voice, memories, or hearing.

For those who dislike when manga and anime are too similar, there's good news: the manga extends beyond the anime. Additional stories begin roughly halfway through the sixth volume. Many of these tales are poignant, though they do include occasional comedic moments to lighten the mood. I highly recommend reading these before bed or during relaxation, as none of the stories are action-packed adventures. Instead, they encourage reflection on the characters' words and meditation on the narrative. Personally, I enjoy listening to meditation music while reading the manga, much like how the anime's opening theme tunes me into the story.

There was one minor annoyance regarding the manga: the bonus segments interspersed between chapters. For some reason, the author decided to include them, but they disrupt the flow of the main stories. I often skipped these sections because I wanted to continue with the actual manga. The bonus pieces were poorly drawn compared to the rest and sometimes so difficult to read that they felt out of place. Supposedly, they depicted snippets from the author's life, but I found myself uninterested since it was hard to discern whether they were truly autobiographical, part of the chapters, or random bits from someone else's life.

The artwork is somewhat sketchy, occasionally resembling undetailed blobs, while other times featuring intricately detailed backgrounds with bland, simplistic characters. This contrast helps characters stand out, but their frequent deformities are noticeable—elongated chins, undefined eyes, and clothing that sometimes looks like mere blobs. When colored pages appear, the art resembles dreamlike watercolor blends. This style reinforces the idea that the mushi exist only in dreams and imagination. As the series progresses, the artwork improves while maintaining its sketchy essence.

Mushishi is a historical manga that meets every requirement of its genre. It introduces the concept of Mushi, life forms closely resembling the essence of life itself. Barely perceptible, they nonetheless exist all around us. Tracing their presence is a Mushishi, an expert in these species. He collects remnants of a world soon to be forgotten, occasionally encountering incidents involving humans and these unknown entities. He stops, talks, helps, and then continues his journey, repeating this cycle endlessly.

From a conventional perspective, isn't this unexciting and unremarkable? I agree. The characters seem devoid of outstanding traits, the events barely draw attention, and emotional outbursts are rare. Supernatural occurrences happen and resolve, leaving only memories behind. However, it feels right, as it mirrors history. There's no need to dwell on them unless you're interested, reflecting the true spirit of historical documentation. Additionally, the series' lack of overarching plot or character development aligns with the objective viewpoint of history. Each incident is a fresh experience, meant for observation and record-keeping.

At the end, after another encounter with Mushi, the protagonist resumes his journey, leaving no trace in nature's vast and pristine scenery. The manga ends there, without any grand finale. Yet, it concludes the author's work perfectly. Mushi symbolize the foundation of life, and those who can see them are rare witnesses to this world. With the storyteller blending into the surroundings, the world continues, but if unnoticed, it fades into obscurity, covered by time's dust, yet waiting to be uncovered. This is the charm of history, and Mushishi inspired me to seek the world Ginko left behind. Beware, a sequel might come, but it's just a joke.

The incidents vary—some intriguing, some tragic, some sorrowful—as Mushi can either harm or enrich lives. Nothing is absolute, and at the crossroads of coexistence or abandonment, people decide based on their will, similar to how one evaluates historical events. Occasionally, when discussing this, Attack on Titan comes up humorously. This is peak fiction. You can cry over your '124 chapters of peak inspiration...' Hoohoohoo, heeheehee, haahaahaa.

The art is flawless. I firmly believe the ink color brings more than any other medium could, and the character designs aren't overly attractive. These elements create a mysterious fictional world, yet it feels close to actual human experiences. Despite impressive adaptations, sticking with the manga is still better.

In conclusion, Mushishi is not just a manga; it's a historical report of how people lived with Mushi. In the spirit of Slice of Life, it may quickly excite or lull you, but ultimately, you'll have experienced something, even if it's not entirely enjoyable.

Mushishi is a masterpiece, plain and simple. It contains all the elements that make it a truly enjoyable read. The stories are intriguing and diverse, the artwork complements the narrative perfectly and maintains high quality throughout, and there aren't any characters that might irritate the reader—most of them are highly likable. My overall enjoyment while reading Mushishi is a solid 10. Each chapter strikes a perfect balance of tension, release, excitement, and catharsis, making the entire reading experience remarkable. This is indeed a masterpiece.

So why do I give it an overall rating of only 7?

The issue with Mushishi is that although each individual chapter easily surpasses most full-length manga, there's little in terms of an overarching story. The similarities between chapters gradually diminish the enjoyment. Consequently, while the pacing starts off excellently, it deteriorates as you progress further into the series due to the lack of plot or character development. Eventually, I found myself dreading the first page of each new chapter when I realized it would just be another standalone story from the protagonist’s adventures.

This type of storytelling won't be problematic for everyone. If you don’t need a long-form narrative in your manga, this issue (the sole issue I have with Mushishi) won't bother you. Even better, if you appreciate anthologies or enjoy the iyashikei genre, this is definitely worth reading.

In summary, Mushishi reminded me a lot of Aria—a slow burn where every chapter is a 10/10, but the absence of strong connections between chapters makes the overall experience drag and lose its magic. Honestly, I recommend reading either in small bursts of 1-2 chapters rather than marathoning, to fully savor it.

My recommendation is that everyone should at least start this manga. Regardless of how far you get into the full 50 chapters, I can guarantee that it is an enjoyable read.

“Some live in the deep darkness behind your eyelids. Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. They are known as mushi—creatures that came into being shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze. They still exist parallel to our own lives and can only be seen by a select few.”

The artwork truly speaks for itself, showcasing a style that is genuinely pleasing to the eye.

Mushishi exudes an atmosphere that makes you want to keep coming back to read more. Each story is like a separate meditation, expressing the importance of the connection between humans and the nature around them in everyday life; how they can easily affect one another and the environment surrounding them. The dynamic between humans, nature, and life in Mushishi's world is shown beautifully through potent dialogue in every chapter.

“It’s not your fault. Nor was it the Mushi’s fault. You were both just trying to live. Nobody is guilty. Don’t die. You’ve done nothing wrong.” - Ginko.

We follow Ginko, one of the few aware of their (mushi) existence, as he roams from place to place as a mediator between the mushi and those affected by them, learning more about them and their purpose in the world. Ginko's occupation as a mushishi is entirely out of self-interest, and it's easy to see his excitement or frustration when dealing with a new type of mushi. Reading alongside the OST for the anime definitely enhanced my immersive experience with Mushishi.

Philosophical themes in Mushishi:

1. The colors white and green - So far, the colors white and green have played a major part in the series. Green is the color of the mushi themselves, of life and of nature. White is Ginko's signature color, the color of death and the spirit world to the Japanese. But Ginko's eyes are green, making him the link between life and reality and the world of the mushi.

2. Dreams and Reality - In "The Pillow Pathway", the idea of a path between dreams and reality, between death and life is explored. By what mechanism do we wander the highways and byways of the universe when we sleep, and what happens when we have a stowaway on our journey?

3. The relationship between human beings and mushi - The fundamental basis for the series, and the point at which Ginko steps into the picture to have an adventure, is the point at which humans and mushi interact. This relationship is strange and complex, with humans and mushi both representing life in different forms, and each being destructive in different forms. Sometimes mushi and humans co-exist, sometimes they compete for the same resources, or engage in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship with one another.

4. Isolation and solitude - Isolation and solitude are the natural result of an interaction with mushi, but those things can also invite mushi into one's life. Learning how to deal with loneliness and isolation, or conversely, the love and pursuit of solitude, are threads that run throughout the series.

All in all, Mushishi is Yuki Urushibara's masterpiece that is deserving of all the praise it receives. It seamlessly pulls off high levels of character development and narrative in every short story without having much of an overarching plot. Being in an episodic style, you don't need to worry about pacing, with each conclusive story taking 10-20 minutes to read. I'd be quick to recommend it to anyone who enjoys a slice of life and drama with deep themes.

Story: 6/10
Usually, when we begin reading a manga, the first impression is what usually determines if we continue or not. For me and Mushishi, it was different. I read the first two volumes and felt utterly confused, so I kept going. By the fourth volume, everything started making sense, and the story became intriguing (and why wouldn't it be? It's about a guy who travels the country in search of mysterious insect-like creatures called mushi and tries to cure people of them—now that's fascinating). However, after finishing the fourth volume, I noticed a repetitive pattern. He visits one village, cures it of a "disease," then rushes off to save another village. Another repetitive aspect was that most of these diseases involved people's eyes, hands, feet, and ears. There wasn't much variety concerning other body parts, which could have provided a break from the routine.

Art: 8/10
The artist excels at creating bizarre imagery. They drew some of the strangest things for the mushi, enhancing the sense of mystification. The characters weren't drawn to be particularly appealing visually, but this added to the portrayal of their struggles with the mushi.

Characters: 7/10
Ginko is undeniably cool due to his calm demeanor, sometimes seeming almost inhuman given his extensive knowledge about mushi and the context he operates within. The downside with other characters is that they either seem vastly superior or inferior compared to Ginko. There’s rarely a balanced power dynamic or intelligence level between him and the rest of the cast.

Enjoyment: 7/10
I found enjoyment in this manga from books/chapters 5-7. After that, I grew bored but continued reading for some reason, probably because I didn’t have anything else at the time. Yet, there's something compelling about this series that makes you want to keep reading until there's nothing left.