Customer Reviews

Mushi-Shi: The Complete Box Set (Viridian Collection)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was a latecomer to Mushi-shi, mostly because I'm very picky when it comes to watching anime. I became intrigued by the series' description, and a short clip sealed the deal. After the first episode, I was completely captivated. Mushi-shi has not only become my favorite anime series, it's one of the best visual works I've ever seen.

The show revolves around Ginko, who spends his days travelling rural Japan in search of "mushi" - beings somewhere between animal and plant, neither good nor evil. In each standalone episode, a mushi has affected a person in a different way, and Ginko must decipher the reasons and concoct a cure.

While the premise may sound tedious, it's anything but. Ginko is a fascinating character: likable yet mysterious; a wanderer with a purpose that unfolds without hurry. The people Ginko meets have their own tale to tell, whether it be a man obsessed with rainbows, a boy who's gained a new sense of hearing, or a girl thought to be a living god. Each episode is memorable due to the characters who compose it, and the series ends up being endlessly interesting due to the inventiveness and versatility of the cast involved. While the people are left behind at the close of each episode, there are new ones to meet.

Besides its unusual structure, Mushi-shi is simply beautiful to experience. The dub is one of the best I've heard; Travis Willingham is perfect as Ginko. The music is minimal and subtle, but evokes emotion in a delicate manner. While there isn't much action in the series, the animation is superb, featuring a delicate and muted palette that's instantly captivating. Much of the series is like watching a moving painting.

The greatest thing about Mushi-shi, however, is its theme: connection between living beings. While each episode is about a person infected by a mushi, under the surface, it's also about how one's decisions affect his or her relationships with the surrounding world, for good and ill. It's no accident that Mushi-shi is set in the country; the show simply would not work in an urban setting, as the connection between human and nature is often explored.

Mushi-shi is totally unlike any other anime I've seen. There are no giant robots, aliens, screaming combatants, devious plans, high-school romances, possessed children, etc etc. It's a mature, quiet, thoughtful, and peaceful show, despite the conflict explored in each episode. I should say that this is probably not a show for children, as it can be quite dark and frightening, and while not explicitly graphic in nature, there are occasional implied acts of violence.

Mushi-shi is not a show to be rushed through, but savored and shared. It is multi-layered without being complex, and was nothing less than a profound journey to experience. This anime is a true labor of love, and I hope you make the choice to travel with Ginko.

Mushi-Shi is a gorgeous anime that is made up of 26 self-contained episodes that don't have anything to do with another, but introduce you to the new types of Mushi that the main character discovers, documents and solves the mystery behind.

It's not "slow-paced," but it definitely has the pacing of a mystery/suspense show like Law & Order or The X-Files, not a shonen-type fighting show. This is a more mature, adult show with nearly perfect animation, wonderful voice acting and music (at least on the Japanese side) and definitely worth a watch. Since each episode is self-contained, you don't have to worry about taking breaks between watching--you won't forget anything you needed to remember. :)

It's also worth noting that the episodes are "out of order" compared to the original manga, but as they're self-contained, it doesn't really matter. The manga also continues after where Mushi-Shi the anime ends, and I'm hoping they make a second season.

As an avid Anime viewer, I watch a lot of Anime of varying genres. Mushi-shi is the story of nature, from a fantasy-entrenched perspective. In a different existence, there are life forms called Mushi, which are essentially the purest life forms, that live among people. Usually, they go undetected and do not disturb human beings. Occasionally, however, they sometimes can have negative effects, depending on what they require to survive. Some feed off light, while others feed off the gods themselves. Mushi-shi takes place in a much older period in Japan. Ginko, the main character, is a Mushi master, who travels around helping people with Mushi-related problems. Each episode tells the story of a different issue created by Mushi and how Ginko solves the issue. Unlike other Mushi masters, Ginko doesn't simply resort to killing the Mushi, and instead finds ways for people to live with them.

Mushi-shi is not a series that employs action, suspense, character development, or a connected plot. Instead, it uses beautiful artwork, interesting twists, and philosophical messages to remain an impressively unique series. 26 episodes long, this series is long enough to have an incredible diversity in stories told, and plenty of non-recurring characters. It also stays short enough to not overstay its welcome. Any longer, and the series would likely have lost it's value as a series with vague and transparent continual plot.

What Mushi-shi truly has going for it is it's environmental beauty. Everything is serene and peaceful, and the series has a definite air of mysticism to rival any Anime ever made. The Viridian Collection version has Both Japanese and English voice work (with English subtitles) and the special features are numerous and interesting. Mushi-shi is by far my favorite Anime ever made. Watch it if you desire a slower paced series focused more on philosophical virtues and less on action.

I haven't gotten by box set yet since its not release but I have watched the whole series. This is a beautiful anime that you can put any of the discs in and just enjoy. The artwork is beautiful and the people relations are so realistic. There is a little fighting but nothing on a grand scale. Pretty much he wanders around like a doctor helping people with ailments that others don't believe exist. I can not wait for my pre-ordered set to arrive!!! Not a lot of action but not dull or slow paced.

I actually first encountered "Mushi shi" in the 2006 live-action film directed by Akira-legend Otomo Katsuhiro. I loved the quiet beauty of the film, and was intrigued to see the animated version. It was, in a world, mesmerizing.

This series is much more beautiful than the film, and because of the length of the series it is a richer and deeper adventure. I have rarely seen animation of this quality, especially in a television series. The green tone and emphasis on nature bring to mind some of the lovelier scenes of Miyazaki's work as in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

The storyline is fairly easy to describe. It follows the journey of a "mushi shi", or "mushi master" named Ginko, as he travels around and helps people who are having problems with mushi. (Funimation was quite wise with the translation of this anime by the way. The word mushi, when written with this kanji, is a difficult one to translate, and I have seen people calling this series "Bugmaster" which is a gross mistake. In this situation it was much better to keep the original Japanese word intact). An anthology series, Ginko rarely encounters the same people twice, and each episode is fresh and original. The series can be watched in any order.

The tone of "Mushi shi" is very quiet and somber, balancing on the edge of being a ghost story. There is a definite supernatural theme here, and the mushi themselves remind me of the "rods" creatures that occasionally turn up on cryptozoology series like Monsterquest. Anyone who loves Japanese supernatural stories, especially those that use the mystical elements of the natural world, will love "Mushi shi".

Special props also get called out to Funimation for their presentation of this series. I have never seen such a long series packaged so compactly. There are four disks in a single DVD case, which takes up hardly any space at all. With my DVD collection as large as it is, these kind of space-saving innovations are really appreciated.

Like other releases in Funimation's "Viridian Collection," this box set of "Mushi-shi" is a re-release offering a more "bare bones" presentation at a lower price.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but decided to purchase this series on a whim since it was well regarded on [...]. I was looking for another seinin or josei anime to sink my teeth into and this fit the bill more than I ever would have expected.

Each episode pretty much stands alone, however I would still suggest watching in chronological order as the character is revealed and develops from episode to episode. He's a great protagonist - mysterious and enigmatic but you come to love him and laugh with him. The storytelling in each episode was captivating and made me feel like a child again exposed to a whole new world of unusual beings. In the same way I grew up wondering about fairies, dragons and unicorns from the stories I read, Mushishi made me wonder about the details of the mystical creatures they dreamed up called mushi.

The box set is nice - very simple, slim and complete. The cover is nice but not at all obviously "anime" so if you're not one who displays your anime habit for the world to see, you can comfortably include this on your shelves ;). There is the original Japanese with English subtitles and an English dub. The special features are also worthwhile as they have an interview with the Japanese director which is pretty interesting as well.

I can't adequately describe how this series affected me. The music in each episode was great. The art and animation was different if not unusual, but so perfect for the story. A series I could easily re-watch over and over again. I think this series will probably impress most people - particularly if you are an adult who still finds themselves fascinated with classic dark fairy tales and cultural mythology. I think younger audiences could also watch if they're already comfortable and familiar with darker stories (like a classic Grimm's fairy tale or a Greek myth) but I believe much of it would go over their heads. In any case, this series is very highly recommended.

Just a quick note on this version as theres a number of different boxed versions. This is the slim boxed set. It has 4 Dvd's in two slim double sleeves. Making the whole box set slightly larger than just one regular DvD case. The trade off is this boxed set does not contain any booklets that are included with some other versions. But this box is very nice and high quality.

Just finished Mushishi today. I can't say I loved it...but I can't say I hated it either. It's a very calm anime and I almost felt soothed watching it, but it definitely wasn't "hold onto your seats!" interesting. The animation was especially lovely to look at, but all the characters (besides Ginko) were rather plain. But I think this created a great effect because the colorful/fascinating Mushishi that floated about these plain looking characters really made the magic of the Mushi stand out. It makes it seem as though the world belongs to nature and the Mushi, and humans are just trying their best to survive in it. Although the opening song...I hated it as far as music goes. It was all in English and it was a song that matched the series, but I just don't like listening to that kind of music. The opening animation sequence was also ridiculously boring. But...I'd have preferred it open with artistic views of light shining through trees (like it did) than some silly peppy opening that shows all the characters Ginko encounters on his journeys.

This is a 'monster of the week' type anime...or in this case a 'mushi of the week' type anime. Each episode is about a particular Mushi and the effect it has on the lives on the humans around them. Anime News Network said it best on their review of volume 3 of the manga of this series..."you half-expect the mushi to pipe up at the end with: 'And we would have gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for you meddling mushishi!' "

I don't go out of my way to recommend this anime to people because it feels like a show that is either a big hit or a big miss. But if someone ever asked for a calming/soothing anime this would be the first one that pops to mind. This anime would be a good way to follow up any anime that was an exhausting roller coaster of emotions. I like Ginko as a character and I enjoyed this series. Mushishi made me feel like I was peeking into the sinmple past of old rural Japan. If more Mushishi comes out I plan on watching it. I'd also like to read the manga at some point.

I bought this series after watching an episode of it a while back. It had been sitting on my shelf for a while without much interest until one day I just decided to put one of the discs in there to see how it went. And I gotta tell you, this is one of the most memorable anime series I have seen in a long time, I really couldn't have been more pleased.

The bottom line is that this show did not only live up to all the positive reviews I had heard, but it completely exceeded them. It is by no means a 100-mile per minute action show, but it's subtle and pervasive pacing kept me hooked for every second of the mushi and human drama portrayed in each episode. The best part is that this really rises above the standard anime fare to become a series that can be appreciated both by anime fans and casual "channel surfers" equally. I really can't recommend it enough.

I actually first encountered "Mushi shi" in the 2006 live-action film directed by Akira-legend Otomo Katsuhiro. I loved the quiet beauty of the film, and was intrigued to see the animated version. It was, in a world, mesmerizing.

This series is much more beautiful than the film, and because of the length of the series it is a richer and deeper adventure. I have rarely seen animation of this quality, especially in a television series. The green tone and emphasis on nature bring to mind some of the lovelier scenes of Miyazaki's work as in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

The storyline is fairly easy to describe. It follows the journey of a "mushi shi", or "mushi master" named Ginko, as he travels around and helps people who are having problems with mushi. (Funimation was quite wise with the translation of this anime by the way. The word mushi, when written with this kanji, is a difficult one to translate, and I have seen people calling this series "Bugmaster" which is a gross mistake. In this situation it was much better to keep the original Japanese word intact). An anthology series, Ginko rarely encounters the same people twice, and each episode is fresh and original. The series can be watched in any order.

The tone of "Mushi shi" is very quiet and somber, balancing on the edge of being a ghost story. There is a definite supernatural theme here, and the mushi themselves remind me of the "rods" creatures that occasionally turn up on cryptozoology series like Monsterquest. Anyone who loves Japanese supernatural stories, especially those that use the mystical elements of the natural world, will love "Mushi shi".

Special props also get called out to Funimation for their presentation of this series. I have never seen such a long series packaged so compactly. There are four disks in two slim cases, which takes up hardly any space at all. With my DVD collection as large as it is, these kind of space-saving innovations are really appreciated.