Customer Reviews

Mushi-Shi: Starter Set

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

 

 

I've seen the entire series and I have to say this is one of the most beautifully written and soulful series out there (anime or non). Please note, this is NOT an action-packed anime although there is action from time-to-time. This isn't particularly a tear-jerker either, but there are stories of profound sadness. What it is, is a drama that lets itself take itself to develop the story.

The plot over the series is that Ginko - a Mushi-Shi (kinda' like a shaman or doctor specializing in supernatural ailments) travels Japan to investigate and solve people's problems. Each episode is an independent (but loosely continuous and connected) short story. Endings are often surprising and thoughtful.

Volume 1 covers the first 5 episodes.
EPISODE 1 - About an isolated boy whose writings and pictures come to life, but is haunted by a quiet ghost.

EPISODE 2 - About a girl with mushi-infected eyes locked away in total darkness and her cousin who comes to visit and play with her.

EPISODE 3 - An isolated snowfallen village is infected by mushi which eats up all noise. One child is infected so badly, he mysteriously grows horns like his mother.

EPISODE 4 - A man's dreams are infected by Mushi which gives him dreams of disasters to come (and avoid), but the dreams aren't the prophecies he thinks they are.

EPISODE 5 - Ginko finds a travelling swamp which disappears and reappears and a special woman looking to belong who becomes the swamp's companion.

Mushishi is the best anime I've seen in a long time. The animation is gorgeous and the music suits it perfectly. It was just very relaxing to watch for the most part. Each episode has a new set of characters and unique, folklore style stories, and I like the fact that each one can all stand on it's own, not even making it necessary to watch them in order.

I'm generally not concerned with collector's boxes, but I'm very glad I decided to get this one. It's one of the nicest starter sets I've ever seen. The design and artwork on the box and the cardboard sleeves are perfect.

Mushi-shi is not your action-type anime; no giant robots or sword-wielding ninja or vampires. But I find myself returning to Mushi-shi more than I do the other anime series I own. So many series get placed on the shelf and not visited again except for one or two key episodes once I've watched it through to the end and know how everything turns out. But I return to each episode of Mushi-shi again and again, and find something new to appreciate in it each time. I'm not waiting anxiously for the next volume so I find out who lives/dies or how my favorite character fares: I'm anxiously waiting because this is a series that I enjoy every moment of every episode and enjoy it just as much the fifth time I view it as the first.

The artwork on the starter set is well worth the extra money. They did a wonderful job of putting this all together.

Every now and then I come across an anime that is unlike anything else out there. Mushi-shi is one of these. Not only is the story highly original, the entire production from the music and animation to the packaging and even the English dubbing is outstanding.

I've seen the whole series, but I'm commenting on this particular release. I tend to prefer buying thin-pack, but I'm glad I went for the full-size box set on this one. The packaging is very attractive and professional, probably the best-looking box set I have on my shelf. A great job by Funimation.

This is one of those series that is hard to describe to someone else. I've tried, and I usually get a weird look: "A wandering medicine man cures people of ails that are caused by supernatural "bug-like" organisms called "mushi"... that means "bug" in Japanese....um...well, it's really cool, I promise." The story really is that simple, but this is one adventure that you just have to experience for yourself. No major story, no complex plot. Just Ginko, the mushi-master, traveling the gorgeous backcountry of Japan and encountering bizarre and fascinating cases of mushi infestation. Some he is able to solve, others nearly cost him his life. The individual episodes range from lighthearted to downright creepy, but always I am left feeling a sense of satisfaction and wonder when the episode is through.

A word about the music in this series. If you use iTunes, look up "The Sore Feet Song". This is the opening theme to Mushi-Shi, and I swear every review of this song on iTunes mentions Mushi-shi. I downloaded Ally Kerr's whole album because of this show. Each ending theme for Mushi-shi is specially composed for each episode and fits with the show perfectly.

The more anime I watch, the more I realize that shows like Mushi-shi are rare jewels. There is nothing else in the anime world, besides perhaps Miyazaki, that approaches the level of surrealism, creativity and beauty portrayed in this series.

Mushi-shi won't please everybody. If you demand a complex plot or a lot of action, you won't find it here. But if you are the sort who likes the unconventional and appreciates true quality, don't pass on this show.

this is a review of the whole series, presently. eventually i may modify & send this over to the series collection reviews (collection to be released soon) and write individual disc reviews, but i feel inspired to at least lay my praises for this series and get something out for now.

this is a fantastic series that just needs more attention.

it has the most luscious and beautiful set art that really creates a sense of tranquility, and really represents nature so beautifully.

the story is that of traveling mushi-shi/ master ginko (a name he acquired as a child, told later in the series, that gives origins to the loss of an eye as well), and the stories that surround his encounters with myriad mushi alter lives of humans they come in contact with.

most mushi-masters tend to just eliminate the mushi that they encounter that create harm, ginko strives for balance and harmony and tries to preserve the life of human and mushi. mushi are not necessarily good or bad, but "they are life in its purest form" (as iterated in the series, and on the DVDs descriptions), hence, also something not to be taken lightly.

the characters are developed as much as you can with few recurring characters (and those minor ones), but they are truly a wide range of peoples, and many are sympathetic and tragic, enviable... very compelling and very well done.

there is some amount of suspense (don't take this to mean action, because if that is a prerequisite for you, go elsewhere) in this slice'o'life meta-fantasy series with spiritual overtones that resonate a quality like a zen koan - short and beautiful, but not always sweet. the episodes have endings of every sort- happy, sad, pensive, ambivalent, etc. c'est la vie.

the placement is a vaguely almost-our world with few things to indicate a specific time period; although vague, it all really works for it, rather than hindering it. the stories are quite engrossing, and many times i did not want to leave the particular set (area, story line, characters) at the end of the episode. of course this adds up to replay value....i have hundreds of anime series, many never finished, and at very least may never be watched again if completed, yet this is one of the few i know i will return to, probably many times over the course of the rest of my life.

nonetheless, the only minor quibble i have is that i wish that not all of the stories would be so neatly wrapped up in one episodes (though there is a little continuity throughout). not that i want the formulaic cliff-hanger "OMG they can't end that there" ad nauseum, but a few of these stories would have been very beautiful to carry thru 2-3 episodes.
i know from the extra features interviews& chats that the creators of the show were trying to completely capture the manga without deviation-- of this i cannot comment as i have yet to read it. however, i do know that they have achieved an extemely well executed series with a beautiful mood, and everythig meshes so well together, truly a multi-media masterpiece. the music (which is fantAstic) does not even consist of one set closing song, as different episodes end quite in different moods, which goes to show how much panache and dedication the creators had in this. of course, you get the idea that they exalt the manga, and set out only to carry it in to another medium and breathe life into the transplant...what am i waiting for, i guess i better go get the manga asap.

also each dvd comes with a decent insert with character sketches and notes highlighted from each episode, as well as a couple art cards (from a limited set of 8, tho of course these are inserted randomly, and over the 6 dvds i have many copies of the same cards, and am without a few of the others)

captivating, exquisite, luscious... my blathering verbosity does it no justice. this is one of the best of, not just anime, but series/movies i have ever watched.

MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE LOOKING FOR A BEAUTIFUL, ENJOYABLE, MATURE WORK OF ART.

buy it, watch it, fall in love

Mushi-Shi has received much praise from critics all over, and is generally considered a masterpiece - however, if you intend on buying this based on its acclaim alone, without knowing what it is about, you're likely to be disappointed owing to how different this is from the usual anime series out there.

Mushi-Shi's story structure is episodic, with its only continuity being the protagonist and his friend (who appears rarely). The series progresses somewhat like the X-Files, but with a key difference - its focus is not on the supernatural, but on the lives of the people who are affected by it and it takes place in a historic, fantasy world.

Mushi-Shi is devoid of any humor, action or melodrama and its pacing is very pedestrian. What it delivers is a series of interesting fantasy stories which feature thought provoking, powerful human drama in a very quiet, subtle way which is easy to overlook without careful or multiple viewings. Furthermore, the series features gorgeous background artwork, excellent animation and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.

Mushi-Shi is often compared to Kino's Journey (which I have not seen) and if it sounds like a series which you would enjoy, I highly recommend buying the starter kit which features a gorgeous artbox and some superb extras.

Mushishi is an absolute masterpeice. It's a fantasy/drama unlike any you'll ever find, and it's my favorite anime.

Each episode tells a different story. I thought I would be bothered by this, but I wasn't. This adaptation is very faithful to the source material.

Mushishi evokes many different emotions while viewing it. Some episodes may have a really nice ending, while others can be really sad. The beautiful background music amplifies these effects.

The music is very serene. Listening to the OST, something I do everyday, is the best way to relieve stress. It really works wonders for the anime, especially when considering the quality of animation maintained throughout all 26 episodes.

I have yet to see an anime series animated as beautifully as Mushishi is. Everything was so well done, you can tell they spent a lot of time translating this from the manga. The Mushi are reminiscent of the creatures you would find in a Hayao Miyazaki film, the Kodoma of Princess Mononoke perhaps. They have a certain magical aura, a mystifying presence, that makes you want to see more and more of them.

I suggest you buy the DVDs, which come in a very nice package with lots of extras. This is an anime which should be seen by anyone who enjoys anime.

This set contains the Volume 1 DVD, with episodes 1-5, in a special collector's box that fits all 6 Mushishi DVDs.