Mushi-Shi is an anime that ran from 2005-2006. Both the series and its manga have received critical acclaim, won several awards and is consistently ranked among the top anime of all time. Mushi-Shi is an exceptional show for its peaceful and meditative feel, its straightforward and non-silly delivery (unlike many other anime), and its creativity.

Setting The Stage

The storyline centers around the concept of supernatural creatures called Mushi, which are basically the center of life and the world. These creatures most likely resemble parasites or microorganisms, as they rely upon forestry or human life for survival. They take the form of snakes, words, water, plants, or really anything, as there are thousands, possibly millions, of different kinds. Mushi cause various changes to the earth’s environment and humans. They can make humans see the future, or cause blindness, extreme fascination, mind control, memory loss, and a host of other things. They can also create amazing imagery like sparkling rivers, rainbows, or magnificent beams of light.

Though mostly unseen by humans, there are a select few humans who can see Mushi. Many of these people extensively study the creatures and how to cure humans of the afflictions caused by Mushi. The best of the best become Mushi Masters, who travel around the region continuing their studies and investigating strange or inexplicable phenomena which are likely due to a certain kind of Mushi. This is where Ginko, the show’s main character, comes in.

The Story

Ginko is a Mushi Master in an imaginary time period between Edo and Meiji Era Japan. Ginko has an uncommon look of snow-white hair and an uncanny knowledge of Mushi. His unyielding, yet peaceful presence. Since he has an affliction which attracts Mushi, he worries of indirectly causing harm to townspeople if he settles in one area, so he lives as a wanderer. Ginko travels to different rural towns investigating strange occurrences that plague its civilians. Most episodes of Mush tell different stories in different towns, with different Mushi, which essentially makes for a non-linear storyline. Mushi-Shi also manages to build compelling and interesting characters, despite its shorter length and non-linear storyline. Mushi-Shi is filled with wondrous spectacles, amazing character stories, and a peaceful vibe that’s simply incomparable, mostly due to its exceptional soundtrack.

There’s Much Left To Discover

A smaller theme in Mushi-Shi, based on its excellent characterization, is the individuality and interesting nature of humans. Each character that Ginko meets has their own individual stories of personal triumph, failure, love, hatred, skill, vulnerability, and many more. Each human values different aspects of their life in completely different ways and chooses their actions for different regions.

The more central theme of Mushi-Shi is environmental consciousness and the largely undiscovered facets of our world. Though many species of plants, mammals, fungi and bacteria have been discovered, scientists suggest there are still millions upon millions of species, especially of smaller microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria, which have yet to be discovered. Mushi can be seen as the manifestation of what has yet to be discovered in this world. They’re much like these possible microorganisms, as they cause environmental alterations and cause changes to humans, both good and bad. Beyond microorganisms, Mushi-Shi also shows us our still extensively untapped potential of using natural resources that cause varying effects on people and on our social or economic society. Essentially, Mushi-Shi allows its viewers to ponder what’s in this world, how these undiscovered organisms construct our world, what we will create, and what changes will result from these future discoveries.