Mushishi
*A second season was released in 2014 under the title, "Mushishi: Next Passage"; yet to be watched/reviewed
**EDIT 9/12/20: I watched the 2014 TV Special (that, though being released almost a decade later, I believe coincides w/Season 1 as it still pre-dates Season 2), and have added a few extra thoughts.
Premise - Mushi are a type of being beyond living organisms, yet not quite supernatural. They are somewhere between reality and the paranormal, and they exist alongside us humans. Sometimes, that symbiotic relationship becomes imbalanced, and these cases require a mushi expert, a "Mushishi", to restore that balance. Each episode tells a separate, unrelated tale of a talented Mushishi named Ginko, traveling through feudal Japan and discovering the mysteries of mushi.
Review - This is a good example of my life motto to just fill my brain with stories. Every single crevice of my mind should be packed tight and bursting with tales, and this show added a good 20+ new ones, as each episode explores a new type of mushi and therefore a different kind of human experience. What I'll take with me most about this show is how frighteningly visceral the stories are - tactile, almost, in their relationship to human senses and emotions. In other words, they can be quite haunting or, frankly, give you the creeps.
There is a central thread to the episodes, or rather two - mushi, and the Mushishi, Ginko. He's quite the stoic character - one full of quiet wisdom, and yet oddly loud and distinct due to his appearance (white hair, one green eye). In almost every episode, Ginko has the right answer. He's the one character we hold onto throughout the show.
Now contrast that to the various village people in every episode. I could not help but notice the passivity, fragility, and stupidity of SO many of the fleeting female characters. To an annoying degree. I get that it reflects Japanese culture, but sheesh. My insides squirmed at it.
It is a Japanese show, in the Japanese language (watched with subtitles), and therefore saturated in Japanese cultural values. I love the nonviolent message that the mushi are not something to be "conquered" or eradicated. Peace lies in balance and harmony. I never heard that tagline before, but in looking up the cover art above, "The cure is in the curse." It's about finding co-existence. (79/100)
Quote - "If you could see everything but couldn't change any of it, or if you
could live in freedom in darkness... Which do you think is more
fortunate? I think it might not be that bad living in the dark,
remembering the light." -- I chose this one because it's one of the few that I remember, having come late in the series. I'm sure there are others that were impactful. I wish I had a quote handy to describe the symbiotic relationship between mushi and humans.
What to watch for - The one with the second eyelid will always stick with me, which fortunately is only episode two. The one that sticks with me in a not-so-great way is the one where a woman gives birth to the same possessed baby over and over again.
2014 TV Special - With double the length of a normal episode, this special offers a more in-depth exploration of its characters, in this case two twin girls. I must say, it's still painfully noticeable how passive, weak, fragile, and paper-thin these female characters are. But there was an interesting dynamic here where one of them, due to mushi, was far more disadvantaged than the other twin. It was a beautifully animated episode about living under darkness and I'm somewhat motivated now to see the second series.
If you liked this series, I'd recommend Spirited Away!
Comments
Post a Comment