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Mushi are things, entities of subtle substance that few people can even perceive. They are the often unseen catalyst for many of natural or supernatural phenomena. To those who can see them, they often look like little walking viruses, strands, amoeba, etc. Mushi can mean bug or insect.
Ginko is a Mushi-shi, or Mushi master, which led to a very unfortunate translation of the series into English as "bugmaster". Each episode stands on its own, a story of people touched by supernatural or inexplicable circumstance. Ginko, the only constant in the series, is our guide; offering solutions or advice for dealing with the mysterious Mushi.
This is, of all things, a gentle anime. At times frightening or disturbing, the tone soft, the visuals engaging, the stories often melancholy though generally affirmative. While not a swift moving, action packed affair, the stories are told well. It lack those long, useless, brooding pauses that plague most "psychological" anime. Or, rather, such pauses make sense rather than dissonance.
One curiosity of the show is the time and place. While taking place in latter day, feudal Japan, the when and where are never real specific. Almost all the players wear basic working kimono, with pattern and such showing up for emphasis. Ginko is the single anachronism, wearing wester style garb, shoes, pants, a collared shirt.
The first episode is out of time, a child in the woods, living away from cities, Ginko notes his (Meiji?) period house is very old. One gets the sense it's nearer modern times, maybe post WWII, but it's never confirmed. Ginko has white hair and a green eyes. I suspected he was supposed to be German; anime favors Germanic occultists. However, we later learn he once looked like all the other Japanese kids, until that Mushi... We never do learn were he got his shoes.
On a stranger note, many Mushi look a lot like floaters. This had struck me, I used to stare at the things for hours as a child. (Yes, I was easily amused. ) The wiki entry for the series even notes this, so it's not just me.
I don't want to reveal anymore. Please see this one. It's really the best anime series I've seen in years. It is poignant, insightful, and never looses it's way. Like the best of any genre, it's more about the people than action or effects. It will haunt you, in a good way.
Ginko is a Mushi-shi, or Mushi master, which led to a very unfortunate translation of the series into English as "bugmaster". Each episode stands on its own, a story of people touched by supernatural or inexplicable circumstance. Ginko, the only constant in the series, is our guide; offering solutions or advice for dealing with the mysterious Mushi.
This is, of all things, a gentle anime. At times frightening or disturbing, the tone soft, the visuals engaging, the stories often melancholy though generally affirmative. While not a swift moving, action packed affair, the stories are told well. It lack those long, useless, brooding pauses that plague most "psychological" anime. Or, rather, such pauses make sense rather than dissonance.
One curiosity of the show is the time and place. While taking place in latter day, feudal Japan, the when and where are never real specific. Almost all the players wear basic working kimono, with pattern and such showing up for emphasis. Ginko is the single anachronism, wearing wester style garb, shoes, pants, a collared shirt.
The first episode is out of time, a child in the woods, living away from cities, Ginko notes his (Meiji?) period house is very old. One gets the sense it's nearer modern times, maybe post WWII, but it's never confirmed. Ginko has white hair and a green eyes. I suspected he was supposed to be German; anime favors Germanic occultists. However, we later learn he once looked like all the other Japanese kids, until that Mushi... We never do learn were he got his shoes.
On a stranger note, many Mushi look a lot like floaters. This had struck me, I used to stare at the things for hours as a child. (Yes, I was easily amused. ) The wiki entry for the series even notes this, so it's not just me.
I don't want to reveal anymore. Please see this one. It's really the best anime series I've seen in years. It is poignant, insightful, and never looses it's way. Like the best of any genre, it's more about the people than action or effects. It will haunt you, in a good way.
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And well done.
The art makes all the difference.
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