Mushi-Shi

Full Title: Mushi-Shi
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural
Episodes: 26
Uploaded By: Penad8
My Age Rating: PG (Mild Language)

Once in a very rare while an anime comes along that completely defies my idea of what makes a good series. It does everything wrong according to the predetermined standards I've set up in my head, and yet, it still manages to be one of the better animes I have the dubious pleasure of watching. Mushi-Shi falls squarely into this list.

The world of Mushi-shi consists of various different types of creatures: animals (the most advanced form of life), plants, and then an almost unseen genre of species known as the Mushi. These elusive creatures are the most fundamental life form. They are all around us, even inside us, but only a small percentage of the human population know of their existence and only a rare few among those can actually see them. Ginko, a traveling medicine man of sorts, has dedicated his life to the study and preservation of these basic lifeforms. As a mushi master, he travels the world looking for the rarest, strangest, and most beautiful of the mushi. This series is a collection of stories dealing with his travels and the strange happenings that befall him and the people he meets due to the creatures he studies; proving over and over again that "the cure lies in the curse."

A fascinating view to say the least, this show is like the fine wine of anime. It's slow paced, contemplative, and deeply enriched with some of the best plots I've ever seen. One of the things this show does differently than most is give every episode a different storyline, therefore the series is watchable in any order. The only character that really carries over from one episode to the next is Ginko (if you don't like him than you may disagree whole heartedly with my final score but so be it, I guess...) Another fault this series may have is its slowness. The fact that it almost never speeds up in the slightest may annoy viewers. That trait being the case, it's also a series that you'll have a hard time sitting down and watching straight through. I recommend watching only a couple episodes in one sitting. It keeps the pace fresh and unique.

Overall, this anime's production could not have been much better. The character designs may seem a bit repetitive to you, but since that character will only ever appear in one episode, it doesn't much matter. The music for this series is incredible, especially the ending sequences (there is a different one for each episode), which are at worse, great and at the best, simply stunning. The opening itself does a great job of setting the mood and cannot be faulted. The animation for this series is smooth and artful in its approach to any and every frame. The voice acting itself is superb, even with its myriad of different voice actors as each episode demands. All in all, although this anime is slow as molasses and insanely deep, I recommend it to anyone and everyone into anime. At least give this show a try, you (probably) won't regret it.

My Rating: 9.1/10 (Masterpiece)