Here, “mushi” refers to entities that are closer to the primordial forms of life, different from animals, plants, microbes, and fungi.
These are collectively referred to as “mushi”. Their shapes and existences are ambiguous, and when humans and mushi overlap, mysterious phenomena beyond human wisdom are born, and humans become aware of their existence for the first time.
Life does not exist to threaten others. It simply exists as it is. The protagonist Ginko, a “Mushishi” who connects these “mushi” and humans, encounters various people and the mushi involved with them during his journey.
Each episode features different characters in a self-contained narrative scroll.
Character
漆原友紀『蟲師』ART LAND
漆原友紀『蟲師』ART LAND
Ginko The protagonist of this work. He lost his mother in a landslide and was picked up by the mushishi, Nui, when he was collapsed. He always has “mushi tobacco” in his mouth to disperse the mushi that he naturally attracts. He believes in coexisting with mushi, and among many mushishi who kill mushi, he is a rare mushishi who does not prefer killing. He is calm and composed, not the type to be easily approachable, but he has a good demeanor.
Kariusa Tanyuu The daughter of the Kariusa family. The Kariusa family has an ancestor who sealed a very powerful mushi within their body long ago, and for this reason, a mushi resides in the bodies of their descendants every few generations. Those who harbor a mushi suffer physical disabilities and become “scribes” to continue sealing the mushi. They bear the role of listening to experiences of defeating mushi and transcribing them onto paper.
The charm of this work
Do Mushishi have to travel? Not necessarily. There seem to be many Mushishi who continue to live in a certain place.
In the case of Ginko, he has to travel due to his constitution, but as a result, he encounters many mushi-related phenomena along the way.
He has discovered characteristics of mushi that could not be elucidated in the past, and has saved the lives of villagers. However, there are times when he could not save someone, or someone became strange again after Ginko left. It’s not always a happy ending.
The anime is basically a one-episode complete story. There are multiple characters, but the people Ginko meets are usually a once-in-a-lifetime relationship.
Please immerse yourself in the worldview where you can glimpse the lives of various people in various places while feeling the four seasons at a leisurely pace.
