Mushishi is a unique and beautiful anime that deserves to be considered a masterpiece. This seinen series leaves a sense of calm and bitterness at the end of each episode.
This anime is not about finding a solution to a problem, but simply observing supernatural beings called Mushi who coexist with humans. It has a combination of mysticism with traditional Japanese folklore in the background.
Mushishi is a slow, episodic anime, which isn’t a bad thing. It takes patience and willpower to let the anime flow at its pace. You don’t have to force yourself to absorb it all while watching Mushishi. Just relax and let the animations and music immerse you into a dream world full of Mushi.
Although Mushishi is episodic so you can also watch the series randomly, it’s not recommended to skip anything. If you decide to skip it, it can be a little confusing as each episode requires some background information from the previous episode.
If you are planning to watch Mushishi, then watch them in this order.
Table of Contents
1. Mushishi (2005)
- Episodes: 26
- Aired: Fall 2005
Good or evil, they are life in its purest form. Vulgar and whimsical, they have inspired fear in humans since the dawn of time and have for centuries been known as “mushi.”
The stories of the Mushi and those they influence are all linked together by the traveling Mushi-shi, who seeks out rare sightings of the Mushi and uses his shaman-like knowledge of the Mushi to help those affected. What are Mushi and what do they want?
2. Mushishi OVA (2014)
- Episodes: 1
- Aired: Winter 2014
When an eclipse occurs, the sun remains dark in one area. The mushi master Ginko must come and determine how to return the sun to the village before their crops die. His secret seems to be connected to the twin girls who live nearby.
3. Mushishi The Next Passage (2014)
- Episodes: 10
- Aired: Spring 2014
Also known as Mushishi Zoku Shou, the story still follows the adventures of Ginko the Mushi expert.
People once again start to believe in the existence of this Mushi when their lives start to be affected in an inexplicable way.
All lives are not there to hinder others in this world, they are only there to live as they should.
4. Mushishi The Next Passage Specials (2014)
- Episodes: 1
- Aired: Summer 2014
Unaired episodes of Mushishi Zoku Shou are bundled with the anime’s third Blu-ray/DVD volume. Adapting the manga chapter titled “Odoro no Michi” which means thorny path.
5. Mushishi The Next Passage 2 (2014)
- Episodes: 10
- Aired: Fall 2014
The second season of Mushishi Zoku Shou.
Primordial beings known as Mushi continue to cause mysterious changes in human life. The traveling mushishi, Ginko, is constantly trying to remedy the strange and unsettling situations she encounters.
Time loops, vivid shadows, and telepathy are some of the real effects of Mushi’s distraction, but the more subtle symptoms that take years to notice also raise Ginko’s concerns as she moves from village to village.
6. Mushishi: Suzu no Shizuku (2015)
- Episodes: 1 Movie
- Aired: Spring 2015
An anime adaptation of the last arc of the Mushishi manga.
Ginko stumbles upon a young girl on the mountain with branches and leaves growing from her body. The girl then realized that she was the lord of the mountain but found it strange that a human like her was chosen as the ruler.
He then meets his older brother who has been looking for him ever since he disappeared when he accompanied him on a stormy day.
The story is about the girl, Kaya, and how she is torn between continuing her duties as a mushi ruler or returning to her loving human family.
