Mushi-shi, Vol. 4 - Region 1 DVD

Neither good nor evil, they are life in its purest form. Vulgar and strange, they have inspired fear in humans since the dawn of time and have, over the ages, come to be known as "mushi." The stories of the Mushi and the people they effect are all linked together by a traveling Mushi-shi or "Mushi Master" who seeks rare Mushi sightings and uses his shaman-like knowledge of Mushi to help the effected people. What are the Mushi and what do they want?

Volume contains collectible postcard


Mushi-Shi or "Mushi-Master" Ginko continues his ramblings through Japan, studying the pervasive and protean life-forms known as Mushi. In episode 15, the filmmakers combine a subdued palette, ethereal percussion, and subdued sound effects to make the viewer sense the winter cold in a remote village. In the frozen landscape, certain Mushi take the form of spring flowers, luring animals and people with a false promise of spring, then feeding on their life-energy. Kai, the gifted young artist in episode 18, paints the mountains around his native village so beautifully, he fools the Mushi from those hills, who take up residence in his artwork. The elegant backgrounds, elegiac stories, understated vocal performances, measured pacing, and delicately eclectic score of Mushi-Shi don't fit any of the conventional anime genres. But it remains a strikingly original and often moving series. (Rated TV 14: grotesque imagery, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon