▪	RELEASED BY:		DEL REY
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		YUKI URSHIBARA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		226
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		07/31/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		07/24/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

Just to fill anybody in who either hasn’t read the first volume of this wonderful series, or who needs a refresher, here’s a snippet from the back of volume two of Mushishi: “Mushi, a terrifying primitive life form, takes countless shapes – most of them deadly to the human race. Enter Ginko, a mushi expert, known as a mushishi. Though his laconic smile and soft-spoken manner don’t seem imposing, he represents the human world’s greatest defense. When a fellow mushishi disappears, Ginko must search for him on a mushi-infested mountain, putting his own life on the line!”

Mushishi is all of that, but it’s also so much more than anyone could write on the back cover of a book. The first word that comes to mind when trying to describe this series is “spiritual.” It’s difficult to put into words as to why, as the most spiritual things in life are experienced, not just talked about. But Mushishi is just that: an experience to read. It’s hard not to get involved as you’re reading, nothing “unimportant” happens as a filler or a little side joke. Everything has meaning, even if it’s not always hugely exciting, or staring you right in the face. Mushishi certainly takes a certain level of patience and maturity to enjoy, but that’s all a part of what makes it so special. I can be difficult to capture true human emotion, interaction, and feeling within a piece of entertainment like a manga, but Mushishi gives us little glances into sides of those things that we may rarely see. The art is beautiful in its own way, but the heart of this series is in the stories – and each volume has many, many stories, all very different, but connected. It’s great to read a manga or graphic novel that truly has a sense of storytelling – good storytelling can take a piece of entertainment, and make it a piece of art.

As much as the segments and stories within the series are related to Ginko as a Mushishi, the people he meets are just as, if not more interesting, than he himself. One of the best segments in this particular volume involved a young girl who was born with one leg covered entirely by a ink coloured birthmark that makes the leg lame and unable to move. The birthmark has been passed down to many children born within her family, and she is no exception. It’s said that a mushi was sealed within one of her ancestors, and ever since that the children born with the mark are gifted in writing stories of the Mushishi and mushi alike. Ginko shares with her his stories, and she writes them down on scrolls to add to the hundreds kept in her family’s library. The writing of such stories is physically painful for her, as each story helps to dissipate the birthmark and remove the mushi sealed inside. She hopes to one day be able to walk normally and be free of the mushi, but has also developed a relationship with all mushi herself. Ginko discovers that the words written on the scrolls are infact mushi, and not just ink. As the sealed mushi leaves her body, they become words on paper, creating a historical reference of all interactions between mushi and humankind. You really have to read it yourself; it’s such an interesting series, especially because of segments like this. The whole thing is very heartfelt and subtly meaningful. As a manga, it really stands out because it does something so very different from many books that are being released at the same time. It’s very much worth a look, if only to see whether it’s your kind of read or not.

IN SUMMARY:
Mushishi is so special; it is difficult to put its many positive offerings into words. It’s a series that has to be experienced, as it is an experience in itself.