▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISHG AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		100
		▪	RATING:		TV 14
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		01/15/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		01/28/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

From the DVD cover: “Neither good nor evil. They are the 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.”

Mushi-shi continues to be a really meaningful and artful representation of the spirituality contained in nature and the living world that surrounds us. It’s almost impossible to actually explain plot and happenings within this series without doing so in a very open ended way. The disc opens with a story about a woman and her unique ability to see Mushi in the sky that look a lot like comets. But with empty heads and floating souls surrounding her and the man that loves her, love fades fast. The villagers have always thought the woman to be strange, and don’t accept her because of the odd things she sees and talks about. One night, the sky Mushi lets down a line, fishing for food, and takes the woman into the sky. When the desire to be human is less than the pull of the other side, the wedding will have a groom, but no bride. Only the man’s devotion and love for her in her absence can make her feel accepted enough to return to the human world. Ginko helps these people understand things about themselves and about the Mushi that they would never know otherwise, and asks for little or nothing in return. With that sorted out, Ginko continues on his journey, again meeting with Mushi related conflict. A woman bearing the mark of generations, cursed to drown in a sea of written characters sits before him. The forbidden sealed away within her body – inside her blackened limb – is only let loose from her when she writes down stories told to her by Ginko. Where tales of death abound, compassion will flourish. She likes Ginko’s stories the best because he doesn’t always deal with Mushi by killing them – unlike so many other’s that she talks with. Next, a monster that can mimic the human form causes upset and trouble for a family in a small village. The shapeless taking on the form of infancy brings a mother to the edge of reason. That which is beyond our understanding can quickly learn to understand us. Therein lies the danger. It’s a very interesting episode that raises some moral questions that can easily be related to many real life situations. Lastly, we’re made to bear witness to life’s inevitable end – a soul reduced to no more than a passing moment. But it isn’t the end - loved ones are forever reborn. When the mother becomes daughter and daughter becomes mother, what will become of the wisdom of life eternal? The question of what good can come from ever lasting life is raised and we all have to ponder the answer.

The animation is still top-notch – still wonderful. It has this amazing way of breathing full and vibrant life into everything it wants us to believe is actually alive and growing. What’s given even more life in this particular volume is that of the people and families. Nature is a main focus in Mushi-Shi, but nature would have nothing to affect if it weren’t for the frailty of human beings and their need for one and other. The character interactions in this series are very important and often very spiritual, but this volume showcased such story elements better than ever before.

Again, we’re treated to a nice booklet with a lot of art and information made available within it. This particular book focuses mostly on character design artwork, all of which is really good, showing different angles and expressions. It’s nice to be able to watch the show and than get a bit of further insight from the booklet afterwards. It also makes these DVDs more like collector’s items, rather than just like any other DVD without such attractive extras. The DVD also comes with a nice little postcard that could just as easily be used as a display item. It should be noted that all the paper and all the card used in the manufacture of this product is beautiful. It looks like each book and DVD slipcover was made by hand or something – it’s always so obvious that the people responsible for making Mushi-Shi what it is here in North America really care about how this product is represented. It’s a real treat for fans and collectors.

EXTRAS:
The disc extras include Director Interview #8 – (colouring), Trailers, Textless Songs, 8 page Insert Booklet, and Mushi-Shi Art Card.

IN SUMMARY:
Mushi-Shi presents a beautiful, though often harsh world that should captivate the mature viewer. A lot of heart and spirit have gone into this show as a product, and the end result is something so special and unique. 
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