 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | YUKI URSHIBARA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 256 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 05/20/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/16/2008 | | | ▪ | 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.” Ah yes, the Mushi - they live on the shadowy border between the possible and the impossible–ancient life-forms known for their danger. Rare is the individual who can see them, but those with that special ability, the Mushishi, can counter the creatures’ deadly effects on humans. In volume four, things get a little darker than usual. Nebulous and unseen, existing in a state somewhere between life and death, mushi bring nothing but pain, suffering, and destruction to humans. A small community of wandering healers and naturalists known as mushishi protect humans from the ravages of these malevolent entities. Ginko, with his green eye and white hair, is a mushishi. But when Ginko tries to help a boy who seems to have found spring in the middle of winter, he and the boy both become victims of the life-sucking creatures. Usually we can be sure that Ginko knows exactly what he is doing and that he will be able to finish each job with his own life and well-being intact, but the uncertainties this time around will leave you wondering. It’s a very well-paced, well-written volume with plenty of tense moments that break Mushishi’s usual peace. This is in no way a bad thing – it’s actually a welcome change of pace. Again, Mushishi shows its worth, and shows it well. It was the winner of the Kodansha Manga of the Year Award, and really it’s no wonder. It’s a beautiful series that continues to impress – surely it will be good all the way until the end. It’s hard to say much more about this series because there just isn’t much negative or judging to say about it. Either it’s right up your alley, or it just simply isn’t. It’s highly artistic, both in art and presentation of the story. The writing is great and the characters feel very real and human in their emotions. Mushishi does everything it should to be a hit with those who should find joy and entertainment in the kind of story it wants to tell us. As a manga, it really stands out because it does something so very different from many books that are being released nowadays. It’s very much worth a look, if only to see whether it’s your kind of read or not. The physical product itself is still very nice – the size of the book and what it is printed on is very nice. It’s a sturdy book – the cover is especially nice because instead of being glossy, it’s a nice soft, “more natural” material. The materials used in making this book, and even the look of it all lends well to the messages inside of it. It’s a well thought out product with time and energy put into it for certain. The book even contains some cool extras, including the usual preview of the next volume and translation notes.
IN SUMMARY:
Mushishi is intelligent, and thought-provoking, and very “natural.” As a piece of entertainment, it has a true sense of peace – it’s actually quite relaxing to read for the most part, except for when the stakes are high and the story delivers some intensity. All in all, it’s a well-rounded series for the mature reader, or even just for those who enjoy nature and the spirituality it can contain within itself. |
