Why do you like Mushishi?

[animetum]

Hey guys, why do you like Mushishi, or even dislike it.

I love the stories it tells, and the music/art.

[jendt]

I find there's very little not to like about Mushishi. I absolutely love the show's calm serene atmosphere and its beautiful artwork. The two really compliment each other. I also truly admire a show that can tell mostly stand alone, yet fascinating, stories that never feel like filler. That seems to be a rarity in anime.

[mike.motaku]

I find there's very little not to like about Mushishi. I absolutely love the show's calm serene atmosphere and its beautiful artwork. The two really compliment each other. I also truly admire a show that can tell mostly stand alone, yet fascinating, stories that never feel like filler. That seems to be a rarity in anime.

I agree wholeheartedly. Ditto, even.

And yet some ask "Where are the explosions?" "Where are the robots?" "Where are the lesbian ninjas?"

To them I say, "Fie! Fie on thee!"

[Seahawk]

I like Mushi-Shi because... well, it's just a properly nice show. After all the mayhem I can find in some of my other shows I have on the boil, like Guyver and Paniponi Dash, it's nice to have something so serene and that just takes its own time going through the series.

I also have to say that some of the effects the Mushi have on humans are brilliant. For example, the episode with the girl who has to live in a pitch-black shed (I forget which episode that was) and her liquid-metal-esque filled eyes I thought was actually quite creepy.

Great opening song, too.

[PhilipReuben]

And yet some ask "Where are the explosions?" "Where are the robots?" "Where are the lesbian ninjas?"

I realise this is a thread for people who like Mushishi, so I'm not trying to start an argument about the show's quality. Clearly a lot of people like it, and I respect that. Still, I resent the idea that you'd only dislike it if all you watched were trashy action shows. I just tend to like a series with an endearing cast of characters and a strong ongoing storyline - and Mushishi, with its cast of one and episodic format, clearly has neither.

It's a shame, since aesthetically it's brilliant. It just can't hold my interest from one episode to the next.

[pianocello]

Hmmm...I guess that's the end of your "rate my list" posts and now you're going to start upteen threads of "why do you like anime A" for some secret research of yours? :confused:

[animetum]

uh..NO!

[Njr Scrawl]

I'm not keen on its character designs. Rental only.

[Jumbo]

1. Urushibara Yuki's manga tells a unique story that seems very rare in todays manga world of cute girls (though there are some nice females here and there...) big explosions, giant robots, fan service a male lead not surrounded by females, ....I could go on forever here so I'll stop. Her style and how she has taken an almost folklore/myth approach for her stories is quite engaging.

2. Artland Studios poured their love of the series into each episode of the anime. They didn't try to re-invent the story or take it their own way, they simply paid tribute to the manga's solid direction and brought out the nuances of the series that a medium like manga isn't allowed to produce. The colors, the backgrounds, it's no wonder it won awards at TAF. Top that off with animation that was done with painstaking attention to fluidity (shooting on one's and two's as opposed to three's etc. like most anime) and hand crafting subtle effects that most studio's would simply rely on computers to re-create (snow falling, sakura pedals) shows how much the respected the original work and was a feat itself for taking a chance to animate something that was so outside of the typical anime stereotype even sponsors had a hard time believing that it could make money with all these stereotypes lacking.

3. The music sets the mood very well and is a great accompaniment to the atmosphere of the series.

I guess those are a few of the main attractions for me. Mushishi is a series that didn't try to "break the manga/anime stereotypes" for money or fame but simply because Urushibara had a delightful story to tell and she tells it incredibly well. It is certainly not for everyone but it stands on its own as an enchanting series and gathers praise not because it is trying to be different but because the stories it tells are subtle and enjoyable.

[itsuka]

I love this series. Definitely my biggest sleeper hit of 2007. I normally don't like episodic anime, but this one, I savor it one episode at a time, late at night, to make sure I value every minute of it properly.

The highlights, for me:

1. Great atmosphere, aided by a magnificent sound track. I can't think of Mushi-shi without hearing those wonderful chime sounds. Also, it manages to be very Japanese in atmosphere, but have a universal appeal in characterization and plot at the same time.

2. Mature lead character that is actually a character you slowly get to know, not a short-cut of cliché traits. Characterization all around is excellent, even though most characters only appear for one episode.

3. Intriguing puzzle-like problems, no moohaha villains in sight.

4. Supernatural doesn't descend into horror or comedy, it just is, and the combination of men and mushi can produce any sort of result, not always predictable. There are a lot of series that get this aspect wrong. Mermaid's Forest for instance could have had a vibe like this, but that one always spiralled into the same sort of horror path, making it boring. I never find Mushi-shi boring, because it's not always obvious how the situation is going to play out.