Mushishi
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara
, published in Kodansha
's Afternoon
magazine from 1999 to August 2008.
The manga was adapted into an anime
television series in 2005. The Artland
production was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. A live-action feature film
adaptation, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
, premiered on March 24, 2007.
The Mushishi manga won an Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival
and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award
.
powers. Mushi are described as beings in touch with the essence of life, far more basic and pure than normal living things. Due to their ethereal nature most humans are incapable of perceiving Mushi and are oblivious to their existence, but there are a few who possess the ability to see and interact with Mushi.
One such person is , the main character of the series. He employs himself as a , traveling from place to place to research Mushi and aid people suffering from problems caused by them. The series is an episodic anthology in which the only common elements among episodes are Ginko and the various types of Mushi. There is no over-arching plotline.
Due to the episodic nature of the series, there are very few recurring characters, and the list of voice actors is fairly lengthy. Ginko is voiced by Yuto Nakano
and Travis Willingham
in the English dub.
Ginko's unusual white hair and green eye color is the result of an incident that occurred when he was a child. The explanation is because of a rare mushi that lives in mutual harmony with another rare mushi that thrives in shadows. The particular mushi afflicting Ginko emitted a bright, glimmering silver light on the surface of the pond it lives in, that when stared at for too long will consume the individual. The person who is thrown into the darkness of where this mushi thrives must then sacrifice one of their eyes and become a mushi attractor for the rest of their lives till they either die or are eaten by the mushi. His white hair and eye color are similar afflictions to that of the fish residing in the pond. Little is known of the story as to why his rather modern clothes do not seem to match the time period reflected by all other characters, although the author has explained it is a character design artifact from the originally planned setting in modern times. In the manga, the author also mentions that Mushishi is set in an imaginary time between the Edo
and Meiji period
s, with technology of the 19th century but with Japan as still a country closed to foreign exchange. Ginko is a rare person who attracts mushi. This inspires his peripatetic lifestyle. Staying in one place too long will gather a potentially dangerous amount of mushi. He also smokes constantly in order to keep mushi away. In terms of personality, Ginko is rather laid back. However, he can be very serious when it comes to protecting people from mushi. He also often stresses that the mushi are not evil, but merely trying to survive like everyone else.
The only two other characters who have repeat appearances are Adashino, who appears in episodes 5, 10, and briefly in 18, and Nui, who appears only in episode 12, but whose voice can be heard narrating some of the opening and closing lines characteristic of each episode. Veteran voice actors Yūji Ueda
and Mika Doi
voice those characters, respectively.
and directed by Hiroshi Nagahama, spanned a total of 26 episodes. The first 20 episodes of the series first aired between October 2005 and March 2006 on Fuji TV and its affiliated broadcast networks, including Kansai TV, Tōkai TV
, Hokkaidō Bunka Hoso, TV Shinhiroshima
, TV Nishinippon. Episodes 21 through 26 aired on BS Fuji every Sunday from May 14, 2006 to June 18 of the same year.
The television series covered every chapter from the first five volumes of the manga and the first story from volume six, but did not adhere to the original order.
At the 5th Tokyo Anime Award
competition held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair
, held on March 25, 2006, the anime series won grand prizes in the categories of television series and best art direction (for Takashi Waki).
The series has later been aired by the Japanese anime television network, Animax
, who have also aired the series later across its respective networks worldwide, including Hong Kong
, Taiwan
, South Korea
and Latin America
. It has also been licensed for distribution across numerous other regions, including North America
by Funimation Entertainment
.
Ending themes
All tracks were composed by Toshio Masuda.
A live-action Mushishi feature film
, released in 2006, was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
. The world premiere was held at the 2006 Venice Film Festival
and it opened as a roadshow theatrical release
in Japanese theatres on 24 March 2007.
The plot of the film corresponds to chapters 2, 7, 9, and 15 of the manga. The cast includes Joe Odagiri
as Ginko, Makiko Esumi
as Nui and Yū Aoi
as Tanyū.
in Japan
.
, while in 2006, the series won the Kodansha Manga Award
for general manga. At the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival, both the anime and manga series were placed among the top 10 in their respective categories for best manga and anime. The anime series won grand prizes in the categories of television series and best art direction (for Takashi Waki) at the 5th Tokyo Anime Award
competition held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair
in 2006. In Jason Thompson
's online appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide
, he describes the series as "atmospheric, original and fascinating".
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara
Yuki Urushibara
is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for the series Mushishi, for which she received an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga...
, published in Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
's Afternoon
Afternoon (magazine)
is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Kodansha. It is a monthly anthology, and each issue typically has around thirty ongoing stories by various authors and runs about 800 pages...
magazine from 1999 to August 2008.
The manga was adapted into an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series in 2005. The Artland
Artland (anime studio)
is a Japanese animation studio. It has produced numerous noted anime series, including the award-winning Mushishi and epic Legend of the Galactic Heroes...
production was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. A live-action feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
adaptation, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
Katsuhiro Otomo
is a Japanese comic book creator, screenwriter and film director. He is best known as the creator of the manga Akira and its animated film adaptation. Otomo has also directed several live-action films, such as the 2006 feature film adaptation of the manga Mushishi.-Biography:Katsuhiro Otomo was...
, premiered on March 24, 2007.
The Mushishi manga won an Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
.
Overview
The story features ubiquitous creatures called Mushi that often display supernaturalSupernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
powers. Mushi are described as beings in touch with the essence of life, far more basic and pure than normal living things. Due to their ethereal nature most humans are incapable of perceiving Mushi and are oblivious to their existence, but there are a few who possess the ability to see and interact with Mushi.
One such person is , the main character of the series. He employs himself as a , traveling from place to place to research Mushi and aid people suffering from problems caused by them. The series is an episodic anthology in which the only common elements among episodes are Ginko and the various types of Mushi. There is no over-arching plotline.
Characters
Yuto Nakano
is a Japanese voice actor, from Chiba, Japan. He is part of Riki Project, a Japanese talent office run by Riki Takeuchi. He debuted in Ojarumaru, a Japanese manga series adapted for television, in 2004....
and Travis Willingham
Travis Willingham
Travis Hampton Willingham is an American actor and voice actor who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games....
in the English dub.
Ginko's unusual white hair and green eye color is the result of an incident that occurred when he was a child. The explanation is because of a rare mushi that lives in mutual harmony with another rare mushi that thrives in shadows. The particular mushi afflicting Ginko emitted a bright, glimmering silver light on the surface of the pond it lives in, that when stared at for too long will consume the individual. The person who is thrown into the darkness of where this mushi thrives must then sacrifice one of their eyes and become a mushi attractor for the rest of their lives till they either die or are eaten by the mushi. His white hair and eye color are similar afflictions to that of the fish residing in the pond. Little is known of the story as to why his rather modern clothes do not seem to match the time period reflected by all other characters, although the author has explained it is a character design artifact from the originally planned setting in modern times. In the manga, the author also mentions that Mushishi is set in an imaginary time between the Edo
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
s, with technology of the 19th century but with Japan as still a country closed to foreign exchange. Ginko is a rare person who attracts mushi. This inspires his peripatetic lifestyle. Staying in one place too long will gather a potentially dangerous amount of mushi. He also smokes constantly in order to keep mushi away. In terms of personality, Ginko is rather laid back. However, he can be very serious when it comes to protecting people from mushi. He also often stresses that the mushi are not evil, but merely trying to survive like everyone else.
The only two other characters who have repeat appearances are Adashino, who appears in episodes 5, 10, and briefly in 18, and Nui, who appears only in episode 12, but whose voice can be heard narrating some of the opening and closing lines characteristic of each episode. Veteran voice actors Yūji Ueda
Yuji Ueda
is a popular Japanese seiyū.He is most known for the roles of Sagara Sanosuke , Akito Tenkawa , Takeshi , Horohoro , Johannes Krauser II and Keitaro Urashima ....
and Mika Doi
Mika Doi
, née is a veteran voice actress who was born in Sendai.-Anime:* Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple * Air Master * Aura Battler Dunbine * Canvas 2 ~Niji Iro no Sketch~...
voice those characters, respectively.
TV series
The anime series, animated by ArtlandArtland (anime studio)
is a Japanese animation studio. It has produced numerous noted anime series, including the award-winning Mushishi and epic Legend of the Galactic Heroes...
and directed by Hiroshi Nagahama, spanned a total of 26 episodes. The first 20 episodes of the series first aired between October 2005 and March 2006 on Fuji TV and its affiliated broadcast networks, including Kansai TV, Tōkai TV
Tokai Television Broadcasting
Tokai Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. is a TV station affiliated with Fuji News Network and Fuji Network System , serving in Aichi Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, and Mie Prefecture, Japan.-Offices:*the Headquarters - 14-27, Higashi-Sakura Itchome, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture,...
, Hokkaidō Bunka Hoso, TV Shinhiroshima
TV Shinhiroshima
Shinhiroshima Telecasting Co., Ltd. is a TV station in Hiroshima. It is a network TV station of Fuji News Network and Fuji Network System...
, TV Nishinippon. Episodes 21 through 26 aired on BS Fuji every Sunday from May 14, 2006 to June 18 of the same year.
The television series covered every chapter from the first five volumes of the manga and the first story from volume six, but did not adhere to the original order.
At the 5th Tokyo Anime Award
Tokyo Anime Award
The Tokyo Anime Award started from 2002, but was named in 2005. The first, second and third awards were only named simply 'Competition'. The award ceremony is held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair....
competition held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair
Tokyo International Anime Fair
The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as Tokyo International Animation Fair is one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event is held at Tokyo Big Sight, a convention and...
, held on March 25, 2006, the anime series won grand prizes in the categories of television series and best art direction (for Takashi Waki).
The series has later been aired by the Japanese anime television network, Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
, who have also aired the series later across its respective networks worldwide, including Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. It has also been licensed for distribution across numerous other regions, including North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
.
Staff
- Planning: Yoshirō KataokaYoshiro Kataoka, also known by the nickname Hagera, is an anime producer and production designer. He has worked for the Tōkyū Agency, Asatsu DK, and NAS, and he currently works as a full time advisor at Marvelous Entertainment...
, Yoshiaki Matsumoto, Yoshito Takaya - Executive Producers: Haruki Nakayama, Kenji Shimizu, Atsushi Suzuki
- Director and Series Composition: Hiroshi Nagahama
- Screenplay: Aki Itami, Kiniko Kuwabata, Yuka Yamada
- Character Design and Chief Animation Director: Yasuhiko Umakoshi
- Art Director: Takeshi Waki
- Director of Photography: Yuki Hama
- Music: Toshio Masuda
- Music Producer: Yukifumi Makino
- Sound Director: Kazuya Tanaka
- Sound Production: Delphi Sound
- OP and ED Director: Ichigō Sugawara
- Production Manager: Noboru IshiguroNoboru Ishigurois a Japanese animator who is noteworthy for directing the anime series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, The Super Dimension Century Orguss, Yōkai Ningen Bem, Megazone 23, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Noozles, and the 2008 completed series Tytania.He was in a hawaiian style music band in his...
(Artland) - Executive Producer: Hidenobu Watanabe
- Production Cooperation: ADKAsatsu-DK, often abbreviated simply as ADK or sometime calls , is a Japanese advertising agency. Headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, the firm is Japan's third largest advertising agency, after Dentsu and Hakuhodo. The agency has 38 offices in over 15 countries. One of the offices, Asatsu-DK Europe, was...
- Producers: Yoshiaki Tamura, Hiroyuki Ōizumi, Shin Hieda
- Animation Production: Art LandArtland (anime studio)is a Japanese animation studio. It has produced numerous noted anime series, including the award-winning Mushishi and epic Legend of the Galactic Heroes...
- Production: Mushishi Production Committee (Marvelous Entertainment, Avex Entertainment, SKY Perfect Wellthink)
Main cast
- Ginko:
- Adashino:
- Nui:
Guest cast
|
|
Music
- "The Sore Feet Song" by Ally KerrAlly KerrAlly Kerr is a critically acclaimed Scottish singer songwriter from Glasgow.His first release - Midst Of The Storm - was a 7 inch vinyl single on the Spanish label Elefant Records in November 2002 and contained the first three songs he'd ever recorded...
Ending themes
All tracks were composed by Toshio Masuda.
| Episode | Title | Album | Track Number |
| 1 | Midori no Za (On Air Ver.) | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 24 |
| 2 | Mabuta no Hikari | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Yawarakai Tsuno | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Makura Kouji | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Tabi o Suru Numa | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 10 |
| 6 | Tsuyu o Suu Mure | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 12 |
| 7 | Ame ga Kuru Niji ga Tatsu | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 9 |
| 8 | Unasaka Yori | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 7 |
| 9 | Omoi Mi | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 14 |
| 10 | Suzuri ni Sumu Shiro | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 16 |
| 11 | Yama Nemuru | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 18 |
| 12 | Sugame no Sakana (On Air Ver.) | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 23 |
| 13 | Hito Yo Bashi | Mushishi Soundtrack 1 | 13 |
| 14 | Kago no Naka | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 12 |
| 15 | Haru to Usobuku | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 7 |
| 16 | Akatsuki no Hebi | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 4 |
| 17 | Uro Mayu Tori | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 8 |
| 18 | Yama Daku Koromo | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 13 |
| 19 | Teppen no Ito | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 2 |
| 20 | Fude no Umi | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 3 |
| 21 | Wata Houshi | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 18 |
| 22 | Oki tsu Miya | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 6 |
| 23 | Sabi no Naku Koe | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 14 |
| 24 | Kagari no Kou | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 20 |
| 25 | Ganpuku Ganka | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 17 |
| 26 | Kusa o Fumu Oto | Mushishi Soundtrack 2 | 21 |
Feature film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, released in 2006, was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
Katsuhiro Otomo
is a Japanese comic book creator, screenwriter and film director. He is best known as the creator of the manga Akira and its animated film adaptation. Otomo has also directed several live-action films, such as the 2006 feature film adaptation of the manga Mushishi.-Biography:Katsuhiro Otomo was...
. The world premiere was held at the 2006 Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and it opened as a roadshow theatrical release
Roadshow theatrical release
A roadshow theatrical release was a term in the American motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before the...
in Japanese theatres on 24 March 2007.
The plot of the film corresponds to chapters 2, 7, 9, and 15 of the manga. The cast includes Joe Odagiri
Joe Odagiri
, born is a Japanese actor.-Career:Commonly known just as Odajō, and also known for his unusual hairstyle and eclectic style of dressing, he is the epitome of Cool Japan...
as Ginko, Makiko Esumi
Makiko Esumi
, née Makiko Hirano is a Japanese model, actress, writer, essayist, and lyricist...
as Nui and Yū Aoi
Yû Aoi
is a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film All About Lily Chou-Chou...
as Tanyū.
Video game
A video game adaptation of the series was released on January 31, 2008 for the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Reception
The series has won numerous awards; in 2003, the manga was awarded an Excellence Prize for manga at the 7th Japan Media Arts FestivalJapan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
, while in 2006, the series won the Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for general manga. At the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival, both the anime and manga series were placed among the top 10 in their respective categories for best manga and anime. The anime series won grand prizes in the categories of television series and best art direction (for Takashi Waki) at the 5th Tokyo Anime Award
Tokyo Anime Award
The Tokyo Anime Award started from 2002, but was named in 2005. The first, second and third awards were only named simply 'Competition'. The award ceremony is held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair....
competition held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair
Tokyo International Anime Fair
The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as Tokyo International Animation Fair is one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event is held at Tokyo Big Sight, a convention and...
in 2006. In Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
's online appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...
, he describes the series as "atmospheric, original and fascinating".