Mushishi Volume 4

LABEL: Revelation Films
RUNNING TIME: 140 mins approx.
RATING: PG
VIDEO FORMAT: 16:9 Anamorphic
AUDIO FORMAT: English 2.0, Japanese 2.0
SUBTITLES: English
DVD REGION: 2
AVAILABLE: 19th May 2008


Synopsis
The Mushi are a unique form of life which exists somewhere between the human and supernatural worlds. Inherently neither good nor evil, like all of nature they nonetheless hold the power both help or hinder mankind, although only a rare few can see them. One of these few is Ginko, a Mushi Master with an unfortunate ability to attract the creatures if her remains in one place for too long. Ginko spends his time travelling the Earth, learning about the Mushi and teaching others in turn. These are four stories from his travels.

Review
It's impossible not to like MUSHISHI. From it's fantastically mellow credits sequence, courtesy of Scottish singer/songwriter Ally kerr, to its unerringly relaxed pace and refreshing anthology style, it's one of the most unique titles on the market. Better still, despite the variety of stories on offer in each volume it also remains one of the most family-friendly anime series available in the west, with its adult tone making it a far better choice for your children's afternoon viewing than cookie-cutter dross like POKEMON or YU-GI-OH. On offer here are four brand new stories from the idiosyncratic and seemingly-unending travels of the mono-monikered Mushi Master Ginko, with subjects ranging from a woman slowly losing her memory to magic paintings and a girl lost in the conduits between worlds. It's hard to describe to someone who's never seen the series just how enthralling these tales are, but needless to say each is sterlingly-acted, well-written and utterly compelling.

The artistry of MUSHISHI lies in its anthology structure. With the only regular cast member being Ginko himself, and with a distinctly non-linear storytelling structure firmly in place, episodes can be set anywhere, and at any point in Ginko's travels. The Mushi themselves add that final spark of freedom, with their supernatural tendancies and they variety of forms that they take opening up the books for any kind of plotting required. Want to do a melancholy piece about Alzheimers? Have a memory-munching Mushi take up residence in someone's head. Want an interesting way of communicating across distance in feudal Japan? Create a species of Mushi that makes portals between worlds. The variety of possibilities that the premise opens up is limitless, and the writers behind the anime certainly don't squander it. When you couple this to the simply gorgeous scenery produced for each episode, and you have an experience so beautiful that it's enough to make you shed a tear.

It's been a long time since an anime show make me eager with anticipation each time the release of a new volume drew near -- the last I can remember was probably FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, itself a couple of years old, and before that? Probably NEON GENESIS EVANGELION – but MUSHISHI has me scanning the release schedules with fervour once again. It's beautiful, it's strange, it's weird and it's compulsive viewing. Get into it, and spread the word.


Picture
MUSHISHI is absolutely stunning, no two ways about it. The muted pastel colours used for each scene translate perfectly to the digital medium, with not one noticeable example of artefacting, ghosting or pixelisation. Some of the most vibrant and beautiful anime you will ever see.

Audio
Both English and Japanese are presented in crystal-clear stereo, and neither suffer for it. The English dub is also spot-on, with not one hammy performance or squeaky voice spoiling the flow. Brilliant stuff.

Special Features
Two director interviews, textless opening/closing and trailers.



Matt Dillon


Mushishi Volume 4: is available on May 19th from Amazon, Play.com and all good retailers.