region2 DVD: pub: Revelation Films. FUN72905. 1 DVD 125 minutes 4 episodes plus extras. Price: £15.99 (UK).

check out website: www.revfilms.com and www.funimation.com/mushishi

This is 'Mushi-Shi' volume five directed by Hiroshi Nagahama and based on the manga created by Yuki Urushibara. Following Ginko, a Mushi-Shi or Mushi master and his study of Mushi and how they interact with humans. He wanders the countryside not only helping people when the Mushi have a negative impact but also the Mushi themselves. He himself often being the only one who can see the Mushi.



'String From The Sky' follows Seijirou, who loves to stargaze, enraptured by the stars in the sky. One day at the riverside he is with Fuki, a nanny who looks after a small child in the village. She notices a string coming down from the sky, grabs hold and Seijirou sees her being carried up into the sky before finally disappears. Ginko, while travelling through the mountains, realises he is accompanied by a young girl. Half between this world and that of the Mushi, he realises he is the only one who can see her and decides to help her and giving some medicine to help. This is only a partial cure. Eventually, he come across her village where she is re-united with Seijirou but carries on fading, getting blown away by the lightest breeze. It is only through Seijirou's belief in Fuki that a true cure can be found.

The next episode, 'A Sea Of Writing', goes some way into filling in Ginko's background but also the history of Mushi-Shi as a whole. A young girl, Tan'yu, is the descendant of the Karibusa family and has Mushi trapped inside her from birth. She uses them to document the exploits and experiences of Mushi-Shi regarding them as her family have done over previous generations. A huge archive of all the sum of knowledge about Mushi is kept by the family in a library. It is like no other library as the writing itself is alive consisting of Mushi. Ginko is an old friend and in exchange for telling his stories about Mushi he is allowed to read texts from the archive. Tan'yu doesn't only document Ginko's tales out of duty there is a deeper reason, too.

'Cotton Changling' follows Aki a young woman who on her wedding day discovers a small green stain on her dress. It is not 'till a year later when she gives birth to green ooze that the young couple thinks anything is wrong or out of the ordinary and it disappears under the house. Six months later, a green boy appears and the couple, especially Aki, takes the child in as their own. Six months later, another green child arrives. Eventually, the eldest child turns sick and the family seeks Ginko's help who realises Watahaki, it's a rare type of Mushi. The only answer is to kill the human-looking child. The problem becomes worse and Ginko has to convince the young couple to make a difficult choice.

In the final episode on the disc, 'Shrine In The Sea,' Ginko travels to an island where people are reputed to be 'reborn'. On arriving, people are reticent to talk about this 'rebirth' of those who are about to die. It's not until he talks to a lady on the island who mentions about lights just out to sea on one particular night. She explains about rebirth and how those who are about to die are taken out to these lights in the sea. A month later, small orange balls float to the surface and if a woman swallows one she becomes pregnant.

I know I've raved on about Mushi-Shi in the past, but I have to say this is the best volume so far. All the episodes are superb. It also highlights to me how different the episodes can feel. The first two on this disc are incredibly heart-warming but still with a ting of bitter sweet. Episode 21 on the other hand is quite disturbing and unsettling. It feels in its own way like a cleverly written episode of 'The Twilight Zone' or 'X-Files'. These episodes also show how people can be more disturbing than any Mushi.

I think this is some of the best anime I've seen, although I have to say it may not be to everyone's taste. This is not about Ginko trying to eradicate or destroy Mushi. More about balance. Restoring the natural path of both Mushi and people. This is a quiet series, but it does have a dark element to it. Often, there is a hard uncomfortable outcome. On the flip side, there is a real warmth and love of nature demonstrated within this series. The backdrops are beautiful as is the music which also, too, can be challenging as well. The actual scenarios and Mushi themselves are as fascinating as the solutions or even lack of resolution in each episode. This series works on numerous levels and never fails to surprise. It's just so beautiful to watch and enjoy.

Phil Jones