Mushi-Shi: The Shadow That Devours the Sun

Mushishi in anime I've heard seldom about, but everything I have heard has been very high praise. It's constantly praised as peaceful, and I guess it's at least presented that way, but often times what is presented is so disturbing that all the peacefulness falls flat and it just becomes a horror anime. Admittedly though there is something very nice about the fact that it's nearly an anthology. Each episode tells a self contained story in its own setting with new characters every time and minute continuity between it all. It's very folk lorey and I can see why so many find that endearing. Also i just in general feel like the backgrounds are pretty muddy most of the time. I don't expect that much color but I think the quietness would work more if it wasn't so dull.

Anyway, This review is posted under the final episode of the first season(which IMDb counts as a different show), mostly because I didn't think my thoughts on the entire show and this one episode would occupy enough text on their own. This special closes out the series, and is also my favorite episode of the whole thing. I think it uses its extra time to to perfect a lot of the folk lorish ideas that the 22 minute episodes always present. It also just follows the best plot out of the whole show(so far).

This episode is follows the titular mushishi(his name is Ginko) as he helps a town deal with an eclipse that's lasting just a bit too long and a little girl deal with the fact that sunlight kills her. It's a familiar plot to the rest of the anime. Just with a higher scale premise. Both of the stories interconnect really well and are both touching in their own ways. I think it's great.

The animation of the episode is also so much better than usual. That's not to say that the rest of the show has poor animation though. Clearly this special just had a bit of a better budget. It especially hammers in the peaceful settings that where the main selling point of the show. Like I said, I always thought the colors were always either to dull or messy, but this episode completely avoids that problem. That little upgrade went a long way. Every shot looks beautiful. Every frame is so pretty. And it's all made better by the fact that it delivers a plot line equally as beautiful.

It is good old Mushishi episode, but with around 44 minutes duration.

Mushishi is always different than other stories out there. well, if I have to pick a word for Mushishi story.

I think it is "relaxing".

There is almost no tension in the story. We already know that it will have happy ending without Ginko have to kill or conquer something. Well, yeah he has to get rid of some mushi, but mushi itself has no evil thought, it is not something to be afraid of. Ginko just going around helping people as mushishi, and that's all. don't get me wrong, but for me that is a good thing. Compared to other anime that is freaking original. The story is simple, yet beautiful and there is always good message in it.

This episode is about mushi that makes solar eclipse never end, so don't take sun for granted.

My only complain about this TV movie, they don't put that good opening song.