I really need to catch up on this series as Mushishi is an anime that doesn’t disappoint one bit.  This episode ended up being very different than what we are normally used to–  not a single human aside from Ginko showed up in this at all!  Ginko either helps or teaches others about the livelihood of Mushi but here is where he is trapped inside a mountain under the influence of a confused mountain lord and Oroshibue, the mushi that is featured in this episode.

After I watched this I immediately read the manga chapter and noticed how well Nagahama was able to transition Urushibara’s story so effectively here.  Even Mushishi as a whole in manga form is perfect for an anime adaptation, we saw that with the first season and now with Zoku Shou.

I especially loved when Ginko had back-tracked by accident and didn’t realize what was going on until he came across the turtle-like mountain lord.  A series that excels at build-up by slowly adding layers of creative ideas and themes within its characters–  the kouki being the object of the mountain lord’s desires and the Oroshibue migrating to another place depicts a fantastic contrast to what we are used to with the human connection themes seen in previous episodes.

In other words, this episode was an honest and discreet representation of mushi trying to live among humans and various creatures, the relationships that are gradually emerging between them all in order to do just one thing: survive.

The impact here?  Well, the mountain lord threw Ginko into the pond which allowed for him to better understand the situation that this mountain he was swallowed up in was in a dying state.  The fact that the lord kept the animals hibernating in the pond and the Oroshibue stealing Ginko’s Kouki out of his container illustrates the level of curiosity this series has for its various mushi.

Another aspect I noticed out of this was how little music was used throughout–  this played off quite effectively to Ginko’s monologue in order to ascertain his predicament of being lured in by the lord to steal his kouki.  This remains a first in the series that focuses itself solely on the attention of Ginko’s knowledge of mushi and one that provided a very beautiful view of the naturalistic side of things.

Next up is the popular 2-part special The Thicket Path, can’t wait to see what Artland is able to create with this!

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 10/10

—