Mushishi: Hihamukage
Mushi-shi: The Shadow that Devours the Sun
蟲師 特別篇「日蝕む翳」
The entire countryside comes to a halt midday to witness a rare solar eclipse that is rumored to allow the average person to see Mushi. Unable to avert their gaze, the air is full of awe and wonder—but those who know the Mushi are preparing for the eclipse's aftermath. Based on a prediction from Tanyuu Karibusa, the cursed recorder, Mushishi Ginko finds himself in a very unlucky farming village. Immediately following the solar eclipse, a strange black cloud begins to gather in the sky and blocks the sun once more. Suspecting it to be the work of a Mushi known as Hihami, Ginko seeks to liberate the village from perpetual darkness. However, it seems that not all of the villagers are eager to return to the light. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Synopsis
The entire countryside comes to a halt midday to witness a rare solar eclipse that is rumored to allow the average person to see Mushi. Unable to avert their gaze, the air is full of awe and wonder—but those who know the Mushi are preparing for the eclipse's aftermath. Based on a prediction from Tanyuu Karibusa, the cursed recorder, Mushishi Ginko finds himself in a very unlucky farming village. Immediately following the solar eclipse, a strange black cloud begins to gather in the sky and blocks the sun once more. Suspecting it to be the work of a Mushi known as Hihami, Ginko seeks to liberate the village from perpetual darkness. However, it seems that not all of the villagers are eager to return to the light. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Reviews(15)
Veronin
April 15, 2014
Nearly a decade later, the anime industry has seen a sequel to the beloved Mushishi adaptation. It's rare enough for any anime to receive a sequel, but after eight long years? Did anyone expect there to ever be more Ginko on-screen? I certainly did not. But it seems Ginko's absence has not made him any more weary than before. Mushishi: Hihamukage, the first instalment in a larger second season, details Ginko's experience in a village approaching disaster. The sun in the surrounding area has been been blocked by a Mushi, creating eternal darkness and a scarcity of food. With the winter around the corner, totalannihilation seems inevitable. Making matters worse, one of the village's children has run away from home. As her disease makes any source of sunlight hazardous to her skin, she is kept inside by her father for protection. Always. She is not allowed to leave the house-- not even to interact with other villagers. She resents her father for keeping her locked in a personal hell, and she resents her sister, too, for living the life she could not have. When the sun is mysteriously blocked, she takes the opportunity to finally see the outside world. She does not care if her family is worried. She simply wants to live. Hihamukage is immediately recognisable for its tense and melancholic atmosphere. It is not the story itself that stands out (although it's just fine), but the mood. Mushishi has always been a series about mood. It is less about making you ponder and more about making you feel. It achieves this through subtlety rather than through ghosts and monsters and long walks through abandoned hospitals. Ginko and those he meets behave rationally. They are flawed people, certainly, but their motives are always justified. It does not need axe-wielding murderers and sharp, piercing sounds to unsettle you. Mushishi holds itself to a higher standard than that. If there is anything to take issue with, it might be the stubbornness of the run-away girl. She is not a likeable character in the least. She treats her father like garbage without ever trying to understand his motives (what else could he do in this situation?) and throws insults upon her sister merely out of childish jealousy. But isn't that how it should be? She's a young, broken child who is afraid of the world around her. She doesn't know how to behave like a normal girl because she was never raised as one. She can't pretend to be happy when she is clearly hurting inside. The characters in Mushishi are designed as humans rather than as plot-devices. If there is any character to be given more than a moment of screen-time, they will become fully developed, three-dimensional characters by the end of the episode. Mushishi does not add anything without meaning. It is focused in its simplicity. What about Ginko, then? He is as he's always been. He tells people directly when they are being foolish and states the facts without regard for the listener's emotions. He is kind-hearted but not motivated solely out of a kind-heartedness. Dealing with Mushi is Ginko's job-- not an altruistic desire to better the lives of everyone he meets. There is a lot of maturity to Ginko's character, especially when the majority of anime protagonists fall into the dichotomy of either 'selfless saint' or 'anti-hero'. Hihamukage is visually appealing. It may not have the budget of a big film, but it never really needed such a thing in the first place. The background artwork is beautiful even in the apocalyptic darkness and the eclipse looks absolutely terrifying. The only major problem with the visuals is that there many scenes with the characters' faces drawn blank. It seems very out-of-place for an anime that pays so much attention to detail. There is also a lack of animation, with regular panning shots and still-frames, but perhaps that is simply a way to intensify the mood. Mushishi is known for its stellar soundtrack, and Hihamukage does not disappoint in that regard. There's a very mystical, perhaps even dream-like quality to the music. It is also only used during the important scenes (with ambient sound or silence occupying the rest), which serves well to make each track effective and meaningful. Many times an anime will have either no noticeable music or too much of it, with loud, turgid orchestral pieces stealing the audience's attention (Shingeki no Kyojin, I'm looking at you). Mushishi strikes a nice balance. It is confident with itself but never pompous. Any fan of Mushishi will find plenty to enjoy with Hihamukage. But how does it compare to the main series? Is it better? Is it worse? ... Does it even really matter? There's enough satisfaction in simply seeing Ginko's adventures once again. A protagonist so well-written could make even the mediocre seem brilliant. If Hihamukage is any indication, Ginko's return looks to be a strong one.
