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Mushishi, ep. 14-18
Very short episode write ups! My overall impression: just as gorgeous and strange as all the others.
Ep. 14: Inside the Cage
Aka, the one with the bamboo.
First: Oh no! It's Ginko returns some time later episode, which almost never end well! I loved how creepy the white bamboo was, particularly when the woman wasn't able to chop it down. And the image of the woman and her daughter pining away over the year was just creepy.
I liked the growing bamboo shoots in the end, even though I am still a little disturbed by it.
Also, this episode has taught me a new Japanese vocab word! Sato = village. I like how you can tell what series are about by what words they teach you.
Ex. Gundam Wing: shinigami (god of death), teki (enemy), heiwa (peace), sensou (war), ninmu kanryou (mission completed), ninmu ryoukai (mission understood/roger that), kanzen heiwa (complete pacifism), After Colony ichi kyuu go nen (After Colony 195)
Utena: bara (rose), hanayome (bride), engeeji (engage), kakumei (revolution), kiseki (miracle), ouji-sama (prince)
Every shounen ever: tsuyosa (strength), mamoritai (want to protect), ganbare (I will try harder!)
Every shoujo ever: suki (love/like), kouhaku (confession of love), shiawase (happiness)
Oh right, episode. Anyway, I liked the theme of sacrifice, of what the man sacrificed for his wife and what the woman sacrificed for her husband. Of not being able to gain one thing without losing another. It fit in very well with the autumnal falling bamboo leaves -- beauty, but also death.
Ep. 15: Pretense of Spring
Aka, the one with the literal sakura of DOOM!
I have to say, if there were a spring-making mushi in my area, I would be there all the time. I hate winter with a passion.
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rachelmanija mentioned that she and telophase surmised that the sister and Ginko had something going. I'm not sure if it was ever consummated, but the sister definitely had a huge thing for Ginko. My take on it was that Ginko could tell she was attracted to him, but he didn't do anything because he knew he had to leave.
Also: literal sakura of DOOM! I started howling with laughter as Ginko looked at the beautiful sakura petals (of DOOM!) floating down, and then said, "I'm getting cold..." *conks out*
Also also, the squirrel falling out of the sakura of DOOM was an excellent touch.
Also also also, I was wondering if the sister had to basically nurse both Ginko and her brother. Does the mushi sleep mean they stop going to the bathroom? Do they need to be turned over in case they develop bed sores? How about muscle massage?
Possibly I am overthinking this, as the mushi has a magical handwave device.
Ep. 16: Dawn Snake
Aka, the one with the other sakura of DOOM.
Even though this episode wasn't played for the creepy, it still freaked me out. Much of this is because I am terrified of losing any part of my mind (or what's left of my mind), particularly memory. Also, the part when the woman walks away and her shadow stays on the wall? CREEPY!
I'm not sure if the ending was happy or not. I feel awful for the kid, but he seems to have made peace with everything, and the woman would probably be unhappy knowing how much she's lost, except she doesn't know.
I thought for a while that the husband also had the memory-eating snake, ergo his getting a new family, but I think now that he was just a skank.
Ep. 17: The Hollow Cocoon Pickers
Aka, the one with the mushi post office.
Oh! This was lovely and magical and creepy and sad all at once. I loved this one. I love the idea of a mushi post office and how it works, I love the creepiness associated with rooms and closed doors and empty spaces, I loved the image of a girl's finger poking out of a cocoon. I loved that we got women telling the story to Ginko instead. We have been getting a lot of young boys. They are all good and well, except I cannot tell any of them apart! They all have short, spiky black hair, grey-ish kimono, and the same voice actor, or so it seems.
I especially loved all the doubles in this one; the cocoon mail service that only works because there are two interwoven strands of silk, the two sisters.
So far, most of the episodes have worked as one-offs, complete in and of themselves, but this is one where I wouldn't mind seeing more of the characters (don't tell me!).
Ep 18: Clothes that Embrace the Mountain
Hee, I loved the image of Ginko sinking into the mountain and then coming back out of it again. Also, he cheats his mushi-loving friend!
Um, I don't have that much to say about this one. I think it suffered a bit because it followed the post office episode. But it was actually a fairly happy story, at least for this series.
Ep. 14: Inside the Cage
Aka, the one with the bamboo.
First: Oh no! It's Ginko returns some time later episode, which almost never end well! I loved how creepy the white bamboo was, particularly when the woman wasn't able to chop it down. And the image of the woman and her daughter pining away over the year was just creepy.
I liked the growing bamboo shoots in the end, even though I am still a little disturbed by it.
Also, this episode has taught me a new Japanese vocab word! Sato = village. I like how you can tell what series are about by what words they teach you.
Ex. Gundam Wing: shinigami (god of death), teki (enemy), heiwa (peace), sensou (war), ninmu kanryou (mission completed), ninmu ryoukai (mission understood/roger that), kanzen heiwa (complete pacifism), After Colony ichi kyuu go nen (After Colony 195)
Utena: bara (rose), hanayome (bride), engeeji (engage), kakumei (revolution), kiseki (miracle), ouji-sama (prince)
Every shounen ever: tsuyosa (strength), mamoritai (want to protect), ganbare (I will try harder!)
Every shoujo ever: suki (love/like), kouhaku (confession of love), shiawase (happiness)
Oh right, episode. Anyway, I liked the theme of sacrifice, of what the man sacrificed for his wife and what the woman sacrificed for her husband. Of not being able to gain one thing without losing another. It fit in very well with the autumnal falling bamboo leaves -- beauty, but also death.
Ep. 15: Pretense of Spring
Aka, the one with the literal sakura of DOOM!
I have to say, if there were a spring-making mushi in my area, I would be there all the time. I hate winter with a passion.
rachelmanija mentioned that she and telophase surmised that the sister and Ginko had something going. I'm not sure if it was ever consummated, but the sister definitely had a huge thing for Ginko. My take on it was that Ginko could tell she was attracted to him, but he didn't do anything because he knew he had to leave. Also: literal sakura of DOOM! I started howling with laughter as Ginko looked at the beautiful sakura petals (of DOOM!) floating down, and then said, "I'm getting cold..." *conks out*
Also also, the squirrel falling out of the sakura of DOOM was an excellent touch.
Also also also, I was wondering if the sister had to basically nurse both Ginko and her brother. Does the mushi sleep mean they stop going to the bathroom? Do they need to be turned over in case they develop bed sores? How about muscle massage?
Possibly I am overthinking this, as the mushi has a magical handwave device.
Ep. 16: Dawn Snake
Aka, the one with the other sakura of DOOM.
Even though this episode wasn't played for the creepy, it still freaked me out. Much of this is because I am terrified of losing any part of my mind (or what's left of my mind), particularly memory. Also, the part when the woman walks away and her shadow stays on the wall? CREEPY!
I'm not sure if the ending was happy or not. I feel awful for the kid, but he seems to have made peace with everything, and the woman would probably be unhappy knowing how much she's lost, except she doesn't know.
I thought for a while that the husband also had the memory-eating snake, ergo his getting a new family, but I think now that he was just a skank.
Ep. 17: The Hollow Cocoon Pickers
Aka, the one with the mushi post office.
Oh! This was lovely and magical and creepy and sad all at once. I loved this one. I love the idea of a mushi post office and how it works, I love the creepiness associated with rooms and closed doors and empty spaces, I loved the image of a girl's finger poking out of a cocoon. I loved that we got women telling the story to Ginko instead. We have been getting a lot of young boys. They are all good and well, except I cannot tell any of them apart! They all have short, spiky black hair, grey-ish kimono, and the same voice actor, or so it seems.
I especially loved all the doubles in this one; the cocoon mail service that only works because there are two interwoven strands of silk, the two sisters.
So far, most of the episodes have worked as one-offs, complete in and of themselves, but this is one where I wouldn't mind seeing more of the characters (don't tell me!).
Ep 18: Clothes that Embrace the Mountain
Hee, I loved the image of Ginko sinking into the mountain and then coming back out of it again. Also, he cheats his mushi-loving friend!
Um, I don't have that much to say about this one. I think it suffered a bit because it followed the post office episode. But it was actually a fairly happy story, at least for this series.