Mushishi S2 Episode 10 “The Bottom of Winter” Preview Image and Synopsis and Special Annoucement

A mountain that refuses spring. The endless fall of snow and life that does not wake from hibernation. The master of the mountain’s intention… it is as though it is waiting for death.

So about that special announcement. According to the main news feed of the site, this is going to be the last episode of the broadcast. There are two more episodes in the season, but this is going to be “the last episode of the cour.” I didn’t see anything on the creator twitter, so I’m not sure what the intention is.

Either way, this “last” episode is going to be storyboarded by Nagahama and directed by Sohtome.

 

Mushishi S2 Episode 9 “Valley in the Tide” Preview Image and Synopsis

A village that praises the harvest during the snowy season. A man who works the fields without sleep continues that back breaking labor. For the sake of his family. For the sake of his blood.

This time we get two credits possibly because I waited long enough for there to be two. Nagahama is storyboarding, and Geshi is directing.

(Image from mushishi-anime.com © Yuki Urushibara, Kodansha, Aniplex, and ArtLand)

 

Mushishi S2 Episode 8 “Rising Breeze” Preview Image and Synopsis

A ship’s sail begins to rock on a calm sea. A boy who can call out to the “mushi” and make the sail sway. For the sake of his life. For the sake of seeing land.

This episode only has a storyboarder so far, and it’s Nagahama. I wonder if they’ll add more later.

(Image from mushishi-anime.com © Yuki Urushibara, Kodansha, Aniplex, and ArtLand)

 

 

Mushishi S2 Episode 7 “Sunshine Rain” Preview Image and Synopsis

Despite being told about the rain, a woman takes a journey. A drop of rain falls from the clear blue sky and reminds her of bygone days — But this is a chance to make up for a grave misfoture together with the tears of the Ikutsubu.

That last sentence was kind of a pain. “Ikutsubu” was 「幾粒」 which is “many grains/beads,” but because it’s kinda awkward I think it might be the name of the episode mushi. That’s a guess, though.

Anyway, it’s all vets this episode. Nagayama is cooperating on the storyboard this time with Koichiro Sohtome, the storyboarder and director from episode 2. Geshi is back in the director’s chair from episode 5, and Abiko is back to AD from episode 2.

(Image from mushishi-anime.com © Yuki Urushibara, Kodansha, Aniplex, and ArtLand)

 

Mushishi S2 Episode 6 “Illusion Flower” Preview Image and Synopsis

Before the branches a flooded with an endless sea of colors, people are mezmirised by the beauty of spring. There is someone who wants to stop that who walks towards danger unaware. For whom is that fickle flower in bloom?

Hey, we a new guy. By which I mean new to S2. The storyboarder is Nagahama, so it’s not him. The AD is Noboru Sugimitsu from the first episode this season and several in the first season. The new guy is the director, Ryo Miyata. But he was a part of the first season, so “new” in a loose sense.

(Image from mushishi-anime.com © Yuki Urushibara, Kodansha, Aniplex, and ArtLand)

Mushishi S2 Episode 5 “Mirror or Depths” Preview Image and Synopsis

Look into the water’s surface and who will you see? Or is it “what?” As “emptiness” and “truth” begin merging together, understanding your true self is the only way to remain in this world.

After Samurai Flamenco, you have no idea how much I appreciate these short credits. Series director Nagahama is on storyboarding, and Yasuhiro Geshi is back to Direction from Episode 3. See? Wasn’t that nice and short?

(Image from mushishi-anime.com © Yuki Urushibara, Kodansha, Aniplex, and ArtLand)

Mushi-Shi S2 Episode 3 “Under the Snow” Preview Image and Synopsis

Above a man’s head, the snow is always dancing. And that frozen thing that’s always controlled that man has never been able to erase his memories: The winter memories with his younger sister.

Our storyboarder is an interesting person this time. Hiroshi Nagahama, the series director, is taking the role again from Episode 1. Our Director is also interesting, though for a very different reason. Yasuhiro Geshi‘s most notable director jobs come from either very heavy material, like Berserk, or much more over the top thing, like Getter Robo. Then we have the fairly normal Mitsuko Baba, an AD for 7 episodes of Series 1.

(Image from mushishi-anime.com © Yuki Urushibara, Kodansha, Aniplex, and ArtLand)

Mushi-Shi Season 2 Episode 2 “Singing Shell” Preview Image and Synopsis

Place your ear to the shell and hear the voice of birds. A fishing village recovers from a tragedy, but the Mushi act as an ill omen. A strange looking thing that foreshadows this event for people…

Did anyone else read that in Jennifer Seman’s voice? I did. There is only the one picture.

Interestingly, there is no listed screenwriter. That might be because they’re just directly taking the original manga text, I’m not sure. We only have Director, Storyboard, and Animation Director. Director and Storyboard are the same guy, even: Koichiro Sohtome, a director from 8 of last season’s episodes. Animation director is Eiji Abiko, Tokubetsu-hen‘s AD. This was a pretty good story from the manga, as they pretty much all were, so this should be good.

(Image from mushishi-anime.com © Yuki Urushibara, Kodansha, Aniplex, and ArtLand)

Mushishi Season 2 Episode 1 “Banquet at the Edge of the Forest” First Impressions

 

 

 

 

I would call them teasers, but I think it’s a bit late for that. I wanted to let it sit for a bit anyway. Mushi-Shi is, after all, a continuation of not just something very good but of one of the only anime I’ve ever seen that gets the prestige of suggestion without qualification. There’s no part of the first series that makes me go, “This is good except this part.” That’s a lot to live up to.

And, so far, we’re on the right track. Mushi-Shi did, and does I guess, many things very right. There’s a undercurrent of reverence for the little things that make life possible, beautiful, scary, and unique. That comes with a solid atmosphere that that undercurrent wouldn’t work without. The mushi designs are still some of my favorite creature designs. The effect of making most of them look like dust motes or floaters you can’t ever seem to focus on properly hold on in this one, and the inclusion of so many always gives the sense that there’s more to learn. When Ginko is explaining mushi in general while the little white puffs float by, you wonder what they are and what stories there are about them. Some will be simple, some will be beautiful, some will be terrifying, and it’s all so interesting to learn about that you can’t wait for the next story. And if this series can generate the beautiful pathos and catharsis that the last series did, we’re in for more incredible stuff.

Like before, it’s almost like the author, Yuki Urushibara, is creating her own folklore. The mushi are like folklore creature, and the stories they create with people are exactly like old myths and legends. It splits the difference between mysticism and science in a way that creates such a unique world and way of viewing it.

If there’s anything I’m hesitant about, it would be music. Not because it’s bad by any stretch, but because we heard so little of it in this episode. The first series has an amazing soundtrack. Every track is worthwhile and evokes emotion so well. “Bound for Bonfire Field” has such great intensity, “The Dew Consuming Swarm,” despite it’s name, is this very sad track. You can feel the weight of something so bittersweet building inside you as you listen to it. I want to hear more of this season’s music before I can weigh in on it.

Mushi-Shi: Zoku Shou is airing on Fridays. You owe it to yourself to check it out.

(Images from Yaraon. You can get more from them too)

Row 5 Col 1: Cigars. Row 5 Col 2: Reminder to Get More Cigars

 

Just a friendly reminder that Mushishi Second Chapter is starting next month. Whatever reason has brought you here, this is a show you should be crazy excited for with the original show being an instant classic. To get you on the hype train, the Twitter posted these picture of a full replica of Ginko’s backpack/chest of drawers from their AnimeJapan 2014 display. It’s amazing the amount of things they came up with for him to carry. I don’t recognize it all, and I’m looking for specifics like the little cocoon mailbox or the jar with the fungus mushi in it. That would probably be hard to do though.

If you want to see more like this, there isn’t much, but you can see the occasional cool thing like this cake with Ginko on it or this reference mountain picture at the twitter.