Mushishi ep.23

September 7, 2006 | 8 Comments

Visually, this is one impressive episode. The shot of the village covered in snow and rust looks breathtaking. Although if I think about it, it's kind of creepy as well since it reminds me of Silent Hill's alternate dimension. In fact, the theme of 'rust' presents in almost every single element in the episode from the voice of a character to the effect that the Mushi has on a living creature. Unfortunately, the story feels a bit weak this time around. This is probably the 3rd story to use the theme of alienation of someone who is different. I probably wouldn't mind seeing the same theme again if there is a twist to it. Unfortunately, the story doesn't offer any surprising revelation. There is, however, one thematic repetition that I like and that is the remainder that in most cases, Mushi and humans can't live together in symbiotic manner.

The episode begins with Ginko standing on a snowy area, thinking that he just heard an unusual voice echoing in the cold air of the hills. After a while, however, he believes that the voice in question actually belongs to a person. Ginko also notices that one of the trees and parts of the snow exhibit strange rusty texture. Before he can examine it further, however, the voice suddenly disappears and a girl comes out of a cave. The girl is startled when she notices Ginko and makes an immediate dash to a nearby village. A few minutes later, Ginko also arrives at the village and realises that the rust he saw earlier covers almost everything in the village, including its inhabitants. He finds out from the village leader that this 'disease' has been going on for 14 years. Although the villagers look healthy, sections of their skins get extremely hard and they lose the ability to freely move their arms and legs. Some people, like a friend of the village leader, even find it hard to stand up.

Ginko is interested to know about the patients that he needs to attend to so the village leader tell him that they are a family that lives in a house on the western end of the village. The village leader also points out that everyone in the village believes that the family's daughter, Shige, is the reason behind this disease. The girl has now stopped talking, causing everyone to become suspicious of her. Meanwhile, Shige is seen stopping in front of a house to receive her monthly supply of beans. The woman who gives her the supply, however, makes a nasty comment about her, saying that she doesn't understand why her master is being nice to Shige just because he is friends with her parents. She also adds that she'd like it better if her master use his money to give his employees a raise. Despite the rude comment, Shige nods her head as a thank and proceeds to leave the house. As she walks away, however, some of the beans spill out from the bag.

As it turns out, the bag has a big hole on the bottom of the bag. Even though the woman who gave Shige the rice recognises this fact, she simply tells Shige that she doesn't have other bag. Because of this, Shige has to cover the hole with her hand. Despite her attempt to do this, however, some of the beans still spill out of the bag. A young man suddenly stops by and tells Shige to use his handkerchief. He is annoyed that people in this village tend to pick on Shige and thinks that Shige should say something about it. The guy believes that the rumour can't possibly be true and even if it is, he doubts Shige actually wants her family and friends to become sick. He then tells Shige that his village was hit by a storm two years ago and as a result, only his family and friends are left. In the absence of his father, he to work for money here. The guy believes that Shige is similar to him in the sense that this is the only thing that she could do to help out.

The guy then gives Shige her bag which is now overlayed with his handkerchief. Shige looks as if she wants to say thanks but she immediately remembers something and simply nods her head before running away from the guy. Ginko then arrives and asks the young guy if he can ask the guy a few question about Shige. The guy knows that Ginko is another doctor called in by the Master. He, however, can't help him since Shige won't talk to him either. Before Ginko can say anything else, the guy, whose name turns out to be Tetsu, is ordered by his boss to return to his work. After Tetsu left, Ginko cuts a portion of a rust from nearby tree and places it inside a jar. He then brings the jar close to his ear and after a few minute, seems to understand the situation. At the same time, Shige arrives at her house and is greeted by her sick parents. She then goes to wash the beans but immediately runs back into the house when she sees Ginko.

Ginko tells Shige that he knows Shige can see the rusts. He also explains that he's been called in to cure everyone and assures Shige that he won't blame her. Ginko believes this illness can be cured and because of this, he needs to hear her story. After he gets in, Ginko sets off a smoke-like substance into the air so Shige can speak without giving him the rust. Shige begins her story by telling Ginko that she believes her voice is cursed. This is the reason why she tried to ruin it. Ginko, however, thinks that a thick and raspy voice is unfit for someone with a small frame. Shige admits that she was screaming inside a cave until her voice became like this. Unfortunately, despite the change in her voice, it always produces the rust. Shige then recalls her childhood, where she ended up giving her father the rust just by talking to him. She explains that whenever she lets out her voice, the people around her develops rust-like texture around their body.

At first, Shige thought this is normal so she often sang a song for people. Eventually, she realised that no one apart from her could see the rust. By the time she was four years old, she noticed that everyone started having trouble with their body. Because of this, she told her parents about the rust. After finding out about this, her parents told her not to tell this to other people because if she does, they won't be able to stay here anymore. Since her parents could not work anymore, they can only survive due to the kindness of the master at the grand house. Because of this, her father had no choice but to live in the village, deceiving eveyrone and living off their kindness. Until they can repay the villagers' kindness, Shige's father asked her daughter not to let her voice out. It's been approximately ten years since she talked to someone. Shige feels that she deserves to be hated by everyone for living here with her parents.

Ginko, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the more he listens to her voice, the more he realises that it is a beautiful voice. Having said that, he wonders how Shige gets a voice like that. He notices that there's a sound that is mixed in with her voice, a sound that can't be produced by humans. Although the sound may sound different to her, it is actually quite similar to her voice. Ginko then points out that these 'rusts' are actually an alive Mushi called 「野錆」- Yasabi (cluster of rust). There are those who can see Mushi and those who can't but essentially, it's a different organism. Yasabi is a Mushi that generally clusters on dead animals and doesn't cause harm. However, when they do this, they give off a certain sound. Shige's voice, however, makes this sound hundred times louder. Because of this, the Yasabi in the mountains gather here, thinking there is food. However, since there is nothing to eat, they gather on living things.

Ginko believes that all Shige has to do is to send them away. He also thinks that there is a way to regain her voice. The next day, Ginko walks around the village to observe the Mushi and realises that they are on almost everything. In fact, from a hilltop, it looks as if, the entire village is covered in rust. Ginko then notices Tetsu sitting alone in the cold and asks the guy what he is doing. Tetsu looks unhappy to be interrogated and tells Ginko that he's doing nothing. Despite the cold response, Ginko asks Tetsu if he's not afraid of Shige. Tetsu explains that he's only been here for 2 years and on top of this, he doesn't believe that Shige is the reason for this illness. Ginko thinks that this could be the reason as to why Tetsu doesn't have any rust on him. However, when a cold wind blows from the sea, he suspects that there is another reason that makes Tetsu immune to the Mushi. A check on farming tools in an area close to the sea seems to confirm his suspicion.

Meanwhile, Shige is in the middle of hanging her laundry, telling herself that once everyone in the mountain is cured and she regains her own voice, she can thank Tetsu with her own voice. Later on, Ginko explains to Shige that he is going to use Shige's voice to get rid of the Mushi. However, after this, to live safely, Shige needs to leave the village. Shige agrees with this providing that they can cure everyone. He also asks Ginko a favour: to teach her how to write. Shige then returns the handkerchief from Shige while Ginko reports to the village leader that he knows how to cure everyone and that Shige has nothing to do with the illness. Back to Tetsu, he finds a letter included with the handkerchief. However, because he can't read it, a woman takes his letter, telling him that she's going to read it out for him. In the letter, Shige tells Tetsu that if she talks, Tetsu will get sick as well and thanks Tetsu for everything.

The woman becomes horrified after reading the letter and asks Tetsu who wrote it. Tetsu denies the woman's accusation that Shige was the one who wrote it but the woman refuses to give back the letter. Tetsu has no choice but to push the woman down and burns the letter. He then thanks everyone before running out to warn Shige. After Tetsu left, the woman swears that she won't allow Shige to play innocent anymore. Unknown to her, Ginko saw the entire incident from a far. Meanwhile, Tetsu manages to tell Shige about the incident. Her parents tell her to leave now because they don't know what the villagers will do once they get here. Shige, however, refuses because she still hasn't learned how to get rid of the Mushi from Ginko. Thankfully, Ginko then arrives and tells her to hide in the mountain area until he convinces the villagers. Tetsu tells Shige that he'll accompany her since he can't live here anymore and the ridge is close to his village.

After Shige and Tetsu left, Ginko faces off with the villagers who ask him why he's been protecting Shige. In return Ginko tells them that even if they cast Shige out of the village, they won't be cured from the disease. He explains that Shige simply talked, laughed, and sang just like other kids. It's just that her voice contains something that cause the illness. The villagers, however, can't care less and they just want Shige to pay for what's she's done. Ginko points out that Shige has paid for the last ten years. He believes that if she broke her silence and made some excuses, she could have deceived everyone. Instead, she carried her own weight. The villagers, however, is still not satisfied with this and think that this is not a reason to be excused. Ginko calmly tells the villagers that he'll ask Shige to make amends. Since her voice was the cause of it, then it's the same voice that can get rid of it. He thinks this act will balance everything out.

Meanwhile, Tetsu asks Shige if she's leaving the village for good. Shige nods in reply and shakes her head when Tetsu asks him if she knows where she is going. Upon finding out about this, Tetsu invites Shige to come to his village. Shige cries to hear the invite and because of this, she's not paying attention to her surrounding. She slips into a pit along with Tetsu, who tries to help her. Later on, Ginko can't find the two at the meeting place and suspects that something happened. True enough, the two are trapped inside the pit and Tetsu is injured and unconscious. Shige hesitates to use her voice but because she has no other choice, she ends up screaming loudly, alerting Ginko to her location. Her voice echoing throughout the mountain, attracting the Mushi away from the village. Meanwhile, Ginko manages to find Shige and Tetsu. Shige thinks that she's infected Tetsu as well but when Ginko checks on him, he tells her that he's just unconscious.

In the aftermath, Shige finds out that her parents can walk again. Ginko explains to Shige that she basically did something similar to what he had in mind. He wanted her to echo her voice in the mountains that surround the village and disperse the Yasabi in the village. However, she has to do this on the ridge with the ocean behind her because Yasabi dislikes salt. He then points out that the reason Tetsu doesn't get sick is because he came from a fishing village. Ginko believes that Shige can live normally by the ocean. However, since she only got rid a small amount of the Mushi, she needs to echo her voice many times over the year to get rid all of it. Shige doesn't mind because she remembers loving the village before the Mushi's arrival so she wants to return it to the way it was. After Shige left the village, it is said that the illness disappeared. However, villagers occasionally hear a broken, strange, and yet nostalgic voice echoing in the mountains.

Impression:

Story-wise, I feel that this is one of the weaker episodes from what otherwise is an excellent series. The isolation of an individual by a group of people have been told in a much interesting manner a few episodes ago. In addition to this, some of the plot points in this episode were not properly addressed. For example, halfway through the story, Ginko asked Shige how she acquired this additional voice that attracted the other Mushi to the village. Unless I've missed something in the episode, towards the end of the story, this was never properly explained. As a result, no explanation was given as to why the Mushi was attracted to this particular voice. If I have to guess, I'd say that this is because the voice sounds similar to the one that Yasabi makes when they encountered dead animals to feast upon. However, if that was the case, then I wonder how Shige acquired this ability to begin with? Was inherited through birth? Or something that she consumed?

Ginko also pointed out that there should be away for Shige to regain her voice. However, towards the end of the episode, he told her that her voice may disappear the more she uses them to disperse the Mushi. It's this kind of inconsistency that made the episode not as enjoyable as it could have been. On the positive side, the featured Mushi is quite interesting in its behaviour. Despite its similar appearance to a normal rust, it actually dislikes salt, an element that usually causes normal rust. However, this also made me wonder why Ginko didn't try using salt to get rid of the Mushi from people's body. As for the outcast plot of the story, I did feel sorry for Shige for getting the brunt of the villagers' anger. At the same time, I can understand the villagers' POV as well. It's hard to live with a debilitating disease. A person rarely able to cope in such condition without lashing out at the world and other people, especially those that they think is responsible for it.

© memento 2003