Mushishi ep.6

November 27, 2005 | 6 Comments

This is a good episode that utilises its island setting very well. The episode also has this purple hue infused into almost every single scene from the colour of the flower to the sparkling seawater during sunrise. I also like how the episode showcases another side of Ginko in this episode. In the previous episodes, the series showed that Ginko is not infallible. He tries to do his best but there are times when he makes mistake. This episode basically re-emphasises the idea that Ginko is not all-powerful. The only reason he manages to survive thus far is because he's careful, knowledgeable, and knows when he has to run for his life. I find the last part of his characterisation to be amusing and yet realistic. After all, it's rare to see a hero in an anime series who actually flees for his life in the middle of danger.

Anyway, the episode itself begins with the sound of an old woman inciting an eerie poetry on the backdrop of a purple-coloured flower. According to the poetry, when the sun rises and has yet to set, morning-bloom flower falls from its stem. Today, the sun already set down and has yet to rise. On the one side of an island, a flower blooms. However, this flower is different from the one from yesterday. Cut to a shot of Ginko doing his best impersonation of "Are we there yet" to a young boat rower called Nagi. Nagi tells Ginko that they'll get there soon and then tries to ask if Ginko is a doctor. Ginko denies this and tells the guy that he's a Mushishi. The answer is met with dubious look from Nagi but he quickly apologises and tells Ginko that this is the first time he's heard of such profession. The scene then cuts to a flashback where Nagi was still young.

Back then, Nagi told a girl called Akoya that if one goes to the other side of the sea, there is a wide and beautiful are where everyone lives happily. Nagi promised the girl that they'd go there one day so he asks her not to look sad. Meanwhile in the present time, Nagi informs Ginko that the area where they are now will soon turn into a junction for two sea currents. When that happens, the tide will become strong to the point that it can flood the island if it ever gets there. Because of this, they have to quickly get to the island. Once the two arrives on the island through a seaside cave, Ginko asks Nagi if he's a fisherman. Nagi, however, tells Ginko that there is no fisherman on this island because it is not safe to sail out. He also said that soil is scarce on this island and that is why there is nothing on the island but rocks.

Having said that, somehow everyone manages to get by because the presence of an Ikigami (a living God/deity) supports their spirit. Ginko is surprised to hear this but before he can say anything else his travel companion tells him to hide because he sees two people approaching the area. Cut to a shot of a mother trying to comfort her son while telling him that unfortunately he can't eat the items on the basket because they are meant for the Ikigami. While this happens, Ginko notices the sad look on Nagi's face and wonders why they're hiding. Nagi suddenly says that he wants to take a look at this 'Ikigami' and asks Ginko to help him because everyone else has been deceived. Nagi then takes Ginko to a house that is being heavily visited by the villagers. Next to her, sits a creepy-looking baldy who's supposed to be her father.

According to Nagi, miracle happens to the girl's body every single day. Today is apparently the day where believers can worship the girl. As Nagi explains the situation to Ginko, the scene shows the girl munching on various offerings brought by the villagers. As the day turns into night, however, the girl slowly transforms into an old woman. The old woman eventually passes out and then a group of purple-coloured particles flows out of her nose. Ginko excitedly asks Nagi if he saw them as well but quickly realises that Nagi probably can't see it. Inside, the girl's father asks a villager to inhale the scent as hard as they can. He believes that this will take away their sickness. Nagi whispers to Ginko that usually she will wake up in the morning as if nothing had happened. The scene then cuts to Ginko and Nagi make their way back towards the rocky area.

Nagi tells Ginko that this entire 'Ikigami' faith was initiated on the island by the baldy guy's family. His family's ancestor apparently arrived on the island when the tide flooded the island. Ever since then, the Lord's family has been producing Ikigami from generation to generation. As soon as other people heard about it, they started to yearn for 'miracle' and began to come to the island one by one. Interestingly enough, when one Ikigami dies, another one will soon appear to take its place. In addition to this, Nagi also mentions that Ikigami always produces this scent, which people claimed to be able to cure seemingly incurable diseases. Nagi actually believed in this as well until something happened to her childhood friend, Akoya. Cut to a flashback when Akoya was ordered by her father to stop playing with Nagi and to come home with him.

After the incident, Akoya stopped communicating with him and can't seem to remember day-to-day activities. This is why Nagi went out of the island because he wants to find a cure for Akoya. He, however, left swearing that he'll never come back to the island and that's why he has to ensure that Akoya father doesn't see him or else, he'll suspect something. When Ginko agrees to check Akoya's condition, he finds that Akoya's pulse is unusually fast and her temperature is beyond that of a normal human being. Ginko then asks Nagi to illuminate Akoya's nose so he can look inside of it. He immediately realises that there is a Mushi inside the nose. This Mushi has a pattern where the parents will die and explode upon giving birth to its child. The explosion the purple-coloured particles that often come out of Akoya's nose.

Ginko wonders if Akoya is the only one that suffers from this and Nagi confirms that there are others isolated near the cape. When the two gets to the area, Ginko gets to see how these people also turn old as soon as the night falls. Despite the examination, Ginko can't find any lead that can help him cure Akoya. However, during a conversation with Nagi, Ginko finds out that the disease came almost at the same time when the tide washed over the island. So he asks Nagi the whereabouts of the only place that they can go during such flooding. Once Nagi pointed out the place, Ginko takes a seemingly dead rat from the area and tells Nagi that the parasite is also lives on this rat. He believes that there must be other rats with similar condition and asks Nagi to look some more. After dissecting the rats, Ginko eventually manages to find a cure.

This requires Ginko to prick the forehead of the infected person with a needle. Upon doing so, the Mushi can be seen spiralling away from Akoya's forehead and then falls into the floor. Akoya's previously zombie-like eyes now turn back to normal and she begins to recognise Nagi. After Akoya has completely recovered, Nagi asks her to leave the island with him. Unfortunately for Nagi, Akoya loves the island. Besides, if she does this, her father will just choose another person to become an Ikigami. Ginko tells Akoya that the important thing is the find the source of this problem so no one else can misuse the Mushi again. So he asks Akoya if she remembers what happened prior to her turning into Ikigami. Because of this, Akoya tells Ginko and Nagi that back then, she was given a flower by her father.

Her father then managed to persuade Akoya to sniff the flower and the rest is history. Upon hearing Akoya's description of the flower, Nagi realises the flowers is located on the cave near the sea. For now, however, Nagi asks Akoya to keep on the charade of being an Ikigami. When Nagi is not around, however, Akoya tells Ginko that she feels uneasy about the entire thing. When she was an Ikigami, she always felt content and alive even though her eyes were closed. But right now, she is empty. Because of this Ginko tries to tell her that when she was under the influence of the Mushi, she experienced the parasite's own cycle of life. Since this Mushi's lifespan is only one day, Akoya feels as if each day is a new day. Akoya admits that when she was an Ikigami, everyday feels like it's new and thrilling. It feels as if her heart was always full.

Unfortunately on the night when Ginko and Nagi are about to destroy the flowers, Akoya's father finds out about the plan. Akoya, who tries to stop her father, encounters a group of villagers and asks for their help. Inside the cave, Ginko and Nagi are confronted by Akoya's father and his henchmen. Ginko tries to explain that if people continue to abuse this Mushi, they'll be deprived little by little of their sanity. But when he realises that bluffing doesn't do any good, he decides to flee and takes Nagi with him. Akoya's father is eventually confronted by the villagers who end up killing him. When Akoya finds her father, she is racked with guilt and decides to sniff the flower again. Nagi tries to stop her but it's all too late. Ginko says that the parasite will be a lot stronger this time around. The episode ends with a rather bleak note but Nagi finds comfort in the fact that he now gets to spend time with Akoya again.

Impression:

This is another fascinating look into Japan's culture and tradition. The focus on this episode is clearly the concept of Ikigami, which is literally a living God/deity. As one can see from the link, the practice of worshipping another human being as God is a well-known tradition in Japan. The practice apparently began in the Heian period (794-1191), where people started to pay respect to humans who have died tragically so that the spirit of the person will not seek vengeance. In the year 1600-1867, Yoshida Shinto then institutionalised the practice of worshipping human as God, granting them the title of Reisha/Spirit-shrine. I think it's not difficult to see the similarity of that historical background to this particular story. Anyway, I found this particular episode to be rather depressing. In the end, nothing much has changed for Nagi and the villagers. They still have to work really hard to earn a living. But at least they don't have to give away their hard-earned produce to someone who doesn't deserve it. And at least Nagi can spend the rest of his life near Akoya.

© memento 2003