Mushishi 8/9/10

Mushi Shi volumes 8, 9, 10 are apparently the last manga volumes written by Yuki Urushibara, a brilliant female manga writer / illustrator who created one of the most wonderful manga characters of all time, Ginko the Mushi Master. Mushi means "bug" but Mushi are different lifeforces in the universe, they are not specifically insects or animals or spirit beings. They can be innocuous or have a more deadly purpose. Ginko roams Japan over 100 years ago helping people who are influenced by the mushi. Each story has new characters, with only a few exceptions. Each story has an underlying moral aspect to it as well, such as humans learning lessons of trust, love, forgiveness, sacrifice, and acceptance.I pre-ordered the last volumes because I already devoured the first seven volumes which I purchased awhile ago. Yuki scores again with interesting stories taken from her unique perspective and imagination. I read them all in 24 hours, they were that addictive. I think my favorite was Mid Channel, where two young women communicate via their minds though they live far away. The influence of the mushi allowed them to communicate, even though one of the girl's fathers is against the friendship because he feels the girl is too isolated from society and dependent on her friend of the mind. Ginko gives them medicine so they can live more normal lives and have a friendship that is not so intense. In turn this convinces the father that his daughter does not need to completely alienate herself from her friend but can visit occasionally in a more normal fashion. Stories like these have heart and soul and are quite touching. Also in these last volumes are two more stories told in flashback that reveal new details about Ginko's childhood, a story about a double murder in a family and how it affects future generations, plus a story about Deja Vu that had me laughing out loud while reading.If you are new to Mushi Shi, please start with volume 1 and go through volume 10. Watch the anime on DVD, created by Artland in Japan. I hope they make additional episodes of Mushi Shi for these new stories. They are just as appealing as the first stories in volumes 1 though 7.I shall miss Ginko a lot! I just about cried when at the end of the book Yuki wrote, "And now we close the curtain on Mushi Shi and we hope Ginko enjoys his future journeys." Long Live Mushi Shi and Ginko!

This is the final translated book comprising three total volumes of Mushishi. It's pretty huge. Mushishi is an episodic, "period" manga full of wisps of Japanese folklore, traditional culture/setting, the supernatural, and a strong inclination towards natural spirituality. Each chapter has a thoughtful, slice-of-life pace and ethereal feel. Sometimes it's dark; other times, bittersweet, and yet other times, there are happy endings.Many of the chapters deal with difficult moral issues that arise when humanity interacts with these spirit-life-forms called "mushi," which can get incredibly abstract (e.g. a mushi that eats "sound"). How is life measured and valued? Is one life more valued than another? How does an individual fit into the greater scheme of things? What happens when the right to life of one living thing requires the parasitic death of another? Many questions and there aren't always answers. That's not to say it's always about "humans vs. nature," though. Many moral questions arise from humans being their own desperate selves--behaving in such ways only after mushi trigger something indirectly, or after exploiting mushi for their own survival.I kind of feel the chapter "The Bed of Grass" should be read last for a better closure, but that's me.Now, Del Rey's (Flanagan's) translation is top notch not in the sense of pure accuracy (because I can't read Japanese, so I can't compare translation) but in respect. You can definitely tell by the use of transliterated Japanese terms, honorifics, and copious volume notes detailing cultural/linguistic items that Mushishi was treated with care, and this means a lot to me. And probably to the mangaka (manga author) too.This is definitely a manga best appreciated by more literary adults.The Mushishi anime is very much worth checking into because it's an extremely rare example of an animated adaptation that is identical to the original manga. (Though in that sense, some people may be inclined to buy the anime boxset and buy the manga volumes that came afterward.)

The final collection of stories of the Wandering Mushishi Master, Ginko. The stories are very nature derived. There is the Ancient Cedar Tree watching over the humans living near it for a Thousand years. There is the Human Girl serving as the Master of the Mountain for a time and maintaining the Balance of Life. Wonderful stories.

One of my favorite series. I like the mix of themes, with stories that range from heartwarming to bittersweet or painful.

Everything was Ok

The art is spectacular, as expected. Stories are still intriguing, with some connections to the past.The final stories leave Ginko's future in question till the last minute in a wonderful way.The earlier volumes are extremely hard to get, but don't skip them--you need at least some background. If readers can't find the earlier volumes, the anime fills in reasonably well, and is excellent!

Finally found a copy of Mushishi 8, 9, and 10!

shipped quickly! love it!