ReviewIf I could describe this anime in one word, it would be: gorgeous. The backdrops are splendidly drawn and vibrant. I really felt as though I was in another world. This is almost as good as anything Studio Ghibli tends to produce.

Ginko is an interesting character because even though he is human, he seems very alien due to his gifts. He is slightly unpredictable, but he has the best intentions of his clients at heart. As the series continues, you want to know more about him and the people he encounters.

What truly makes this show unique is that it’s actually episodic. Each story is complete in itself and is not connected to an arc like most anime. In fact, it should be noted that the stories are actually out of order. Despite this, the stories are not confusing because there is no evidence of the depiction of time and the separation between stories makes them feel independent. There are no other recurring characters besides Ginko, so it’s more like an anthology.
Sub/Dub: I’d say the dub is really good here. Travis Willingham is excellent as Ginko and this is one of his best performances.

Music/Score: The music gives the show a very spooky feel. At times, there is actually very little music at all. The opening song is sung in English and very relaxing.
Violence: (3/10)[spoiler For the most part, there is very little violence, despite the show’s spooky feel. In one episode, however, there is a mushi who burns down a house in order to save itself from Ginko.

Language: (2/10) A few curse words, but nothing dramatic.

Nudity: (0/10)

Sexuality: (0/10)

Religion: (7/10) As I stated, this series focuses chiefly on nature spirits. It’s indicated that Ginko had to sacrifice his eye to the spirits to gain his knowledge, similar to Odin in Norse mythology.

Drugs/Tobacco: (1/10) Ginko is never seen without a cigarette in his mouth.

Related Media: There is a manga and the stories in the anime are from this version. They are actually in a different order from the manga. Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame directed an award-winning live-action adaptation as well.

Violence/Gore - It really depends on the episode. Since this series is episodic, the story, problems, and mushi types change every episode. The most gorey ones have mushi that infect people, and sometimes have gross effects. It's never outrightly gorey or violent, though, just creepy.

Sexual Content/Nudity - None. There are few episodes with romance, but it's very low-key and not a problem in the slightest.

Theo. Themes - The series is centered around mushi, which are supernatural...organisms? Whatever they are, they are somehow connected to the flow of energy, and kind of just do their own thing most of the time. They can only be seen by a few people, but can affect anyone.

Other Themes - Ginko is shown smoking almost all the time. However, he does not smoke normal cigarettes. He smokes a special substance that keeps mushi away from him, and he sometimes clouds an entire room with it if needed.

Sub vs Dub - I quite frankly like the dub. The sub is not inferior in any way, but the dub is well done, and this is the type of anime that has sort of a calm, dreamy effect, and watching it English means I don't have to be glued to the screen to read the subtitles.

Mushi-shi has an atmosphere that I haven't been able to find in any other anime. The combination of watercolour backgrounds and soft soundtrack gives you a calm, dreamy feeling.

Episodes are self-contained and rich in their stories. There is, however, a dark tone in most episodes. The interactions between humans and "mushi" are not always smooth, which results in quite eerie cases, such as returning dead, parasite creatures, and being taken into other dimensions.

Ginko, the protagonist, does smoke, Spoiler: but for him, that is a necessity rather than a vice .

The dub was so well made I can't favour one over the other. Nothing was lost in translation.

As of February 02, 2015, Funimation has the entire subbed season on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT_1OdsSvKI&list=PL4F1CE257A87FF5D1
Unfortunately, the dubbed episodes in the same source only go up to episode 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdhR5XZNXbs&list=PL71FE8EBC1D875601