Mitchell Dyer

Mushi-Shi’s humble hero, Ginko, returns for five more solitary stories as he seeks to solve more mystical Mushi mysteries. The tales in Volume 2 retain the visual luster that the first disc served up — beautifully designed environments as well as plenty of colorful smoke and dust particle effects being especially eye popping — but fail to deliver stand-alone episodes that engage the viewer as well as the previous five.

Ginko’s assistance to those in need stems not just from the physical removal of the parasitic life forms, like a pin-prick to a woman’s forehead, but mental guidance as well, seen in the aid of a lovestruck friend of a missing woman. While Ginko’s cigar-chompin’, passive nature has not, and seemingly won’t, evolve as the show progresses, his consistency compliments the supporting cast. The subjects of Mushi “infection”, through our main-man’s guidance, come to a great realization as each episode concludes with a rhetoric message that center around virtues, which is nothing new in a cartoon, but it’s still something to satisfy the viewer.

There’s still nothing to focus on in Mushi-Shi, which is absolutely infuriating for those seeking a great narrative, but the chilled-out vibe is soothing for viewers in need of a sit-back-and-relax kind of show. If the first DVD wasn’t your bag, this one certainly isn’t either, but you can’t deny the entire idea of Mushi-Shi is a refreshing in its originality and gorgeous imagery.