Read on Twitter
Mushi-shi: "The Flow of Life"
(THREAD)
(THREAD)
Life can be a strange, complex but very fluid concept that some of us can have a hard time grasping at, as it’s something that can drift in a variety of unpredictable ways and go about in a manner it sees fit based off the path it runs its course through.
It is not something we can control, but rather something we must keep ourselves steady within. We can have our rises, but also our falls, and this illustration of living is what is portrayed through the alluring world of Mushishi, and it’s “alien” protagonist Ginko.
Many of the stories in Mushishi center around the crossing of paths between humans and mushikind, but it’s how they’re driven that determines the direction of those stories. Sometimes the mushi may depend on the human for their benefit, and sometimes it can even be vice versa.
The chance for a solution may exist while in other cases this may not be possible, the solution itself may not even come from Ginko. Some of the stories can conclude on a sweet and happy note while others can come to a tragic and somber end, or heck, a mix of both.
It’s with this unpredictability that Mushishi showcases the very essence of life, the numerous twists and turns that it can take at any chance no matter how minor or major it is.
As already stated, these twists and turns can go either way for the people going on their path, and you could say that those twist routes could lead into a mushi by mere chance. To expand on this, what makes the encounters between humans and mushi so significant is because-
-of how fundamentally drastic their ways of living clash. They're both living the best they can, and everything could be ruined at any moment. The humans don’t want it, and you can tell that neither the mushi do too.
It’s an aspect of life that they can’t get hold of, and it can be totally frustrating for both parties. And no other character embodies this theme more than Ginko himself.
This was a lesson that Ginko (as Yoki) had to gradually come to terms with as a child, a lesson that was taught to him by someone who was fittingly a victim of circumstance: Nui. From losing his mother in a landside, to discovering what the Ginko did to living things-
-and the tragic fate that fell Nui and her family, Ginko had a great difficulty accepting this way of life. It isn’t until he becomes a part of this “flow of life” when he’s crept into the darkness of the Ginko, and is forced to give up an eye and his memories to save himself.
In doing this, he becomes split between the world of humans and mushi, which produces major consequences to follow. Ginko’s very presence causes mushi to flock to him, and this unusual ability forces him to constantly be on foot without a place to ever settle down in peace.
Ginko perceived this sort of existence as burdensome and meaningless, believing that he could never be able to find a place in this world.
That is until a life changing event would come to alter his way of thinking forever.
That is until a life changing event would come to alter his way of thinking forever.
Ginko doesn’t just accept the circumstances that surround his life, he makes peace with it and decides to go with the flow that life has swept him on. He recognizes the place he has in this world, and by doing so he accepts the complicated existence he’s fated to carry-
-and does what he can to act on it. By being half mushi and half human, Ginko acknowledges the fortuitous happenings that can occur between them, and stands by a strong belief that no one is to blame for whatever happens, as its simply nature taking its course.
Everyone is unique in their own ways, and our lives can come with events out of our hands that we must confront, and he would know this since he of all people was told by the literal forces of nature to “go on”.
Life has its struggles, difficulties, and tragedies, and it's something that we never foresee or control, we may suffer, tire, and despair, but it's like a storm we must persevere through, only then can we grow stronger in our struggles, as it all comes in this flow of life.
“The sun will set and rise, just as it always does, and flowers will bloom everywhere..."
"...but they are different from the flowers of yesterday”.
"...but they are different from the flowers of yesterday”.
Really hope you guys enjoy this thread, its a good way to get back on my agenda and remind folks of how much I love this show. Took a lot of work collecting the screencaps, but its all worth it to express my passion for this wonderful anime.
