Mushishi, Tome 5

蟲師 / Mushishi #5

by Yuki Urushibara, Pascale Simon (Traduction)

Sur une île, à quelques brasses de la plage, existe un rocher, refuge d'un mushi capable de faire renaître les gens qui ont perdu la vie à cet endroit. Ces êtres conservent les mêmes traits que les disparus. Ginko espère bien étudier ce phénomène...

Ses pas le mèneront ensuite jusqu'à une jeune fille qui lui fera une demande plutôt singulière ! Aveugle de naissance, elle a retrouvé la vue grâce à un mushi très rare nommé Ganpuku. Son souhait est que Ginko lui retire les yeux et les enterrent dans la montagne !!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Seinen, Supernatural, Fiction

260 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2004

About the author

Yuki Urushibara (漆原友紀) is a Japanese manga artist from Yamaguchi Prefecture.
She is best known for the series Mushishi, for which she received an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga.

She is also known by the pen name Soyogo Shima (志摩 冬青 Shima Soyogo).

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

The library didn't have volume 1, so I ordered volume 2. They sent me 5. I expect if one begins at the beginning it is clear who the main character is, a man who seems to wander around chain-smoking and hearing odd stories from people he encounters. He seems to be looking for something but I don't know what. Episodic, odd, thought-provoking. Although I didn't enjoy it, it seemed... intelligent, for lack of a better descriptor.

[Dafne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Primera calificación: 4/5.

Segunda calificación: 5/5.

Todas las historias comparten algo: los insectos no desaparecen; se reabsorben, se quedan con las personas o animales, etc. Han de adaptarse a ellos y aprender a vivir de nuevo.

[Katharine Kimbriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully drawn series of vignettes about Mushi, a primitive life-form that is much closer to the line between plant and animal than other forms of life. Not everyone can see mushi, but anyone can accidentally intersect with them – usually with problematic results. Our guide on this journey is Ginko, a Mushi-shi or Mushi-Master. Ginko moves through a world tinged with mushi – he smokes constantly, because without the smoke, mushi would swarm around him, making life for other humans miserable or even dangerous.

These stories were inspired by old superstitions and legends of Japan. We have mushi that can trigger resurrection in humans, and mushi that can cause the very elements to change their nature. This volume contains one story that might be frightening to children (“Eye’s Fortune, Eye’s Misfortune”) when a character loses her eyes in a grotesque manner. The artist admits that she fears losing her sight, and so change or injury to sight does reoccur as a theme in her work. A second story, “The Snake of Dawn,” was merely sad when I saw it as anime. But here it brought back additional pain from my own life, making it a heartbreaking tale, even as the characters are making the best of it at the end.

We see all of the mushi as Ginko makes his way through a world tinted by the presence of The Other. Ginko is a rare mushi master, convinced that it is not always necessary to kill mushi. His goal is to help humans live with mushi – and avoid the most dangerous of their breed.

This is sort of like someone writing out the riddles in Patricia McKillip’s The Riddlemaster of Hed. If you enjoy the manga, you should rent some of the anime – they did a beautiful, award-winning interpretation of the original work. Remember that manga are black & white illustrated digest-sized Japanese comic books, so you’ll be admiring line work, not colorization.

[yel ᰔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➺ 4/5 🌟

[Jane Lebak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed volume 5 more than volume 4. The episodic format continues, some ending well, some ending sadly. This volume seemed more upbeat, so that's good. I fee bad for Ginko when he does his best and it still ends badly for the people.

One thing I'm finding interesting is that as much as the mushi are interacting with people who never wanted to interact with them, the people themselves still have quite a bit of determination of how it ends up. It's very free-will-positive in some senses. It's not just a matter of, "Do this and the mushi will leave you alone." In many cases, the person's attitude, desires, vision, or needs are what determines the outcome of the interaction with the mushi. When it ends badly, it almost always does so because the person can't conceive of himself as being free of the mushi after everything that's happened.

Overall this is a good series. Still not sure if I'll request the next volume, though.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mushi-shi is my favourite manga and anime of all time. It's so calm and wholesome.

While I barely read manga's, this one was so magical and I read all of the installments in one go. So beautifully drawn and atmospherically written. My inner-biologist-self loves the mushi, even though they're fictional they are based on bacteria. It's a little slow paced so beware if you're bored quickly. :p

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like meeting other mushishi and seeing Ginko interact with them and their plans. We ge to see some rarer Mushi here too, and watch Ginko try to plan around something unknown. I liked the story of the fires that steal warmth, sad but still hopeful and with a neat little spirit that acts so differently than one expects.

[szpieg z krainy deszczowców · Rating 5 out of 5]

ginko złota rączka

[milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga is such a treat

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

More excellent storytelling from Urushibara, though perhaps a little weaker than the previous volumes due to the lack of any single standout stories. I always especially like the stories where we get a little insight into Ginko's past and relationships, like "The Sea of Brushes" or "The One-Eyed Fish," and I wished we had gotten at least one of those here. That said, the bit where Ginko gets sucked into the mud (and looks so disgruntled afterwards!) is still hilarious.

[Fernando Yataco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi corazón 💓💓💓💓, la historia de la serpiente del alba si me llego. Este tomo estuvo muy sentimental, aún así, me gustó mucho.

[Tachan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dans Mushishi, il y a des tomes plus romantiques, d’autres plus familiaux et pour finir certains justes intimes, mais toujours ils sont dramatiques et celui-ci n’y coupe pas avec ses cinq nouvelles histoires dont trois m’ont bouleversée.

A chaque lecture, c’est un réel plaisir de retourner dans l’ambiance hors du temps de Mushishi et de se remettre dans les pas de Ginko sur les chemins montagneux et parfois côtiers de ce Japon d’autrefois, pétri et nourri de légendes. Les histoires sont toutes à la fois différentes et similaires avec cette symbiose volontaire ou non avec la nature, mais surtout avec ce voile dramatique qui recouvre à chaque fois les récits. Pas une histoire n’y résiste, il y a dans chaque une aura de tristesse mais c’est aussi ça qui rend le titre si beau.

Quatre des cinq histoires de ce volume, qui pourrait presque être un recueil au fond comme l’ensemble de la série, se tournent vers des familles chamboulées par la présence de mushi. Dans l’une on parle de la relation d’un fils avec sa mère, d’une fille avec son père, d’une fille avec sa mère et d’un frère avec sa soeur puis sa nièce. Les relations filiales sont vraiment au coeur de ce volume pour ma plus grande joie, car je trouve que l’autrice y met encore plus de sincérité et d’émotion.

J’ai ainsi été très touchée par le premier récit, celui d’une fille ayant perdu sa mère, qui la voit revivre, grâce à un îlot mystérieux, dans la fille à qui elle donne naissance. Cette gestion poétique et fantastique du deuil concernant une île toute entière était poignante, et le message sur l’identité de chacun, très fort. J’ai eu une seconde bouffée d’émotion à la fin du volume avec l’histoire d’un jeune garçon dont la mère perd la mémoire. Sorte de fable sur la maladie d’Alzheimer qui touche tellement de nos proches, c’était bouleversant de le voir si doux et bienveillant avec elle. Il y eu également un poignant moment avec ce frère artiste parti loin de chez lui pour réussir qui revient trop tard une fois sa chère soeur, qui a tant fait pour lui, disparue et qui va s’occuper de sa nièce un peu attardée. L’autrice y soulève des sujets délicats avec une belle finesse et une jolie morale finale. Enfin, dans un registre un peu différent, l’histoire de la joueuse de biwa aveugle mais qui y voit trop bien à son goût, peut-être à l’image de son instrument, était langoureusement mélancolique et dramatiquement poignante, rappelant bien l’importance de vivre le moment présent et non de s’attarder sur un passé déjà vécu qu’on ne peut changer et un futur qui n’a pas eu lieu et sur lequel on n’a pas de prise non plus. Philosopher avec Yuki Urushibara, c’est vraiment quelque chose !

D’ailleurs retrouver son ambiance poétique est aussi superbe grâce aux dessins soyeux et riches en détails qu’elle nous offre tel un don du ciel pour plonger dans ces moments et lieux hors du temps. Sa représentation fantasmée d’une nature au plus proche de ses légendes mais aussi de ses habitants est simple mais riche et envoûtante. Sa représentation du fantastique foisonne de détails et d’idées, le rendant très proche de nous, ce qui est à la fois fascinant et inquiétant. Quel trait vraiment magique ! Et que dire de sa représentation soignée et fine des émotions complexes des gens qu’elle croise. Son seul défaut est un manque de diversité parfois dans le trait, ce qui fait qu’on a l’impression d’avoir croisé mille fois les personnages ^^!

Envoûtant, enchanteur, merveilleux, Mushishi continue de me charmer avec ses âpres histoires de la vie où les mythes et légendes viennent régulièrement chambouler les personnages. Heureusement Ginko passe par là et aide à soigner ou épauler ses coeurs meurtris quand c’est possible. Chaque tome offre ses histoires douces, poignantes et touchantes où l’expression dramatique de ce fantastique si proche de la nature est superbe ! On en redemande.

Avis complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....

[SullyIsReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

(THIS REVIEW IS ORIGINALLY FROM STORYGRAPH, FROM 25TH JULY 2025.)

Each story from this collection honestly stood out for how good they were. It's hard to pick a favourite, so instead I shall highlight an element I liked from each story.

The Sea Palace; interesting ethical/familial dilemma that is resolved in a satisfying way.

Eye's Fortune, Eye's Misfortune; fascinating case of the mushi's effect on people.

The Coat That Holds A Mountain; this one was very tragic and highlighted to me the importance of family.

Flames Of The Fields; it was the most tense story told so far in the whole series, seeing Ginko's advice ignored totally was very impactful, reminding me of volume 2's the Veil Spore story, which I also loved.

The Snake Of Dawn; this one really made me sad... the twist towards the end was just devastating, but I absolutely loved how the characters who Ginko helped worked out more or less a happy ending - much deserved. Would recommend this story regardless of whether the reader was a fan of manga or not, I believe it's one of those few, rare "universal" stories anyone can appreciate.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

1) The Sea Palace. Ginko pokes about for information on people who were reborn in a coastal community. A woman, Mio, with a daughter, Isana, tells him about a nearby trench called the Dragon Palace where if a person dies there, they can be reborn. Her daughter is in fact her mother, Mana, reborn, though she has raised her as her daughter alone. Ginko spends time investigating and determines that some little known mushi is at the bottom of this. Isana starts to display mannerisms and memories similar to her grandmother/first incarnation. A storm sweeps Isana out to sea and she and Ginko are nearly eaten by the strange mushi, so Ginko determines that it eats living creatures then releases something that can form a clone of those it has eaten. Since the people on the island work well with the mushi he leaves them alone. An interesting story and an intriguing scenario, though it seems really weird that the mushi would provide a way to clone its prey, especially when it would be so uncertain to happen; but I suppose it is the nature of mushi to do mysterious things. I kind of wish it were somehow not a mushi, just to break things up, especially since it is not at all a surprise when Ginko determines that a mushi is the cause.

Bonus Manga: A Tale of Quite a Long Time Ago, Sounds in the Mountain Chapter. A story the author's grandmother was told by her father. On a nearby mountain something called Atogo-sama was worshiped, though what it was is unknown. One day a great "doooom" sound came from the mountain (said to be the angry voice of Atogo-sama) and apparently drove an old lady mad. An interestingly mysterious story. I feel like it would have been better included in Volume 2 since it seems reminiscent of the kuchinawa from the story "The Mountain Sleeps".

2) Eye's Fortune, Eye's Misfortune. Ginko encounters Amane, a seemingly blind woman who plays a biwa and tells stories abut mushi. She tells him her own story, that her deceased father had been a mushishi and though she had been born blind, she gained sight after encountering a mushi called ganfuku. But more than just being able to see, her vision became excessively keen and she was even able to see the past and future of other people, though warning them of future problems never served to avert disaster. When her father died during his travels she took to traveling herself. She asks Ginko to bury her eyes in the mountains for she has finally had a vision of their future, and then things come to pass exactly as she had foreseen. Blind again she continues on her travels. I think the idea of excessively keen vision is an interesting one; I think I encountered a similar story somewhere else, the keenness of vision caused by a disease. Amane is another character I would like to encounter again, especially to see how she fares; she seems to scorn the vision she gained, but it would still be hard to give it up I would think. Also, fun continuity point, that Ginko sends out a message by uro-san to try to find help for her.

3) The Coat That Holds a Mountain. Ginko finds a haori with a beautiful painting of a mountain on its inner lining that occasionally has puffs of smoke appear. Combined with its unusual weight he determines there must be mushi in it and sets out to find the artist who painted it. The artist's story is told in flashbacks, that the haori was a gift from his elder sister before he left to apprentice as a painter. The painting was some of his first practice work, but he sold it for money for supplies when he was just starting out. He became a successful and moderately famous artist, but became too wrapped up in his work and lost contact with home. When he finally returned he found his father had died in a landslide and his sister had died in childbirth and he had failed to read the letters telling him of such. Devastated he took up living in his home village, though we was looked down on. He eventually adopts his nephew who is slow to develop. Ginko shows up and reveals that the mushi in the coat were ubusuna which were common i the region. Having returned home they left the coat. He gives advice to help the nephew develop faster and sells the coat back to the artist, but requests the creation of an identical copy which he sells to Adashino-sensei after leading him to believe that it also contains mushi like the original did.

4) Flames of the Fields. A strange new plant is spreading rapidly and poisoning other plants. The local mushishi, a young woman named Nohagi, decides that to save the village the plants must all be burned. Ginko cautions against it, but the fields are burned and the plants release mushi called hidane that are surrounded by kagebi, false flames that drain heat from people. Some people die or are injured from contact with the kagebi. Nohagi swallowed one and was slowly dying, but Ginko devices a method to save her. I moderately dislike this story since it is the one that makes it super obvious that Ginko just goes around saving otherwise helpless women from mushi infection; especially egregious since Nohagi is a competent mushishi in her own right.

5) The Snake of Dawn. A boy asks Ginko to help his mother who has been forgetting things more and more. Ginko determines that a mushi called a kagedama has entered her brain and is eating her memories, though it avoids memories that relate to daily life, things she reflects on. There is no cure except to have lots of different experiences so there are more unimportant memories for the mushi to eat. Inspired the woman sets out to find her husband who had been working as a traveling salesman, but they find that he had started a new family in another town. The mother becomes depressed and the mushi eats almost all of her memories, though she continues to be upbeat. This is an enjoyable story, but I am bothered a bit by how her memory loss is played for laughs, given that in real life it can be pretty devastating.

Bonus manga: the author writes a bit about hiking the ancient road of Kumano.

[Rebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of the stories in this volume are a bit sad but not depressing, necessarily. I really love the “Sea Palace” anthem story with the painter and the haori. I don’t care for the eye one, but this was true of the anime as well.

The flame one is one of the more interesting of the stories in the series as a whole. Maybe bc it echoes the theme that Ginko embodies about not wantonly destroying life bc of the consequences of doing so, and also of man destroying other life bc of fear and bc he “can” as top of the food chain. It’s one of the stories I wish had been a little longer and developed a bit more.

Overall, one of the best of the volumes.

[Audrey Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I pick this series up, whether in manga or anime form, I am reminded how much I love it. It's atmospheric, and the art really draws you into the story and gives you an excellent sense of place. When I read the words on the page, I can hear the voices of Ginko and the narrator in my head (I've watched the anime many times). Much like the anime, this is a relaxing, calming read for me, and reading the manga makes me appreciate the anime even more. And as always, I love the translation notes at the back. This particular volume had a couple of my favorite stories in it.

[Sol González · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya no recuerdo tanto la animación. Eso me facilita encontrar asombro en las historias que voy leyendo y las disfruto aún más.

Este tomo incluye cinco historias más entre las que resaltan la memoria. La memoria de alguien que se fue, la que puede venir del futuro, la de tu hogar y encontrar cobijo cuando este desaparece, la memoria de algo que es mejor no recordar.

Nos invita a reflexionar en las cosas que nos hacen humanos y que damos por sentado.

[Khari · Rating 5 out of 5]

この巻の話は他の巻より不気味だった。目が落ちた時にすごっく驚いて気持ち悪い！何かこの巻の体の部分に入り込む蟲が多い。目玉に入った蟲、耳に入った蟲、肺に入った蟲。本当に気持ち悪いよ！私は南アメリカで育てたので本物の体に入り込む虫はそこにある。この巻読んでその虫の存在と影響思い出して不気味だった。
一番取り込んだ話は最後の話「暁の蛇」だった。カジもお母さんもかわいそう。母さんは蟲のせいで痴呆みたいな症状が現れる。そういうのはただのぼんやりじゃないすごく苦しいもの。

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mushishi #5

More delightful stories of the creepy mythical creature known as Mushi and their interactions with humans. Most of the encounters with Mushi are problematic and usually end badly. Such is life! How people cope is part of the charm of this series.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good one.

[Poppy3livres · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://poppylamangeusedelivres.wordp...

[ಥ_ಥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man......<3

[Matt Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The strange poetry expands to memory, survival and sacrifice, and more, while continuing to do so as beautifully as possible.

[Luru · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Katie❄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longing, sadness and art, everything to enjoy !

[Aleksandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine but barely anything made me feel a thing and the art didn’t wow me either.

[Yeon]

Ô càng đọc càng hay

[Jesus Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya ni se que poner en las reseñas, dibujo magnifico, todas las historias de los mushi interesante, y variadas.

[Reading by Mothlight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, that last one was sad.