Mushishi (film)

Mushishi (Japanese: 蟲師), also known in English as Mushi-Shi: The Movie and Bugmaster, is a 2006 Japanese fantasy film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, based on the manga of the same name. It stars Joe Odagiri as Ginko, a traveler who dedicates himself to protecting the populace from supernatural creatures called Mushi. Otomo began work on the film in 2005 after declining a jidaigeki project. He was interested in creating a mix of live action and animation and felt the manga gave him an appropriate creative vehicle.

Mushishi
Theatrical release poster
Japanese蟲師
Directed byKatsuhiro Otomo
Produced bySatoru Ogura
Written byKatsuhiro Otomo
Sadayuki Murai
Based onMushishi
by Yuki Urushibara
Starring
Music byKuniaki Haishima
CinematographyTakahide Shibanushi
Edited bySoichi Ueno
Distributed byShowgate
Release date
  • September 8, 2006 (2006-09-08) (Venice)
  • March 24, 2007 (2007-03-24) (Japan)
Running time
131 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Budget$8.5 million
Box office$4.2 million (Japan)

The film debuted at the Venice International Film Festival in 2006 and was screened at several other festivals prior to its theatrical release on March 24, 2007, in Japan. The DVD was released in Japan in 2007, in the United Kingdom in 2008, and in North America in 2009. The film has received a mixed response from film critics. Many praised Odagiri's performance and its visual but critiqued the plot and mythology as confusing. Mushishi received nominations and awards at film festivals and was among the 100 highest-grossing films of 2007 in Japan.

Plot

Mushishi opens with Yoki and his mother walking along a mountain when a cliff suddenly collapses. This is followed by a nonlinear narrative that moves between the past and the present. A series of flashbacks reveal that only Yoki survived, coming under the care of Nui, who is a Mushishi (or Bugmaster)—an expert in Mushi, which are supernatural bug-like creatures that are invisible to most humans. She lives near a pond where there are two types of Mushi: a fish-like Ginko who swims in the darkness-like Tokoyami. Because Nui spent too long looking at the Ginko, one of her eyes and the color of her hair were altered by the shadow of Tokoyami. Eventually, Nui is swallowed by the Tokoyami. When Yoki tries to help her, he is also swallowed. Only by sacrificing one of his eyes and his memories is Yoki able to survive. He then renames himself Ginko because it is the only name he can remember.

In the present, Ginko, to escape a blizzard, finds a village inn. After revealing himself as a Mushishi, he is asked to help several locals suffering from hearing loss. After he helps the locals, Ginko is asked by the innkeeper to look at her granddaughter, Maho, who is deaf, has horns on her forehead, and hears strange noises. Maho's mother had the same symptoms and was cremated after her death. Maho, however, kept her mother's horns, which turned out to be a disguised Mushi and the cause of her illness. Ginko heals the girl and then continues on his journey.

Ginko receives a letter requesting his presence from Tanyu, a woman infected with a Mushi that demands her to write about Mushi to expel it. On the way, he meets Koro, a Mushishi who is trying to capture a rainbow-like Mushi. They go to the house of Tanyu, where her nanny, Tama, says that a white-haired woman told them about the Tokoyami. When Tanyu tried to write about it, she was afflicted by paralysis and gangrene. Ginko then asks to read about the Tokoyami; while he is reading, the Tokoyami from the writings leave them and return to Tanyu, further exacerbating her condition.

Ginko faces the Tokoyami itself in the writings warehouse, while Tama and Koro try to remove the Tokoyami by bloodletting. The newly healed Tanyu accompanies Tama and Koro to the warehouse, where they find a collapsed Ginko. Tanyu begins to remove the writings from Ginko's body and reattach them to the parchments. After Tanyu removes the writings, Ginko awakens and continues on with Koro. The pair finds the rainbow-like Mushi. After this, they part ways, and Koro goes back to his hometown to build bridges. Ginko faces a Tokoyami-possessed Nui and carries her to the River of Light (or Koumyaku), a stream of glittering Mushi called Kouki—the origin of Mushi life.

Cast

Production

... some people will probably feel that the film doesn't have a real climax. It sort of calmly moves toward its end. But that too is very much like our lives as human beings. If you look back at your life, maybe you can point to moments that you feel were a climax or a turning point, but when they actually happened you didn't experience them the same way. Life moves ahead quite calmly and gradually, and I wanted to bring that same feeling to [this film].

— Katsuhiro Otomo[1]

In November 2005, Katsuhiro Otomo announced that he would direct a live-action film based on Mushishi, a Kodansha manga by Yuki Urushibara, which would star Joe Odagiri and Makiko Esumi and would be released in 2006. Japan Digital Content Trust planned to raise $2.2 million (¥260 million) of the film's projected $8.5 million (¥1 billion) budget.[2] Its filming lasted three months, and production of the film took two years.[3]

Initially, producer Satoru Ogura came up with the idea of making a jidaigeki in collaboration with the team that worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.[1] Otomo was not confident in working on "a project of that size" as he had only directed one live-action film in 1991, titled World Apartment Horror.[1][2] He instead suggested adapting Mushishi as he felt it would be "an opportunity to mix live action and computer graphics, to create a hybrid of the natural and the virtual".[1]

Otomo felt that the concept of Mushishi was sufficiently unique to interest him creatively. He found the episodic nature of the work challenging but was able to fashion a cohesive screenplay by combining elements of the different stories present in the manga. Although he sent his script to Urushibara for review, she gave him complete creative autonomy. Otomo describes the film as "a kind of fable", and as such, he chose the Meiji era as its setting because he felt it offered the best framing for the story, as he considered the sudden disappearances of certain characters were also consistent with the nature of that historical period.[1]

Release

The worldwide premiere of Mushishi took place at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival, which ran from August 30 to September 9, 2006.[4] The film was shown at the "Visions" section of the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2006 under the title of Bugmaster.[5] It was later screened in January at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival in the "Spectrum" section.[6][7] It opened in Japanese theaters on March 24, 2007,[8] after the release of a novelization by Naoki Tsujii on February 23,[9] a soundtrack album by Avex on March 14,[10] and a book with details about the film's production by Kodansha on March 22.[11] In October of the same year, it was shown at the 2007 Sitges Film Festival.[12]

In Japan, the film was released in DVD format by Tohokushinsha Film on October 26, 2007.[13] Revolver Entertainment licensed it in January 2008[14] and was released on DVD in the United Kingdom on February 25.[15] In September 2008, Funimation announced that it had acquired the distribution rights of the film to North America.[16] A Blu-ray version was released in Japan on February 20, 2009,[17] while Funimation released its DVD version on August 25, 2009, calling it Mushi-Shi: The Movie.[18]

Reception

In its opening weekend in Japan, Mushishi ranked eighth at the box office.[19] In total, it grossed $4,194,890, making it the 81st best gross of a film released in Japan in 2007.[20] It was nominated at the Venice Film Festival in the best film category and at the Sitges Film Festival in the best film, best special effects, and best soundtrack categories, winning in the latter two.[4][21] On its exhibition at the Sundance Film Festival, all tickets were sold out, and some people watched it standing because they did not buy reserved seats.[22]

Although the film received mixed reviews, Odagiri's performance was highly praised

Critical response was mixed. Todd Brown, writing for Twitch Film, characterized the film as "long, slow, fairly pedestrian in its visual style, confusing for the newbies, [and] over-familiar for the existing fan".[23] Anime News Network's Bamboo Dong praised its visuals but noted that the film could be confusing for viewers who are unfamiliar with the manga series and that Ginko "looks more like a cosplayer".[24] Tony Sullivan of Eye for Film said it is "beautifully acted, shot and scored" but cited the "lack of oomph" as a reason why "the movie is rather dull".[25] Mark Schilling from The Japan Times praised Odagiri but criticized the film for being "a text too tangled and murky for the uninitiated to easily penetrate or parse".[26] The cast performance was praised by Variety reviewer Derek Elley who declared its "longueurs and narrative obscurities consign this 'Bug' to highly specialized outings".[27] Sullivan, Schilling, and Elley criticized its soundtrack, especially the use of didgeridoos.[25][26][27]

Sally Foster from Film Threat praised its visuals and "a few good Japanese-style creep-out scenes" but described the storyline as "incomprehensible" due to "the overabundance" of information about its mythology.[28] John Sinnott of DVD Talk asserted the film could not reach the quality of the manga; he cited the lack of explanation about Ginko's background as one of the reasons. Sinnott criticized its slow pace considering its duration and said that "there isn't much mystery or suspense."[18] Anthony Enticknap from Den of Geek said its plot is "complex at times, and often drifts into the realms of the incomprehensible". Although he criticized the film's "pedestrian" pace, Enticknap praised Omori's performance as well as the film's cinematography and use of CGI.[29] While praising Odagiri's acting and deeming the film's visuals an "A-game", DVD Verdict's Adam Arseneau said it "feels disjointed and fragmented".[30]

While he preferred the anime version, Mania.com's Chris Beveridge praised the film as "a soothing and atmospheric movie that captures everything that it should", singling out Otomo's direction and Odagiri's acting.[31] Scott Green from Ain't It Cool News wrote that he "didn't find it as breathtaking as Otomo's anime spectacles or as effecting as earlier version of Mushi-Shi", but did "find it a fascinating movie to watch and consider".[32] Joseph Luster from Otaku USA called it "fantastic" though declared Mushishi would not be "nearly as strong without him [Odagiri] in the lead".[33] Kevin Kelly, writing for Cinematical.com, dubbed it "a film not for everyone" because of its storyline's complexity and "unusual type of mythology and storytelling". Kelly concluded, "if you like Japanese cinema, fantasy storytelling, and interesting characters, you'll love this film."[34] Similarly, Justin Howe of Tor.com declared it is "a bit too inert for most people's tastes" but said "Mushishi is a fantasy film that's worth seeing. It's more eerie than scary, often haunting, and occasionally beautiful."[35]

References
  1. Sato, Kuriko (December 29, 2006). "Interview: Katsuhiro Otomo". Midnight Eye. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  2. Schilling, Mark (November 10, 2005). "Animation master Otomo begins work on live-action sci-fi". Screen Daily. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  3. Sensei, Kitty (March 18, 2007). "Live action Mushishi". The Star. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  4. Mays, Jonathan (July 28, 2006). "Paprika, Mushishi Compete in Venice". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 30, 2006.
  5. Hernandez, Eugene (August 22, 2006). "Toronto '06: The Complete Lineup - 352 Films". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  6. "2007 Sundance Film Festival announces films in the Premieres, Spectrum, New Frontier, Park City at Midnight and From the Sundance Follection Sections" (PDF). November 6, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 16, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  7. "Sundance Film Festival 2007 Film Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 3, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  8. 「蟲師」オダギリジョー、新幹線でおじさんに怒られた? (in Japanese). Eiga.com. April 3, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  9. 小説 蟲師 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  10. 「蟲師」オリジナル・サウンドトラック. CDJournal (in Japanese). Ongaku Shuppansha. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  11. 大友克洋「蟲師」映画術 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  12. Koulikov, Mikhail (September 17, 2007). "Spain's Sitges Film Festival Announces Selections". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  13. "蟲師 (DVD)". CDJournal (in Japanese). Ongaku Shuppansha. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  14. Koulikov, Mikhail (January 22, 2008). "Otomo's Live-Action Mushishi Heads to UK on DVD". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  15. "Mushishi". Revolver Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  16. "FUNimation Gets Otomo's 'Mushishi'". ICv2. GCO. September 29, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  17. 蟲師 ブルーレイ・エディション. CDJournal (in Japanese). Ongaku Shuppansha. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  18. Sinnott, John (August 26, 2009). "Mushi-Shi: The Movie". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  19. Phillips, George (March 26, 2007). "Japanese Box Office Update". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  20. "2007 Japan Yearly Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  21. Koulikov, Mikhail (October 13, 2007). "Mushishi, Dororo Adaptations Win at Sitges Film Festival". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  22. Ohara, T. (February 3, 2007). "Mushishi Live-Action Movie Interview". ComiPress. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  23. Brown, Todd (September 17, 2006). "TIFF Report: Bugmaster Review". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  24. Dong, Bamboo (August 24, 2009). "Mushiroom Cloud - Shelf Life". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  25. Sullivan, Tony (January 22, 2007). "Bugmaster (2006) Film Review". Eye for Film. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  26. Schilling, Mark (March 23, 2007). "Mushishi". The Japan Times. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  27. Elley, Derek (September 8, 2006). "Review: 'Bugmaster'". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  28. Foster, Sally (January 22, 2007). "Bugmaster". Film Threat. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  29. Enticknap, Anthony (February 24, 2008). "Mushishi (aka The Bugmaster) DVD review". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  30. Arseneau, Adam (August 21, 2009). "Mushi-Shi: The Movie". DVD Verdict. Verdict Partners. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  31. Beveridge, Chris (October 2, 2009). "Mushi-shi (Live Action)". Mania.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  32. Green, Scott (September 8, 2009). "AICN Anime - A Look at Katsuhiro Otomo's Live Action Mushi-shi and Update on the Adaptation of His Akira, Ultraviolet Anime ..." Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  33. Luster, Joseph (September 11, 2009). "Mushi-Shi: The Movie". Otaku USA. Sovereign Media. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  34. Kelly, Kevin (January 29, 2007). "Sundance Review: Bugmaster". Cinematical.com. AOL. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  35. Howe, Justin (September 10, 2009). "Mushishi "the Bugmaster" and the Cryptozoology of the Mind". Tor.com. Macmillan. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
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