Pick of the Week

Feeling bored and looking for something less wordy than a two-hundred paged novel to read? We bring to you suggestions for comic books, webcomics, graphic novels, and the like!

Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara

Genre: supernatural, fantasy

Synopsis: The series is a string of vignettes and short stories following the travels of Ginko, a mushishi ‘mushi master’ (蟲師).Mushi are a type of strange creature with supernatural powers; most people can’t sense their presence, some people do.  Ginko, a laidback man with white hair and green eyes, passes from village to village to research mushi for reasons of his own, and as he does so, he helps people out of troubles caused by the mushi.  He makes it clear though that mushi are not dangerous but in fact are just trying to survive alongside humans.

Story: 4/5

Art: 5/5

Consistency: 5/5

Comments: No grand plot, just individual story after story, each with a nice solid “mystery case” that wraps up to a satisfying ending.  Has a peaceful, slightly melancholy tone to everything, and there are more than a few touching moments involving the new characters introduced.  The pacing is slow but relaxing. Art is simply gorgeous with sceneries of grassy mountains, Japanese fishing villages and rivers.

Overall rating: 9/10

Where to read it: volumes 1-4 available at Cherry Hill Public Library.