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REVIEW: Mushishi GN 4




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Josh7289



Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 1252
PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:14 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Story : A++


Seriously? You're allowed to do that?

I'm extremely impressed...I feel like it's absolutely imperative that I check this manga out now...
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:52 pm Reply with quote
Josh7289 wrote:
Quote:
Story : A++


Seriously? You're allowed to do that?

I'm extremely impressed...I feel like it's absolutely imperative that I check this manga out now...


That was a typo, it's been fixed. It is now an A+.
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Big Hed



Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1607
Location: Melbourne, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:14 am Reply with quote
Ah, man, I came too late to see the typo.

Overall, I'm in agreement with the review. Reading a volume of Mushishi is always a joy. Although I had no idea the japanese edition had color pages. Truly a shame they couldn't be reproduced for Del Rey's edition.

Speaking more generally about the series' art, though, I've always found it to be quite appealing; however, I think this is because the style is appropriate in context of the stories being told, so perhaps I'm biased.

I'll echo Casey's sentiments with regards to historical framing as well. There really is essentially none, and I think that works in favor of Mushishi. The timeless setting piles more atmosphere atop what is already a venerable mountain of the stuff.

It's just a shame that the releases for Mushishi are spread so far apart -- have to wait 'til December for volume 5 not to mention volume 3 of Yozakura Quartet. And this after going through two volumes of each of those series in the space of a month.
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SpiritualRemains



Joined: 13 Sep 2002
Posts: 81
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:07 am Reply with quote
Big Hed wrote:
It's just a shame that the releases for Mushishi are spread so far apart -- have to wait 'til December for volume 5 not to mention volume 3 of Yozakura Quartet.

Actually, volume 5 of Mushishi comes out in August and 6 in November, according to Del Rey's calendar.
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Big Hed



Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1607
Location: Melbourne, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:12 am Reply with quote
Oh right, that's true. I guess I had just gotten accustomed to the long wait I had between 2 and 3.
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2633
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:13 am Reply with quote
Does anyone know if there are any stories that weren't animated in this one?
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x1onexwo1fx



Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 31
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:59 am Reply with quote
Maidenoftheredhand wrote:
Does anyone know if there are any stories that weren't animated in this one?


wikipedia does a good job at outlining which chapters were made into which episodes
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here-and-faraway



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1528
Location: Sunny California
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:26 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
In addition, each volume has been priced two dollars higher than most other Del Rey titles, perhaps in anticipation of weak sales and thin (or no) profit margins.


Bless their hearts for publishing Mushishi.
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The Ramblin' Wreck



Joined: 07 Apr 2003
Posts: 924
Location: Teaching Robot Women How To Love
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:55 pm Reply with quote
I thought all of Del Rey's "mature" manga were priced 2 dollars higher.

Basilisk was too, IIRC.
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ManSlayer07



Joined: 09 Apr 2006
Posts: 214
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:35 pm Reply with quote
While I've only seen the anime and haven't read the manga, I'd personally give the story a B/B- at most. Ginko traveling from village to village isn't that interesting and can be pretty damn boring at times. Hopefully I'll re-watch the anime series sometime in the future, maybe I'll like it enough to defend and recommend it. Razz
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Kagemusha



Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:39 pm Reply with quote
The Ramblin' Wreck wrote:
I thought all of Del Rey's "mature" manga were priced 2 dollars higher.

Basilisk was too, IIRC.


They are, but only Suzuka and Basikisk are in the larger size (which is odd since neither one really needs to be and both are only "mature" in the sense that they have boobs).

"Alas, none of this is drawn especially skillfully"

I agree that the art is the series' biggest drawback, but I don't think its a matter of the author lacking skill, as she's clearly a very accomplished artist with a talent for atmosphere. What she lacks is versatility and experience in visual storytelling (I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't come up in the traditional apprentice system) which limits the appeal of the stories. This is the big reason I think the anime is superior to the manga, along with the fact that the audio/visual medium lends itself to these kind of fables.
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portgas



Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Posts: 66
PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:43 am Reply with quote
I enjoyed reading the reflections on culture in this review and this is a title that certainly invites it.

I have to agree with the other posters that the anime delivers what the manga could not, a much richer visual experience. I enjoy the manga, but the anime really fulfills its potential.
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Kasakitis



Joined: 18 Feb 2008
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:29 am Reply with quote
Does anyone know if the library binding suffers from the same problem as the paperback with text receeding into the binding?
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