Mushishi: Vol. 1

by Yuki Urushibara

Synopsis
They have existed since the dawn of time. Some live in the deep darkness behind your eyelids. Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. Shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze, these deadly creatures, mushi, came into terrifying being. And they still exist and wreak havoc in the world today. Ginko, a young man with a sardonic smile, has the knowledge and skill to save those plagued by mushi ... perhaps.

Review
I kinda knew what I was getting into when I read this. I figured it was some kind of supernatural story kind of thing. What I didn't realize what it was a genre that I'd seen before, but had never heard of a name for it. Thus, I'm going to call it: resident-expert-helps-people-with-problems. You know what I'm talking about. The main character, who has no background, is an expert in whatever supernatural phenomenon is important in the story, in this case, mushi. He goes around the world finding people who have problems with said supernatural phenomena, and cures them. That's the gist of this series. Not that it's bad, but really, I feel like I've seen this before, so it doesn't strike me as unique.

My real problem with this genre is the story is not about the main character, it's about the people in the mini-stories. Not that I mind the people in the stories, but they aren't going to be around very long, so why should I, as the reader, invest much time in them? The answer is, I don't. I invest my time in the main character(s). Sometimes in these stories, the author will get around to developing the main character, their background, their problem, and deflating the idea that they're really experts. However, in Mushishi, I don't get that feeling at all. Ginko certainly seems like he could be an interesting character, as I wonder how he got his abilities, who he learned them from, what he thinks about the people he helps, etc. If there is development for him, it's in another volume.

All in all, it's really not bad, but there's nothing spectacular either. What a shame.

Final thought: I might read more, if I run out of things to read.