Floral Delusion
Mushishi delivers a very dark episode this week. Considering that it’s been a long time since I watched the first season, I don’t remember if there was an episode quite this dark before…
This time, Ginko is dealing with a case that can’t be easily fixed and explores the darkest side of humanity. He discovers a gorgeous young woman who is deaf and blind because of a mushi that lives in a cherry tree…which isn’t blooming on time. Years ago, she was found in the tree as a baby and was raised by the local villagers. Because she aged so slowly and sometimes became ill, they grew very protective of her. Although there is a way to drive the mushi out of her now, Ginko can’t guarantee that she will live.
As Ginko digs deeper into this, he finds out that the man currently taking care of her has prolonged her life by…chopping other girl’s heads off and attaching them to her body. That’s right; he’s dealing with a murderer. Before he can kill another victim, Ginko saves her and sets the house on fire. What follows next is actually bittersweet. The woman afflicted by the mushi grows old and dies in a matter of seconds–but hey, the cherry tree blossoms and is as beautiful as ever!
Well…okay, this was mostly sad to me. This girl grew up among people who loved and cherished her so much, and I can’t help but sympathize with her condition and even the man who desperately tried to keep her alive. In real life, people really will do the craziest things to help their loved ones, even if it means compromising their morals. Excellent episode.
