Mushi-Shi: The Movie, follows Ginko, as he looses his mother, becomes a Mushi Master, and fights to save his own life.

Highlights

Mushi are spirits that directly interact with the essence of life.  Becuse of this, they aren't usually seen by living things.  But, Ginko was the rare gift that allows him to see them.  Thus, he becomes a Mushi Master by going around from town to town exorcising (in a way) Mushi that affect the people of the town. The movie opens with Ginko stopping in a town overnight because a heavy snow is blocking his path.  Almost immediately after he settles in, he is asked to cure some of the villagers that have mysteriously lost their hearing in one ear.  It turns out to be a Mushi called Un.  They infect a human's and "eat" the sounds that would enter the ear.  After he solves that problem, the elder of the village takes Ginko to her granddaughter, who is unable to hear at all.  Instead, she picks up sound with horns that have sprouted on her forehead.  Ginko is at first puzzled by what it could be, then, after he spends some time with the girl, he discovers it's a Mushi, called Ah, which is similar to the Un's.  He finds a cure for the girls and then is on his way.  Ginko ends up at the home of a friend, but, there is a serious problem.  His friend has been cursed by a Mushi since birth, her job is to write down tales of Mushi, thus capturing them in scrolls.  While she was writing down her latest story, something went wrong and she lost control of her Mushi.  Ginko tries to capture the Mushi that have escaped the scrolls, but ends up almost dead.  Now, Ginko has to go on a journey to find the one who showed him what Mushi Masters are, in order to save his life.

Overall

Mushi-Shi starts off with the past, then the next scene is in the present.  At first it's a bit confusing, because Ginko's name before he became a Mushi Master is Yoki.  But, they don't explain that until closer to the end.  Except for that, the constant switch between past and present goes well with the whole feel of the movie. The imagery was beautiful and well done for CG.  While the Live action was a little boring, the CG helped keep it interesting.  They complemented each other nicely.

Compared to the Anime, the Live Action movie is more basic (for want of another word).  In the Anime, there is much more imagery and moments dedicated to just the physical appearance of the Mushi, while in the movie, most of the Mushi look similar, like different sized and shaped masses of heavy smoke.  Only three times do the Mushi take a very specific shape, and this is when they are specifically talked about.  I would have liked to see minor details when it came to this.  But for a movie time frame, it was fine.  Also, the character themselves were a little more simple then in the Anime.  In the Anime, Ginko wears clothes that aren't typical for the time period.  Actually, they are a more modern look, then the traditional style for the turn-of-the-century Japan (which is what it's set in).  In the movie, he wears more traditional clothes, and his habit of smoking isn't so big in the movie.  

I enjoyed Mushi-Shi: The Movie, but, I would have liked to see more of the bond between Ginko and the Mushi.  Although, it was a good translation form the 26 episode Anime.  It would make a great complement to a collection that has the Anime series as a part of it.

ComicsOnline gives Mushi-Shi: The Movie, 4 out of 5 Albino, One-Eyed Koi.