In this post, we take a closer look at the current status of the series “Mushishi”, also known by the following titles:
- Mushi-Shi
- 蟲師
Status#
Based on our analysis, the series is FINISHED. ✅
Here’s how we reached that conclusion:
- All related entries are marked as finished on MyAnimeList
- The series is listed as ended on Trakt
- The original source material has been fully adapted, according to MangaUpdates
These sources consistently confirm that the main story of Mushishi has been fully concluded.
Watch order#
Mushishi ↗ ↖
Mushi-shi
Summary
Mushi: the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words good and evil. Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows.This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence. So what are mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a Mushishi, Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world’s hierarchy of life.
Ginko relentlessly chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer. It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Background
Mushishi was awarded the Excellence Prize for manga at the 7th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2003. In 2006, the manga won the Kodansha Manga Award in the General category. The series was published in English by Del Rey Manga from January 30, 2007, to July 27, 2010, with the final 3 volumes being released as a 3-in-1 omnibus. Kodansha USA later re-released the series digitally, and in print as 2-in-1 omnibus volumes since November 4, 2025. It was also published in Spanish by Norma Editorial in 2007; and in Polish by Hanami from April 1, 2015, to November 28, 2017.
Mushishi ↗ ↖
蟲師
Summary
"Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows.This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on Mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence.
So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a “Mushishi,” Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world’s hierarchy of life.
Ginko chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to Mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer.
It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Background
Mushishi is an adaptation of Yuki Urushibara's award-winning manga of the same name. The series adapts the first 26 chapters of the manga, adapting one per episode. The anime aired these stories in a different order than that of the manga. The series won the Tokyo Anime Award in the Television category in 2006. The series premiered on October 23, 2005, but went on hiatus on March 12, 2006 after having aired 20 episodes. Broadcast resumed on May 15, and aired the remaining 6 episodes, concluding on June 19, 2006.
Mushishi Recap ↗ ↖
Mushishi Digest
Summary
Recap of the first 20 episodes of Mushishi.
Mushishi Tokubetsu-hen: Hihamukage ↗ ↖
Mushishi Special: Sun-Eating Shade
Summary
When an eclipse occurs, the sun remains dark in one area. The mushi expert Ginko must come and determine how to return the sun to the village before their crops die. The secret seems connected to twin girls who live nearby.(Source: ANN)
Mushishi: Hihamukage ↗ ↖
蟲師 特別篇「日蝕む翳」
Summary
The entire countryside comes to a halt midday to witness a rare solar eclipse that is rumored to allow the average person to see Mushi. Unable to avert their gaze, the air is full of awe and wonder—but those who know the Mushi are preparing for the eclipse's aftermath.Based on a prediction from Tanyuu Karibusa, the cursed recorder, Mushishi Ginko finds himself in a very unlucky farming village. Immediately following the solar eclipse, a strange black cloud begins to gather in the sky and blocks the sun once more. Suspecting it to be the work of a Mushi known as Hihami, Ginko seeks to liberate the village from perpetual darkness. However, it seems that not all of the villagers are eager to return to the light.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Mushishi Zoku Shou ↗ ↖
蟲師 続章
Summary
Perceived as strange and feared by man, over time the misshapen ones came to be known as Mushi. Although they harbor no ill intentions towards humans, many suffer from the side effects of their existence and strange nature; exploiting the Mushi without understanding them, even unintentionally, can lead to disaster and strife for any involved. Mushishi Zoku Shou continues the story of Mushishi Ginko on his journey to help the visible world to coexist with the Mushi.During his travels, Ginko discovers various gifted individuals—those cursed by circumstance and those maintaining a fragile symbiosis with the Mushi—inevitably confronting the question of whether humanity, talented and tortured alike, can manage the responsibility of the unseen. Moreover, as a Mushishi, Ginko must learn more about these strange beings and decide if he has the right to interfere with the complex relationships between Mushi and mankind.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Mushishi Zoku Shou: Odoro no Michi ↗ ↖
蟲師 続章
Summary
Mysterious, unknowable creatures alien to the laws of nature—known only to some and feared by others—"Mushi" lie behind many of life's strange phenomena.Long ago, a Mushi of terrifying power threatened to extinguish all life. The Minai clan of Mushishi were born from those who stopped this malevolent force, their members bound by duty to serve as retainers to the Karibusa family, within whom the Mushi remains sealed. The Mushishi Ginko is given a job request from Tanyuu Karibusa: oversee the work of the head of the Minai clan, Kumado Minai, in investigating an abandoned village where dead wood and even houses spring back to life as flourishing plants.
Though the Minai clan are oddly ruthless among Mushishi, even more peculiar is their widespread dull character, with little appreciation for beauty or sentiment. Tanyuu believes there is more to this trend than meets the eye. Ginko aims to answer her curiosity as he follows Kumado into a “Path of Thorns,” a place where Mushi flow from their own strange sources into the world of the living. Rare and deadly varieties of Mushi lurk in these depths, along with the secret nature of the Minai clan’s resolve to their ancient task.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Mushishi Zoku Shou 2nd Season ↗ ↖
蟲師 続章
Summary
Ghostly, primordial beings known as Mushi continue to cause mysterious changes in the lives of humans. The travelling Mushishi, Ginko, persists in trying to set right the strange and unsettling situations he encounters. Time loops, living shadows, and telepathy are among the overt effects of interference from Mushi, but more subtle symptoms that take years to be noticed also rouse Ginko's concern as he passes from village to village.Through circumstance, Ginko has become an arbiter, determining which Mushi are blessings and which are curses. But the lines that he seeks to draw are subjective. Some of his patients would rather exercise their new powers until they are utterly consumed by them; others desperately strive to rid themselves of afflictions which are in fact protecting their lives from devastation. Those who cross paths with Mushi must learn to accept seemingly impossible consequences for their actions, and heal wounds they did not know they had. Otherwise, they risk meeting with fates beyond their comprehension.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Mushishi Zoku Shou: Suzu no Shizuku ↗ ↖
蟲師 続章: 鈴の雫
Summary
On a warm summer day, a boy heard the sound of bells ringing, as if in celebration, in the mountain near his home. Several years later in that same mountain, the mushishi Ginko encounters a strange girl with weeds growing out of her body. Soon after, Ginko coincidentally runs into the now grown-up boy Yoshiro on his way off the mountain. With Yoshiro's help, Ginko soon begins to uncover who this mysterious girl is and what happened to her.An adaptation of the last arc in the manga, Mushishi Zoku Shou: Suzu no Shizuku follows Ginko’s peculiar journey amidst the occult to unravel the mystery behind the enigmatic girl called Kaya and the mountain that has become her home.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Mushishi Bangai Tanpen: Chi Kakeru Kage ↗ ↖
Mushishi Short Extra Story: The Shadow That Soars Through Land
Summary
Seven years since the rare solar eclipse occurred, Adashino continues to assist those in medical need. After visiting a patient at a beachside home, the tactful doctor notices a shadow resembling a bird. This spontaneous sighting leads Adashino to reminisce about a story Ginko once told him about a Mushi that assumes the same form. Such a revelation, however, may lead to false optimism.[Written by MAL Rewrite]