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Welcome back!
So today, we’ll be covering one of my personal favorite medically-relevant characters in any Anime – Ginko from Mushishi. When I was gathering general information on doctors and healers in Anime, I was surprised to see that Ginko was not on many lists. This was probably due to the fact that his methods do not seem conventionally related to western medicine or western related practices of healing. I think it important to note that health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), “is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (6) I believe that this is showcase nearly every episode of the show.
You might be wondering why I’m saying Ginko more than Yoki and that actually relates to the story.
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So this character’s actually name is Yoki. When he was child, he and his mother wandered through the mountains when a landslide injured Yoki’s leg and killed his mother. He was rescued and taken care of by Mushishi named Nui.
Mushi 虫typically means bug or insect in Japanese, but in the concept of this show, Mushi are strange, bug-like spiritual creatures that exist in the world and exert influences on the land the living. Mushishi are people who study the mushi and help people who have been afflicted by the influence of the Mushi. Most mushi act like parasites living inside of living hosts and taking their life force. They can manifest illness similar parasitic infectious healthcare workers commonly see in medicine today. For instance, some mushi can cause extreme light sensitivity, cause progressive retrograde amnesia, and even cause large scale skin infection throughout an entire village. There are also many extraordinary occurrences that mushi can manifest like helping improve someone’s hunting skills at the expense of the meat quality or giving people a chance to try and catch rainbows. If you happen to interest in any of these events please check out season 1 episode 2, 7, and 16 and season 2 episodes 4 and 19. (4)
Back to Yoki’s story, Nui took care of him and introduced him to the idea of mushi and what mushi existed in the Mountains where she lived. Over time, Yoki learned more about Nui and how she came to become so knowledgeable about Mushi. She had encountered the mushi Tokoyami (常闇or eternal darkness) which swallowed her and put her in contact with another mushi, Ginko, that lived inside Tokoyami. Meeting with Ginko bears an ill-fate, where an individual’s left eye and their memories are taken away from them. their remaining eye’s iris becomes green and their hair also turns snow white, and they constantly attract mushi to themselves. While in Nui’s care, the Tokoyami appear again to swallow both Nui and Yoki. They both come into the prescence of the Ginko, but only Yoki manages to escape them and the Tokoyami resulting in his iconic look. And because of the Ginko, Yoki not only forgets all his previous memories but he only remembers his name to be Ginko. After the encounter Ginko wakes up to the care of another stranger but quickly runs away. Because of Ginko’s recent experiences, he incessantly attracts mushi if he stays in a location for too long. This leads into the nature of the show mushishi itself, as we constantly see Ginko traveling throughout the land. Through his nomadic lifestyle, he was able to become an apprentice to an actual mushishi and over time officially became one himself. It’s good to know that Ginko’s travels not only to learn about mushi or help the ill but also to prevent mushi from accumulating in one location.
On to the fun facts!
Amongst the world of Mushishi, Ginko is one of the few, if any characters who is consistently wearing western clothing. (5) In addition, Ginko is constantly seen smoking some type of cigarette but this is actually a mushi repellant he burns to protect himself and others around him. Something that Ginko likes to emphasize throughout the series is that mushi are not inherently evil or bad, they just like humans, trying to find a way to survive. I believe that this concept relates very well to microorganisms and parasites that can cause illness. (3) Given what we know about Ginko, I think he would definitely be an Infectious Disease and Public Health Specialist (MD/MPH life). I would even argue that he would be an advocate for environmental health too (based on some of his specific interactions with mushi in the show)!
Well that’s all I got for today. I hope you all enjoyed learning about my boy Ginko and might take the time to checkout Mushishi in the future! See you tomorrow!
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