Mushi-shi
This series won't be out in America until the end of the month (July 31, 2007) but it will be well worth the wait! We saw this English dub premier at Anime Expo just this last weekend (July 1, 2007) and it was amazing! Be warned, it isn't quite what the Funimation site leads you to believe - it's more intellectual than action - but it's still worth checking out. The story takes place in the mid-1800s in Japan and is rooted in Japanese folklore and also in medical science and biology. It centers around a man named Ginko who is a mushi master, or mushi-shi. The mushi are exist somewhere between plant and animal, and also between life and death. Not all can be seen by the average human eye, and they are the cause of many human afflictions (illnesses), though not out of malicious intent. Mushi-shi are similar to medicine men or doctors, and they 'treat' mushi related ailments. Ginko is a special case. For some reason he attracts Mushi and for this reason he does not stay in one place for very long. It is also the reason he smokes... but you can find out about that on the official site. Ginko has a rare talent for understanding mushi and the way they work, but apparently this gift has come at a high cost.
The background for this series can be a little confusing, with the nature of the mushi being as ambiguous as it is, and there are many things left unexplained (such as Ginko's obviously rather modern, Western, clothing), however the story is captivating, and the artistry of the anime is breathtaking. Each story can be viewed as separate unto itself, though Ginko's background is revealed as it goes on, and can be viewed and understood without having seen any other episode. GInko is the only constant character (with only two other characters even appearing in multiple episodes - and then only in two and three respectively), but he's a good companion. He's relatively laid back and calm, but serious about keeping people safe from mushi. Still, he stressed that mushi are not evil, they are only trying to survive, and he would rather remove them than kill them. It will be interesting to see where his journey takes him and to unravel the mystery behind his past - including the reason for his unusually colored hair and eyes.
The anime appears to have ended after the initial 26 episodes (though the Japanese director hinted that could change), but the manga continues. I haven't read it, but the anime seems to have followed it closely (according to all I've heard) so it's probably worth your time.
On a humorous note - the English dubbing director for this series described it as "The X-files, no Scully, only Mulder, set in Japan of the 1800s, and everything is caused by mushi which are, like, animal/fungi not quite spirit things...". It's a fairly accurate description actually. Really, this series is like nothing you've ever seen. Check it out!
Title: Mushi-shi
Genre: Seinen*, Historical Fantasy
Rating: 14+ (anime), 16+ (manga)
Mankaka (creator/author): Yuki Urushibara
Japanese Publisher (manga): Kodansha
Japanese Publisher (anime): Artland
English Language Publisher (Manga): Del Rey
English Language Publisher (anime): Funimation
Run dates (in Japan): 1999 to the present
Number of Manga Volumes: 8
Manga Status in Japan: Ongoing
Manga Status in the US: Ongoing
Number of Episodes (anime): 26
Anime Status in Japan: Currently considered complete
US Release date: July 31, 2007
There is also a Mushi-shi live action movie in Japan.
Links: Official Funimation site
*Seinen is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at an 18–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be much older with some comics aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. It has a wide variety of art styles and more variation in subject matter, ranging from the avant-garde to the pornographic. However, it is also given to manga that are more serious or more intellectual than a minor would generally appreciate/understand. The female equivalent to seinen manga is josei manga. The genre is comparable to the English terms and genre "adult". In the case of Muhi-shi this genre is given due to the intellectual nature of the series and does not indicate that the series is violent or pornographic.