Mushi



Mushi (蟲, lit. Bug; Insect), also known as Midorimono (緑の物, lit. Green Thing), have been described as "life in its purest form". They are seemingly magical creatures which make their home in rural areas, and most of them depend upon either forest or human life in order to live; this is why they are considered a form of parasite.

Some people have dedicated themselves to the study and understanding of Mushi, and the most accomplished of these people are called Mushishi, or Mushi Masters.

Origin
A Mushi is described as "life in its purest form", they are born from darkness and gather in the gloom at the borders with the light.

The weaker a Mushi gets the brighter light it emits, because when a Mushi is weak it is close to its source, the Kouki - which is the basis of all Mushi. The River of Light flows through the Kouki.

Ginko's Explanation
Ginko also gave an explanation of Mushi. He said that if all four fingers were animal life, and your thumb was plant life then humans would be at the tip of your middle finger. This would be the furthest away from the heart. As you travelled down your fingers to the wrist, he said that the arteries and veins start to "connect" and this would be fungi/bacteria. He then moved all the way to his heart and said that this was what Mushi were.

Effect on Humans
The effects Mushi have on humans range from helpful to harmful to downright malicious, but it should be noted that not all Mushi are evil, even though their effects are dangerous; they, like most parasites, are simply trying to live. This is emphasized by Ginko, a Mushi Master who dedicates his time to helping people and Mushi live in harmony, instead of destroying Mushi like most other Mushi Masters do.

Trivia

 * 蟲 (Mushi) in Japanese translates to bug or insect.