Mushishi (蟲師) or Mushi-shi is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara, published in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from January 1999 to August 2008. The story revolves around strange creatures called mushi (蟲) that can cause strange phenomena to the world and creatures around them. Only some can see the mushi, either by being born with the ability or by being affected by the mushi in some way. Some people, called mushi-shi, study to learn more about these creatures and about life itself. One such person is Ginko, the main character of the story, who travels and assists people plagued by mushi. The manga has 10 volumes, and roughly 50 chapters. The manga won an Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award.
The manga was adapted into an anime series in 2005, concluding in 2006 with 26 episodes. The Artland production was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama.
A live-action feature film adaptation titled (in English) The Bug Master, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, premiered on March 24, 2007.
A special titled "The Shadow That Devours the Sun" was released on January 4, 2014.
The second season for the anime aired on April 4, 2014, concluding with the second half on December 21, 2014, for a total of 20 episodes.
A second special titled "Path of Thorns" was released on August 20, 2014.
A movie titled Bell Droplets was released on May 16, 2015.