Moyashimon = Mushishi + LocoRoco
Posted by 0rion on October 14th, 2007 - 12:56 am
In a season overflowing with sequels and generic “been there, done that” plots, Moyashimon’s unique premise and unusual, lighthearted style is a breath of fresh air.
Basically it’s Mushishi, but instead of mysterious and sometimes sinister creatures that live in your eyeballs, it’s full of cute and harmless bacteria who appear as chibi critters with big heads and giant smiles. I swear they look like something straight out of LocoRoco. Even the music in the little ending skit totally reminded me of the game.
Moyashimon’s OP, “Curriculum”, sung by Ifu Sarasa as her debut piece.
If watching this doesn’t make you smile, then there’s something terribly wrong with you.
As soon as I saw that little yellow oryzae guy with the dreadlocks come out and start boppin’ to the music, I knew this show was gonna be epic. 
The ending skit, which took the spot that would
normally feature an episode preview.
LOL, the sign says “Beware of animals!” Not exactly your everyday university campus.
Nice daikon!
Gondola livestock coming through! Hah, that one sheep seems almost as weirded out by them as they are by it.
This whole sequence served very nicely to illustrate that this is not your typical university.
The bacteria are definitely the highlight of the show. Just look at the cute smiles on their faces as they blissfully biff right into his face.
Sawaki’s power certainly seems pretty helpful, but obviously they had to make it rather selective. If he really could see all mushi bacteria manifested like that, he’d hardly be able to move or see, since in real life they’re absolutely everywhere. Including in your mouth and other places about your person. 
A wild moleman Itsuki-sensei appears!
Do you:
A. Stand frozen in shock and terror
B. Pass out
C. Eat some bird butt
In animation, they have complete freedom to make it look however they want…so why the heck do they always just throw in craploads of absolutely horrible looking lens flare all over the place??!
Only cheap lenses with a five bladed aperture would produce that awful pentagonal shape, and only a completely crap $100 K-Mart lens would produce such huge ugly looking flare. Do they not realize that lens flare is bad, and that professional photographers pay thousands of dollars to get lenses that remove that kind of effect???
I understand it’s supposed to make it look cool and dramatic somehow, but as a photographer I die a little inside every time I see them do this.
*sigh* /rant
Anyway, Itsuki-sensei is simultaneously amazing and horrifying.
He’s got a cool sounding deep voice, scary shiny glasses, and great presence.
But on the other hand, he looks like some kind of horror movie reject and he eats bird butts.
I absolutely flipped out at this part. o_0
By the way, if you’re interested in learning what the heck this scene was all about, as well as excellent explanations of the various bacteria that appear in the show, be sure to check out this article. (Warning: Highly informative! Not recommended if you’re ADHD or have a low tl;dr threshold.)
In addition to the specific stuff TJ outlines, there are a number of other common terms that are used frequently in the show which are handy to know, especially since there’s no one subbing it right now. Here’s a few of the more common ones:
kin (菌) - bacteria, germs, the generic term for the little floaty chibi dudes.
kabi (黴) - mold; for example, penicillin (the little greenish-blue guy) is called aokabi in Japanese, literally “blue mold”.
kouji (麹) - Yeast; can also refer specifically to the kind of mold used to make sake, as mentioned in the show. Sometimes they also call it koujikabi (kouji mold).
kamosu (醸す) - Brewing or fermentation. Wow, lots of “K” terms. 
GAH! THERE IT IS AGAIN!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!
The eyecatch is just win. I so want big versions of these for desktop wallpapers. n_n
Also, I just have to laugh at the one samurai lookin’ yogurt bacteria guy standing on the lower right near the logo. He just looks so serious business.
I also loved the way they smoothed out scene transitions and expositional sequences by cutting to a shot of the mushi bacteria just kind of chillin’.
Moyashimon’s poster boy, the oryzae, is definitely my favorite of the different bacteria we’ve seen. I really need to get a plushie of one of these guys. My Mokona needs a new friend. 
And of course he’s able to tell the Japanese yogurt apart from the non-Japanese one because the bacteria are all “Japanese style”, bowing to each other and saying “~de gozaru.” Notice that they also have topknots instead of little dangly ahoge.
Once again, the little bacteria are really what carry the show and make the show so much fun, like in this scene where they stand around watching him draw, and then when they realize that it’s a picture of them they all jump up on the drawing pad and chatter excitedly.
Haha, even the bacteria are terrified of Hasegawa!
Hopefully in coming episodes we’ll get to learn all about all these different little guys!
“Hmm…I see the problem…you really need to change into something that makes you look more like a scientist and less like a hooker. Oh yeah, you should probably do something about that athlete’s foot, too.”
This little ending skit with all the oryzae and the penicillin was pretty entertaining, as well.
I honestly like this kind of thing much more than an episode preview, especially for a simple episodic show like this where it isn’t needed, since there really isn’t any big plot hook to show off.
Much like Mushishi, Moyashimon is a very different kind of a show, one that perhaps not everyone will appreciate. There’s no gun battles or moe fanservice here (unless cute bacteria is your thing, that is), and no grand overarching plot to draw you in. It’s just a nice simple story that features a great mix of humor, science, and surreal WTF moments.
In addition, production values in Moyashimon seem surprisingly high, and the overall animation quality is excellent. The soundtrack is also very appropriate for the show and lots of fun to listen to.
I think in the end, your overall opinion of Moyashimon will be based on your reaction to the mushi, sorry, bacteria themselves. If you really enjoy their cute appearances and silly antics, you’ll probably love the show. Likewise, if you watched the OP and were unimpressed (you soulless oni), there probably won’t be much to interest you in the rest of the anime, because it’s essentially just lots more of the same.
Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Moyashimon is literally the only show of this season that I’ve actively wanted to watch. Ironically, I’ve yet to see it, but I’m glad it’s not completely rubbish. I plan to savour its weirdness after all this moe crap I’ve been inflicting upon myself.
Your post has inspired me to watch this show!
This show needs to be fan-subbed, immediately. I’m hoping desperately that the show is picked up by someone because the concept is so original and engaging. Unfortunately for me, and many others whose Japanese is quite rudimentary, I depend upon the hard work of fan-subbers to enjoy virtually all of the anime I watch.
That being said, this is definitely incentive for me to learn more Japanese. (Yes I’m aware that being able to watch television shows is a rather poor reason to want to study a foreign tongue, but oh well.)
Despite or because of her glam metal appearance I’m already warming to the distinctly non-moe Haruka Hasegawa and her ridiculous footwear.
This show already gets a free pass from me for using Polysics on the end theme. Perfect!
LOL I was thinking the same thing about the lense flare. I’m pretty sure they were doing that on purpose though, to increase the cheesiness of those scenes. I don’t the animators are that dumb.
I knew this show was going to be awesome as soon as the OP started playing. I’m glad there are others out there who appreciate it.
[…] people have already blogged about this series, but I find it an absolute need to say at least something […]
[…] people have already blogged about that series, but I find it an absolute need to say at least something […]
Orion, I am not sure if you know about this, but there already are microbe plushies sold on the net (simple search for simple results).
However nothing beats the chibiness made in Japan, and I am sure Moyashimon plushies will appear on the market, if success follows.
Otherwise, this greenish microbe makes me think of leek every time I see it. I don’t know why *laughs*
Anyway, I seriously would like to watch that show in the near future. Seems promising and completely random already. “Good Job!” as one would say.
I loved Mushishi. And these bacteria… zomg it’s bacterial moe XD. They’re so CUTE. I really hope someone will fansub this. Meanwhile, thanks for your pics and info about it. I was hoping for someone to blog this show too ^^
@ DS
Glad to hear we converted you! Hope you enjoy the craziness!
@ Totali
Yeah, I’m sure many times it’s used for comedic effect more than anything, which is understandable. But I see it used SO FREQUENTLY that there’s got to be more to it that that.
@ D_Blade
Yeah, I’ve seen those microbe plushies on ThinkGeek. But I don’t want just any microbe! I want this one!
@ elianthos
Woo another Mushishi fan! High five!
[…] people have already blogged about this series, but I find it an absolute need to say at least something […]
“Do they not realize that lens flare is bad, and that professional photographers pay thousands of dollars to get lenses that remove that kind of effect???”
Do you not realise that its considered cool by all kinds of artists to imitate the limitations of the film ? Including, but not limited to : lens flare, film grain, sepia gradations, overfix, etc.
@ Karry
Of course I realize they think it’s cool, otherwise they wouldn’t intentionally try to animate it into a scene. I’m just baffled by why they think it’s cool. Perhaps it’s just a difference in aesthetics, but I cringe every time I see that kind of horrible flare.
It would be one thing if it was realistic lens flare that would be expected in real filming, but to actively go out of your way to add ugly and ridiculously over the top flare, the kind of stuff that gets edited out with extreme prejudice in film post production, is completely mystifying.
While I applaud the use of extremely creative shots replicating the effects of fisheye barrel distortion or interesting push-pull camera tricks, and while I enjoy seeing them use impossible camera positions, excellent color correction, cool contrast tricks, and other concepts that take advantage of the freedom inherent in the medium, this one point just really rubs me the wrong way.
Orion, let’s call it the “immortal kitsch effect”.
Personally, it reminds me of good old anime series of my youth (I was born in the eighties. Captain Tsubasa and Saint Seiya among others overused this effect).
Oh, nostalgia, when you hold my heart… (Do I talk like a gramps there? Please don’t pay attention to that. *laughs*)
This lens flare effect is one of those things that was more a trendy cinematographic trick for it’s time and is now only utilized for parody’s sake.
Essentially, it’s the same kind of thing that plagued 80s film-making in America: unnecessary slow motion, still frame endings, obnoxious montage etc. etc. If you’ve seen the train wreck known as Tango and Cash, or the quintessential teen drama The Breakfast Club, then you can undoubtedly relate.
It’s the same thing here, it’s used to be kind of self depricating. Since it was previously used to show something was fearsomely awesome it’s used presently for the sake of amusement.
And yes, lens flare on shots make photographers around the world weep and curse. Filmmakers too, it takes you out of the moment because you think, “Hrmmm…there appears to be some kind of camera there.” You lose suspension of disbelief.
Wow, a discussion on the use and ethical rigors of lens flare. Congratulations internet, you win again.
hurr hurr! I just so happen to be in the mood to learn about bacteria (and thanks for the tip on lens flare. I do think they’re pretty cool, but alot of anime and other media abuse it too much)! Bird Butts and Hooker Scientists? This I gotta see! XD
oh em gee…. So all this time, I was calling Kabitzin…MOLD-KUN??!!!! FORGIVE ME KABI-KUN!!!! (I’ll probably still call him that =D) Maybe I should call him “Kareshi” ^_~!
[…] on kuitenkin se, että siltä ei löydy Moyashimonia - koska se on, oikeasti, hiton hauska sarja; kaikki muut ovat samaa mieltä. Sitä alettiin onneksi sittenkin subata, mutta länsimaista lisenssiä on […]
The main difference between Moyashimon and Mushishi is that Mushishi is good.
[…] with him back to her birthplace in the north. Thus they begin their Random Traveling Adventures and Tales of Agriculture Tales of […]
[…] Moyashimon Magnet Gashapon toys were unleashed last December 14, 2007 for world かもす domination. The entire Japan (or at least those who has been luckily infected by these bacteria) […]
lol this is awesome! XD