 If you liked
Mushishi
|
 ...then you might like
Mononoke
|
The story lines are pretty similar. They both feature a male lead that travels in search of supernatural events and spirits, etc. And both are episodic type animes.
The premises of both involve their respective main characters (usually mistaken as being mere medicine men due to their appearances) traveling around period piece Japan and solving supernatural problems. But Mononoke lacks Mushishi's depth since, where as the Mushi in Mushishi are an extension of nature that aren't inherently good or bad (nature can be cruel, folks!), the titular Mononoke are vengeful spirits that need to be put to rest. Both series follow a pattern of gaining understanding before the problems can be resolved, but Mononoke's stories nearly all being related to vengeance left much more restricted and limited: always having a murder mystery 'whodunnit?'
read more
report
Recommended by AironicallyHuman
Both stories involed a man wandering around japan carrying around a wooden box and deals with supernatural entities and helps people along the way. Mononoke is a lot darker and a bit more cynical then Mushishi is, and the Medicine Seller is more of an anti hero, but that doesn't keep him from being an enjoyable, interesting character. The stories in both series are interesting, each being self contained, though Monoke tells it's stories in a series of 5 arcs. Also, Mononoke's stories are always more on the horror side of things, whereas Mushishi's are usually more emotional.
Both look amazing, while Mononokes art is more abstract is still manages to immerse the viewer.
Both have a medicine seller who traverses from place to place attempting to solve paranormal situations.
report
Recommended by OriginalName
Both deal with the supernatural and both have charismatic lead characters. The drawings in Mononoke will take a little getting used to. Just a little warning, some parts of Mononoke can be quite scary compared to Mushishi.
Anime with Unique art? Relating to a search of mystic beings of some sorts?
You got it in these both. Although both do have their differences, if you loved one, you'll love the other. As a bonus, both protagonists are lovable (in a hot, respectable way).
report
Recommended by Dazzling-Mage
Both series concern a main character who travels around solving supernatural problems. The Medicine Seller has his mononoke, and Ginko has his mushi.
report
Recommended by grendelity
Both series have a travelling protagonist who helps different people in each episode or story arc with supernatural creatures they don't understand -- traditional Japanese spirits in Mononoke, and unusual nature spirits in Mushishi.
report
Recommended by lithiumflower
If you liked the story about a man wandering around from place to place, "saving" people from supernatural creatures, then Mononoke is for you. But Mononoke has bizarre scenes, really artistic detalis, and also...it's a dark version of Mushishi.
Episodic and is similar in the fact that the protagonist is a traveller and medicine seller eliminating supernatural creatures. In Mushishi it was Mushis and in Mononke it is the poor mononokes being terminated. Both are amazing shows.
Both series features a traveling mysterious main character that deals with supernatural phenomena around. While melancholy and drama are foremost for Mushishi and mystery for Mononoke they still have a similar mood. Their artwork have different stylings, but the approach of evershifting reality and simplicity is close.
Both have a main character dealing with weird supernatural happenings.
report
Recommended by TwilightCat
Both series have a travelling main character who specialises in dealing with paranormal beings, they also both have amazing art, though mononoke is more abstract.
report
Recommended by Shortbread
Both series deal with the supernatural and follow the journeys of a fascinating lead character. There is no over-arching plotline, but a succession of situations involving strange creatures and humans. Each has an original and distinct atmosphere with great art, animation and soundtrack.
You could swap the plot summaries for each of these shows and it would still make sense. They are about a travelling man wandering from place to place solving problems related to supernatural entities. Mononoke focuses more on the horror aspect of these entities, Mushishi focuses more on the surreal and enchanting, and both are excellent at what they do. The main characters also share a lot of similarities, though Ginko is much more relatable to the viewer, as we do get glimpses into his past.
Both Mushishi and Mononoke are about traveling "magicians" who help solve peoples' problems. Both stories take place during an Edo-like period and have beautiful character designs. Mononoke has longer story arcs while Mushishi has a one-shot episode format. Ginko (Mushishi) is more personable while Kusuriuri (Mononoke) is more ethereal.
report
Recommended by cureelliott
Main heroes of both anime are travelling soul healers. Esotheric, psychedelic, psychological, simple but deep meaning, cleanse yourself, find your zen.
Both anime are episodic, has a wandering medicine seller main character. One is chasing after rumours about mononoke and the other is chasing about mushi rumours.
Each of the main characters is helping people with their skills and knowledge.
Mononoke is harder to understand, even with a well understanding of japanese culture and history. Each detail in Mononoke has an explanation.
Both anime are interesting to watch. If you like one of these, you might like the other.
The similarity is that both Ginkgo and Kusuriuri use their knowledge to help when it comes to the spiritual world and the problems that may occur whit contact between the human and mysterious. Besides that, inner fulfillment exists when watching both anime.
report
Recommended by ProlongedZebra
Mononoke is kinda like a much more sinister version of Mushishi. Both feature an enigmatic medicine seller (although Ginko is more developed) roaming the land "exorcising" mysterious spirits. Mononoke is more of an atmospheric pseudo-horror anime though, and the art is much more stylized (and absolutely jaw-dropping it is).
Both have a very similar feel to them
both are episodic
Both Leads go around running into supernatural events
both have white hair XD
Both have a an eerie atmosphere
Both leads "help" or give advice about different phenomenons to people on their travels
report
Recommended by bloodiemonster
Exactly the same story, but Mononoke is more psychological and horror-infused, while Mushishi is more philosophical and peaceful. Mushishi's world is somewhat more grounded, while Mononoke is heavily centered around Japanese mythology. The simplest way I can put it is that Mononoke is Mushishi's dark, edgier brother - Don't take that as an insult though; Both shows are mature, beautiful looking, and thought-provoking, and can even deliver strong emotional punches.
report
Recommended by Vinum_Sabbathi
It can't be said enough, but anyone who liked one show will like the others. Ginko and the Medicine Peddler may have starkly different methods, outlooks on life, and motivations, there is something that ties the two shows together.
report
Recommended by Kusuriuri_San
Mysterious wandering protagonists with a suitcase of curios travelling and interacting with the world's more unearthly inhabitants.
Very different art styles, but with a similar atmosphere humming quietly with curiosity, showing the subtle enjoyment found in travelling and learning.
Not as serious as people make them out to be, there is plenty of humour and silliness, just not as loud as in other shows.
I could talk about episodic construction these titles which improves impression that they touch the most basic themes human's lives. Or maybe I could tell you about the protagonists who always give the victim a hand but provided that this person wants his help and change the status quo. I could talk... but it is not really important. They are so specific that not everybody will be satisfied after them. But they are worth trying.
A wandering salesman often traveling in rural country is usually tasked with combating supernatural enemies or hindrances. Both main characters have an easy going nature and tend to be highly respected individuals when people figure out who they are.
In both animes, the main character travels around the world: finding answers about rumours related to mushis in Mushishi's case and related to demons in Mononoke's case.
Both are composed by short stories well structured.
both series are episodic with a mysterious main character and have supernatural elementes.
report
Recommended by elnarradornuevo
Mononoke and Mushishi are quite similar, despite the difference in art styles and general 'vibe'. The two main characters share a similar... occupation if you will. They both spend their days travelling in search of Mushi, or Mononoke. Both stories are interesting, however unlike Mushishi, Mononoke doesn't go episode by episode. The arcs take 2-3 episodes, however each arc is still interesting. Mononoke also contains a catch, unlike Mushishi where Ginko can easily solve an issue in a single episode.
Both revolve around mysterious travelers traveling around with their big back bags they both travel around to exorcise creatures that affects a place or a human in an unnatural way
The main characters are both wanderers and travel around the country to solve the problems caused by supernatural beings. I lack the words to properly describe the genre, so I'll label them both as "food-for-thought-anime". If you like short stories with a deeper meaning, then Mushishi / Mononoke (depending on which one you haven't watched yet) is definitely worth (binge) watching.
I wonder why I forgot to create this recommendation as it is so obvious.
Mononoke and Mushishi certainly appeal to the same audience. If you are looking for unique exorcism anime look no further. If you enjoyed one of these, you will certainly enjoy the other as they even share a similar mini-arc episodic story (Mononoke arcs are longer though). Even both protagonists work as lone medicine sellers that deal with demons for a living.
Smart 'demons' designs that are more of phenomena than evil creatures, a very mysterious protagonist and incredible and unique visuals mark some of the similarities.
Both certainly have this "creepy" and eerie aura
read more
While both of these shows share an episodic format and a similar "plot", they have a different form of entertaining viewers. In Mushishi, the MC isn't always fully involved with the incidents shown and in some episodes he doesn't even appear until the last few minutes. In Mononoke, you're with the MC from start to finish; he's always involved with the supernatural incidents.
When you watch Mushishi, you enjoy the stories it brings; when you watch Mononoke, you enjoy not only the stories presented, but also the mysterious and enigmatic MC.
report
Recommended by emiliashitsonrem
Both shows have the main character traveling to different places helping people who have issues with the supernatural.
- both shows follow a traveler who is fighting against supernatural creatures
- supernatural elements in both shows are highly influenced by Japanese mythology and beliefs
- MCs of both shows are pretty quiet and they are only interested in their jobs
- both shows are made up of stories that are not connected to each other
report
Recommended by Nikiforova
they both solve problem for other people, give kinda the siimilar vibe but mushishi is more to the relax, quite side. and mononoke is more into cult thing and have some action and disturbing image one or two
Both feature supernatural creatures in which both main characters travel around to either exterminate or get rid of in the manner of healing. Both of these shows are episodic and don't really require a certain watch order. Additionally, both main characters are cryptic and much isn't known about either of them. Their moral values, previous life experiences, etc. are not really known. Essentially a very similar show except that Mononoke is far more abstract and artistic.
Similar concepts of otherworldly phenomena plaguing people and a mysterious traveller able to deal with them. Instead of the episodic nature of Mushishi, Mononoke consists of several arcs that, while separate, benefit from building tension across multiple episodes. The big difference though is that the phenomena in Mushishi strike people at random whereas in Mononoke they rise from the psyche and actions of those affected, and the plot of each arc is a more structured investigation compared to the fanciful musings of Mushishi.
A lot of recommendations call Mononoke the "darker" version of Mushishi, I disagree. If anything, the endless march of doomed, innocent people
read more
report
Recommended by Terrible_Ivan
Both are about a mysterious man in historical Japan wandering around and dealing with spirits plaguing peoples' lives
report
Recommended by Curlybrace101
The show follows a protagonist that is minor to the story. The show is not about the protagonist himself, but the monsters that they encounter and their stories.
report
Recommended by FruitSnacks19
Both are episodic, and have beautiful stories. The art is great for both of them, though in completely different styles--Mushishi is tranquil and peaceful, while Mononoke is eerie and haunting. But both feautre a mysterious traveller who visits households and people to offer aid from supernatural things that is not so easily understandable or remedied, and for both, the travellers are not the protagonists of the episodes, they are the catalysts through which we get to know the stories.
report
Recommended by Resmiranda
The main selling point of both shows is that it mesmerizes its viewers by telling daunting, unsettling, and beautifully absorbing stories incorporated into an episodic-type anime.
report
Recommended by TomMcWeedy
A mysterious being wanders Japan, seeking out otherworldly creatures and saving people from their ignorance through a combination of skill, technique and wit.
Episodic show with a traveler as protagonist. You can consider it as the horror version of Mushishi
Both anime are about a traveler who rescues people from supernatural creatures and solves their problems.
report
Recommended by DarkGryphus