Right now you can watch Mushi-Shi in Australia on Crunchyroll — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. Every one of its 2 seasons holds up. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Yuto Nakano's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Crunchyroll.

Mushi-Shi is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Mushi-Shi uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. Ginko, a Mushi master, travels from place to place researching the Mushi and helping people who are suffering because of it. Yuto Nakano and Mika Doi lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. The series ran for 2 seasons (2005–2014), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. Mushi-Shi resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

Sci-fi fans who want ideas alongside the spectacle will find Mushi-Shi genuinely rewarding. The tonal similarities to Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- are real, though Mushi-Shi carves out its own identity quickly. Short enough to finish in a weekend, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Yuto Nakano grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.

Mushi-Shi wrapped up in 2014 — and 2 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro's free voice app makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just say the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.