How to Watch Mushi-Shi in Order (& If You Need To)

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Anime expert Richard Moore explains why you don’t have to watch Mushi-Shi in a particular order

Co-authored by Richard Moore and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: June 13, 2026 Fact Checked

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Release Order

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Do you have to watch in order?

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Where to Watch

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Basic Plot

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More Anime

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It may not be mainstream, but Mushi-Shi is a highly acclaimed supernatural mystery anime. If you want to learn what makes this anime so good, it’s important to watch it in the right order. In this article, we partnered with an anime expert to explain how to watch Mushi-Shi in order, whether you technically have to, where you can watch the show, and more.

How do you watch Mushi-Shi in order?

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Anime expert Richard Moore recommends watching Mushi-Shi in release order, even though there’s technically no strict watch order. Start with season 1, then watch Hihamukage, Next Passage, Path of Thorns, Next Passage Part 2, and The Next Chapter - Drops of Bells.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Watch Mushi-Shi in Release Order

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Mushi-Shi is pretty much an anthology, notes Moore, meaning there’s no strict order. That said, he advises watching the series in the order it was released, since that’s “how it’s meant to be experienced.”^{[1]
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Expert Source

Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} Here is the full release order for each season, special, and movie:^{[2]
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- Mushi-Shi (season 1, 2005)
- Mushi-Shi Recap (optional, 2006 special)
- Mushi-Shi: Hihamukage/The Shadow that Devours the Sun (2014 special)
- Mushi-Shi Zoku Shou/Next Passage (season 2, 2014)
- Mushi-Shi Zoku Shou: Odoro no Michi/Path of Thorns (2014 special)
- Mushi-Shi Zoku Shou/Next Passage Part 2 (second half of season 2, 2014)
- Mushi-Shi Zoku Shou: Suzu no Shizuku/The Next Chapter - Drops of Bells (2015 movie)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Richard Moore is an anime expert based in Dayton, Ohio. He has been watching anime for nearly his entire life and has over 6 years of experience creating anime content on social media (@ohayokage).

Section 2 of 5:

Do you have to watch Mushi-Shi in order?

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^{[3]
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Expert Source

Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} Mushi-Shi is episodic, meaning each episode stands on its own and doesn’t follow a chronological plot. Therefore, you don’t have to watch the show in any particular order. Many fans still recommend watching in release order, though, to see Ginko’s gradual character development.

Section 3 of 5:

Where to Watch Mushi-Shi

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Watch Mushi-Shi: Hihamukage on Crunchyroll. Unfortunately, Mushi-Shi is not currently widely available for streaming. The Hihamukage OVA is, however, available to stream with a Crunchyroll subscription. You can also connect your subscription to your Roku Channel or YouTube TV subscriptions to watch on those services.
- You may be able to watch Mushi-Shi for free on YouTube. However, these videos could get taken down due to copyright issues.

Section 4 of 5:

What is Mushi-Shi about?

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The series is set between the Edo and Meiji periods and centers around a man named Ginko who declares himself a “Mushi Master” and travels around the country to help people who have been affected by the creatures. The Mushi are implied to be primitive lifeforms, and few humans are actually able to see them—Ginko being one of them.^{[4]
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Section 5 of 5:

More Anime Watch Orders

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Looking for your next favorite anime? We’ve got you covered! Check out these other wikiHow articles to learn the best watch orders for other popular series: