This episode revolves around the autumnal harvest and how important it is for farmers. Funnily enough, autumn is ending in real life too. The mysterious land that grants bountiful harvests even after a natural disaster, all at the cost of a human's life. It reminds me of the ancients, preforming human sacrifices to appease the gods, or ancestors in this case. Is the seed a result of equivalent exchange, or a forbidden fruit that tempts humans. A major debate in this episode is the needs of the many in contrast to the individual. Would the village have survived the natural disasters if they hadn't used the seed? We'll never know. Likewise, would the villagers be as willing if they knew the truth about the seed. After the wife of the priest died for the harvest last time, the priest decided to sacrifice his own life rather than go with Ginko's idea to burn the fields to destroy the seed. After seeing the man's resolve, Ginko decides to use the forbidden process of resurrection using the seed and ending the cycle without anyone dying. Was Ginko right? There's no government of Mushi-shi or the Mushi in general so it's up to the audience to decide. An amusing twist was that the immortal priest travelled the country, learning different farming techniques and teaching them to the village every generation so they won't have to rely on anything like the seed every again. In a sense, this is the true ancestral worship, the priest is an ancestor to the village now and by his grace watches over the village.
Originally Posted by Skull
Ah, Mushi-Shi. I remember the good ol' days when we group watched that in the Backloggers thread here on BL.
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