My memory is a little hazy on the details, but I think there was more to the original story (probably a light novel?) that never got adapted, which is why it kind of peters out at the end. It probably doesn’t get much attention the same way Mushi-shi doesn’t – it’s a slow-going show without a clear-cut plot, and that doesn’t appeal to a lot of the folks who watch anime (esp. here in the West).

If I’d ever finished Mushi-shi I’d have probably included that, too, but I’ve had the worst luck watching it just as sites get taken down or I lose internet for a few days and lose all momentum.