Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.

I started to watch an anime a few days ago called "Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit"... an adaptation of the book series by Nahoko Ufhashi... who I have never heard of either.



The reason that I started to watch it was that I saw a trailer of the series and immediately started to writhe on the floor and speak in tongues.

I bought it from amazon... shoved it in the DVD thing on the laptop and started to watch it.

Holy Fu... cow!!!

When it comes to watching television or tv series, I find that there are not really any programmes that I have a dedication to or a strong connection with... I have not really been a television watcher as of late. It was not until recently that I started to taking a bigger interest in anime when I ACCIDENTALLY signed up to an anime streaming website where I ACCIDENTALLY paid £4.99 for a one month membership. In order to get my money's worth, I started to watch series that were on the site. I found shows such as Attack on Titan, Sunday Without God and Gargantia and got utterly blown away by how visually stunning they were and how much I clicked with the stories. I had dabbled in anime before with Death Note, Ghost in the Shell and Spirited Away but now... it was on... more than it had been anyway.

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The synopsis;

"At a time when the balance of nature still held the civilizations of mankind in thrall, a single drought could spell the end of society and doom its inhabitants to piteous deaths. Prince Chagum has been possessed by a water spirit that exists in egg form in his belly. Court advisers only see one solution. Chagum must be put to death by his own fathers hand because this is thought to be the necessary thing to do for the good of the kingdom. His salvation is in the form of Balsa, a spear woman and mercenary from the kingdom across the mountains. Her skills are legendary, and although reluctant, she is held by a mysterious vow to save eight souls before she dies. Can she fend off an entire empire and make Chagum her eighth soul?"

The main focus of the series is the relationship between the adult, commoner, warrior- woman, Balsa and the young, noble prince, Chagum.
My initial ideas going into the series was that Chagum was going to be a brat, an assumption that was proven wrong in the first episode. He turned out to be a good- hearted soul whose knowledge of the world outside royal life was little.
What I find interesting is that although we have two opposing sides, one being Balsa, Chagum and their allies and the other being soldiers and servants of the royal court; it is clear to see that there are no bad guys in the piece, no good or evil. One side is bound to save a child's life from death and the other is bound by duty and the protection of an entire kingdom to find and dispose of a threat- both are valid, both points are understandable... yet I know which one my preference is.

This is not an action orientated anime, although their are a few wonderfully done action sequences. It can be argued that not a lot happens in a few episodes, for example in one episode all that really goes on is that the pair leave their house, go to the blacksmith and then return home. Personally I like the so called normal moments because it emphasises what their life is truly like... and it allows you to focus more on the dialogue, the facial expressions and the people instead of massive fight sequences and explosions, that may be thrilling but doesn't really add much to the main story- line.

Moribito is not needlessly showy but it gives you exactly what you need to see.

An anime for people that are charmed by the small things in life, the bonds that keep people together, strong female characters and literally breathtaking visuals.... literally.

Over and Out.

ED.