Guardian of the Spirit

The Japanese love their taiga. So much so that entire production companies are vested in bring stories of the past, fictional and mythical, to light.

Moribito is one such taiga that stems from a novel series about a travelling spear warrior and her encounters with kings, princes and commoners, demons, spirits and spiritualists, while embodying a courageous noble code of not killing her opponents.

Because taiga are episodic, they carry much of a soap opera style in writing and dramatic effect. Moreso than the source material they derive from. Motivations and emotions are very key to the characters' journeys and arcs from beginning to end.

Apart from the through-plotline there were enough episodes to show slice-of-life scenes that grounded the main characters in their locale, and several that gave enough back story to Balsa's tale.

If you enjoy period fantasy tales, this series is for you. Watch it with enjoyment.

This series is a fantasy tale, a story about survival and redemption, exquisitely crafted. There are no "stand-alone" episodes here; the story unfolds in a linear fashion, effectively leaving the viewer wanting more at the end of each episode. Great character development, you can't help but sympathize with the main characters as their relationships strengthen throughout their ordeals. The animation is exceptional as well as very realistic and backed by a fitting soundtrack by Kenji Kawai, makes for an elaborately atmospheric experience. The action scenes play a secondary role, one of building the tension when needed, although superbly choreographed nonetheless! There is no real explicit content but the spiritual aspects and the inescapable "cycle of life" theme embedded in the series is definitely for mature audiences only!

MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT (Seirei no moribito) (2007) is an epic fantasy anime series, based on the fantasy novels by Nohoko Uehashi, first published in 1996. This anime is a hidden gem and simply perfection. When this series was first released, I stumbled upon it by accident, browsing for something to watch. I wasn't expecting much but as the series progressed, I was simply blown away by the writing, the character development, the atmosphere, the level of detail and realism for a fantasy story. The art, design and also the OST (by Kenji Kawai) were all breathtaking.

"Balsa, the spear weilding woman is a wandering warrior, who takes on the task of saving lives, an act of atonement for a past sin. On her journey, she happens to save a young Prince, Chagum, from assassination and is tasked with becoming his bodyguard, by his mother the Empress, steaking him far away from the kingdom."

While this series definitely has action and adventure, it is well balanced in its focus on story and characters as well, so that the world building felt truly fleshed out and you feel connected to the characters and the story. Balsa, Prince Chagum, and Tanda were especially well developed characters, with meaningful arcs and changes, but many other characters left marks as well. There are some slower scenes which work through dialogue, emotions, politics and backstory but everything is key to the overall tension and bigger picture, tying things together coherently.

Overall, this series is highly recommended hidden gem which focuses on redemption and the bonds between people. This epic Taiga fantasy is a genius work of art, as a captivating survival adventure and as a memorable story that lives on with you. Unforgettable and highly underrated. The characters are so beautifully created and portrayed, making this such a great watch. This series was a great find and definitely rewatchable.

Seirei no Moribito is a solid anime series that boasts beautiful animation, compelling characters, and an interesting storyline. The show follows Balsa, a skilled warrior and bodyguard, as she sets out to protect a young prince from those who would harm him.

One of the strongest aspects of the series is its world-building. The show takes place in a richly detailed and immersive world, filled with diverse cultures and unique customs. The animation is also top-notch, with stunning landscapes and detailed character designs that add to the overall atmosphere of the show.

The characters are well-developed and likable, with Balsa serving as a particularly strong protagonist. Her backstory is intriguing, and her journey to protect the young prince is both exciting and emotionally resonant.

However, while Seirei no Moribito has many strengths, it also has some weaknesses. The pacing of the show can be slow at times, and the plot can feel predictable or lacking in urgency. Additionally, the show's themes of destiny and fate can feel heavy-handed or overused at times.

Overall, Seirei no Moribito is a good anime series that is worth watching for its strong characters, beautiful animation, and immersive world-building. However, it falls short of being a great series due to its pacing issues and occasional lack of depth in its storytelling.

"Guardian of the Spirit" primarily convinces with animations that were pretty good for the time. The story of the anime is not extremely imaginative, but it still tells an exciting and interesting story. What I particularly liked about the anime was how the characters' relationships with each other grew closer and closer as the story progressed. The relationship also develops at a comfortable pace without rushing anything.

A big point of criticism that I have, however, is that the story is told extremely slowly, so that I got really bored at times. The number of episodes could easily have been halved in my opinion and the anime would have been more enjoyable to watch.