Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit - Reviews

Story

Okay seriously, I really really wanted to like this anime, mainly because It has lovely animation, a likeable main protagonist, and captivating soundtrack, but after 10 episodes of pushing through, It became a total chore. The main problem I had with it was that it was just really boring. Many of the things this anime has been praised for in other reviews are completely inaccurate in my eyes. The bond between the two main characters so far is totally non existant. It is a situation, which frankly could have quite easily been written in a way which was touching to the viewer, but unfortunately isn't. The other characters come and go in a completely haphazard fasion. Around episode 6 for example, Balser is reunited with some of the characters from earlier on, however there is nothing interesting about this coincidence, it was basically a coincidence for the sake of a coincidence. This was made worse by the fact that it was at a time where it seemed quite crucial for something interesting to happen. Perhaps this anime isn't about the plot. In that case, it is paramount that the character interactions, and character developments are enough to make the show compelling and pleasent to watch. However, this anime failed on all of these accounts.

Animation

I'm going to be completely objective. The animation is beautiful. From the characters movements and mannorisims, to the environments, the vast mountains, and the small wooden huts, this looks studio ghibli level, astounding for a 26 episode long anime. The fighting scenes are fantastically animated. There is genuine variation between the faces of the characters, and it never feels to formulaeic, on the contrary, a couple of times a few of the characters looked as if they were taken from another aniem due to having a different art style, which would be my only critisism

Sound

The opening theme is perhaps the worst part of this anime, story included. However, everything else is beautifully orchestrated, and the sound effects and voice acting are great also. Despite being mainly atmospheric seemingly with the intention of assisting as opposed to dominating, there are a couple of melodies which are played in varies forms throughout the anime. Overall a very strong soundtrack.

Characters

Balser is a great strong female lead, unfortunately she isn't dealt with in a way which trully shows this. Enough material is in the anime to make me sure that there was lots of potential for the character herself, but she has been taken through a very boring journey. All the other characters varied from bland, to slightly irritating.

Overall

I'm going to be blunt. This anime was about as dull as it could have possibly been considering it has beautiful animation, a great soundtrack and a strong lead. It's a great shame. After the first 2 episodes, I was determined that this anime would be amazing and one of my favourites, but it failed me big time. If anyone would like to comment on my review, and inspire me to pick it up again, i'd be most greatful.

Yet another in a long line of series I purchased because it was cheap, but then regretted when seeing some screenshots. But much like Get Backers and Noein, I again stubbled into a real winner.

Story - 9/10

Moribito managed to create a serial while adding many different stories and plot lines, but without ever throwing the show off track.

The main story is that of Balsa, a body guard hired to protect a young prince possessed by what his father believes is a demon. Though this is the main point of their journey, the series seamlessly works in some great sub plots, such as Balsa's back story and how it's kept her as a lone wolf who is now learning what things would be like with a family.

The sub plots do well to keep this from being a basic "run away from the bad guy" type anime. Instead of every episode being the same, they fill what would be the lull in-between the days on their journey, with stories that make you feel connected with the characters.

Animation - 10/10

This was easily one of the most beautifully animated series I've come across. From the animation itself, to the lushness of the forrest (yeah it's a cliche term but very appropriate for the period and area this takes place in,) every aspect of the picture looks as if it was painstakingly worked on. The colors and the shadows are points that really stick in my brain, they were able to always hit it on the head, especially in the night scenes where the characters are lit by either moon or flames.

Sound - 8/10

I really loved the sound design and music used in this series.

As many have said, the opening and closing themes are the weakest parts of the score used for the series, which should amaze anyone as the opening theme is by what most would consider anime royalty, L'Arc-en-Ciel. 

The majority of music is what I guess you would call traditional Japanese music, with sounds of zithers and flutes filing your speakers. While it's pretty much mood and atmospheric music, where nothing really burst out as a must have track for your playlist, it fits perfectly while never distracting from the story.

The foley and effects are also done perfectly, creating the bustling atmosphere of the city and the mellow tones of the countryside and mountains.

Again, I go with the english versions of all my anime and this series was perfect when it came to the voice acting. The characters all fit with their voices and none came across as irritating.

Characters - 8/10

Moribito found a very effective way of having characters, but not really using them. The King, the Second Queen and Jiguro are all integral characters, but they make just short appearances and are talked about, for the most part, in passing. It saves the show time and the pain of having to waste episodes building on the characters where they aren't needed.

On the other hand they do spend a decent amount of time showing us how the lives of those we care about were molded and how that plays into the life we believe Chagum could live barring the outcome of our journey.

The characters we deal with for the majority of the show, Balsa, Chagum, Tanda, Madam Torogai, Toya, Saya and Shuga are all pleasant characters who its hard to dislike. They all have their quirks, but just one episode in you'll want to root for them, even when they are faced against each other.

Major character or minor, its hard to find something to dislike in what was created. From the voices to the arc of each character, despite not being the most unique or deep, they nailed it.

Overall - 8/10

My first anime foray into subject I tend to like, feudal Japan, or rather a made up land based on such times, I was very pleased. This also was my second anime in a row (following Noein) where it was nice to see a female hero take center stage in saving the day.

I was extremely happy with this series and found myself watching multiple episodes every night to see what happened next. Even if you didn't like the genre it would seem easy to get into the series, as the characters and the scenery will pull you in right from the start. It may not have as much action as other period pieces, or robots, or gratuitous boobs, but thats why its such a good series, it focused on story and art, the things that should draw you to a show or movie. 

‘Seirei no Moribito’ (‘Moribito, for short) is a very polarizing series. Many praise it for its stellar production values, great atmosphere and layered, believable characters. Others find the show relentlessly boring and slow-paced, disparagingly referring to it as ‘Boribito’.

I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle.

The basic story is the typical tale of a seasoned warrior seeking to atone for a checkered past by protecting a child who’s being hunted by powerful forces both human and inhuman. Moribito’s narrative, however, manages to distinguish itself through 2 things: excellent character development and meticulous world-building.

 Protagonist Balsa in particular is a great example of the former. Her strong, dignified personality, captivating backstory (subtly alluded to initially) and multi-faceted interactions with other characters make her one of the most well written anime protagonists around. The hunted child in question, Prince Chagum, doesn’t fare quite as well. He goes through a fairly predictable character arc that boils down to learning to live like a commoner and growing up. There’s also a handful of moments where he displays unusually keen insight that feel rather forced. Though it must be said that the conclusion to his story has a surprising turn that’s both surprising and very poignant.

As far as supporting characters go the biggest standout is Tanda, Balsa’s dogged love interest whose difficulty reaching out to her makes for an interesting if pitiable character. Others aren’t quite so interesting: there’s 2 kids who hero-worship her who mainly serve to run errands for Balsa and provide some humorous moments as well as an old lady who’s mainly there to provide exposition and snide remarks. The latter sticks out like a sore thumb by feeling like an archetype in a series filled with fully fleshed out characters. And I really do mean that last part, even a good deal of antagonists are developed and given (somewhat) sympathetic motives rather than being raving psychotics who can’t go 2 minutes without strangling a puppy. Moribito’s willingness to avert this easy, manipulative sort of characterization is yet another strength of its storytelling.

Sadly, not all of its storytelling is as stellar. While the series also goes to great lengths to expand on its world, it also becomes a weakness. Many a times the series devotes an entire episode to fleshing out one particular section of Moribito’s world. And while it certainly helps to make the series’ world feel more alive one can’t help but feel that a more deft storyteller could reduce the content to a subplot without losing any relevance or impact. As it is Moribito has a stretch of episodes in the middle that have very little to do with the conflict that kicked off the story which, when combined with the glacial pacing, makes for a somewhat frustrating viewing experience at times.

Another fault with the storytelling that it contains a number of contrivances and other moments that feel all too convenient for the main characters. This is particularly jarring in regards to Balsa, whose vow to never again take another life should be rather cumbersome when being hunted by highly skilled assassins. In the series, however, it is mostly a slight inconvenience. There’s an episode around the halfway point that takes it to its most absurd extreme, ending what should have been a grave no-win situation in a big copout. Moribito certainly isn’t the only series to be guilty of such things nor is it the worst example but it’s jarring nonetheless.

The visuals and audio of this series has been the subject of much praise, and for good reason. The animation, from characters doing chores to the lightning fast action sequences, is consistently stunning and the amount of detail is simply staggering. This is easily one of the best-looking TV-anime ever produced and a worthy part of Production I.G.’s legacy in that regard. In terms of character designs Moribito opts for a more realistic style which perfectly fits the serious tone. The audio is of similar quality. Sound effects are believable and the music always does a good job complementing what’s happening on-screen even if it’s not very memorable in and of itself. The astounding presentation manages to make even the slowest episodes more enjoyable than they have any right to be. 

Moribito is, without a doubt, a very ambitious project. It boldly stands out stylistically and in a narrative sense. Providing multi-faceted, believable characters and captivating situations all set in a gorgeously rendered word. It also deserved accolades for refusing to use its female protagonist for fanservice-oriented jokes which would only undermine her character. There’s a maturity to the way the overall product presents and carries itself that most anime series wouldn’t even consider. All of this makes ‘Seirei no Moribito’ a series that, in spite of some missteps, is worth checking out by anyone open to a more serious style of anime.

This is the anime that got me into Anime. I couldn't sleep one night and found this on netflix. Needless to say I did not sleep that night at all. 

The story is great, the characters are great.  There isn't any weird parts (exposed underwear,  sudden switch to childish animation, etc).  The music is beautiful, the animation is cinematic, the fight scenes are exciting but very realistic.  The world created for Guardian of the Spirit is charming, yet dire.  People commit actions they feel are morally correct given their situation and their culture.  It's a complex story with a strong non sexualized female lead.  It will have you weeping at parts due to the emotional attachment you have with the characters.  

Regarding the fantasy nature of this show, it is there, but it is very minimalized, more of a religion than a huge influence.  If you like preindustrial anime (samuras, shoguns, etc) you will probably like this. Don't expect anything near as fantastical as Fullmetal Alchemists or Avatar.

My only gripe is that sometimes the pacing can be a tad slow. And that's it, my only gripe. Other than that, it's perfect. It's somewhat sad because very few anime's have come anywhere close to Guardian of the Spirit for me.

Pluses: Movie like animation, Characters, setting, BEAUTIFUL music, fight scenes, plot.

Minuses: Plot pace could be better at times.

I enjoyed this 26 episode series quite a lot. Although many who have reviewed it have complained that its pacing is slow and that the middle episodes are boring, I quite enjoyed the slow pacing--it gave me plenty to time to take in the beautifully rendered landscapes.

STORY AND CHARACTERS

The story is a very simple one, and the series is definitely not a plot-driven series where you are dying to know what happens next. In fact, you pretty much know what will happen. What was interesting to me was the relationship between Prince Chagum and Balsa the Spear-Wielder, the main characters. I felt that the series was done so that you could barely notice the changes in Chagum from beginning to end--as if you were watching a child grow. And yet, if you took a step back, you could see immediately how much Chagum developed over the course of 26 episodes. The Jiguro/Balsa/Chagum relationship was just endearing to watch unfold, no matter how slow the pacing and how "nonexistent" the story. Balsa's English voice actress was phenomenal. Finally, a woman in an anime who doesn't shriek or speak in high-pitched tones! Hers was a fierce, strong, and yet warm voice--an ALTO! YES!

ANIMATION

The animation in this show was stunning. The backgrounds and backdrops were done beautifully and with painstaking care. Everywhere our heroes traveled, the trees, the grass, the sky, the water--everything was just beautifully drawn and beautifully colored. The colors are brighter than I tend to like, but they were so crisp and perfect that I didn't mind at all. There weren't many action scenes for much of the middle chunk of the series, but the action scenes that did happen were very well done. Spear-fighting scenes are very different from sword-fighting ones and, in many ways, cooler.

MUSIC

The music was very fitting--contemplative, I thought, just like the series. I liked the Mikado's themes and the composer's use of gongs and airy flutes. I didn't care much for the opening theme, though it was quite catchy, but the ending theme was pretty good.

OVERALL

Overall, as I said, I enjoyed Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. It's hard to compare it to shows like Samurai Champloo or Rurouni Kenshin because it is so different. My favorite thing about the show, of course, was Balsa. Finally, a strong woman in anime that kicks ass with her spear, isn't a clumsy klutz, and doesn't speak with a high-pitched squeal! Balsa is the best female character I have seen in an anime so far. I suppose I will leave it at that.

Keep on kicking ass, Balsa. I kind of love you.