Based on a series of novels, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is a fantastic tale told in a manner similar to Miyazaki stories, where the spirit world and our mortal world intertwine. Prince Chagum, second son of New Yogo's ruling family, has been possessed by a water spirit that threatens to cause a future drought throughout the land. His father, the Mikado, has secretly ordered the death of his son in order to preserve the image and integrity of the ruling family. During one of these assassination attempts Prince Chagum is thrown into a river. Balsa, a spear-wielding bodyguard for hire, happens upon the accident and rescues Chagum from drowning. As a reward, the queen invites Balsa to the royal palace for the night. It is here where the queen hires Balsa for an impossible task: protect the prince for the rest of his life.
Balsa fights off a Mikado assassin.
The story is thankfully straight-forward and simple, and yet there are several plot twists, none of which absurdly defy Moribito's internal logic . Because Prince Chagum is supposed to be dead, he and Balsa must find a way to dodge his would-be assassins. The first six episodes maintain a constant level of tension as they make their escape, which is by no means done without casualty. Despite all the initial action, Moribito is a rather tame show on the surface, occupied with a solid mix of personal drama and a save-the-world agenda, as Balsa investigates the reasons as to why the water spirit has chosen Chagum. The show's patient pace is typical to epic Japanese works that focus on older periods, such as Hiroshi Inagaki's The Samurai Trilogy. One is compelled to watch characters develop and adapt to everyday struggles. An even more direct reason for the show's pacing is its director, Kenji Kamiyama, whose works include the Ghost in the Shell television incarnations and the more recent Eden of the East. Moribito doesn't have the technological complexities of Kamiyama's other shows, but this is replaced by the interactions between the spirit world and the mortal world.
Balsa and Chagum are the focus of our tale. Kamiyama presents Balsa as a tough as nails woman with a no-nonsense attitude, much like Motoko Kusanagi of the Ghost in the Shell series. When a job needs to be done, shes does exactly what needs doing. She also has a trusted network of friends who tend to her needs: Toya and Saya run errands for her because she rescued them from slave traders, and Tanta, a childhood friend, treats her frequent injuries. Tanta's teacher, Lady Torogai, can communicate with the spirit world. None of these characters steal the spotlight from Balsa, however. While her motivations are unusually benevolent, this is because she grew up in a situation very similar to Chagum's, fleeing from the authorities for most of her youth. Her unwavering dedication and motherly compassion were traits instilled by her own guardian Jiguro, who was also a spear-wielder. Balsa's occupation as a bodyguard suggests that she will do a lot of fighting in the show, but this isn't the case. While it's a little disappointing, fighting isn't the aim of the show. Of the battles we do see, Balsa kicks ass every time.Chagum is a clever child. He isn't whiny and he understands why he's on the run with Balsa. Naturally he's ignorant when it comes to living in the city or country. His interactions with Balsa help to forge him into a strong young man used to hardship. When he forgets his place, boy, does Balsa set him straight! But I'll keep the specifics of that episode a secret. Chagum is an easy character to like. While he is too young and impotent to drive the story without Balsa, the water spirit within him is indeed the impetus for his journey. And as a bonus, we're allowed to see Chagum develop as a person.
The animation is superb. Mountainous landscape and lush grasslands are draw in in painstaking detail. Colors are vibrant. Figures in the background are almost always in constant motion, unlike most shows where figures are fixed like room furniture. When Chagum and Balsa are in the city, the setting feels alive. After my recent theatrical viewing of Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, I can easily say that Moribito's animation is of cinematic quality. Character features aren't drastically changed from one episode to another. Production I.G. does a consistently good job of animating with the highest quality standards. This is something that must be seen in order to fully comprehend.
As far as voice acting is concerned, no one is at all out of place. Balsa's voice is stern and rough, but fitting a female warrior who doesn't put up with nonsense. Chagum is voiced by Mona Marshall, who also voiced Izzy of the original Digimon Adventure television series. Of the show's theme songs, many of them are variants of each other. Since I lack the words and knowledge to describe music, I'll make a few links to the OST. Here is one of the battle themes, "Balsa Hashiru". I like the mix of primal, old-world and almost tribal sounds mixed with string instruments, especially for something as archaic and graceful as close-quarters armed combat. "Omoi Haruka," another theme, is far more peaceful but not entirely dissimilar from the previous theme.
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is not the kind of series one stumbles upon too often. Kenji Kamiyama has proven himself a very capable director who masterfully translated a Japanese novel into something worth watching. The show is noticeably different from other anime based upon manga and various OVA incarnations. Viewers are never expected to have prior knowledge of the Moribito's source material, and this makes the narrative solid as it is fully explained. At it's core, Guardian of the Spirit succeeds at telling a very human story about a warrior who does not want to kill, and a child who does not wish to suffer the fate bestowed upon him. How they deal with this makes Moribito special. Coupled with superb animation and thrilling music, this anime turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. It sat in my Netflix instant queue for several months before I bothered to watch it. I'm grateful for taking the time to do so. I wouldn't dare call the show "perfect"; such a word is only good for stirring controversy. But I'll let the 5 star rating speak for itself...
* I watched Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit on Netflix. It is also available on Hulu.com.
- Elijah Lee
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