Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (2007) User Reviews

Very valuable for educating yourself and others

[fkv-19690 · 9/10 · 29 September 2016]

I think I haven't seen a series in a recent years that could be that valuable for the development of respect and caring for each other. If I had a 11 year old child I would want him/her to watch it. And let me tell you it is also if not more important for adults to have more respect for their environment and other living beings.

Whenever I watched this series it gave me a warm and calming feeling of sanity and comprehension, like meditating. This series was somehow giving me a kind of wisdom. I wish there was more like this.

From an artistic view the background graphics are absolutely top-notch, and the animations have a kind of realism to them through the addition of small movements to plausibly underline thoughts and behaviors. The only thing I would have elaborated on is the main character's face (the placement of her mouth?).

Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 30 May 2014]

This anime series follows Balsa, a female bodyguard who is highly proficient with her spear. She has vowed to save eight lives to atone for eight lives lost because of her. Her eighth person to save is Prince Chagum; his father, the Mikado has ordered his death because he is carrying the egg of the water spirit within him and it is believed that if he lives the kingdom will suffer a cataclysmic draught. Once away from the capital Balsa and Chagum are still pursued until they managed to fake their deaths. They are still not out of danger; they could be recognised at any time and there is still the matter of the egg… legend has it that the one who bears it will be torn apart before the egg can hatch.

I had thought this would be an action based series but it is far more character driven; there is some action of course and that is pretty exciting but for the most part is it a gentle, well-paced story that follows Balsa and Chagum as they travel and eventually settle down before they must run again. Balsa is an interesting protagonist; a skilled fighter who does not kill and the secondary characters are almost as interesting; these include the seer who is tasked with finding them, Balsa's friend Tanda and a shaman named Torogai. The character designs are distinctive and impressive, the backgrounds are stunning and the animation is of a high quality making it a visual treat. Over all I'd say that this series is well worth watching; I may have expected a different style of story but I was most happy with what I got.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

Defintion of a hidden gem.

[galaxynova-23662 · 9/10 · 5 February 2023]

I can't for a second that this is from 2007. I've watched literally hundreds of animes in the past year and none has made me this surprised. I dont think anyone would doubt you if you said this came out yesterday because yes the animation is that good ESPECIALLY for its time, and the art doesn't feel old in the slightest both character and environment. The story gradually progresses and so the character development. Theres no five minute clip that they make us ingest and want us to care or at least be interested in the various characters of diverse personalities and values.audios heartwarming.

Masterpiece!

[Kurome · 10/10 · 18 October 2007]

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!

One of those rare gems you find from time to time

[the_vampire_laurentiu · 10/10 · 20 September 2013]

I saw the last episode of Seirei no Moribito last night. Actually it was 3AM. I couldn't go to sleep without knowing what happens in the end. When the whole thing was over, I did something I don't usually do: I clapped my hands in amazement... This is something I do only when I am truly impressed by what I saw. This show is perfect! It's flawless pure and simple! The story is very interesting and beautifully told. It unfolds just right from one episode to the other like a perfectly written book. The character development, as others pointed out, is very well done! In the end you just wish the show would never stop and you develop a sort of respect for the characters that doesn't really happen with characters from other anime shows. Just like the title says, from time to time I surf the net and find a gem like "Seirei no Moribito". I'm glad I found it and I'm glad I can tell others about it. It's good that in our time you can still find amazing stories such as this one. 10 out of 10? Sure, if 10 is the highest score I can give it, but it's as simple as this: this series is Perfect and Beautiful! If you find it, for the love of God watch it and keep it safe! If you have children, this is the kind of quality they should be watching! Definitely a series that entertains you and also teaches you valuable things. Later I realized I started asking myself: "what would Balsa do in this situation?"...

Enjoyable and still makes logic

[Facehugger_28 · 10/10 · 25 December 2007]

I'm no fan of flashy teenage super heroes that practically formed it's own genre, there are some quality Anime (Jap-animation) out there, some preferred classics. This one, not a classic , not flashy, just purely enjoyable.

The tale surrounds a second prince (child of second empress) in coincidence, hid a magical water fiend egg inside of him that is physically impossible to remove. The egg is to be known, a sign of mass drought, that causes political instability in this kingdom, kingdom of Yogo. Ultimately, The emperor, father of the unfated second prince decide to secretly murder him. As foretold to her ears, the second empress hires Balsa, a female spear expert bodyguard to protect the prince, help him escape and remove the egg in desperation.

Though, the protagonist here is Balsa, twenty-nine years old, mysterious fated.

Action, drama, character development, what more to crave? But, I didn't gave it a perfect score due to some lacking detail on the protagonist's face at times, this has been encountered in GITS: Stand Alone Complex series.In exchange, very improved animation in TV series's medium, easy plot, fluid character movements, stable frame rate, logical martial art sequence (not like those overdone Bleach of sort) and character behavior, nice suspenseful music (Kenji Kawai's), and masterly directed (Kenji Kamiyama).

The most realistic adventure, action, drama series in anime history!

[codehithesh · 10/10 · 17 May 2017]

A beautifully crafted masterpiece. This anime is by far the most realistically depicted adventure anime i have ever seen.

First the animation. It is amazing. For an anime that released in 2007, this animation is a full featured length movie animation. One of the best (If not the best) i have ever seen for a series.

Then the story. Its just awesome. I don't want to reveal anything. Just watch it.

Then coming to the soundtrack. It is very memorable and hits right on the feelings. Absolutely perfect.

Then we have the plot and character development. It just goes up and up. It build the relationship between people in the exact way you find in the real world. So its very relatable and eventually you will end up liking all the characters.

Overall this is one of the best anime series ever made. And on top of that Balsa (the lead character) is super badass. You will end up loving her character by the time the show ends. I really want a second season. My score 10/10.

Enjoyable from start to finish

[Left_back · 10/10 · 31 December 2020]

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.

MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT: Epic Fantasy Anime

[Jinxxa_Wolf · 10/10 · 15 November 2023]

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.

A Beautifully Animated and Engaging Anime Series, Though Pacing Issues Hold it Back from Greatness

[piccostefano · 7/10 · 16 April 2023]

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.

Beautiful, but way to long.

[Lukasmj · 7/10 · 5 March 2023]

"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.

Surprisingly bland, non-action anime

[nazwa-ekranowa · 4/10 · 17 March 2015]

'Seirei no Moribito' may be not the most popular anime out there, nevertheless it has gained some fame - given that even I heard about the series and I'm not an avid anime fan. It is 26 episode show adapted from the novel which is under 300 pages long. And unfortunately one can see that - many episodes felt like a filler only. But I should start by listing good things.

First of all it definitely isn't your typical teenage anime filled with over-the-top duels, excessive talking during them, fanservice panty shots (or however they are called) and other similar monstrosities. Typical anime humor is also notably absent. It has strong, somewhat interesting, capable lead female character (with rather non exposed sexuality - I know it may be considered minor but these days even show which only restrains from sexual objectification is worth praise). The fight scenes are really entertaining and well choreographed, animation is nice (however I'm not an expert on the subject and above some level I don't really care) and soundtrack doesn't annoy. And sometimes emotions depicted by the show resonate with viewer acceptably well.

But it should be strongly stressed - despite really good fight scenes it is almost entirely non-action anime. It is very unevenly-paced, but mostly very slow, even sluggish. In some episodes almost nothing interesting happens. And by that I don't mean only lack of action (because many, many episodes lack action), but also lack of any plot development, any relationship dynamics, any tangible emotions, any character exposition, lack of everything really. I'm not exaggerating, there are 2 or 3 episodes in which literally NOTHING happens. And when you add to them several in which something happens but it certainly doesn't fill up whole 20 minutes you can grasp how abysmally BORING this anime can be. This problem haunts especially the middle part of the series, the beginning and end are noticeably better - but I still wouldn't call them good in that aspect.

When it comes to the story it feels, I'll put it bluntly, stupid. Motivations of certain characters (the ones from the imperial court) are for me utterly non-comprehensible, in the result main reason for the plot "emperor wants to secretly kill his second son, because the son is possessed by dangerous demon who can cause massive drought" seems unconvincing, all the more the demon turns out to be not so dangerous and actually prevents drought. And I really can't shake off the impression that many things happen ex machina, without explanation, only to save the day or advance the plot further.

By the way most characters (apart from protagonist and maybe his underage sidekick) are completely forgettable. It is especially apparent with antagonist side - the show lacks real villain, everyone is at most gray. It could be seen as a departure from the cliché but in this case it isn't really a good thing, because it makes the forgettable antagonists even more forgettable.

To make things worse protagonists tend to do things which even inside their world make no sense at all - e. g. two main characters (which are shown to be well known) want to escape from the palace and disappear - yet they stroll inside the very city the palace they have run from is located in, they wander through streets of said city in their usual outfits equipped with accessories they are known of, stick to their original names, buy and operate the mill near this city (sic!) and don't make absolutely any effort whatsoever to hide themselves. And it's not the excuse to advance the plot - they are indeed not found for many months! Maybe it's a small detail, but very annoying one.

To sum it up - I wouldn't recommend this anime to anyone seeking action or intelligent narrative. I think there are people who can find the characters and interactions between them interesting (and can live without actual character or relationship development) or who can derive pleasure from slow-paced, well-animated depiction of simple life in medieval fantasy world with occasional bursts of fighting. But ultimately I consider this series bland and boring.