Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

There are so many underrated anime out there that deserve much more love and recognition. If you search up a list of the most underrated anime, some titles appear in almost all of them. Many aspects contribute to an Anime’s popularity, and most of these underrated gems lack one or two at best. Even so, other factors contribute towards a good anime, and these definitely have them. The following anime generally makes it to the top of all Underrated lists, so believe them when they tell you it's well worth your time.

“Seirei no Moribito,” also known as “Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit” and “Guardian of the Sacred Spirit,” is a 26 episode TV anime series that aired from the 7th of April until the 29th of September, as aSpring 2007 title. Geneon Universal Entertainment, Dentsu produced the series. NHK Enterprises, licensed by VIZ Media, Media Blasters, Sentai Filmworks, and Geneon Entertainment USA and brought to life by Studio Production I.G.

The central staff included Matsuda Akio as Producer, Masui Souichi as Episode Director, Kamiyama Kenji as Director, on Script and on Storyboard and Tachibana Masaki as Episode Director and on Storyboard. It boasts the genres of Action, Adventure, Historical, and Fantasy with a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older.

Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit is based on a Light Novel titled “Moribito Series,” also known as the “The Guardian Series.” It began publication in July 1996 and went up until February 2007, spanning ten volumes. It is the work of Author Uehashi Nahoko, featuring Demons, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, and Supernatural.

The first two novels of the series were published in English via Scholastic from the 1st of April until the 1st of May in 2009. The anime series adapts the first novel while additionally expanding the midsection of the novel immensely. Two alternative versions exist for the Novel: the “Seirei no Moribito” manga and the “Yami no Moribito” manga.

The story looks to the Shin Yogo Empire, which is on the precipice of a cataclysmic drought. It is up to the Star Readers of the Empire to devise an appropriate plan to avoid widespread famine that would potentially destroy them all. Written within their ancient myths are tales of how the first emperor of the Empire, along with eight mighty warriors, slew a great water demon, all to avoid a great drought upon their land.

They had thus saved the area that has now become known as Shin Yogo. If this water demon were ever to reappear, its death could bring about salvation to the Empire once more. But slaying the monster is not as simple as it was in the past, for the water demon had now manifested itself within the body of the emperor's son himself, Prince Chagum. With the wellbeing of the Empire in mind, the Emperor issues orders for Prince Chagum to be sacrificed for the greater good.

While the chaos ensues, a mysterious spear-wielding mercenary named Balsa fatefully arrives in Shin Yogo for business purposes. Prince Chagum is now the target of many assassination attempts, and Balsa saves him from a thinly veiled attempt on his life. She is then tasked by Chagum's mother to protect the Prince from the Emperor and his assassins as they all scramble to take his life. Balsa is bound by a sacred vow she once made and thus accepted. The tale follows Balsa as she embarks on a perilous journey to protect Prince Chagum from all his assailants, all while exploring the beauty of life, nature, family, and the bonds that fatefully form between strangers.

Moribito is not your typical anime, and maybe this is a factor contributing to its underrated nature. The Novels drew the appreciation of almost all age groups, as the neat role reversal of the overused "princess in distress" trope came across as fresh. Despite initially being a serious fantasy action drama, it has its fair share of humor too.

The story follows a steady and balanced pace consistently; whenever it does slow down, viewers can expect some significant character development. The premise is decent and proves time and time again that it is not your typical fantasy story. This series is unique in what it does and how it is presented.

Protagonist Balsa steals the show as an unyielding, spear-wielding warrior. She is a solid and unique female lead, not often seen in anime. Muscular, stocky, skilled, decisive, formidable yet sensible, she possesses a strong sense of right and wrong. Balsa is not your typical anime beauty either; she delivers zero fanservice, only to be seen as a symbol of strength and badassery.

Chagum is not too far off from a typical prince but much less arrogant. Both characters show immense development as the series progresses and, in turn developing their relationship too. Most of the supporting characters, typically associated with Balsa, receive decent development too. This is carefully linked to the growth of the leading duo as well, the most prominent of which being Jiguro, Balsa's guardian and mentor.

The references and flashbacks portrayed unravel themselves as more about the characters are made clear. In Balsa’s case, the characterization is crystal clear. Unfortunately, not all is perfect as there are a set of neglected, undeveloped characters; however, this weakness has almost no impact on the story or the overall enjoyment.

The Art and Animation of Moribito are not that of a typical anime. It has incredibly smooth and fluid animation, one of the best of 2007. The colors are very reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, with shades of green, blue, and brown showing prominence in both characters and scenery. It also leaves the nostalgic feel of classic anime.

The character designs are well-thought-out, practical, and realistic. Realism was probably the critical aim when drawing the faces and expressions; as such, Balsa is neither beautiful nor ugly, just a plain, sturdy woman. This style draws viewers to the series uniquely, and it does not forsake detailing either. The landscape is heavily based on the greater Indo-Chinese region, and it should be noted that the backgrounds, still scenes, rural areas, mountains, and jungles are all done with such incredible depth of detail. Finally, the action scenes are swift, well-executed, fluid, feel authentic, and are overall impressive.

The Opening theme is "SHINE" by L'Arc~en~Ciel, which is both nice and catchy. The ending music, "Itoshii Hito e (To the loved one)" by Sachi Tainaka, is decent as well. All the OSTs go well with the series’s atmosphere, themes, and premise, enhancing all the drama, battles, and slow-paced scenes. The sound effects are exceptional, too, giving the whole historical feel as well as realism.

Overall, Moribito is a series that falls between light-hearted and dramatic. It balances the action and story perfectly enough to keep viewers constantly interested. It's an increasingly interesting series, especially when they show Balsa’s past. The plot may be simple, but this is in no way a flaw as characters drive it forward. Moribito is enjoyable and is more likely to appeal to you than anything else, so it is definitely worth watching! This series is highly recommended for Ghibli fans and anyone who has a knack for historical-style anime.