Anime: Seirei no Moribito

I watched this series a few years ago and I have held off on writing a review because my impressions of the show seem to run contrary to what everyone's. Maybe with time, it would soak in more and in order to to give it the chance, I rewatched it.

Story and Characters:

Guardian of the Spirit follows a simple structure: there's this legend that says the prince of a kingdom is going to be the one to bring calamity to the kingdom, so he gets sent off with a bodyguard to go hide from imperial assassins. This structure serves two main purposes: 1) It allows for the development of the spoiled prince, Chagum, out in the real world. 2) It allows the bodyguard, Balsa, to become a mother figure and forge a bond with Chagum.

Balsa- the easily likable, strong independent female warrior.

Chagum- INFP child--- sensitive, cries easily, obedient, but has a strong heart.

The other characters don't have much to them and can be summed up in one or two sentences:

Tanda- Male healer (a flip on the archetype) who's there to provide support and be the childhood friend that has a crush on Balsa. Inoffensive and fills his role, but not much personality to talk about.

Madame Torogai- Snarky old woman (who looks like the witch from Spirited Away) who serves as the spiritual shaman. She serves as the guide for delivering fantasy lore.

Shuga- Pure hearted star reader who only wants the best for the prince and serves as an exposition device to uncover fantasy lore. That's literally his whole game- serve the prince, and read records.

The focus on one or two great characters surrounded by serviceable ones (though inoffensive) seems to be a pattern in Nahoko Uehashi's writing, as Kemono Souja no Erin was the same. This isn't bad, but it just means your main pieces have to really carry everything, so it's make or break.

Message:

Thematically, the worldbuilding and lore is constructed to explore the importance of traditions (especially oral traditions) and learning to harmonize with nature. Nature manifests as both a destructive force and a neutral force that can be reasoned with if you learn enough about it. On a more personal level, the intertwined journey of Chagum and Balsa simply serves to portray the love between mother and child.

Tone:

As others have noted, you won't find the usual cringey anime tone here. It's a children's story but there's an air of maturity to it. No anime stock characters, no exaggerated facial expressions, no fanservice. It feels very natural in every aspect--- storytelling, characterization, worldbuilding, and dialogue.

Standout features:

This series only has two hand to hand combat fight scenes but they're two of the best fight scenes you'll ever see in animation. Balsa is a standout character; strong and independent but not in an in-your-face way. She just knows what she's doing and because of that she's cool in the same manner as Major Mokoto. In both cases, when a character is defined as strong, it's done through telling rather than showing. You see Mokoto's political maneuvering and investigation skills in full detail, just as you see Balsa's battle tactics and well animated spear fights.

The Big Picture:

Bringing it all together, does it work? That is, does it succeed in entertaining you with the development of the Balsa and Chagum, the forging of their bond, and the presentation of its themes about nature? I would argue no. Initially it does, as the first three episodes or so are extremely engaging and sets up the rest of the journey well. However, as the creators of the show will tell you, they stretched out the middle portion of the novel, which slowed down the pacing too much.

Still, I suspect this is a very subjective matter. Others might enjoy the slow unfolding of the lore and the groups hikes through nature. They might enjoy the peaceful and deliberate storytelling, which is very appropriate for the atmosphere and themes of the show. I can easily cast these issues aside as minor gripes because the ceiling of this show is defined by Balsa, Chagum, and their relationship. The issue is that in all three of categories the starting points are already too close to the endpoint, leaving little room for dynamic growth from low to high. Balsa handles her motherhood with ease and Chagum is already an obedient child.

The highlight of the show in the second half, and my favorite part of the show, was Balsa's backstory with Jiguro. It is everything Balsa's journey with Chagum was not--- it was fast paced, it was tense, there was a starting gap between father and daughter figures to be bridged, it had subtle affection between the two, and there was room for both of them to grow.

Art & Animation:

Very well rendered but true to its realistic setting, the colors are dull. Balsa's design is very good in a vacuum. It's great when you consider that this is anime and this is probably the only instance where you have a 30 year old woman with a tough build wearing something that covers most of her body. Her face is deliberately drawn not to be conventionally pretty, too.

Voice dub:

I watched the dub. Everyone's voice acting is fine, although I'm pretty lenient with voice acting. I did feel that Chagum, who was voiced by a woman, was too whiny. That may have contributed to my apathy towards him.

Music:

Kenji Kawai brings his A game, which means you're in for a treat. After the two action sequences were done it was the music that carried the rest of the show and made it pleasant even through the slow parts.

Final Thoughts

I know I spent way more time critiquing the show than praising it, but that's only to back up my claims more specifically for anyone who wants to know where I'm coming from. This show is on my list of greatest animated series because despite all its flaws, its spirit still bleeds through. In theory, it's a sincere, empowering story that weaves culture, morality, tradition, motherhood, and spirituality into a potent emotional package. Hopefully, the original novel or the live action adaption is able to see this through where the anime failed.

Themes such as heroic brave man rescuing and protecting feeble woman from harm is a common topic in novels and anime. However, in the case of Seirei no Moribito, or Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit, the roles are reversed: a woman saves and protect the prince. Having a setting in a feudal fantasy world, this anime provides both action and adventure, with satisfactory character development.

~Story~

The story of Serei no Moribito is simple: a female bodyguard, Balsa, is asked to protect the prince Chagum from the assassins the emperor send after him. This is not without a reason, and as society knows, feudal times are known for its superstitious beliefs, and it is so that the prince is possessed by an evil spirit, the water spirit. This ethereal being is considered to be the source of draught, besides being an unacceptable occurrence for someone of royal blood. As the plot unfolds, the spectator may observe how Balsa confronts the different situations she and her companion encounters.

This situation can't last long in any way, if this anime aims to convey it a somewhat realistic way, without going to deep in the "shonenque" genre. This was done well: after a few intriguing and intense, well paced episodes, the story settles itself in an arc more focused upon character development and exploring ways to free Chagum from the water spirit. The story is displayed through both sides: the emperor's subordinates, the astrologers, and Balsa and Chagum, allowing the audience to observe the different situations and beliefs from both parties.

There is a negative aspect on the aftermath of the first few episodes: the slow pacing of the story. While it certainly contributed to character development and revealing the various mysteries that surrounded the anime, it felt as if time was not fully taken advantage of, leaving somewhat empty and lackluster episodes. With a fairly weak conclusion, Serei Moribito's universe could have been expanded much more, thus not reaching its full potential.

~Characters~

The cast of characters in Serei no Moribito is not big. The main focus of the story lies in Balsa and Chagum, though the audience may observe people from both parties. There is the emperors party, whose main characters are the two top astrologers, the queen, and the emperor himself. The other party is composed of a shaman, Torogai, who is an expert in the mystical arts: then there is Tanda, who supports Balsa. Supernatural being are not be excluded: fire spirits, water people and "egg" devourers.

The spectator may observe the biggest character development in Balsa and Chagum. The audience observes how the prince has to adapt himself to the low-class lifestyle, which has one positive aspect: love and social interactions that would not have been possible as a royal family member. As the narrative progresses, Balsa's struggle and background story is revealed, which is a great addition to the anime. The remainder cast of the anime undergo certain character development to an extend, but nothing drastic.

One refreshing aspect of the characters was the fact that in this anime, there is a powerful, rational and strong willed female lead character, the opposite of the "damsel in mistress" characters in other anime. Not outstandingly beautiful and has its own flaws, leading to a more likeable and realistic female lead character.

~Animation and sound~

The animation of Serei no Moribito is outstanding: spectacular backgrounds, well coloured and detailed; the same applies for the skies. The animated battle scenes are one of the best, if not very best, comparing with other anime: very fluid and realistic movements, leading to an overall very enjoyable experience. At times CG is present in the anime, though this was done only in certain occasions, and didn't interfere too much in the art style.

The sound used matches well with the different atmospheres it tried to portray, as well as giving an emotional touch to certain themes, making it easier for the spectator to perceive th characters emotions. The voice actors fulfilled their role well, though the variety in voices was not big, leading to a less unique touch to the characters.

~Enjoyment~

Seirei no Moribito was overall an enjoyable experience with fantastic animation and a non exaggerated story. Though the pacing of the story was slow and the potential of it not fully explored, I can recommend this anime to anyone with an interest in the fantasy genre or just wants to see something different. Be warned though, patience is a key factor in this anime to fully enjoy it, so if you are not the patient type, this may not be for you.

Thank you for reading.

as the other scores probably indicate, Seirei no Moribito is a very good anime. and because of that it has certain effects on the viewer that not many animes can boast. but let's stick to structure here.

Art & animation

well. it is one of the most gorgeous animes out there. the backdrops are beautiful, some on the level of paintings, but so is the animation - smooth and varied. this can easily be seen during combat scenes, which while not too numerous, all have a choreographic quality to them that really elevates the quality on this highly above most. the designs (of both characters and setting) might seem a bit plain for some, but they feel extremely authentic at the same time. no crazy pink hair or unnatural bodies here, whee. the cgi used is integrated beautifully, too.
this section's a doubtless 10.

Sound

music of op/ed is typically awful, so by standards of anime - average. however, the bgm is very good - Kenji Kawai knows his stuff, and we can hear hints of spirituality that was heard on his better known score for the original Ghost in the Shell movie. this soundtrack, however, is slightly more peaceful and laid back, fitting well with the overall feeling of the anime, but it is slightly less memorable as a consequence.

I watched dubbed version and, in my opinion, it was excellent. I didn't hear glaring mistakes or something that would not fit with the characters. technically, a perfect score in this department.

together this nets a 9 for this section.

Story & Characters

and finally we get to the more serious part. I don't want to spoil it, so if you want to be surprised, tread carefully.

SnM's story at its core is a straight and simple one - the goals and the road is clear, the few twists presented can hardly be called game-changers, and, well, it is clear that this anime is not about them. what it is about is the authentic feeling setting and realistic, believable characters. let's cover setting first.

anime is set in an ancient asia feeling setting, and I feel it is portrayed rather accurately. there's a strict social structure characteristic of these ancient lands, a pretty cool mythology (that was only hinted at, sadly) and a bandwagon of tiny details that contribute so much to the feel of this anime. from the places where characters eat to their humble huts where they live, from king's palace with servants obeying strict and very ceremonial rules to the lives of the ordinary people - farmers and craftsmen - their entertainment, customs and work. I could call out more and more things like this, but I think it's clear that the setting has been portrayed very carefully and that is one of this anime's greatest strengths - the world feels complex, yet beautifully simple, just like an ancient world should.

and the formula of "complex, yet simple" is one that character direction follows as well. the characters are knee-deep in the setting and are portrayed as such, their considerations stemming from both their social position and minute, particular detail, contributing greatly to the same authenticity I claimed for setting. this authenticity shows itself in many ways, and some of them clearly oppose the typical anime fare. characters are subtle in their actions - there's no overblown drama, no loud declarations, instead characters do their thing, sometimes not announcing for what reason, but the magic is in the fact that the reason is clear. characters show their affection in quiet and correspondingly impressive ways, and go to great lengths to fulfill their goals, all while remaining firmly in the realm of possible.

this feeling of realism applies not only to main characters, but to bulk of the secondary cast as well - while not everyone gets an exposure of who they are, their actions do show their alignment and it is always reasonable. of note is also the fact that there's no black and white distinction in this anime. people are, well, like people are - tending for themselves, for their reasons, there's no inherent madness or badly justified evil - characters make perfect sense. and that is absolutely amazing.

final aspect that I must dwell on is the character development. frankly, this is the true core of this anime - showing how characters interact and change as a result - this change is, as noted, always sensible, and, when irrational, then at least understandable. but I've been banging on and on about this.

I can see potentially two problems with SnM, though. first, a certain character can be seen as too flawless and perfect, not faltering once in carrying out their will, that is without a doubt admirable. but I can not see this as a true flaw, for the character still remains realistic, and as such I can only envy this character.
second and more serious issue could be with the pacing. this anime is slow, and it is so contrary to the first few episodes that might seem like they're promising quite a bit of action. well, there's not that much of action here. but it is not a fault per se, just wrong expectations one might get for this anime. if it is treated as a character study, it's almost perfect. if we treat it as an action piece (for whatever obscure reason), we're gonna have a pretty sound sleep.

story 9/10, characters, hmm, 10/10.

Value

it's a monumental anime, one that I believe is an achievement - story and characters, based on book, do show this literary quality, the art, sound and overall execution is some of the best out there, and subject matter of growing up is a classic theme, so I think this anime has a guaranteed spot in the hall of the greats.

due to its slow pace it might not be that enjoyable to rewatch often, it is no thriller. but I am certain that once in a few years is a frequency that will become a reality at least for me.
10/10

Enjoyment

well, there's little more I can say - it is clear I loved this anime. it's a mature one, no teenage warriors, no overblown, silly angst, no compromises to characters and drama traditions. with its simplicity it goes against many anime "traditions", yet feels natural and sensible. if they ever get around to making some more of it, I'll be there to get more of this.
another of 'em 10/10s.

my total vote'll be 9.5.

I'm usually not into japanese-based medieval shows despite being a true fan of medieval eurasia. Seirei no Moribito promotion art and feeling initially gave me an impression that I was about to yet watch another show with youkais, temple girls, samurais, ninjas, etc. and because of that I delayed to watch it for many months. I only put it on screen the year after it was released and, well, it was incredibly worth it. Seirei no Moribito is a sort of anime that is rare these days. It's a bit fantastic without being too tied to japanese/chinese tradition, has a incredible belieavable female protagonist that is not a bishoujo or a teenage girl, boosts a powerful animation when needed and has more great events and a good pace than many shows around.

Serei no Moribito's setting is more commonly shown together with a group of stereotypes, usually with bits of cheesy comedy or some comical relief character, but here you'll never find time to laugh or be bored, because the show is ready to move forward and always holds a more serious and dramatic atmosphere.

Art & Animation
There is little in the industry to match Seirei no Moribito's quality. Poduction I.G easily made here their very best piece of work. First off, the chosen art style merges nicely with the setting, with a detailed and nicely crafted presentation of a medieval world, full with builidings, heavy forests, mountain paths, plantations, lone roads, and classical houses. Second, the characters look mature yet still look as classical japanese animation, something that gets close to what was done with Planetes many years before. Third, the animation is simply superb, with beautiful combat coreography, amazing spear fights, tons of powerful expressions, and a mixture of light and dark atmosphere that fulfills the urge for quality in any kind of show. Add that to a tale that is heavy on pursuit, action, and fights, and you have simply an artistical masterpiece.

Sound
Seirei no Moribito also boasts a powerful sound direction. Background themes are typically dark and sad, working perfectly to demonstrate the chaotic state of the world that must hunt a boy to maintain peace. There is a lack of capability for the sound track to feel relaxed in some moments, and perhaps the overly serious atmosphere of this department may conflict with some lighter scenes of the show. Openings and endings are also remarkable, doing their job of giving the audience a preparation to each episode and keeping you watching one after another. Finally, voice-acting is of top quality, a serious work that give life to a multitude of characters that vary from veteran warriors to urchins.

Story
Seirei no Moribito is a about Balsa's tale. She is a skilled bodyguard entrusted by the empress to keep the prince of the New Yogo Emire, Chagum, out of harm. Suprisingly, the one who demands the head of the prince is the emperor, fearing the destruction of his land because of an ancient tale about the Guardian of the Sacred Spirit and its destiny to bring doom to the land.

1. Rush and Action
   Seirei no Moribito is a show of constant flee, hiding, pursuits, and everything that Balsa can do to keep the prince out of harm. In essence is very similar to the amazing Kurau Phantom Memory, mostly changing the setting and the dangers involved. Expect lots of superbly animated fights, frantic races, tense moments, and an overall pace that will always keep you demanding more and more.
   
   It's simple
   Despite the tale, characters involved, and everything else, Seirei no Moribito has quite a simple story. It's straightforward and could certainly be labeled as bland, but the superb direction and top-quality execution shows us that such good job can make even the most simple of tales an inspiring and exciting experience.
   
   It could be better
   Regardless of having quite a nice direction, the show could certainly benefit if the action was more frequent. Considering the size of the show, many episodes are wasted in scenes that wouldn't be truly missed, and perhaps making more action-focused demonstrations could make things better. With the production value of Seirei no Moribito, this would surely be awesome.
   

Character
Balsa's perhaps one of the greatests female characters out there. She is different than most, we don't have fanservice around her, she is not blushing or shy, she is truly a mature human, very likeable and very well developed through the show. She starts as some kind of emotionless ronin but end up very different and more sensible to the events around her.

1. And the support!
   The support cast is maybe a bit too supportive, but are very good on their own. The foes are moved by belieavable facts, there's no absurdly evil guy or senseless character. They hunt the prince because they fear the unknown, yet they are not certain of their doings, their doubts are plenty and very human-like, making the show a lot better than your average medieval fare. What you see here are characters that are not completely created only to protrait stereotypes or to show some nice power/skill in a fight, you'll see people who have real purposes and the good plot execution puts them against each other in nice situations and the outcomes are very satisfying. There's only too short of a time to truly develop some part of the support cast, but that's barely an issue to an overall great show.
   

Value
No fillers, no ecchiness, no blushing, and always a different and serious show even though the protagonist is a woman! That's a truly rare feat in japanese animation and because of that you'll unlikely to find many shows like Seirei no Moribito. The setting itself feels a bit familiar if you've watched animes like Twelve Kingdoms and Beast Player Erin but is still a refreshing thing from the typical school-life, post-apocalyptic or fantasty-futuristc shows that are the vast majority. Production value is high. The plot is well executed despite not being much different than usual. Everything from Seirei no Moribito is at least difficult to find elsewhere, making it a valuable show amongst the hundreds of animes out there.

Enjoyment
Seirei no Moribito is a well paced show. It has some superb fights but most of the time you'll be watching Balsa and her crew in some traveling problem while they are on their run from the emperor's army. The balance is great, but there are sometimes where Seirei no Moribito looks far too typical because of the setting and the events occurring, becoming perhaps a bit boring at some extent. While this happens rarely and never truly compromises the fun of the show, it's worth stating for those who may think that Seirei no Moribito is frantic or something similar.

Comments
Seirei no Moribito is one of those shows that is almost perfect in all departments. It's very well executed overall and is clearly made to be a top of the top show. For me it falls shorts of that mainly because of the somehow typical fantasy setting and the bit of a narrower approach to the problem faced. You won't see armies, wars, or a ravaging nation after a child that is supposed to bring destruction to the land (like what happens in Scrapped Princess, where some truly powerful stuff comes to play), and only in the end there are some greater moves, but not enough to support the threat or the feeling that I think would be necessary to make the show exceptionally remarkable.

In all departments, however, Seirei no Moribito is simply gorgeous. I can't say enough how I was pleased to watch a show with a female character that would not fit almost any of the stereotypes that are around. She's not a childish girl, or a attention-demaning woman, or sexualized... she's a bit different than most female character's I've seen, especially when they are protagonists. I completely love to see more humanized characters that are out of japanese typical stereotype books, and in this Seirei no Moribito plays a good role.

Those who like medieval stuff will certainly like Seirei no Moribito. For most it may be necessary to get past the typical setting, but all the rest is enough to make the watch extremely worth it.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

SPECIFICS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Intro Disclaimer: If you read this review, please rate it and, if you like, leave a comment or two as well! We reviewers really appreciate getting feedback, and rating takes little additional effort on your part. That said, on to the review:

Having been away, more or less, from the anime fold for a while now, only making time for the occasional series now and then, watching Moribito marked a glorious return to my appreciation of the medium that reminded me just how enjoyable its best offerings can be. I turned on the first episode around 10:30AM on June 4, 2010, intrigued but not overly impressed; I finished the twenty-sixth a mere 21 hours later, at 7:30AM on June 5, having stayed up all night marathoning episodes 7-26. Think I was tired? of course I was, but this series was so relentlessly fascinating that I couldn't stop myself from watching all the way through. I've never watched a series this long in a single day, so you better believe Moribito is worth your time.

Story

Probably Moribito's most straightforward aspect, but that's by no means a bad thing. The premise - a woman bodyguard, engaged in a deeply personal mission, swears to save the life of a prince whose father is trying to kill him - is engaging, and from the first episode onwards the story develops at an impeccable pace. This is probably one of Moribito's greatest strengths in relation to its fantasy/adventure peers: it knows exactly how to progress in a way that allows both for episodes of unbearable tension & excitement, and much more peaceful ones. Nothing ever feels either rushed or unnecessarily stretched out. Every plot development is welcome exactly at the time it arrives. This is true from the very first episode, which - though in some ways actually rather unassuming - plants the seeds for what is to come (both plotwise and in terms of grabbing the viewer's interest), and remains true all the way through to the climax and conclusion. In fact, Moribito should be held up henceforth as an example of absolutely perfect, long-scale planning, especially in terms of how it ends: proper time is allotted for those climactic events that have been led up to all along, for their proper set-up, and their ultimate resolution: the series ends exactly when it should, as it should, and even treats the viewer to a whole episode of epilogue, a true dark art in the anime world: far, far too many series that hold up well for most of their duration botch their ending by rushing it and then failing to provide a satisfying postscript. Moribito is in this sense a beacon of light in the darkness.

It must be said, however, that those looking for an epic, convoluted plot will be disappointed. The plot is straightforward through-and-through. There are enough plot twists to keep one on one's toes, but nothing too drastic ever happens. Much, admittedly, is predictable. Even so, the series is so well-done that I, at least, did not mind at all: even though occasionally I thought I'd come upon a plot hole or questioned the necessity of a certain development, in the long run none of these flaws harmed the series at all. If a viewer does not insist on tearing every little detail to bits, and is content to let the series carry him or her along on its own terms, there is no way that one can come out dissatisfied at the end. If you can overlook the (very small) questionable matters, you're in for a real treat despite the story's conventional aspects: it does not break any new ground, really, but it retreads old routes very successfully indeed.

Characters

Simply put, Moribito's characters shine. You root for the protagonists, get appropriately ticked off at yet respect the villains, and generally appreciate everyone else inbetween. The relationships between the main figures are a huge attraction and are as responsible for keeping the series moving along so briskly as the development of the plot is. The central relationship is that of Balsa and her ward, Chagum; but equally intriguing, I would argue, are Balsa and Tanda's longterm-friendship-bordering-on-romance, Tohya & Saya's devotion to Balsa, and especially a number of the courtly intrigues, particularly those involving the spectacular character Shuga and the relatively minor but also marvelous Prince Sagum. The Emperor and Empress are neglected to a fault, perhaps, appearing too simplistic in their desires and emotions, but this is more than made up for with the constantly shifting relationships of the other major characters at court. Also of note are the Hunters, the kind of villains whom one loves to hate, so to speak: they may get in the way of the characters one cares about, but they're so badass and - ultimately - respectable that they never become mere caricatures. Many props, also, to the (unfortunately) very minor yet scene-stealing Nimka, a very welcome late addition to the cast.

The best character in the show, however, hands-down, and in the running for one of the most lovable & memorable characters of any anime out there (at least those I've seen), is the shaman Torogai. From her first appearance a few episodes in to her very last line, she practically makes the show - I cannot imagine it being nearly as outstanding without her. Her deadpan humor, many idiosyncrasies & quirks, unusual take on friendship & "moral support," and straight-up coolness (a necessary feature if one wishes to be a truly great fantasy anime character, ever since Ashram set the bar so high all those many years ago in Record of Lodoss War) make her a particularly lovable figure. She is the central character in at least one of the show's absolute best scenes (such as come to mind at the moment). Oh, and her little dog is totally awesome, too. Watch out for it.

Script and Directing

As already discussed in the Story section, Moribito's writers have done a spectacular job crafting a series that is irresistible from beginning to end. Even though not every episode was "exciting" per se, the dynamics of the characters' relationships and the intricacies of the plot make for a nonstop fascinating viewing experience. The script falters occasionally, as I suppose is inevitable for a series that goes off so many standards of the genre, but makes up for its mistakes with an abundance of really awesome moments. The creators succeed brilliantly at making the viewer care to some extent or another about all the major players, and by the time I was in for the home stretch I found myself totally involved in the characters' feelings and felt equal parts dread and excitement over the way the story would turn out. There were a number of times, especially near the end, that the series tugged so strongly at my heartstrings that I ended up either crying or very close to it, but though on the one hand one never really expects to be rendered so defenseless by a story, on the other I wasn't surprised since Moribito does things exactly right from the very beginning (or close to it - as mentioned previously, the first episode is a little underwhelming and not a very good indication of the writers' and producers' strengths, and what they have in store). The directing, too, of course, contributes to this overall effect - consider, for instance, the three or four straight episodes that portray events that are purely related to character development and not at all to developing the plot: if the directors weren't so talented, how could they have made them just as engaging as those episodes in which the plot is proceeding in full force?

Animation and Music

Moribito's animation is downright gorgeous. Character designs and backgrounds are very attractive and the series is thus packed full-to-bursting with eyecandy, yet never of an unnecessary nature: the animation quality contributes greatly to mood & emotional effect. It also has to be mentioned that though there are not very many action scenes, those that take place are mindblowingly awesome, and could be watched over and over and over again just for their "wow" value - most noteworthy in this regard are episodes 3, 13, and 21. Series that have such high production values from beginning to end, with not a single lapse in sight, are extremely rare, and while I do not usually factor in animation quality very highly into my rating of the series, when you've got something as stunning as Moribito on your hands, it can only be a good thing.

I've assigned the lowest score to Sound. Though certainly, no harm is done in skipping them (as I did almost all the way through), I think that a fitting opening and ending sequences are important: the best kinds of openings should stir you up with excitement for the episode to come, and good ending songs should let you take that precious minute-and-a-half at the end of an episode to sit back and take things in, before disengaging entirely from the viewing experience. Unfortunately, Moribito's opening and ending are both completely inappropriate. That's not to say they're bad - L'arc~en~Ciel's "Shine" especially is by all means a great song - but they completely fail at providing what I described above. The melodramatic jPop of the ending was an especially bad choice - though it's a minor complaint, it really sucks to be sucked out of an incredible episode (and the writers of Moribito are beasts at ending almost every episode with some kind of punch to the face, be it emotional impact or a cliffhanger) and confronted with that cheesy piano chord... hmph. Anyway, the good thing is that the soundtrack to the series itself does get the job done. It's not a very good score, but it manages to help evoke the atmosphere as necessary - and let's be honest, we can't expect every composer to be Yoko Kanno.

Value

First off, I think the fact that I watched the whole series in just two sittings (one of them twenty episodes straight!) says a lot for the rewatch value. True, the second time around I'll know all the plot details, but there's plenty to appreciate beyond the plot, which, as I mentioned previously, has its harmlessly predictable aspects anyway - I'll definitely be glad to watch the characters' relationships develop a second time (it'll be like visiting old friends!) and there's also great enjoyment in simply watching a perfectly-paced, competently-produced series unfold, even if one is familiar with other of its elements. It may not necessarily be soon, but I already look forward to a rewatch, and certainly would never have anything against sitting down to watch anything from one episode to the whole thing again with a friend.

Conclusion

Seirei no Moribito, though not flawless, is nevertheless an extremely good fantasy/adventure story, arguably one of the best in its genre. It has a simple but still very compelling story; great characters all around; and boasts excellent writers & directors. The animation is a marvel to behold, and though the soundtrack may not be amazing, it's undeniably good all the same, and always fitting. Above all, turn to Moribito if you wish to see an example of how an adventure story should be paced. If you're a fan of the genre, and are capable of overlooking minor flaws in favor of a glorious bigger picture, this series is an absolute must-watch!