Title: Seirei no Moribito (精霊の守り人)
Scrumptious Meter: 4.5 (next best thing to slice bread~with a little extra sugar and spice on top)
Length: 26 episodes

Seirei no Moribito is based on a light novel by Uehashi Nahoko, the first book in the Moribito series. It tells of Balsa, a female spear-wielder, who takes on the task of protecting Chagum, the Second Prince of the New Yogo Empire. Chagum’s father, the Emperor, plots to assassinate his son, thinking that Chagum is possessed by a water fiend which Torgal, the empire’s Holy Founding Father, defeated hundreds of years ago. Chagum, however, is the vessel of the Nyunga Ro Im’s egg. The Nyunga Ro Im is a water spirit that bestows the blessing of water upon the land. Chagum has thus become the Nyunga Ro Chaga or Guardian of the Sacred Spirit.

The plot is compelling. At the start of the series, the tension is high as Balsa and Chagum escape from those pursuing them. They eventually manage to shake off their enemies. At this point, the plot softens and takes a slice-of-life feel, providing opportunity for Chagum’s character to develop as he interacts with Balsa and other characters. Despite the slow pace the plot has now assumed, the episodes provide subtle clues to future things. The plot then picks up again as Balsa and Chagum are discovered by their enemies. The chase continues but it shifts direction. Balsa and her enemies must now cooperate to assist Chagum in the safe delivery of the water spirit’s egg.

The characters are intriguing. Balsa is good and quite formidable as a warrior. Chagum, for a prince, is not stuck-up and whiny. He is dignified and noble. The supporting characters shine too. There’s Tanda, the medicine seller, Torogai, the shaman, Shuga, the star diviner, the eight warriors, Touya and saya… it’s great how they were all given enough avenues to develop.

The world on which Seirei no Moribito is set upon is interesting. There are two worlds actually: Nayug, the physical world and Sagu, a somehow spiritual mirror of Nayug. Both worlds influence one another. The main conflict of the story, that of the Nyunga Ro Chaga’s egg, is one example to the complex relationship between the two worlds.

Seirei no Moribito has also painted a vivid picture of the lands in Nayug. The series clearly depicted the history and culture of the New Yogo Empire. I read that Uehashi Nahoko has an MA in Cultural Anthropology. Seirei no Moribito and her other works, though in fantasy settings, draw upon this.

The animation for the series is lush. The backgrounds are detailed. The show is, afterall, produced by Production I.G. which is known for their high production values.

Those looking for lots of action, however, will be disappointed with Seirei no Moribito. The series isn’t fight-centered but rather plot-centered. The fight scenes though are fluid and dynamic, an added bonus. It reminds me of Samurai Champloo.

I guess one negative point regarding the series is that they could have done away with one or two episodes. The pacing is fine although after Balsa and Chagum eluded their enemies for the first time, it became slow. Though the slow episodes have merits (which I mentioned above), I think the “Swordsmith” episode could have been removed since it wasn’t in the novel. Perhaps the “Soil and Hero” episode too, although it did show more of Chagum. The pacing however picked up again but I guess many who watched, dropped the show already as they became bored.

Still, Seirei no Moribito is quite a good show. Some things however are left unconcluded, such as Balsa and Tanda’s relationship but it is understandable as the book of which the anime is based is the first of a series. I wonder if they will animate the rest of the books. I do hope so. I want to see more of Balsa and Chagum.