Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (精霊の守り人, Seirei no Moribito) is the first in the twelve volume Moribito (守り人) series of Japanese fantasy novels by Nahoko Uehashi. It has since been adapted into numerous media, including radio, manga, and anime adaptations. Scholastic released the first novel in English in June 2008. Media Blasters has confirmed that they acquired the rights to the anime.^[1] The series premiered on Adult Swim in the U.S. at 1:30 a.m. on August 24, 2008 EST, but was dropped from the schedule without warning or explanation on January 15, 2009 after two runs of the first ten episodes. The program returned to Adult Swim during the summer 2009 line-up with an airing of the entire series.^[2]

Plot introduction

Balsa, spear wielder and bodyguard, is a wandering warrior who has vowed to atone for eight deaths in her past by saving an equivalent number of lives. On her journey, she saves Prince Chagum, and is tasked with becoming his bodyguard. His own father, the emperor, has ordered his assassination. The two begin a perilous journey to ensure the survival of the prince. Balsa's complicated past begins to come to light and they uncover Chagum's mysterious connection to a legendary water spirit with the power to destroy the kingdom.

Characters

Protagonists

Balsa

Voiced by: Mabuki Andou (Japanese); Cindy Robinson (English)

Played by: Haruka Ayase

A skilled warrior from the faraway land of Kanbal. She is 30 years old. Balsa claims to be a simple bodyguard-for-hire; in reality she wields her spear in order to save lives in atonement for the eight lives that were taken to protect her when she was a child. Balsa is pragmatic and intelligent and she does not hold much regard for class distinction customs. Despite her deadly skill with a spear, Balsa tries not to kill in combat. As a result her body is covered with scars. At one point it's revealed that she is the daughter of the former Kanbal King's physician who had discovered that the new King had poisoned his predecessor. Worried that his crime would be revealed the new King ordered the physician and his daughter, Balsa, be executed for treason. To protect his daughter the physician asked the one warrior he could trust, Jiguro who was the first of the King's 9 Spears, to take her and run while he stayed behind. Unfortunately the King sent the other 8 Spears (while holding their families hostage) after them. Her guardian was able to protect her but had to kill all 8 of his former comrades to do so. Later he taught Balsa how to use a spear responsibly after seeing her perfectly re-enact the moves she'd seen him use. During their journey, Balsa becomes attached to Chagum and even teaches him some important lessons in life. At the end of the series, she is seen returning to Kanbal for reasons unspecified but is hinted to be putting Jiguro's soul to rest.

Chagum

Voiced by: Naoto Adachi (Japanese); Mona Marshall (English)

Played by: Kai Kobayashi (season 1), Mizuki Itagaki (season 2)

The second prince of the Imperial Family, who bears the egg of the water spirit making him the 'guardian of the spirit'. At first it is believed to be the reincarnation of a demon defeated by his ancestor, the first Emperor. Convinced that it would bring misfortune and destruction to the country, Chagum's father secretly condemns him to death. However, before they could assassinate him, his mother, the Second Empress, hires Balsa to hide and protect him. Later, it was revealed that the egg is a water-bestowing spirit that revives the land once every hundred years upon successfully hatching. The real demon that his ancestors defeated was a creature that seeks to consume the egg before it can hatch resulting in the land suffering an extreme drought for a long time. By accepting the job to protect him, Chagum becomes the eighth and final soul Balsa vows to save to complete her atonement. During their journey together, he becomes emotionally attached to Balsa. At the end of the series, he is appointed the crown prince and hailed as a hero for helping the spirit be born. He bids a tearful farewell to Balsa, Tanda, and Madam Torogai as they leave the palace, thanking them for everything they did for him.

Tanda

Voiced by: Kouji Tsujitani (Japanese); Peter Doyle (English)

Played by: Masahiro Higashide

An herbalist who lives in the mountains. His skill as a shaman are lacking, but he is an accomplished doctor as he would always tend to Balsa's injuries suffered in battle as they grew up together . He also works as a traveling medicine man, trading his wares with the local towns and cities. Tanda has also had a long standing crush on Balsa that seems to have dated several years before the start of the main story. Balsa acknowledges his feelings for her and in fact feels the same way about him as he does for her, but the two never act on their feelings during the series. At the end of the series, Tanda is seen having dinner with Saya and Tōya, telling them that he will gladly wait for Balsa to return from Kanbal.

Torogai

Voiced by: Ako Mayama (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Played by: Reiko Takashima

An old shaman and Tanda's teacher, who proves to be incredibly competent at taking care of herself. A master of the old ways, she is in-tune with the spirit world, Nayuga. It is this relationship that allowed her to discover the spirit's true identity. She is capable of communicating with denizens of the spirit realm. She is eccentric and unfailingly blunt, but never fails to tell the truth.

Jiguro Musa

Voiced by: Rintarou Nishi (Japanese); Kyle Hebert (English)

Played by: Koji Kikkawa

Balsa's mentor, caretaker, and bodyguard. Originally the leader and strongest member of the king of Kanbal's 'Nine Spears'; he 'betrayed' his country to save Balsa's life. After fleeing Kanbal, they were pursued by the other eight 'Spears'. In a series of pitched battles, Jiguro was forced to kill the men he considered his best friends. He also trained Balsa to wield a spear honorably and with wisdom, and she later inherited his spear after he died. When Balsa's father asked Jiguro to protect her, he at first refused, but later appeared to save Balsa from two of the Kings assassins. Balsa believes that Jiguro helped her because he could not live with the guilt of not helping his friend, as he believed that not helping someone when you are in a position to do so is the equivalent of harming them yourself.

Kōsenkyō Downtown (Ōgi-no-Shimo)

Tōya

Voiced by: Mayumi Asano (Japanese); Yuri Lowenthal (English)

Played by: Seishiro Kato

An orphan boy and friend of Balsa, whom he regards as his elder sister. It is later discovered that he and Saya were saved by Balsa, and that is how they became acquainted. This may be the reason why Tōya claims that he would go "through fire and water for Balsa". He is very clever for his age, often haggling with merchants to lower their prices and is always successful in doing so. He teaches Chagum how to barter with merchants as well the basics of gambling.

Saya

Voiced by: Ryo Hirohashi (Japanese); Erika Lenhart (English)

Played by: Riana Saijima

An orphan girl who is a friend of Balsa. Due to Balsa staying at their hut, she and Tōya have to leave the city and end up following Balsa because they would be troubled if the pursuers were to find them again. It is later found out that she has a crush on Tōya.

The Blue Hand (Aoi-te)*

Voiced by: Taiten Kusunoki (Japanese); Tony Oliver (English)

A slave trader acquainted with Balsa due to her guarding VIPs who did various things which hurt the slavery business. Balsa uses the money she got from the Empress to buy and free a bunch of slaves from him. This allows her to not only free the slaves, but by journeying home the former slaves create a lot of false leads for the Emperor's men to waste time and attention running them down and away from Balsa and the prince.

The Swordsmith*

Voiced by: Katsunosuke Hori (Japanese); Michael Forest (English)

A highly skilled smith who forges swords for guards of the imperial court. He was the smith that created Jiguro's spear that Balsa inherited. While reluctant to repair her spear allowing her to fight and kill, he does so after finding out from Mon and Jin that when she had overwhelmed them in an earlier battle, she did so without killing anyone deliberately even though it would have been faster and easier for her to do so.

The Palace (Ōgi-no-Kami)

The Emperor (Mikado)

Voiced by: Atsushi Ono (Japanese); Chris Kent (English)

Played by: Tatsuya Fujiwara

Due to the belief that Chagum was possessed and that the possession was the reason for the Drought Sign being seen, he ordered Chagum to be killed. The Emperor is the only one able to kill Chagum due to fact that was how his ancestor ascended the throne, by killing an evil water spirit, and the belief that only the Emperor could successfully kill it.

The Second Empress (Ni-no-Kisaki)

Voiced by: Emi Shinohara (Japanese); Tara Platt (English)

Played by: Fumino Kimura

Mother to Chagum, she was the one who requested Balsa to become Chagum's bodyguard. While he is on the run she is held under 'house arrest' for helping him escape.

The First Empress (Ichi-no-Kisaki)

Voiced by: Sayuri (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Played by: Kae Okumura

The mother of Sagum.

Sagum

Voiced by: Ryouya Kobayashi (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

Played by: Kaisei Nakano

Chagum's older brother and the heir to the throne, who cares deeply for Chagum. When Chagum's belongings were ordered burned after Chagum was presumed dead, Sagum took over the task to protect Chagum's things. He dies from overwork in his responsibilities as Crown Prince before being able to see Chagum alive again. In the book, there was no mention of him being close to Chagum, and he dies of illness.

Star Diviners

Shuga

Voiced by: Hirofumi Nojima (Japanese); Steve Staley (English)

Played by: Kento Hayashi

The youngest master star diviner in history and Chagum's tutor. He is among the only three people aware of the hunters that serve in the Emperor's shadow. He investigates the real cause of the drought sign and Chagum's supposed death in secret. When he was growing up he had lived in a fishing village, as a result, he is skilled in riding a horse.

Gakai

Voiced by: Hiroshi Naka (Japanese); Doug Stone (English)

Played by: Mitsuru Fukikoshi

A star diviner and Prince Sagum's tutor. He is stubbornly dismissive of the events that have been occurring since rumors emerged that Prince Chagum was possessed by a water demon. However, Shuga respects Gakai as a scholar and sincerely requests his help to decipher the tablets in the Star Chamber in order to save Prince Chagum after Sagum's untimely death. At the end of the series, he thanks Prince Sagum for guiding him in helping to save Chagum's life.

Hibitonan

Voiced by: Takkoh Ishimori (Japanese); Steve Kramer (English)

The chief master star diviner, later entrusted by Shuga with the responsibility of organizing the translations of the Secret Tome. He is dismissive of the knowledge of shamans and looks down at the possible advantage of consulting them for advice. While he does not believe that Prince Chagum should be killed, he does believe that the water spirit in the child is dangerous and must be dealt with.

The Hunters (Karyūdo)

Mon (No.1)

Voiced by: Naomi Kusumi (Japanese); Jamieson Price (English)

One of the initial pursuers sent to retrieve Chagum after Balsa leaves with him. He is the head of the hunters, and he respects Balsa as an opponent, particularly when he realizes that she has elected not to kill any of her enemies in spite of the advantage it will offer her in order to protect Chagum. During the penultimate episode, Mon and the other Hunters acknowledge Balsa as a hero and proudly stand beside her in battle.

Jin (No.2)

Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze (Japanese); Jason C. Miller (English)

Played by: Satoshi Matsuda

One of the initial pursuers sent to retrieve Chagum after Balsa leaves with him. After securing the prince, Jin attempts to kill him so that Chagum need not die by his own father's hands; knowing though that this act of insubordination would mean Jin's own death. He deems it a favor in return for the kindness that the prince showed him earlier in his life. He uses blowdarts as his weapon.

Zen (No.3)

Voiced by: Kenichi Mochizuki (Japanese); Michael McConnohie (English)

One of the initial pursuers sent to retrieve Chagum after Balsa leaves with him. He survives the encounter due to Balsa's vow never to take a human life and takes on the identity of the "Chief", a client who quickly wins the trust of Tōya so that Shuga and the hunters can track down Chagum and Balsa.

Yun (No.4)

Voiced by: Shinji Kawada (Japanese); Christopher Smith (English)

One of the initial pursuers sent to retrieve Chagum after Balsa leaves with him, which apparently left him with a scar on his nose. He also appears to have a superb photographic memory, as he was able to skim through one of Tōya's order record books and completely memorized the contents.

Hyoku*

Voiced by: Takayuki Sasada

One of the warriors who wields dual broadswords, but he was defeated by Madam Torogai.

Rai*

Voiced by: Atsushi Ono

One of the warriors who uses a chain and sickle weapon, but he was also defeated by Madam Torogai.

Taga* (No.7)

Voiced by: Kouhei Fukuhara (Japanese); Steve Kramer (English)

A hunter who is very skilled in archery.

Sune (No.8)

Voiced by: Yuki Masuda (Japanese); Kyle Hebert (English)

Another hunter who is very skilled in archery.

Media

Novel

The novel was first published in hardback by Kaiseisha as children's literature, but it had many adult fans. Shinchosha republished it in bunkobon format in March 2007.

Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit) (ISBN 978-4035401506, 1996-07) (Bunko ISBN 978-4-10-130272-0, 2007-03)

Adapted into the anime series. Balsa is hired to protect a prince with a mysterious spirit living inside him.

Published in English by Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic in the summer of 2008; translated by Cathy Hirano.^[3]

Radio drama

NHK-FM Radio Drama "Youth Adventure" (Seishun Adventure)

The Guardian of the Spirit (2006) 10 episodes 7/8/2006–13/8/2006 weekdays 22:45–23:00

The Guardian of Darkness 10 (2007) 10 episodes 16/4/2007–27/4/2007 weekdays 22:45–23:00

Anime

The series has been adapted into an anime television series, produced by Production I.G and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, which premiered in Japan on NHK from April 7, 2007. The anime runs 26 episodes and is based entirely on the first novel in the Guardian series, and greatly expands the midsection of the novel.

At the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007 in March, Geneon announced that they had acquired the license to the anime and Scholastic announced they had US distribution rights to the novels.^[4] After Geneon discontinued its US distribution division, the rights transferred to Media Blasters. The series premiered in the United States at 1:30 a.m. on August 24, 2008 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block, but was dropped from the schedule without warning or explanation on January 15, 2009 after two runs of the first ten episodes. On June 13, 2009, the series was back on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block in the United States at 1:30am Sundays, but was moved to 2:30 a.m. Eastern time,^[5] swapping it with Fullmetal Alchemist in November. On January 8, 2014, Viz Media announced that they have acquired the series and will be re-releasing the series on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as airing the series on their broadcasting channel, Neon Alley beginning on January 17, 2014.^[6]

The series feature two theme songs. The opening title is Shine by L'Arc - en - Ciel, while Sachi Tainaka performs Itoshii Hito e for ending title.

References

External links

• (in Japanese) official site of the novels
• (in Japanese) official site of the anime
• (in Japanese) Production I.G. site
• Production I.G. site
• Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit on Hulu
• Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Guardian of the Sacred Spirit on IMDB