This series would have been much better if it was half as long. I understand that it's based on a very popular manga series, but what works on the page doesn't always work on the screen. The story moves very slowly, and for one about a spear welding bodyguard, there is surprisingly little action. If they condensed the 26 meandering episodes into 13 concise ones then I think this would be a contender up there with Samurai Champloo or Trigun. As it stands the more wishy washy aspects of this series, along with it's snail like pace, and too close attention to the more mundane details of the fantasy world it creates holds it back from true greatness.
It's not a bad series by any stretch of the imagination, and the production values are high. If you are looking for a leisurely series because you have nothing else to do and have watched all the real great stuff, then this is a fine time killer, but there are plenty other better stories and series you can devote your time to first.
