You know when you watch something great that you couldnt wait to finish, but once it finished you were mad at yourself for being so impatient? Well, I'm currently in that state because of this series T_T--I don't want there to be more, Ii just wish Ii hadnt finished it so quickly!!
Weaving traditional folklore story-telling, masterful character development and gorgeous animation, Seirei no Moribito has the power to capture all audiences in an epic adventure told like none other. If you loved Miyazaki's whimsical movies (Howl's moving castle, Princess Mononoke) (or even if you dont), you will enjoy every second of this 26 episode masterpiece.
The story recalls the journey tradition often seen in videogames--Balsa, a female spearwielder, takes a journey to save 8 lives. The eighth life happens to be the second prince who has a demon egg trapped inside him and faces assassination at the hands of his father. After they escape from the palace, they embark on a journey to find out more about this demon, but along the way they learn more about themselves. While it does harken back to the convoluted, complex legend type stories, Moribito succeeds with just the right amount of complexity to fully develop the storyline in 26 episodes.
Although the series starts off slow--I watched until episode 6 and then stopped for half a year before starting again--it is really fantastically told. The purpose of the first ten episodes seems to be character development, although it leaves many questions unanswered, mainly about Balsa's past. Fortunately, the end ties up loose knots neatly and I am quite satisfied with the way the show ended--I even cried a little. I hate to say this for my first review, but I can't think of any flaws in the plot execution.
The characters are developed masterfully--there's no other way to describe it. Most series, when they attempt to delve into the past, they do so in a very superficial and unrealistic way, but each and every character in Moribito you will come to love and care for. I think the primary strength of this series is its wonderfully subtle storytelling that illustrates rather than tells the unique personality of each character and how their interpersonal relationships develop with each other. The result is a richly textured, epically entertaining anime that should not be missed!
Animation:
The closest thing I can compare the art to is Mushishi--wonderfully rendered backgrounds with very average character designs. So dont expect loads of beautiful characters like Code Geass or the like. While I do understand why the creators decided on such character designs, I would have liked more close attention paid to some of the characters. I keep thinking along the lines of Kurenai... but anyways, onto the fun part.
Aside from the GORGEOUS background renders, Moribito boasts some spectacularly THRILLING fight scenes. While there isn't fighting in every episode, the lack thereof only builds for a stunning performance every time something interesting does happen. Think the fast-paced, heart-pumping choreography of Samurai Champloo refined with mindblowing fluidity, and you get something close to what Moribito is. I cannot say enough about how realistic and AWESOME the action scenes are!
so minus some points for average character design and plus 5890284392 points for general animation :D
Sound
In this type of show where character development and story-telling is so intricately important to its execution, the right voice actors and director is key. While none of the voices specifically stand out to me, the actors really did work together well to deliver the right amount of emotion/lack thereof for the series.
In general, the voice acting seems more "realistic"--there isnt too much inflection in the voice and they speak slowly. I loved how the lack of exaggeration in inflection seemed to contribute to the complex texture of the storyline. But, this type of thing is hard to explain, so just watch it and you'll know :D.
Presentation
I always like to do this when I tell people what to watch. Moribito is most like Sword of a Stranger which also features a warrior who must take care of a child who the emperor wants to kill--complete with AMAZING animation and beautiful bgs. But since most people havent seen that (go. see. it. NOW. if you havent :D--or if you decide you enjoy moribito and want something else) i would say that Moribito is like Princess Mononoke textured with the intricacy of Mushishi, dashed with more action-genre flavor :D (and a cute little boy who I will kidnap!!!--ahem i tried to avoid saying that throughout this review).
In conclusion: if you want to watch something unique, beautiful and subtly uplifting, watch Moribito now :D.
