Moribito – Guardian Of The Spirit

“Moribito – Guardian Of The Spirit” is an anime based on a popular novel that has been translated into many languages and was released by Japan’s National Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). At the time, however, I was not yet interested in anime. Nine years after the release of the anime, a live-action TV drama was released. I was fooled by the program’s advertising at that time and watched this work, even though I do not like TV dramas.

NHK arranged for renowned Japanese anatomist, author, and TV commentator Dr. Takeshi Yoro(養老孟司) to talk about the fantasy’s splendor. NHK also aired footage of Haruka Ayase(綾瀬はるか), the lead actress, training hard for action scenes, and the excellent work of the drama’s art staff, all to build viewers’ anticipation.

But I will be very clear. TheTVdrama was not very interesting. The anime “Moribito – Guardian Of The Spirit” is much more interesting. Perhaps the anime is more faithful to the original.

The purpose of producing the TV drama “Moribito – Guardian Of The Spirit” was to promote 4K TV by the national broadcaster (NHK). Therefore, whether it was interesting or not may have been secondary.

Highlights: Although this anime is an adventure adventure in a fictional world, it is also entertaining for mature adults because the details of people’s lives and economic activities are very realistic.

Yukio Noguchi(野口悠紀雄), a well-known Japanese economist, is a fan of the original “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” manga. In his essay reviewing “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” he wrote a very interesting essay titled “Conditions for Excellent Fantasy. Let me summarize the content of the essay in my own way.

First of all, works in which anything can be easily solved with a magic wand do not meet the conditions. A typical example is “Doraemon.

The next important factor is social scientific reality. A good fantasy work must have a detailed setting of the entire world, including the economic environment, the governing structure, and even the lives of the people. This is not limited to fantasy works. The more information that is provided in the background of the story, the better the anime will satisfy mature adults. This is especially important for serious works.

This anime “Moribito – Guardian Of The Spirit” does an excellent job of recreating a social scientific reality. Yes, it is. It is the richness of the social scientific reality that makes the expression of fantasy wonder more appealing. This anime manages to excite you enough without unnaturally using exaggerated expressions. And because it is a very carefully crafted anime, it does not feel old-fashioned.

If we adopt the above approach, mature adults cannot enjoy anime based on popular Shonen Jump manga such as “Dragon Ball” and “One Piece. This is because those works take little account of social scientific reality.

Setting: The protagonist of the bouncer business is a mature woman with a frighteningly strong heart.

The level of civilization this anime is set at is about that of the Edo period in Japan. However, guns do not exist. The main female character fights and fights off strong men using martial arts. Anyway, she is strong. To begin with, many anime rely too much on the cuteness and divine power of young girls. In this anime “Moribito – Guardian Of The Spirit,” there are no kawaii girls. It is a story about the main character, Balsa, who uses her fighting spirit and the wisdom of survival to make her way.

The protagonist, Balsa, is an exhilarating and, in any case, dependable older sister. She has a strange trusting relationship even with the antagonistic rogues. She is the type of heroic woman who can handle both the clean and the dirty.

Beautiful images reminiscent of the original Japanese landscape

This anime beautifully depicts the bountiful Asian landscapes such as rice fields, water mills, four seasons, common people’s lives, and dining tables. And there is a sense of fantasy in the royal palaces and costumes. The dialogue is also in an old-fashioned language, so it is like watching a high quality period drama.

This anime may be interesting even for children. However, it is very interesting for mature adults to watch it because they can gain many insights.

The way you unravel the mystery is fantastically interesting.

Only indigenous sorcerers can use their spells to give a slight glimpse of another world inhabited by demons. And the indigenous people have old legends. These clues are picked up and connected to get to the bottom of the mystery. In contrast, the scientists of the ruling class get to the truth by deciphering the ancient language of the inscriptions on stone tablets hidden deep underground in the royal palace. And the number of these tablets is dizzyingly large. What do you think? I love this approach, which is common in fantasy works.

Story: This is not a conventional story of exterminating a big bad guy. It is a story of a heroine protecting a boy at all costs.

The attributes of the characters in this anime are diverse. First, the protagonist, Balsa, is a foreigner. Her escort is a prince, the second in line to the throne; the sorcerer and his apprentice, whom Balsa relies on, are indigenous; the boy and girl she asks to arrange her travel arrangements are poor people living under a bridge. And the forces that oppose her are a scientist who doubles as a bureaucrat at the royal court and the king’s private army of elite military men.

These men try hard to fulfill their roles in their respective positions. None of them has any malicious intent. They just work to protect the boy, but they clash. And the presence of demons affects them, but even the demons are just part of the natural order and are not hostile to mankind.

Hence, you will have the dilemma of being emotionally involved with both friend and foe. This anime is not a simple good versus evil story. That is the charm of this work and the reason why it is suitable for mature adults. If you have read this far, you may imagine that this work is depressing. But don’t worry. The anime “Moribito – Guardian Of The Spirit” is an exhilarating story.

This anime is also a story of a boy growing up. The prince, who has grown up only in the royal palace, interacts with the people of the city, makes friends for the first time, understands the city’s economy, and even learns to catch and dismember beasts in order to survive, becoming more and more dependable by the day.

I am now looking forward to seeing where this prince is going. If they make a sequel to this anime, I would love to see it.