Search - Moribito Vol 1: Guardian of The Spirit on DVD

One Of The Hottest 1rst Volumes Ever

Keith A. Jones | Philadelphia PA | 09/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say about Guardian of the spirit that would truly let people know that it is no joke. Well to start it off, when I saw the first episode I got the same feeling I had when I saw the first episode of Cowboy Bebop. (Definitely Not Comparing The Two) but it just gave me that same feeling. It has that remarkable originality, beautiful animation, and a nice story that was a bit hard to predict at first. Nobody likes a flick they can predict right?

Moribito Guardian of The Spirit is about a traveling warrior named Balsa. Balsa starts out just looking for a blacksmith to fix her spear. Right here is when I'm thinking that a spear as her primary weapon may not add that spark to the action. Of course I was incredibly wrong. While on her Journey, Balsa saves a young prince from drowning. The prince's bodyguards don't exactly treat her as if she just did though. She gets away but is tracked down later, not without a fight though. The guards apologize and ask Balsa to come to the palace with them so she can be properly thanked.

The queen finds out that Balsa is actually a bodyguard. What the queen didn't know is that Balsa only guards people who remind her of past comrades that died. She wants to atone for her warriors life.She is asked to take the prince away and guard him forever. The boys own father is trying to kill him. Now Balsa and the young prince will embark on one long journey to escape the kings grasp. Can Balsa survive with the king sending such heavy weapons at her?

OK lets get it started, Balsa is an amazing character and one who has room to expand. A major problem with anime that tanks is that they lack good characters and good character development. Coyote Ragtime Show is one example of a series not have a dynamic main character. Balsa not only sparks the series but keeps good pacing as well. The big time supporting characters are slowly starting to show themselves but in good time.

I like that the villains are known but still hidden in a way at this moment but it should make for a good surprise to see the kings character in action.The animation is gorgeous, amazing fights sequences with great camera views to really get you into the series. The animation is very colorful and the character designs are on point. I loved the voice characters, especially Balsa's. I don't really know what else to say except this is one of the best anime I have seen in a while for sure. You gotta go get it, I have no worries but I doubt that this series can be messed up after having such a great beginning. So if you know me, you know I love good anime and I wouldn't give you a dud, this is a must have."

So far so good

N. Wolfe | Dallas, TX USA | 10/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fairly solid action/drama title. The first review gives you the basics of the story so I won't rehash that. Of the first four episodes only two feature really significant action, but it's good action. The animation quality is excellent and the story thus far seems more well thought out than many other anime shows. They do a wonderful job of keeping motion realistic, so the fighting is not only visually interesting, but intellectually interesting because it's close to being real.

This show does a very good job of staying away from the things that annoy me (and many other Americans) so much, such as extended pauses where people are simply looking at nothing, or the useless "Uh!" scenes (you know, where somebody says nothing but "Uh!" and nothing happens). It's not completely action packed, but things are going on that are essential to the story, even if it's not the main characters, so you don't feel like a single minute has been wasted. If you're the kind of person who can pay attention but hate shows that waste lots of time (like say, Naruto), you'll like this much better.

Furthermore, the animation is really clean. Top notch quality. You don't usually see stuff this good on tv shows. You may not want to buy the series in single dvds, but find some way to watch it. I'm pretty sure you'll like it.

By the way, this anime adapts the first novel of the ten novel series."

Anime fans rejoice!

M. Randall | Allen Park, MI | 12/31/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Moribito is a anime based off the first of a series of novels from Japan. This means Moribito is a anime of substance and story telling, unlike 75 percent of anime these days created from manga and produced to push toy sales. I haven't felt this strongly about an anime since The Twelve Kingdoms came to America. The summary of this volume is a bodyguard, Balsa, is hired to protect a supposed "poccessed" prince and while she is on the run, has a encounter with several of the enemy. Anime fans who can appreciated slower paced story telling and a good amount dialogue rather then non-step action will love Moribito. The special features are pretty trivial, and it seems Media Blasters/AnimeWorks was a bit greedy with the series (this 26 episode series will span across 8 DVDs instead of the usual 6)... but aside from the money hungry distribution, the anime is well worth it. Best anime of 2008/2009 on american shores in my opinion."

A great anime!

Erick Reilly | 03/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've seen the whole series of Moribito. It's based on a novel by Nahoko Uehashi and tells the story of a female bodyguard who takes on a job to protect a prince from being killed by his own father. The violence never gets too intense, there is no sex, and the show is beautifully drawn and entertaining. I highly recommend it!"