Plot Summary:
Balso the Spearwielder, a skilled female warrior, hires out as a bodyguard on a personal quest to save eight lives for the eight that once died for her own. She has returned to her home for a rest, and to have her spear serviced, but things do not work out so smoothly. What began as an almost knee-jerk reaction to a near drowning becomes the intro to a nest of imperial vipers. The boy she saved is the second son of the Emperor, and the skills she exhibited catch the attention of his mother, the Second Empress. The boy has been possessed by some power, and the Emperor has reluctantly decided that the rumors will do more harm to the royal house than he can afford to weigh his affections against: he must be assassinated. And so the Second Empress gives Balsa her eighth and final charge-protect my son till the end of his days. And so begins an adventure that is even bigger than it sounds, if possible. For the nature of Chagum’s possession may not be so simple, and Balsa is not one to turn aside. Whatever it is necessary to do, she will do, and protect Chagum every step of the way.

Studio:
Production I.G. (Aria the Natural, Azumanga Daioh)

Cast:
Mabuki Andou as Balsa
Naoto Adachi as Chagum
Kouji Tsujitani as Tanda
Hirofumi Nojima as Shuga
Ako Mayama as Torogai
Mayumi Asano as Touya

Genre:
Medieval, Fantasy, Action, Drama

Airtime:
Seirei no Moribito aired from April 7, 2007 till September 29, 2007

DVD Availability:
The license, originally belonging to Geneon, has been rescued by Media Blasters and is currently in production. DVD release should be sometime soon, but no release date has been announced.

Episodes:
Seirei no Moribito is a twenty-six episode series. No sequel is expected.

Review:

Most anime, whether we fans like to admit it or not, is really aimed at a somewhat younger crowd. There are certainly those with a more mature feel, however, and Seirei no Moribito is one of them. A well told, well animated tale with good characters and some of the most dizzying displays of true martial skill-not battle, skill-that I have yet seen, make this anime a solid four.

The characters are not so much innovative or brilliant as they are strong, real feeling, and likeable. There’s even an ugly character-yes, a truly ugly one playing a strong supportive role. Hooked to a pretty girl, no less. Not so uncommon in novels, but pretty damn rare in anime. He’s good, too. Balsa, who shares the lead with Chagum, is a wonderful depiction of a female warrior-meaning she plays her role convincingly without being gung ho, showing a tough warrior exterior, or any of the other tried-and-tried-again types. I actually don’t have a problem with those on principle, but Balsa’s avoidance of them for something far more natural lends a great deal to her presence. Her skill is also well portrayed-without ever over-dramatizing, she quickly establishes herself as a formidable warrior who loses to no one, and her resourcefulness is equally impressive. No one was ever better suited to a one man mission like this(one woman, whatever-extra-military feminist comments not allowed!) Chagum, the prince, is also refreshing; rather than the ‘spoiled brat who learns compassion by seeing the lifestyle of peasants’, which I really do think is overdone and tired, he’s simply a good kid who, however sheltered he may have been, comes pre-installed with a backbone. A very bright child, he understands what is going on, and that there is no place for whining. He wins you over quickly, and continues to play an excellent lead alongside Balsa. The royal family and the people they send after him follow a similar trend: the Emperor mourns his son even as he tries again and again to kill him, portraying him simply as a good man with a responsibility larger than himself, and who knows it, rather than fiddling with pasts and family troubles. The men who chase him, the tutor who loves him and searches for the truth, all are given simpler faces that make them, and the anime, a far more impressive work.

The plot is well done, and the flow is good though not precisely fast paced. If this seems like a pattern in my reviews, it’s because these types appeal to me. The initial arc of escaping the guards moves smoothly into the investigation into the nature of Chagum’s possession, then blends back with it again. You do need an appreciation of character type animes to enjoy this story fully, without feeling like there are frustrating lulls. While there is plenty of action, it is not non-stop. There are several episodes in the middle that seem like fillers, covering little sagas in their lives while the imperial hounds have been, for the moment, lost. However, in some way, most of them turn out to have implications for the long-term plot. In general, it’s smooth, it never suddenly twists into something unrecognizable, like some have done, and the resolution comes very naturally, with plenty of action. Few anime do action like this one does. Have I mentioned that?

Well, now I will. After the character and plot paragraphs comes whatever feature I think merits separate mention. In this case, I have to mention the superb portrayal of battle. When one on one fights occur-hear this-you could watch them in slow motion, blow by blow, and be no less impressed, if not more. I can’t say that about any other anime I know of to date. In every other anime I’ve seen, the pace and fancy fast cutting with scenes and shots play a big part in the impact. Not so Seirei no Moribito, it’s scenes win with awe-inspiring sequences of blows between masters. You can barely follow the strikes, but you know you are seeing an epic clash of skill. I know of nothing else like it. Comment if you think otherwise, I’d love to know.

As I mentioned earlier, you do need to have an appreciation of character stories to truly enjoy this one. Chagum’s relationship with Balsa, his bond with his mother, and even more so his father, and several other personal threads weave an excellent counter-melody to the over-all plot. And in the end, both are resolved well, giving Seirei no Moribito one of the best balanced endings I know. The climax of an anime is supposed to be the height, emotionally, of the watching experience: Seirei no Moribito achieves that. I say again: I hate tragedies. While the ending to this one might not seem ideal to all, the necessity is understood, and it is clear that the characters all have what they need to move forward. Contentment will be theirs, if not euphoria.

Giving a very solidly made and told story, that achieves all goals and makes a smooth, enjoyable watching experience, Seirei no Moribito rates a very good four.

Final Rating: 4/5

This review is brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
All info such as cast and airtime are taken from ANN. All else is and always will be my origination.

Plot Summary:
In a rural village in a world set in some approximation of medieval Japan, the apprentice healer finds a man horribly wounded, unconscious in the woods. No one knows him, and what’s more, when he wakes up, he has no knowledge of himself. Strangest of all, he is found wearing a mask that cannot be removed, and that he can explain no better than his past. He soon adopts the healer’s family as his own, and is adopted in turn, becoming an accepted man of the village. Proving to be a man of strong character, charisma, and intelligence, he soon finds himself the leader of his village, then an army, then a country, always preferring peace, but never able to refuse responsibility for the lives of those who trust him. A leader of the truest sort, he is someone who attracts the best and the brightest to his banner, easily winning the trust and loyalty of even the most independent, while never himself knowing why. With a gift for military strategy, strong supporters and an acute sense of justice, it seems as though he might well change the world, despite himself. But in the end, the thing that may make or break him is the truth of his mask, whose purpose he can’t remember, and which cannot be removed.

Original Creator:
AQUAPLUS

Studio:
Oriental Light and Magic

Cast:
Rikiya Koyama as Hakuro
Ryoko Yuzuki as Eruuru
Daisuke Kirii as Oboro
Mai Nakahara as Yuzuha
Miyaki Suwashiro as Aruuru
Daisuke Namikawa as Benawi

Genre:
Medieval Japan, Fantasy, Action

Air Time:
Utawarerumono aired from April 4, 2006 till September 25, 2006

DVD Availability:
ADV films has released it in full.

Episodes:
Utawarumono is a twenty-six episode series. A sequel, while a pleasant thought, is unlikely.

Review:
Some stories are driven by plot. Some by a few strong central characters. Some by raw action. Utawarerumono (deep breaths, don’t panic) is, not so much driven, as powered by, wonderful character evocation. Never have all the stereotyped roles of anime seemed so natural, so perfect. From the gentle and supportive love interest to the the brash up and coming champion, all fail to grind on the nerves whatsoever. Given three episodes, the characters will win you over and make any plot work, and for this-along with doing most other things pretty well, of course-Utwarerumono rates a four.

As I said, the series goes ahead and uses the types we know, but redeems them wonderfully. Eruuru, the love interest, has a knack for saying exactly the right thing at the right time, not just for her Hakuro, but for others too, and it’s a pleasure to see. Her support is no contrived thing either-Hakuro truly needs her. Not even knowing who or what he is, the one reason he can stay sane is, without a doubt, Eruuru. And oh yes, the crowning touch: unlike her infamous counterparts, she is never a hobble. No being a hostage, no distracting him at a crucial moment in battle-I think we’ve all seen too much of that, deshou(right)? Yuzuha, the invalid, has a sweet demeanor that tugs your sympathy, and an impressive sensitivity to those around her. Oboro will demean himself for her (his sister) as for no one else, and his loyalty is unshakable, to the extent that no matter how badly he wants to do something hotheaded, he will stop for Hakuro. Thank goodness. As for Hakuro-sama himself…after three episodes, if someone asked you if he should be king of the world, you’d say ‘sure, good idea.’ He makes the typical twist of becoming ruler strong, because he is so clearly suited for it. Benawi, the samurai leader, is quite an interesting fellow; even stronger of mind than of body, he gauges his opponents with deliberate accuracy, and infuriates the hell out of Oboro with his assessments. Describing the other ‘good guy’ characters could be considered a spoiler, since they appear past episode six, or even ten. The villains are just as well done as the protagonists. Due to the nature of the plot (I’ll get to that), there are several who have the limelight at one point or another, all demanding individual and convincing personalities, and they all have them. They range from revolting, juvenile, self-centered indulgence, to monstrous cruelty, to just plain disturbing, but what they never do is make you roll your eyes. Like all the others characters in this series, they make their part of the story alive and immediate by being, perfectly, the people they are meant to be

As I’ve said, the characters carry what would normally be the conceptual strength of the series. All that’s left is for the plot not to insult your intelligence, which by and large it does admirably. There are one or two places where it doesn’t explain nearly as much as it should, though. When that happens, there’s nothing to do but grit your teeth and forget it, but it’s no biggie. And at the end, the explanations of the world get a little kooky. I advise just ignoring all the sci-fi references, it spoils things, not to mention being less than airtight. All you really need to get from them is the basic explanation of events, cause and effect, and the emotional implications. I didn’t consider this a big downer, since it was aside from what really drove the series. It actually consists more of five or six episode arcs, usually with one peaceful episode as a bridge, also usually used to introduce a new person, lay some ground, and then end with a hint of the next obstacle to come. Nearly every arc ends with a new ally, but Hakuro’s character negates the cliché of it. While seemingly disconnected, they are never random, the way monster of the week formulas can be, and often turn out more relevant than you thought. And of course there is the constantly escalating mystery of Hakuro’s mask, which is well paced, and conjures exactly the feelings it should, beginning to end. The end is a bit sad, by the way. It’s not an ‘everybody is all right and in their ideal position’ type. There have been some losses, but I assure you that I hate tragic endings, and tragic this is not. The phrase ‘I’m sure we’ll meet again, one day’ has never rung so true. It really could be.

Oh yes, one other thing. You don’t have to be entirely character focused to enjoy the series. The anime actually has quite a bit of very good action, so if you can’t get by on character alone, this is still worth a try. My brother is more interested in action, and he liked it. There’s even a touch of superhuman, since some races have abnormal abilities (my g-d, is Karura carrying a sword or an edged support beam? Its hurts, that’s for sure)

So, all things considered, Utawarerumono tell a nice story about people that you want everything to work out for. The experience rates four, for being an excellent, enjoyable watch with a touching, poignant end.

Final Rating: 4/5

This review was brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
All info such as cast and airtime are taken from ANN. All else is and always will be the origination of the author.