If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NLT)

It was the late 2000’s on a Saturday night, and I was up far later than I knew I was supposed to be. I was browsing through the channels on the television when my eye caught an anime playing on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block. It wasn’t like other anime I had watched before; the colors were lush and vibrant instead of static and saturated, the animation fluid and realistic instead of static and cartoony. I watched the playing episode, transfixed by the beauty this anime displayed. I paid extra close attention during the commercial breaks so that I could catch the name of the show and memorize to look it up at a later time, and that was Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.

What I had glimpsed was episode 12 of the show, about half-way through its running. I had little to no idea just what was going on, and several weeks later when I stumbled upon the show again, I really had no idea what was going on. It was a flashback episode meant to expand upon the past of one of the main leads, and even though I had no idea what the conflict of the story was, I was entranced by the world building this series shared with the audience. Sometime after that, unfortunately, Adult Swim removed the show from the block…or at least, moved it to a time that was not feasible for me to continue watching it.

A few years later, I found a book geared towards children with a very familiar title (if very exotic cover). I quickly glanced through the synopsis that the cover tab shared, and immediately recognized the names of the characters from the anime I had seen. I knew then that at some point I had have to purchase the book as well as finish my viewing of the series, from beginning to end.

Fast forward to the present time and I’ve seen the entire anime now at least twice and completed the first novel recently. I’m astonished that for as unique a show as Moribito is that very few fans of anime seem to have seen it, much less know about it. Although I primarily write about video games on this blog, my intention has always been to share my passion on great storytelling, of which video games are often dismissed or under appreciated. That being said, I think there are great themes and ideas that Moribito presents that fans of any medium, whether they be film, animation, video games, and so on can appreciate it. It is my hope that after reading this article that they may check out this series and share it with others as well.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit was originally published in 1996, the first of a book series written by Nahoko Uehashi, an ethnologist as well as a writer. Set in a fictional equivalent of medieval Asia (borrowing many elements from Feudal Japan and indigenous peoples such as the Ainu), the plot follows a female spear-wielder named Balsa who inadvertently rescues the land’s prince from drowning. Suspicious circumstances bring her to the palace and to the boy’s mother, who reveals that the boy has survived assassination after assassination after he showed signs of being possessed by a water demon, at the orders of his father the Mikado (or the ruler of the land). The Queen tasks Balsa with taking the prince, named Chagum, and escaping out into the world to remain hidden for the rest of his life, or at least until it is one day safe for him to return home again.

Much of both the book and the anime shares Balsa and Chagum’s new life together on the run and hidden from the Mikado’s forces who seek to capture Chagum. Meanwhile, Balsa and her allies Toya and Madam Torogai work together to unravel the mystery behind the creature possessing Chagum, and investigating whether it really is a malevolent spirit as his father believes, or something that is far more valuable than any of them can fathom. They are not the only ones who seek the truth as the Mikado’s advisors, known as Star Readers, spot some disturbing signs that the harvest season the next year is in peril and it’s up to them to share their knowledge with Balsa’s allies to uncover the truth behind the Guardian of the Spirit.

The book and anime deviate somewhat as the book is quite short on its own, and it was necessary for the anime to create filler to expand the length of the series into a full 26 episodes. That being said, the filler episodes are by no means pointless and I feel they did an efficient job adding to the world building and lore that made Moribito stand out compared to other anime. Some of these episodes subtly provide elements and tools that end up becoming pivotal by the series’ last few episodes, and my advice is to enjoy each episode as they are.

Just as Balsa and Chagum learn to take it slow while hiding in the countryside, so does the show take its time to tell its story. Some viewers may find the pace slow, and admittedly there are some parts or pieces of dialogue that I felt weren’t necessary and could have been cut as their absence wouldn’t make much of a difference. That being said, this story really encompasses a journey, from beginning to end. It marks the growth of Chagum’s character from a helpless prince oblivious to the ways of the world as he is taken from everything familiar to him, to someone who is able to hold his own in a pinch and learn what he must protect above himself.

Both the cast of characters and the setting are varied and lovely in this story. There really isn’t a villain in Moribito, despite the fact that the reason why Balsa must guard Chagum is because his father ordered his assassination. You learn as the viewer that the circumstances are much more grey than you may initially believe, and the main conflict for much of the series is really the result of poor communication than anything else.

The animation for its time is amazing to watch when there is action displayed. The character designs are more grounded and with more realistic features than I’ve seen from most anime, and the food (such as from the example above) is enough to make your mouth salivate at times. There are actually few action scenes that take place in this series until near its conclusion, but when there are fight scenes, they are just beautiful to watch. An example of this is from this clip down below, incidentally from the very first episode of Moribito I was able to catch:

What I found refreshing about Balsa and Chagum’s relationship is although when they first meet they are virtual strangers, they are never cold with one another right off the bat. Balsa is quick to speak warmly to Chagum as they escape together and explaining to him gently how to piggy-back on her when he grows tired. Chagum for his part never complains about his circumstances, despite the fact that he was not expecting to be escaping out into the world with Balsa, someone whom he had never met before. He is curious and inquisitive, asking questions and learning more about the world around him. He quickly grows to trust Balsa and sees her as a surrogate mother. By the end of the series, their relationship is one of the strongest and you can’t help but wish for more adventures with just the two of them.

A running question throughout the show is why Balsa chooses to help Chagum in the first place. She is a mercenary and bodyguard by trade, but its mentioned several times that it is unusual to see a woman take up arms, never mind be as capable with them as Balsa is. As Balsa gradually shares her past with Chagum (and the audience), she muses that although she wasn’t entirely sure at the time, she likely felt compelled to help Chagum as not doing anything would have done just as much harm to him.

I think audiences can learn from Balsa and her relationship with Chagum, and be encouraged to help others in their circumstances, no matter how dire they may be. When we look to help others and do good, we find that we may build connections that weren’t there before, and find fulfillment through our actions. God has not tasked us to sit by the sidelines when things in the world are going wrong, but to take action and to do what we can through His guidance to heal this world as we can through His hands. My hope is that you may take the time to watch this series for yourself and think about how the relationships in the world of Moribito parallel your own, and think about our own Guardian who watches over us, through both our times of joy and despair.