Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
muratbasci
General Overview:
A beautiful anime with mystical elements that kick off when Balsa, a spear warrior from Kanbal, saves Chagum—a prince targeted for assassination—and ends up being trusted by his mother to keep him alive.
Good Sides:
- OSTs & Music: Loved the music overall, including the opening and ending tracks. The traditional rice song was a huge highlight for me!
- Depth over Pure Action: It’s not just about fights. The show takes its time exploring Chagum’s struggle adapting to a totally different world, and Balsa’s transition from a lone, battle-hardened warrior to a protector caring for a child. Their dynamic—shifting between big sister/little brother and mother/son—is executed brilliantly and gives the characters so much depth.
- Choreography: When the action does hit, it hits ha…
Read at the sourceVinsmoke_Sandu
It pains me to think that a work like this is so forgotten.
I don't know the real historical context behind it, but that doesn't interest me, because this anime is simply magnificent!
I was looking for works with female protagonists who fight with swords and this marvel was recommended to me. One of the best discoveries and one of the best works I've ever watched. The characters are very memorable, each one has a function that makes them important, it's impossible to hate any of them. The main characters are well developed, and the depth and burden they carry make us root for them as much as possible. Seirei no Moribito is truly one of the best works I've ever watched; nothing seems forced, no episode is wasted, and no character is underutilized. It will be an eternal work of art that I w…
Read at the sourceapilaa
I am so grateful that I found this. I have always been a dreamer, but this show took me far away to foreign lands. It's the epitome of fantasy.
This anime is hauntingly beautiful. I rarely get to see this kind of gem. This show makes you wonder about the connection between nature and humanity. Like others here have mentioned, the OST is great - so relaxing and fitting. This anime also has the best fight scenes I have ever seen. There is no such thing as a boring character in this show. I also loved the fact that Balsa is a grown woman in her 30s, not a lost prepubescent girl, it adds the perfect amount of roughness.
You will not regret taking time and watching this.
Read at the sourceAntonyAV
This anime was a beautiful journey, and a nice introduction to the manga if you plan to read it, however this story is self-contained and has a proper ending. I can't stress enough how moving and intriguing the whole series was.
We follow a female warrior, Balsa, who is entrusted with Chagum to protect him against all odds and obstacles, while dealing with a realm beyond anyone's understanding. It has everything, quiet insightful moments where characters connect, those characters are well-written and fun to watch, realistic, grounded yet brutal fights, the animation is not impressive but for its time (2007) is fancy enough and pretty to look at, the sound compliments everything else well and the pacing doesn’t rush, instead giving weight to choices and showing how hard it is to protect so…
Read at the sourceARITRA_68722
Seirei no Moribito is a fantasy anime based on Uehashi Nahoko's fantasy novel. Now for bit of context i actually came across this anime from one of the interest stacks and this one caught my eye, and i do not regret picking this show up at the slightest. It was worth every second.
STORY
Now the story is a blend of a lot of genres. Fantasy settling, political drama, super natural aspect and not to mention the action of spears. Moribito in a way does it all. We follow the character of Balsa whose job is to protect Prince Chagum who has the water spirit in him. Now in there journey we get to witness the world of moribito and the nuances of it. Careful detail has particularly given to the political and cultural aspects of the world the latter being a really underrated factor for me in good wo…
Read at the source50Fiftillididee
✒ 🔱 One More From The Road 🥚 The Seeds Of Family °8.6° °outstanding° 💯%🔍 some minor spoilers
Why are stories from the road always the best?
Prince Chagum is possessed by a water demon. This will endanger the whole land. To avoid a curse, there are those who would kill him. His mother hires - nay, she /extorts/ the woman warrior, Balsa, to run away with her son and keep him alive. “I saw within that woman's eyes a strange power and indomitable strength. It was overwhelming,” mom will later say. Balsa & Chagum set out on the road. They flee, fight, find new friends (and old), and they all form a unit together. They flourish. They do settle in somewhere, eventually, and that's where we see the prince mature. (It's weird that the entire kingdom is filled with agents looking for the mis…
Read at the sourceSgtSalamander
Seirei no Moribito's defining characteristic is its total immersion. It possesses a rare quality and depth that reveals the amount of love that was put into it, manifesting in a world which feels extremely rich and believable. I cannot overstate how many small details there are, and how they come together to craft a world in which it is effortless to get lost in. This anime spends time on the tiniest aspects of its world that most anime would simply gloss over, and that is what makes it such a beautiful and effective story, a potent journey that the viewer finds themselves effortlessly swept up in. I'll begin here with this anime's strongest aspect, the story, which houses some of the best worldbuilding I've ever seen at the time of this writing, which is a monumental achievement all its o…
Read at the sourceEvilhunger
TL;DR - A fundamentally good series muddled by an excessive amount of (anime original) filler. Also it's pretty.
Moribito is a show that truly stands out due to two main things. Firstly, it is gorgeous. It's animation is essentially impeccable - I don't think there is a single bad frame of animation. Every scene is fluidly animated, with an impressively uniform style outside of a scant few standout scenes. The artstyle is comparatively far more standard, but nonetheless consistent and beautiful.
Secondly, Moribito is a very different kind of fantasy story, at least in comparison to what we typically see in anime. The core story of a warrior saving a child isn't especially unique or anything, but it has an unusually simple, genuine quality to it that makes it stand out from most anime. It…
Read at the sourceLuxuriousHeart
A comment on one of the first episodes of this show was, "I expect it to a solid 7/10 anime". Initially, the show was shaping up to be just that. The plot was dragging in certain points of the show, but charm and payoff pushed this to a 9/10. The characters were great and they all felt real. This world has some serious charm, and it feels alive. That's what a lot of fantasy shows fail to do, btw. They fail to make a world feel alive and lived in. They fail to show the everyday charms of the world, which this series does!
The characters were all great and went through developments of their own, that also felt real. Chagum, the prince that's possessed by the water spirit, does eventually get older, but we're still reminded that he's a kid with his logic. Same with Balsa and her backstory, w…
Read at the sourceDompa112
It was ok. A more mature anime without the silly anime humor, fan service and screaming. Its well made, decent soundtrack. Good enough animation. But with all that it never elevates from just being a good show. It didnt have any bigger impact in anyway. Nothing stood out. Not the music. Not the opening or ending. None of the characters left a lasting impression.
The plot was very flat. Its more a coming of age story for the boy learning the life outside of royalty. To often just very simple slice of life adventure with a few episodes here and there where the plot moves forward or you learn more about the beautiful world it takes place in. I would have liked more background about some terms, or characters like Balsa. But rather they wasted time on this coming of age story for the boy.
B…
Read at the sourceObsceneCatGravy
A beautiful tale set in the samurai era about a pergenant boi, his bodyguard, ballsack, and their travel companion, Panda. The pregantuan male loves his egg but the royal family members want to give him an abortion. His mother disagrees with this decision and so the balsamic bodyguard was hired.
Story - 6/10
It's a somewhat unique story, but ultimately had no real depth. The core concepts were not fully explored and it's not really clear what the supernatural elements in the show are nor how they relate to the real world.
To put it briefly, the story was straightforward and simple. It had nothing special going on for it, no real suspense, mysteriousness, nor anything that arouses real interest.
Still, it's nicely written, has little to no plot holes, and doesn't reuse tropes left and r…
Read at the sourcersun
Balsa is truth. Balsa is light. Balsa is mommy.
The manga/anime industry aren't exactly the most feminist enterprises out there. We have big tittied monster girls and high-pitched "oni-chan"s. Over time I have come to appreciate the fan service (tasteful or untasteful) as part of the experience. But then Balsa comes along.
Seirei no Moribito is a fantasy story about a traveling female warrior, Balsa. She is tasked with protecting a prince with a tragic curse. According to legends, he must sacrificed in order to prevent calamity to the country. There is no villain in this story. Every single character is nuanced and fleshed out. The assassins after Balsa and the prince are sympathetic. Even the emperor who orders his son be killed is sympathetic. The author achieved the impossible by mak…
Read at the sourcekealkeal
Female MC, hardcore warrior, serious story, no fanservice, great Japanese voice acting. This is top-tier. I love Mushishi and watched this based on MAL's recommended series. Not disappointed. Every step of the way, this did not go the way a typical anime would. Rather, it went the way a live-action TV series would go. This series could easily have been a great live-action Netflix series. Better yet, a movie trilogy. But we got a great anime series instead.
Closest to this would be Mushishi. Slight Rurouni Kenshin vibes, but more realistic. Ending was also worth watching the entire series for. In 2023, since we never got a sequel to this, I say great ending. You should be watching this. No reason not to, and it won't disappoint.
Read at the sourcequeenbananya
Loved it. Our MC is amazingly well written, layered and realistic. She is a grown woman who at first glance has it all put together. When someone calls her a "young lady", she says "I'm not young anymore. I'll be 30 this year". And it's really that statement that sets the tone of this story. At the end of the day, she is still very much discovering herself, growing as a person like we all do, and has to take on the burden of a child. And through him, she learns to love, to selflessly protect for the sake of protecting. No longer to pay a debt, out of duty or promises, but really, for herself. Chagum sets her free.
This anime made me weep, I could see myself in this woman, and all the decisions she took I felt for myself. Truly fantastic work.
Read at the sourceelnino02
“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.”
― Lloyd Alexander
Nowadays, fantasy in anime seems to be synonymous with the isekai - a recluse failing in life is transported to a new world, is allowed a fresh start and is able to live the kind of life most of us could only dream of. Effective and entertaining enough, sure, but presumably it's not long before they start getting repetitive and the need for a breath of fresh air sets in.
Enter 'Serei no Moribito', a 2007 anime directed by Kenji Kamiyama (director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and brought to life by Production I.G. In a medium bursting with incredible ideas which aren't necessarily met with the most flawless execution, Moribito takes a simple story in a high fantasy setting and fle…
Read at the sourceModerNinja
SO...
Spoilers.
there is one spoiler of the story but it is very minor, I think it is included in the synopsis
End of the warning. xD Let me start this by saying that I watched this anime like two years ago. But I guess nobody cares about that anyways, so on with the review. It looks like an anime from the legendary studio called Ghibli. Colors - amazing, story - amazing, animation quality - amazing.
To be accurate and as short as possible - the anime was very good. Sure, I didn't give it a perfect score, because most of the things in life aren't perfect, but really, it was great.
Having said that, let us go ahead to the beginning of the series, which is a bit, how I should put it, unclear. A lot of things are happening at the same time and you can get a bit lost but eventually, it…
Read at the sourceSadnessGuranteed
Moribito is one of the old animes that feel "very slow", at least to me. But it serves a strong and effective purpose of helping us to connect with the world and the characters. While I did watch it in 1.5x speed, I still feel the weight of the writing, so feel free to enjoy it at a faster speed.
A fantasical world where the supernatural meets ours once every few years. The story has multiple strong messages laid throughout the series, and all of them grow significantly from the start to the end. The middle of the story gets quite draggy and a few episodes do feel like it could have been omitted, but in a 12-13 episode season, it would have been too rushed.
While this won't be one of my top animes, its still a good watch in 2022
Read at the sourcetsujiri
If Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki's movies) and Avatar the Last Airbender (ATLA) had a baby, this series would be it. If you like both of those things, this might be your new favourite.
But if you're looking for a light-hearted anime that doesn't make you think too hard, or can't stand supernatural / spiritual journeys, you're probably not going to like this.
Full review:
I wasn't sure what to expect before watching. Truthfully, I came here for Tanda's voice actor (Tsujitani Kouji), the muted color palette didn't seem very appealing to me. What could be that exciting about old people in palaces, forests, and herb gardens? I even planned to skip through it if I didn't like it.
- Characters:
Then the first episode came on, and Balsa captivated me. She's everything I could want and ask fo…
Read at the sourceMasudo
One of the most famous Japanese myths and legends that we have seen in most video games and anime is the legend of rescuing people by a savior. Among the works based on this story is Morbito: Guardian of the Sacred Spirit anime. Morbito is actually a Japanese fantasy novel whose adventures are told in 9 different books and written by Nahako Yohashi. The Guardian of the Holy Spirit now narrates only the events of the first book, which was published in 1996, and the anime of this book was broadcast on the Japanese television networks in 2007 by the famous production I.G.
The Guardian of the Holy Spirit has one of the simplest and purest stories among the anime of its time, and to this day, various games have been made based on its story. The story of the Japanese animated film The Guardian o…
Read at the sourceichigago
Here's another pre-2010 gem I found.
Again, in my opinion/observation,
unlike other older or pre-2010 anime in general,
Moribito's animation looks very much present-day clear quality.
A standout & unique feature of this anime is the MC.
She's a woman.
She's a middle-aged woman.
She's a middle-aged woman warrior.
She's a middle-aged woman spear warrior. This is a epic-type anime not only in terms of length
(i.e. 26 episodes long)
but also due to the type of story.
This story involves the history of a country/empire
as well as its lore (spirits etc.)
which contributes to the enrichment of the tale being told.
But the best quality of this anime is its heart
which is represented by the MC,
who for reasons explained in the anime,
has pledged/committed to saving 8 souls,
with the last one b…
Read at the source
