Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

[zoid9000]

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

精霊の守り人

Seirei No Moribito

"Once in a century
the Sacred Spirit dwells
within a human being"

Information thread for those who are new to the show, or those who want to find out more. Feel free to ask questions or include any missing information.

Airdate:

• 8/24/08 at 1:30 AM on [adult swim] (America)
• 4/7/07 to 9/29/07 (Japan)
  

Genres:

• Adventure
• Fantasy

The Story:

Balsa is a warrior from the land of Kanbal, as a spear wielding expert she makes her living as a bodyguard-for-hire. On her journey she visits the New Yogo Empire, it is here that she saves a young boy from a raging river. His name is Chagum, the second prince of the Empire, with a fate even greater than his rank: inside the boy's body, lays the egg of the Water Spirit, thus making him the "Guardian of the Spirit", an event that happens only once in one hundred years. However, the Emperor believes that Chagum is posessed by the spirit and seeks to bring a drought that could destroy the Empire. With this in mind the Emperor sends Imperial Assassins after the young Prince. And so, Chagum's mother, the Second Empress, hires Balsa to take Chagum into hiding and act as his bodyguard until the egg inside him hatches. Undertaking a job that puts her life at risk and turns the whole Imperial Court into her enemy, Balsa makes her escape from the palace with Chagum. However, unbenknownst to Balsa there exists a spirit world, called Nayug, where creatures exist who also seek Chagum. Their aim: to devour the egg within Chagum's body. Enlisting the help of her allies: an old Shaman, an herbalist, and an orphan errand runner, Balsa seeks to discover the truth of the spirit within Chagum and protect him from the evils of both worlds.

The Characters:

• Balsa - A skilled and intelligent warrior from the faraway land of Kanbal. Balsa claims to be a simple bodyguard-for-hire, but another motive for wielding her spear lies locked in her past.

• Chagum - The young second prince of the Imperial Family. Chagum has lived a sheltered life within the palace at the care of his mother. He looks up to his older brother and has a pure respect for all living creatures.

• Tanda - Balsa's long time friend, a talent herbalist who lives in the mountains. He lives as a traveling medicine man, and is skilled in healing wounds. Shaman-in-training under Torogai.

• Torogai - An old shaman and Tanda's teacher. A master of the old ways, she is in-tune with the spirit world, Nayug. She is capable of communicating with denizens of the spirit realm through water.

• Touya - An orphan boy and friend of Balsa, whom he regards as his elder sister. He acts as an errand runner, going through town obtaining any supplies that Balsa might need.

• Saya - An orphan girl who is a friend of Balsa, lives with Touya.

• The Emperor - Emperor of the New Yogo Empire and father to Chagum. Advised by the holy priests, he discovers the threat that Chagum's spirit might bring to the Empire and orders him killed.

• The Second Empress - Chagum's mother and the person who hires Balsa as a bodyguard.

• Sagum - Chagum's older brother who cares deeply for him.

• Shuga - Chagum's tutor and the youngest master star diviner in history. He investigates the cause of the Drought Sign.

• The Hunters - Those that work in the shadow of the Emperor to carry out his commands. They hunt Chagum with skill and without relent.

Theme Songs:

• "Shine" by L'Arc-en-Ciel (Opening)
• "Itoshii Hito e (To the loved one)" by Sachi Tainaka (Ending)

Episodes:

• 26 total
• Episode 1: Balsa, The Bodyguard
• Episode 2: Fugitives and Hunters
• Episode 3: Deadly Battle
• Episode 4: Torogai's Letter
• Episode 5: The Secret Plan and the Blue Hand

Main Japanese Cast:

• Mabuki Andou as Balsa
• Naoto Adachi as Chagum
• Ako Mayama as Torogai
• Hirofumi Nojima as Shuga
• Kouji Tsujitani as Tanda
• Mayumi Asano as Touya
• Ryou Hirohashi as Saya

Production Info:

• Animation Production: Production I.G
• Director: Kenji Kamiyama
• Music: Kenji Kawai
• Art director: Yusuke Takeda
• ADR Production: Bang Zoom! Entertainment
• ADR Director: Kristi Reed
• Licensed by: Media Blasters

In other media:

• Based off the fantasy novel series by Nahoko Uehashi.
• Available from: Scholastic

Message Edited by zoid9000 on 08-19-2008 04:43 AM

[RPD]

thanks. very useful thread  ...

[billyarnie]

Great job, Zoid9000!  Even though there are spoilers, a lot of people don't know much about it & far as I know, there were only 1 or 2 fansubs out.  This & the countdown thread should help the curious...  BTW, great screencaps of the characters!  Some could windup as custom eye-cons AKA diapers... I'm partial to Torogai, but I have a personal nickname for Touya:  "Bucky"!

Message Edited by billyarnie on 08-19-2008 07:01 AM

[Full_Metal_Megadeus]

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to the premiere.

Message Edited by Full_Metal_Megadeus on 08-19-2008 10:49 AM

[lunastar3]

very cool, thanx for putting that all together for us

[dhcuba311]

nice thread thanks

[zoid9000]

Thanks everybody, glad you all found it useful.

Also thanks to whoever floated it.  

---

billyarnie wrote:
Even though there are spoilers

---

Well that much should be obvious, any plot summary or character information is going to have some sort of spoiler for the first few episodes. I intentionally avoided any "real" spoilers though, such as the title of episode 6 and some of the background info on Balsa. But as I said in the first post, this is for people who want information about the show before they watch it, those people who want to watch it without any information just have to avoid this thread.

---

billyarnie wrote:
BTW, great screencaps of the characters!

---

Thanks, a few of them are from Production I.G.'s offical site. 

[stardust_whispers]

Thanks for all of that. Now I know what it's about more so I can watch it better on Saturday.

[zoid9000]

---

stardust_whispers wrote:
Thanks for all of that. Now I know what it's about more so I can watch it better on Saturday.

---

That's what I was aiming for, for a series like this its good to have some background info before watching so you understand what's going on.

I was a bit confused at first when I watched it.  

[stardust_whispers]

I'm really looking forward to it. My mother was asking  me about it, so  I can explain it better now.  She watches anime and as shows a lot.

[Nick_boy]

that sounds cool

[inuyasha1984]

---

RPD wrote:
thanks. very useful thread  ...

---

yes indeed it is, but who is gonna play the english VA's on these characters? n who is like da main bad guy/girl in this series? or is there one?

[zoid9000]

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:

yes indeed it is, but who is gonna play the english VA's on these characters?

---

There has been no cast list announcements but Anime News Network has these VA's listed (none of them the main characters though):

Chris Kent as Mikado

Darrel Guilbeau as Tandor (ep. 13)

Erika Weinstein as Saya

Grant George as Yarsam (Ep. 12)

Jason C. Miller as Jin

Kira Buckland as Nimuka (Ep. 18-19)

Marianne Miller as Kohyoi

Tara Platt

I find it interesting that Tara has no role listed, I wouldn't be surprised if she's playing the role of Balsa.

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:

n who is like da main bad guy/girl in this series? or is there one?

---

There are villian in this series, but personally I don't think there is a "main" one, but you'll have to watch and find out.

Message Edited by zoid9000 on 08-19-2008 08:40 PM

[billyarnie]

---

zoid9000 wrote:

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:

yes indeed it is, but who is gonna play the english VA's on these characters?

---

There has been no cast list announcements but Anime News Network has these VA's listed (none of them the main characters though):

Chris Kent as Mikado

Darrel Guilbeau as Tandor (ep. 13)

Erika Weinstein as Saya

Grant George as Yarsam (Ep. 12)

Jason C. Miller as Jin

Kira Buckland as Nimuka (Ep. 18-19)

Marianne Miller as Kohyoi

Tara Platt

I find it interesting that Tara has no role listed, I wouldn't be surprised if she's playing the role of Balsa.

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:

n who is like da main bad guy/girl in this series? or is there one?

---

There are villian in this series, but personally I don't think there is a "main" one, but you'll have to watch and find out.

---

Check the Countdown thread; anime_fan_800 has been posting Japanese VA's lately & I've been associating them with characters.  When appropriate, I provide the American VA for a role.  A few of these are main characters:  Mikado (At least at the beginning), Saya & Jin.  Not sure about Kohyoi... Tara Platt?  Her web site said she did multiple roles. I won't say she didn't play Balsa; in Buso Renkin, she plays Tokiko (a Kick-A$$ girl).  Her page originally said Buso Renkin would be on Adult Swim, but after the rumor mill started cranking, she took that off.  If she did play Balsa as well as other roles, she may have learned a lesson.  With 3 Days to Go, I wouldn't mind if she 'fessed up now...

Edit:  There are 2 main villians, IMHO.  One's obvious, one's not... watch & learn...

Message Edited by billyarnie on 08-19-2008 09:17 PM

[zoid9000]

---

billyarnie wrote:

Her web site said she did multiple roles. I won't say she didn't play Balsa; in Buso Renkin, she plays Tokiko (a Kick-A$$ girl).

---

Multiple roles, eh? I guess that means she might not have gotten a notable role in this then, but we'll find out.

I've heard her as Tokiko in the Busou Renkin dub, and she does a good job for the most part. She does have that adult female ass-kicking voice, and I think she would fit in the role of Balsa, so that's what I was guessing. Though, honestly I'll be a little surprised if we don't hear Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Balsa.

[billyarnie]

---

zoid9000 wrote:

I've heard her as Tokiko in the Busou Renkin dub, and she does a good job for the most part. She does have that adult female ass-kicking voice, and I think she would fit in the role of Balsa, so that's what I was guessing. Though, honestly I'll be a little surprised if we don't hear Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Balsa.

---

A Dream Come True, but Don't Hold Your Breath... I guarantee I'm watching & taping at least the Series Premiere, so they better have American VA's in the credits!  If [as] has it on Video, I'll write down the credits, but I won't post them until after 2:00 AM Saturday/Sunday (1:00 CT)... can't spoil the show, can we?

BTW, M.E.McG. = Balsa = Motoko Kusanagi... EPIC WIN!  GitSAC = Street Cred & GitS Fan will tune in at least for her...

[zoid9000]

Well she seems pretty perfect for the role, but I wouldn't mind hearing someone else either.

But Bang Zoom has had great dubs in the past, I'm just hoping the same for this one.  

[SayanSudoku]

Thanks for a very helpful thread. Now maybe I won't be too lost when watching

[zoid9000]

---

SayanSudoku wrote:
Thanks for a very helpful thread. Now maybe I won't be too lost when watching

---

You're welcome, that's what it's here for.

[inuyasha1984]

---

zoid9000 wrote:

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:

yes indeed it is, but who is gonna play the english VA's on these characters?

---

There has been no cast list announcements but Anime News Network has these VA's listed (none of them the main characters though):

Chris Kent as Mikado

Darrel Guilbeau as Tandor (ep. 13)

Erika Weinstein as Saya

Grant George as Yarsam (Ep. 12)

Jason C. Miller as Jin

Kira Buckland as Nimuka (Ep. 18-19)

Marianne Miller as Kohyoi

Tara Platt

I find it interesting that Tara has no role listed, I wouldn't be surprised if she's playing the role of Balsa.

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:

n who is like da main bad guy/girl in this series? or is there one?

---

There are villian in this series, but personally I don't think there is a "main" one, but you'll have to watch and find out.

Message Edited by zoid9000 on 08-19-2008 08:40 PM

---

ahh ic, well i am sure i will like the series anyway, i have been waiting for AS to get a new title, i am sure once the 26 eps are up they wil lose da rights to this one, so i think it best if any of us wanna see this series watch it the 1st time around

[zoid9000]

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:
ahh ic, well i am sure i will like the series anyway, i have been waiting for AS to get a new title, i am sure once the 26 eps are up they wil lose da rights to this one, so i think it best if any of us wanna see this series watch it the 1st time around

---

You bring up an excellent point.

I'll tell everyone now that this series has a large focus on character development and not every episode is going to be moving the plot forward, so there will be slow spots. But I would urge everyone to stick with it, because it really shines at the end and it's very enjoyable overall. Considering that even [as] has low expectations for this one, don't expect any re-runs.  

[inuyasha1984]

---

zoid9000 wrote:

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:
ahh ic, well i am sure i will like the series anyway, i have been waiting for AS to get a new title, i am sure once the 26 eps are up they wil lose da rights to this one, so i think it best if any of us wanna see this series watch it the 1st time around

---

You bring up an excellent point.

I'll tell everyone now that this series has a large focus on character development and not every episode is going to be moving the plot forward, so there will be slow spots. But I would urge everyone to stick with it, because it really shines at the end and it's very enjoyable overall. Considering that even [as] has low expectations for this one, don't expect any re-runs.  

---

i know i am gonna stick with it even though AS i know wont, even a great series like DN and so many others stopped airing so its gonna be no diff then this one no matter how good it is

[billyarnie]

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:

---

zoid9000 wrote:

---

inuyasha1984 wrote:
ahh ic, well i am sure i will like the series anyway, i have been waiting for AS to get a new title, i am sure once the 26 eps are up they wil lose da rights to this one, so i think it best if any of us wanna see this series watch it the 1st time around

---

I'll tell everyone now that this series has a large focus on character development and not every episode is going to be moving the plot forward, so there will be slow spots. But I would urge everyone to stick with it, because it really shines at the end and it's very enjoyable overall. Considering that even [as] has low expectations for this one, don't expect any re-runs.  

---

i know i am gonna stick with it even though AS i know wont, even a great series like DN and so many others stopped airing so its gonna be no diff then this one no matter how good it is

---

Bold italics mine.  With regards to rights, usually they last 2-3 or 3-5 years... I think DN could come back if they went back to All-Anime Saturdays or decided to put some anime back on weeknights.  Even though they haven't started a full rerun of Blood+, they still should have the rights.  Moribito might be different; CN or [as] got the rights from Geneon in 2007, so they should expire in 2009 or 2010.  Since they don't really want it to succeed, don't expect reruns unless they have to fill time between new anime, like DN did.

[Vantis_Odalisque]

---

stardust_whispers wrote:
I'm really looking forward to it. My mother was asking  me about it, so  I can explain it better now.  She watches anime and as shows a lot.

---

That's cool, I wish I had a parent or sibling like that.

[inuyasha1984]

---

Vantis_Odalisque wrote:

---

stardust_whispers wrote:
I'm really looking forward to it. My mother was asking  me about it, so  I can explain it better now.  She watches anime and as shows a lot.

---

That's cool, I wish I had a parent or sibling like that.

---

me 2, i only have a younger brother who watches anime, ma mom just think anime is dumb lol, no 1 else in ma family likes it