8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Balsa, the spear wielder and bodyguard, is visiting the New Yogo Empire. She is hired to protect the Second Prince, Chagum, who is endangered because he is possessed by a being despised by his father, the Emperor, who ordered his assasination. The two go on a perilous adventure for the survival of the prince. Throughout the story, Balsa's past will come to light and they will uncover mysteries about Chagum's condition while developing a family-like relationship with each other and others.
Starring: Cindy Robinson, Mona Marshall, Mabuki Andô, Naoto Adachi, Kôji TsujitaniAnime | 100% |
Foreign | 94% |
Fantasy | 13% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit might be thought of almost as as a “Zen anime,” for at times, nothing much seems to be happening. This is a langorous, character driven piece that is at least as much about the journey as it is about actually arriving. As such, the series takes a certain amount of relaxation and patience to fully let its slower rhythms slowly pulse over the viewer, and those who require slam bang action pummeling them at every turn will probably not have the requisite amount of tolerance for Moribito’s calmer approach. This is not to say that Moribito is completely devoid of action elements, for it most certainly isn’t, but this is a series that really doesn’t depend on its battle elements for its spark of creativity. If you’re the type of person who can sit back in a huge field and simply revel in the trance inducing sounds of the summer breeze rustling through the wheat, you’ll probably find yourself completely in tune with Moribito’s slow trek with female bodyguard Balsa and her royal charge Chagum. The slow, deliberate dance between the spiritually troubled Balsa and her (initially anyway) naïve temporary ward provided a lot of the interest in the first release of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, which I reviewed here. While that duo is still obviously the focal element of this second part of Moribito, a sort of endgame slowly comes into view, one where Chagum finds out the truth about his own guardianship of a sacred water spirit, while Balsa herself comes to term with her guardianship of Chagum and her eventual hoped for atonement for lost lives which she (fairly or unfairly) blames on herself. Those twin, mirrored plotlines provide a lot of emotional heft in this second outing, even while a coterie of supporting characters and something akin to “guest stars” flit by for an episode or two along the way.
My comments about the first volume of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit hold true for this release as well, though
I'll also add a bit below with regard to a couple of differences in this second outing. You'd probably never guess
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is an interlaced presentation considering the beauty of its AVC encoded
(1080i) transfer in 1.78:1, and the good news is there is nary a combing artifact to be found in this extremely fluid and
filmic presentation.
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit contains some of the finest animation in recent anime, with extremely well
detailed character designs and
exceptionally rendered backgrounds, and they all look splendid on this Blu-ray. Line detail is exceptional throughout, and
the minimal digital
elements blend perfectly with the traditionally animated fare. While the storytelling in this series can be langorous,
there's always a wealth of
splendor to take in in virtually every episode, and the best thing about the series is the impeccable attention to the very
smallest details, like
dust mites glinting in the sun or gradations of light as sun streams through thatched huts. This is one extremely nice
looking anime series and
its Blu-ray debut sparkles appropriately.
This second outing features perhaps a tad more in the CGI realm, including some really nice renderings of some of the
supernatural phenomena that burst in around Chagum and Balsa at various moments. The quasi-3D look of these
elements is very nicely handled and extremely well woven into the overall look of the series, and these elements also
offer scintillating color, with excellent saturation and a really nicely varied palette.
As with the first volume of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, there are four lossless audio options included on this second release, two each for the original Japanese language track and the English dub, in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This is not an overly bombastic series generally, and so it must be approached with the right frame of reference to really enjoy its subtle, yet incredibly effective, sonic mix. The series is literally awash in ambient environmental sounds which gently filter in through the surrounds and quietly but firmly build a very effective sense of immersion. What this does is set a baseline as it were from which the action elements suddenly erupt, making them all the more effective. Dialogue is almost always placed in the front channels, but as with the first volume, occasional discrete elements will be placed in the side or rear channels to create some nice directionality. The series' score and effects are also noteworthy, and while this series isn't a nonstop array of awesome LFE, there are occasional low frequency elements that are nicely handled and ably supported by the DTS HD-Master Audio mixes.
It might just be partially because of how different it is, in terms of general amplitude and its laid back ethos, but I really fell in love with Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. As with the most affecting works of Miyazaki, this is a generally quiet, thoughtful enterprise that centers on character rather than (brainless) action, and if you relax and give the series time to work its magic, it provides a really worthwhile experience that offers gorgeous animation, lovely music and some fine interactions between interesting characters. Highly recommended.
2007
精霊の守り人
2007
精霊の守り人
2007
十二国記
2002-2003
Classics
1996
2008-2009
S.A.V.E. Edition
2005
少女終末旅行
2017
Classics | ウルフズレイン / Urufuzu Rein
2003-2004
Essentials
2007
Hoshi o Ou Kodomo / 星を追う子ども
2011
2000
S.A.V.E. | Tokyo Revelations / Spring Thunder
2007-2009
1985
人狼
1999
2005
2002-2003
もののけ姫 / Mononoke-hime
1997
Combo Pack
2010
フリップフラッパーズ
2016
スカイ・クロラ / Sukai kurora
2008
ゲド戦記 / Gedo Senki
2006
1981