Guardian of the Sacred Spirit (Seirei no Moribito), episdoe 1-8 [no spoilers]

[timepiececlock]

rasielle recommended this series, and I'm enjoying it immensely. It feels like Blade of the Immortal met Mushishi and had a child series, and that progeny then hooked up with The Twelve Kingdoms...resuling in Seirei no Moribito.

It's methodical and almost paced... but not slow. Simply more careful and thorough than a lot of anime series take the time to be. Like 12Kingdoms, this reminds me of the experience of reading a novel, although 12K was much too slow at points. Seirei no Moribito feels like an epic series in gradual advancement. My interest in the plot is high, the world of the characters is new but familiar enough not to be a big issue, and the characters are already strong and three-dimensional.

I'm most impressed by the choice of protagonist... a stoic, conservative female warrior on the brink of turning 30, repenting through past evils and seeking a higher way of life without needless killing. Not only is it unusual for anime to take what would normally be a stock "male" role and make the character female instead, but it's unusual for any anime to have a female protagonist whose older than 25. And now this woman, who has been a drifter for her whole life, is suddenly saddled with a child... a self-conscious, spoiled boy of about 10-11 years. He's not a bad kid-- in fact he seems to take it to heart how much other people have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for him--but he's immature and unsure of himself, and has practically no useful skills.

The eclesiastical character--Shuga-- I also find him interesting, and I look forward to the future events that make his plotline overlap with Balsa's. I can't help but feel that the whole empire is going to go through some significant changes before the end of this show... we see little hints of conflict in the clergy, in the royal family, and in the spy network connecting everyone to everyone else. I just know the camera doesn't pause on the covered faces of the servants so often for nothing.

Comments

[scathachdhu.livejournal.com]

Oh, I liked this series a lot. Now you make me want to go rewatch it. XD

[mildmay.livejournal.com]

GOOD. Someone else is watching this series. It's one of the best anime I've seen in years, and no one listens to me when I try to pimp it. ):

Balsa is seriously the best female character I've seen in anime...possibly ever. She's amazing.

There's actually a lot of playing with gender rolls within the main group of characters. It's really sort of interesting.

It also has some of the best animated action scenes EVER. They're beautiful.

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

Oh man, Guardian of the Sacred Spirit is the best and smartest anime I've seen in years. In addition to the neat-o stuff you've already noticed, and that mildmay pointed out, be on the lookout for very intelligent depiction of the interweave of knowledge, shamanism, and scholarship. Ways of knowing and understanding are a really important theme, and it's so present, and yet very subtle.

[herongale]

And isn't the animation just gorgeous?

I won't spoil you either, but I can confidently say that the quality continues right up until the end. I was never disappointed by this series, and like Ceru says, this is one of my favourites in a long time! I've been thinking recently that I have a lot of series that are Sneeze worthy and should be posted, and this is on the short list of things I've been wanting to evangelize.

And because I never replied directly to your comment on my LJ re: Mahou Shoujo Tai-- I would agree that there are places where the animation might be even better than Princess Tutu. The style is sharp and innovative in a way that PT is not. And yet, I can sometimes see flagrant shortcuts in the animation quality, and there are a few times (not many, but notable) where it becomes almost shockingly bad. PT is more even throughout... a solid performer with an animation staff that was committed to producing a seamless look that does not distract from the story at hand.

I hope you do finish this series. The protagonist does start out to be borderline annoying and hardly sympathetic, but near the end we get to see through some of what seems to be selfish superficiality to a core of goodness and nobility that is actually rare in anime series. Trying not to spoil you, all I can say is that she really is willing to put everything on the line, and she really lives her idealistic philosophy in a way that is both believable and heroic.

[mildmay.livejournal.com]

The protagonist does start out to be borderline annoying and hardly sympathetic

...She does? I thought she was amazing from the first episode.

Also hi, you don't know me, and hopefully rashaka doesn't mind me commenting to you, I've just been keeping an eye on this post because discussion of Seirei no Moribito seems hard to come by.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I thought Alice was the least interesting thing about the show. I've only seen about 11 or 12 episodes, though. But I found myself ignoring her, watching the other two girls, and revelling in the bright colors and sharply stylized animation. The main protagonist struck me as a stock "hero" type: loud, clumsy, reckless, full of confidence, can do no wrong because his/her faith in truth and goodness will always make everything work out. I've seen that character in anime at least a hundred times... practically every other show. Male or female. It bores me. The only time in recent shows that it hasn't bored me was Uzumaki Naruto, and that's probably because in his case it's about 80% facade to hide a lonely, damaged kid. I didn't see anything particularly deep or interesting about the lead of Mahou Shoujo Tai. That's just my opinion, though, and like I said I haven't seen it all yet.


You're welcome to comment on my posts! I enjoy anime discussion.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I definitely appreciated the consistency of PT's animation... all soft, misty colors, and sometimes it looked a little rough and old-fashioned (in comparison to a show like Seirei no Moribito) but the designs were strong and it never jumped around in quality.

Trying not to spoil you, all I can say is that she really is willing to put everything on the line, and she really lives her idealistic philosophy in a way that is both believable and heroic.

I'm sure she's heroic-- when aren't they perpetually heroic and unfalteringly brave? Except 12 year old Edward Elric screaming while being chased through a meat locker by a psychopathic murderer, but that's why I loved FMA... It's the "believability" bit that I'll take your word for. That's what I find is usually lacking in that kind of stock shonen/shoujo "brave and good and faithful" protagonist type. But as I said, I do plan to finish it. I'll keep my eye out for character development with her.

You know, I've read several Terry Pratchett's Discworld books since I saw the beginning of Tweeny Witches, and now that I've read 4 of the books about the Lancre Witches, I can't help but think that the grumpy silver-haired one and the pleasant, cute blond one remind me of shrunken-to-child-sized versions of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. The personalities are a perfect parallel.

[herongale]

I didn't like the scene in the real world where she slaps her classmates (and I think her teacher?) with paint in the face. I also thought that she was rather immature (not surprising in a grade school student, but still) in that she took active delight in undermining the practices and beliefs of another world, and although I was glad that she was willing to stand up for the animals, her initial level of sympathy for other humans seemed kind of lacking.

But for me, this did add to some of the "believability" that Rashaka talks about in her reply to me. She's kind of a brat, but in a good way.

[herongale]

I have to admit, Alice fits a lot of those hero stereotypes you mentioned, and she's not got the kind of layered, complex personality I usually like in characters. But in this case, I ended up liking it because she seemed to have a real sense that her actions could fail and that she could die because of some of her recklessness. This is not obvious in the earlier episodes, but I think it become clearer somewhere in the middle of the series.

I am kind of reminded of Harry Potter: he was rather simplistically characterized as well, and given many stock heroic traits. It was in how thoughtfully these stereotypes were worked out that made him a good lead. My expectations when it comes to children's media are not lowered, but they ARE altered: I expect a clarity/purity to the characterization that is sometimes Jungian, and almost obsessively folklorish adherence to archetype. What is old hat to adults like us needs to be introduced freshly to new generations of viewers.

Now, I wouldn't say that this means that I am obligated to give children's media a pass. I often find it difficult to get into shows that are targeted towards children/teens for this very reason. But there are exceptions, and I think for me the thing that grabbed me about Mahou Shoujo Tai was that it was a truly fresh take on some very classic, familiar ideas.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I feel where you're coming from in having altered expectations for children's media; you put that very nicely.

I think part of what colors my opinion on that type of protagonist is the fact that it's so pervasive in anime, but not as pervasive in Western cartoons or children's lit. Not this incessantly positive, almost perfectly fearless attitude, and unflinching in convictions past the point of any kind of gray area... taken often to the point where a gray area doesn't exist because there is always a "moral" choice that usually comes down to the simplest and most immediate need. Western media has its own cliches, ones which I was raised on to the point that I'm completely numb or blind to them, but the one that Alice reminds me of is one I've only come across in anime, and I've probably just seen too much of it so that it's turned me off.

I know what you mean by purity of character, in terms of children's stories. But most of the time purity on its own isn't enough for me. Take one of my favorite kids movies: The Iron Giant. (If you haven't seen this movie, watch it!) Hogarth is a character who is essentially "pure": he is good at heart and he never gives up in his belief that the Giant has a soul, and thus has the capacity to be a good person. But along with the purity and conviction, we see him struggling to also explain moral issues like death, responsibility, guilt, and honor. His character is pure in one sense, but that doesn't make him feel unrealistically "true of heart", able to win at the end of the day because good always wins at the end.

I guess that's one of my biggest issues with this kind of anime protagonist... there's a conflict and the hero/heroine takes a moral stance, and no matter what happens they have to win because they're right. Even to the point of ignoring plenty of logical problems or flaws in their reasoning. (yeah, I'm the person who sits there thinking up the flaws while they speechify about truth and justice and love). Again, this "everything will end okay" thing is in most children's media, but for some reason it bugs me in how it's often presented in anime. I like characters that are pure of heart, but I don't like watching that taken to an almost ridiculous level, at the expense of deeper story or character development. If I feel like I can adlib the speeches for them then I know I'm bored because I'm watching a stock character.

Aah... I feel like I'm over-explaining this. It's just sometimes anime does things that are more subtle and dramatic than American cartoons, but other times I feel like anime does things that are far, far less sophisticated, and tend to be based on an ideal instead of on how people actually behave. Is this making sense? It's all jumbled in my head, but I have noticed all this stuff after watching anime for several years, and patterns start to come out.

I think I loved that Ahiru was pure of purpose but lacked most of the annoying traits that "pure-hearted" anime kid heroes tend to have. She was a little clumsy, but that's about the worst of it, and most of her clumsiness was associated with dance practice anyway.


But in this case, I ended up liking it because she seemed to have a real sense that her actions could fail and that she could die because of some of her recklessness. This is not obvious in the earlier episodes, but I think it become clearer somewhere in the middle of the series.

That sounds promising, and I will look forward to it. :D

I need some Balsa icons... *whines*

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

I just know the camera doesn't pause on the covered faces of the servants so often for nothing.

As sharp as ever! *shuts up*

Eeeee, you're watching it! And I'm late, ah. Isn't it just quality all around? Anyway, if you try blogging for other opinions about this (not that I need to warn you), you'll find that the general opinion is "falls short of 12 Kingdoms, soulless, etc" - which has mystified me as a viewer all the more because I could never put my finger on why exactly Seirei wasn't as exciting as 12K. You said it, though; it's definitely because it's so methodical, so ordered, something I have come NOT to expect from anime.

That said, it *is* an epic series, albeit shorter and tighter than most. In fact, it is based on a novel series, not unlike 12K. (Dunno if it's still continuing or not.) In case you're interested - and I know I was, I was ready to pillage and raid the Internet - the series continues in full in its novel form. The anime still has a conclusive ending with decent closure, sure, but there is certainly more.

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

re: heroism in Seirei

What separates it from typical shounen Jesii (oh, camp, you and your heinous terminology), I think, is that in Seirei there are heroics that don't have to be explained - you know, sacrifices made by characters behind which there are no angsty backstories, no pallid attempts to justify with "He's just that amazing", just the assumption that humans in general are as kind as they are unkind. The nobility isn't exclusive to Balsa, I thought - it comes and it goes between all of the characters, kind of like how it is between real people.

Err, that was a bit of a spacey answer, but in other words - there was no "brave and good and faithful" protagonist type, just some characters that are stronger than others, noble in different ways, and misunderstandings. There is a lot of gray in this series, which is what makes it so valuable - definitely based on novels, as you could tell.

This is not to say that Balsa's brand of nobility isn't special. I am definitely seconding herongale when I say that her case is unlike anything else you'd find in anime - but you'd have to watch the rest of the series before I can say anymore.

Also! Hold out hope for Chagum - his development sort of blew my mind. Are there really children like that? I don't even know.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Eeeee...wrong anime! We had descended into a discussion of Tweeny Witches/Mahou Shoujo Tai Alice. Sorry for the confusion, but the hero stuff I was talking about wasn't to do with Serei at all.

in Seirei there are heroics that don't have to be explained - you know, sacrifices made by characters behind which there are no angsty backstories, no pallid attempts to justify with "He's just that amazing", just the assumption that humans in general are as kind as they are unkind.

That's an approach that I appreciate in anime, when I can find it.

[hang-nga-79.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for this rec!

Re: I need some Balsa icons... *whines*

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

They're being almost TOO obvious with the covered servants. The camera pauses on their veils at least once an episode. I fully expect development, since otherwise it's just wasting time every episode, which would be depressing. :D

It is pretty great so far-- THIS is much more my mood for fantasy adventure at the moment, though I *do* like shoujo sometimes too. I can't really explain why I like this one but didn't like that other historical fantasy you recommended... well, it was probably the character design. Really put me off, for some reason. THat's the kind of thing you never know you'll care about until you actually watch it.

you'll find that the general opinion is "falls short of 12 Kingdoms, soulless, etc" - which has mystified me as a viewer all the more because I could never put my finger on why exactly Seirei wasn't as exciting as 12K.

That's interesting, because I didn't think 12K was very exciting. Well it had its moments, sure, particularly from about episode 3 through 14 or 15... most of the first arc. And the end of the final arc when the war is building up... but there were huge stretches of episodes, as much as 8 or 9, where I thought the show was incredibly boring. I almost dropped it during that whole part with the young black-haired kirin and the king. While I loved the epic scope of 12K, the erratic story pacing was one of my complaints about it. Sections of excitement followed by longer sections of very boring stuff, that I only survived because I have an analytical interest in the world-building that's going on. I think 12K would have been better as a 26 episode series, or split into one 26 episode season + one 13 episode sequel half-season or OVA series.

So far, Seirei no Moribito has been very similar an experience, in terms of the methodical story pacing that 12K also had, mixed with intense action sequences. It's not as emotionally intense as some shows and I can see why it would be thus "boring"... although I like Balsa and Chagum, all the characters feel a little distant, so my heart's not hanging in the balance as to whether they survive or not. For me, that's why it's not quite "exciting" yet, just interesting. But that can change in time, and I might truly fall in love with the characters. Right now they're merely intriguing. I think that's why some might call it "soulless". I had this problem ultimately with Blood+, and that's why I never finished the series. I couldn't get attached to the characters. But that show was 45 episodes long.... I'm pretty sure I'm good for a standard season length.

I keep forgetting to tell you!

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

This is sudden, but...

... I started watching Ranma 1/2 a few weeks ago, and I'm already breaching season SEVEN. Can you say addictive? And I may be a baby anime fan, but even I can tell that the humor here is classic and epic, simply because the jokes are all executed so perfectly, unself-consciously, and the mangaka has thought of EVERYTHING. God, I feel like a kid again, being so giddy about this series. What a great break from brain-mincing Baccano and heartwrenching Seirei no Moribito!

Head over heels for Akane/Ranma! I'm so sold that it's embarassing. Why am I so easy. Tell me, will I get my heart broken? I know the anime stops short of the manga, but does this adaptation at least reach some kind of romantic closure!? DO THEY EVER KISS?

Have you tried reading the manga? How does it compare? Omggg, omggg, should I finish the anime first or jump-ship to the manga because it has a tighter storyline or something? *c-conflicted fan ;_;*

A-also, remind me to steer clear of Fanfiction.net. I visited it to see what the fandom was like, and read what looks like TWO WHOPPING SPOILERS in one author's note and one fanfic summary. God, whyyyy.

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

re: wasted arc in 12 Kingdoms

Regarding the arc including Taiki and G... Gyosou? Taiki's king, YES. I wouldn't say I thought it was boring - I'm a total sucker for any ambitious worldbuilding in general (*cough* closetRobertJordanfan *cough*) - but when I found out that they weren't going to resolve it AT ALL in the anime adaptation - yeah. A waste of funds, in my opinion. I wholeheartedly believe they should've made episode 39 the very last episode, immediately after Youko passes her first law as Kei-ou. It was so final and full of authority that it would've been an epic last-scene-ever; they even had the Pirates of the Caribbean background music playing and everything.

re: Seirei's emotional intensity

Yep, that vibe doesn't kick in until well into the series - but it does get there, and the viewer falls hard. The dynamics between Balsa and Chagum become extremely intense, and if by episode 18 or 19, you aren't fully engaged by the characters, then I doubt you could be afterwards.

Before that, though, there is a sort of lull in the plot that may result in a few really calm, almost dull episodes - they're not bad, though, and there are absolutely no real fillers. What might appear to be a filler actually harbors some kind of significance to be explored a little later. That's what I love about Seirei: so high-quality, yet so economic. What's missing is the trademark crack that comes with anime, but I did start Ranma 1/2 immediately afterwards and, well. ^^;;