I finished reading Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, by Nahoko Uehashi a few days ago (translated, of course). It's a Japanese children's novel--*not* manga--set in a fantasy land based on Medieval Japan. The main character is Balsa, a spear-wielding bodyguard who happens to be a woman. She rescues a prince whose father the Mikado is trying to kill him because he (the prince) has been possessed by a demon. I hope that's enough of a hook--I don't want to spoil it.
There is also an anime based on the book, and it's on Hulu. I really liked it. I watched it shortly before reading the book, and in a reversal from my usual pattern, I think I actually liked the anime more than the book. Some things were added in the anime that weren't in the book (so that there would be enough material for a whole season), which usually really annoys me, but in this case I think the additions kept the spirit of the book while deepening the characters. Also, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. And the fight scenes are actually *fight* scenes, not characters zooming through the air with swoosh marks (don't worry, not gory). And since it's based on a book, there is an actual story arc and satisfying ending, rather than open-endedness that just stops.
The book helped me understand better a few things in the anime that either weren't fully explained or that I missed with just the one viewing, while the anime helped me visualize landscapes and buildings that the book didn't always fully describe (perhaps relying on Japanese readers' familiarity with their culture's past the way I wouldn't have much trouble imagining the setting of a European-based fantasy?). My final assessment: book recommended, anime highly recommended.
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Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
Date: 5/8/11 02:56 am (UTC)There is also an anime based on the book, and it's on Hulu. I really liked it. I watched it shortly before reading the book, and in a reversal from my usual pattern, I think I actually liked the anime more than the book. Some things were added in the anime that weren't in the book (so that there would be enough material for a whole season), which usually really annoys me, but in this case I think the additions kept the spirit of the book while deepening the characters. Also, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. And the fight scenes are actually *fight* scenes, not characters zooming through the air with swoosh marks (don't worry, not gory). And since it's based on a book, there is an actual story arc and satisfying ending, rather than open-endedness that just stops.
The book helped me understand better a few things in the anime that either weren't fully explained or that I missed with just the one viewing, while the anime helped me visualize landscapes and buildings that the book didn't always fully describe (perhaps relying on Japanese readers' familiarity with their culture's past the way I wouldn't have much trouble imagining the setting of a European-based fantasy?). My final assessment: book recommended, anime highly recommended.
--Handmaiden