- Moribito series
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Moribito 
Cover of the Japanese edition of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, the first in the seriesAuthor Nahoko Uehashi Translator Cathy Hirano Illustrator Makiko Futaki
Miho Satake
Yuko ShimizuCountry Japan Language Japanese Genre Fantasy series Publisher 
Kaisei-sha (Hardcover, 1996 - 2008), Shinchosha (Bunkobon, 2003 - 2007)
Scholastic (Hardcover and Paperback)
2008 - 2009Media type Print (hardcover, paperback and bunkobon) The Moribito series (守り人シリーズ Moribito shirīzu, translation: "Guardian series") is an eleven volume series of Japanese fantasy novels, written by Nahoko Uehashi. The first novel in the series, Guardian of the Spirit, has been adapted into numerous media, including a radio drama, manga series, and an anime adaption.
Scholastic released the first novel in English in June, 2008. Media Blasters has confirmed that they acquired the rights to the anime.[1] The series premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block in the U.S. at 1:30 a.m. on August 24, 2008 EST, but was dropped from the schedule without warning or explanation on January 15, 2009 after two runs of the first ten episodes. The program returned to Adult Swim during the Summer 2009 line-up with an airing of the entire series.[2]
Contents
Setting
Moribito is set in a fantasy analogue of historical Asia, particularly feudal Japan. The setting includes several nations, such as the kingdom of Kanbal and the empire of Yogo. The Tabibito strand of the series takes place in the same world, but focuses on Chagum, Prince of the New Yogo Empire.
Characters
The series primarily features Balsa, a wandering spear-wielder from the kingdom of Kanbal. Despite claiming to be a simple bodyguard-for-hire, in reality she wields her spear in order to save lives in atonement for the eight lives that were taken to protect her when she was a child. Subsequent novels also focus on Chagum, a young prince of the Yogo Empire, as he struggles to protect his empire from ruin.
In the first novel, Balsa agrees to become the bodyguard of Prince Chagum as her eighth and final job after she happens to save his life. Chagum, the second prince of the Imperial family of Yogo, carries a powerful spirit within him and has become the target of assassination by his father, the Emperor. Balsa must protect Chagum from relentless assassins as well as the spirit within her young charge as he attempts to master and understand his own powers.
During their journey, Balsa and Chagum are aided primarily by Balsa's childhood friend, a Yakue healer named Tanda, and his teacher, Madame Torogai. Chagum's tutor, the star reader Shuga, is also featured as a prominent supporting character and strives to learn the truth behind the spirit contained in Chagum's body and restore the prince to his rightful place when he begins to suspect that Chagum is still alive.
Publication history
The novel series was published in hardback by Kaisei-sha as children's literature, though the series has garnered many adult fans. Shinchosha began its publication in of the series in bunko size in March 2007. The two series split in the first book, Guardian of the Spirit, and merged them together again in the chronologically final book, Ten to Chi no Moribito.
Book Kanji title Romaji title Original title, literal translation Notes Publication date ISBN English publication title Summary 1 精霊の守り人 Seirei no Moribito Guardian of Spirit 1 Volume July 1996
March 2007 (Bunko)ISBN 978-4035401506
ISBN 978-4101302720 (Bunko)Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit When Balsa saves Prince Chagum of the New Yogo Empire, a boy with a mysterious spirit living inside him, she is hired to protect him from the assassins his father has sent after him and the dangers the spirit inside him brings. 2 闇の守り人 Yami no Moribito Guardian of Darkness 1 Volume January 1999
June 2007 (Bunko)ISBN 978-4035402107
ISBN 978-4101302737 (Bunko)Moribito II: Guardian of Darkness Balsa returns to the country where she was born to face her tragic past, but consequences of that past, and the secret that lies buried under the mountains, make her task a difficult one. 3 夢の守り人 Yume no Moribito Guardian of the Dream 1 Volume May 2000
December 2007 (Bunko)ISBN 978-4035402305
ISBN 978-4101302737 (Bunko)People start becoming trapped in their dreams. Tanda's niece, Chagum, and the First Empress all dream of a flower with ties to Torogai's past. Only a man with a supernatural singing voice can save them. 4 虚空の旅人 Kokū no Tabibito Traveler of the Void 1 Volume July 2001 ISBN 978-4035402701 Chagum, now the crown prince of the New Yogo Empire, and Shuga are sent bearing greetings to a southern country, Sangal, for the new king's coronation ceremony. However, a black shadow is reaching towards Sangal and the would-be-king of Sangal is fatally wounded. 5 神の守り人 Kami no Moribito Guardian of the God 2 Volumes January 2003 (both volumes) ISBN 978-4035402800 (God's Appearance (来訪編 Raihō-hen))
ISBN 978-4035402909 (Return from the Hard Journey (帰還編 Kikan-hen))When Balsa encounters a brother and sister being sold by a slave trader, she impulsively takes the girl, Asra, away when she notices the girl has a strange aura. However, Balsa comes to wonder if the girl is a divinely appointed guardian or a child of disaster as a dark secret of the child begins to emerge. As Asra grows fearful of her power, she draws closer to an awful god while her powers are felt in the Kingdom of Rota, now divided in a civil war between the north and south. Balsa must protect Asra from the forces that threaten the girl while eluding Shihana, an undercover agent from Rota who pursues them. 6 蒼路の旅人 Sōro no Tabibito Traveler of the Blue Road 1 Volume April 2005 ISBN 978-4035403104 Following the events of Kokū no Tabibito, Sangal is being engulfed by forces from Talsh, which now draws nearer to the New Yogo Empire. In order to protect his country, Chagum must make a perilous journey alone.[3] 7 天と地の守り人 Ten to Chi no Moribito Guardian of Heaven and Earth 3 Volumes January 2007 (Volume 1)
January 2007 (Volume 2)
February 2007 (Volume 3)ISBN 978-4035403203 (The Kingdom of Rota (ロタ王国編 Rota Ōkoku-hen))
ISBN 978-4035403302 (The Kingdom of Kanbal (カンバル王国編 Kanbaru Ōkoku-hen))
ISBN 978-4035403401 (The New Yogo Empire (新ヨゴ皇国編 Shin Yogo Ōkoku-hen))Balsa sets off for the kingdom of Rota to rescue Chagum, the Crown Prince of New Yogo, hitherto believed dead. To protect his homeland from ruin, they undertake a dangerous quest to reach the king of Kanbal to forge an alliance between Rota and Kanbal to end the influence of the neighbouring nation of Talsh, which threatens New Yogo. With Balsa's help, Chagum returns to his homeland after a Talsh attack takes many civilian lives. While Chagum leads New Yogo against the Emperor, Balsa finds her old friend Tanda injured by the war. 8 流れ行く者 Nagare Yuku Mono The Wanderer 1 Volume April 2008 ISBN 978-4035403609 A collection of prequel stories to the series: "Uki Momi" (浮き籾), "Rafura" (ラフラ), "The Wanderer" (流れ行く者 Nagare Yuku Mono), and "Kan no Furumai" (寒のふるまい). Tanda, a sensitive eleven-year-old boy, adores Balsa, who is drifting about with her "stepfather", fleeing from a plot against them. They try to find out about a curse in the village and discover the painful secret of a dead wastrel. The series also includes Balsa's Table (Barusa no Shokutaku) (ISBN 978-4-10-130278-2), a non-fiction volume that includes cooking recipes with photos of the cuisines described in the series.
U.S. Release
The English translation of the first book, published by Arthur A. Levine Books, appeared in the summer of 2008; the second book's translation appeared in April of 2009. Due to unsatisfactory sales, publishing of the series in the U.S. has since been indefinitely suspended by Scholastic.[4]
Title Publication date ISBN Notes Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit June 2008 (hardcover)
April 2009 (paperback)ISBN 978-0545005425 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0545005432 (paperback)Moribito II: Guardian of Darkness May 2009 (hardcover) ISBN 978-0545102957 (hardcover) Media
Moribito has since been adapted into numerous media, including radio, manga and anime adaptations.
Radio drama
NHK-FM Radio Drama "Youth Adventure" (Seishun Adventure)
- The Guardian of the Spirit (2006) 10 episodes 7/8/2006–13/8/2006 weekdays 22:45–23:00
- The Guardian of Darkness 10 (2007) 10 episodes 16/4/2007–27/4/2007 weekdays 22:45–23:00
Anime
Main article: List of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit episodesThe series has been adapted into a 26 episode anime television series, produced by Production I.G and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, which premiered in Japan on NHK from April 7, 2007. The anime was based entirely on the first novel in the Guardian series and greatly expands the midsection of the novel.
At the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007 in March, Geneon announced that they have acquired the license to the anime and Scholastic announced they have US distribution rights to the novels.[5] After Geneon discontinued its distribution division, the rights transferred to Media Blasters. The series premiered in the United States at 1:30 a.m. on August 24, 2008 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block, but was dropped from the schedule without warning or explanation on January 15, 2009 after two runs of the first ten episodes.
On June 13, 2009, the series was back on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block in the United States at 1:30am Sundays, but was moved to 2:30a.m. Eastern time, swapping it with Fullmetal Alchemist in November.
References
- ^ Media Blasters Rescues Seirei no Moribito License
- ^ "Adult Swim Removed Moribito from Weekend Schedule". Anime News Network. January 16, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-01-16/adult-swim-removes-moribito-from-weekend-schedule. Retrieved January 17, 2009.
- ^ Fan-Translated Book Summaries
- ^ Confirmation of Cancellation
- ^ "Geneon Snags "Moribito", Original novels coming too". animeOnline. http://www.animeonline.com/index.php?page=news_details&action=details&id=100970. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
External links
- (Japanese) Official website (Kaisei-sha)
- (English) Official website (Scholastic)
- (English) Official website (Kaisei-sha)
- (Japanese) Official site of the Anime
- (Japanese) Production I.G. site
- (English) Production I.G. site
- Moribito series (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
Categories:- Japanese serial novels
- Novel series
- Fantasy novel series
- Novels by Nahoko Uehashi
- Fantasy novels
- Light novels
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