Anime: Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit) *spoiler alert*

Over the past 6 months or so, I've started picking up the series Moribito on DVD. The animation is very nice and I like the story so far. I think one of the things that I really liked about it is that when a character gets hurt, s/he doesn't automatically bounce back as if nothing happened. It takes them time to heal.

That and there's a real-world logic to it. The characters have to work to get the information they need. It's not easy. And some episodes focus on the small "victories" of everyday life that Balsa and Chogum have to go through while in hiding. It's not just about the big battles of dealing with the Spirit inhabiting Chogum.

Anyone else like this show?

Same here, I like the fact that emperor really regretting having to order the death of his second son and was relieved to find out that he was wrong. (And that Chogum was still alive.) I also liked the fact that he consoled his wife when the First Prince died, despite having to keep the fact secret.

Yeah, Balsa's definitely a kick-ass character. On the one hand, she's a very amazing warrior (love the fact they show her practicing her skills). On the other, she's used to being very independent, being a female body-guard, which annoys Tonda no end. She probably doesn't see that he really cares for her, more than just being friends.

I also liked the fact that she doesn't trust Shoga when he tries to bring Chogum back to the palace. She doesn't know that they've figured out the same thing she and the others have. For all she knows, it's just a ploy to bring him back to the palace so the emperor can kill him. (And she does have the best chance of finding the information, having resources Shoga doesn't.) But it's still frustrating because we, the audience, know what's going on. lol (Loved the fact that Shoga didn't bounce back quickly from being clocked in the solar plexus. It's obvious some time has passed when Jean, the soldier, finds him and he's still having a hard time breathing from having the wind knocked out of him.)