I'm a bit disappointed to be honest that there's no real love interests going around. Sure, Tanda might have a thing for Balsa, but I don't think she reciprocates. But, I guess a show like this might be better off without them.
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I'm a bit disappointed to be honest that there's no real love interests going around. Sure, Tanda might have a thing for Balsa, but I don't think she reciprocates. But, I guess a show like this might be better off without them.
I usually want most of the shows I'm watching to have some romance going on, but for some reason that hasn't happened with this series. Maybe because the two main characters are a kid and a troubled woman. The Balsa and Tanda couple, while possible, would have still been somewhat off the center of the focus and so might have only been distracting.
I actually think that there is romance in this series, between Balsa and Tanda, just that it isnt explicit. I also think it is a mutual thing, but I doubt Balsa plans to give up her mission just yet.
The Jiguro fights were amazing, hopefully we'll have a shitload of action scenes in the final 4 episodes. Althought the Tanda and Balsa romance elements are subtle, there's plenty of "romance", if you consider the growing feelings between a "mother" and her "son".
It was really good to see Chagum's brave resolution on how he wanted to learn martial arts and try his best to protect the egg.
Also, the hug/embrace between Balsa and Chagum is what I wanted to see. It was really soft, but it was really sweet.
At the end when Chagum totally freaked when he was in that valley really surprised me. Here he was scooping water to wash his face, then bam all of his sudden his eyes widen and he screams. I thought that was pretty good.
As the animation was really good, I really liked when Jiburo killed his best friend of the Spears, and then see how as he was dying his pupils started to widen.
That has been really consistent with this show.
First episode, DVD source:
http://www.anime-kraze.org/torrent/%...5D.mkv.torrent
And here's 23:
http://www.anime-kraze.org/torrent/%...5D.mkv.torrent
This anime rocks. The next episode looks to have more movie-quality animation for a nice fight scene.
Fight the Earth with the Fire in the Water. Complicated.
Episode 24 - Ani-Kraze
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Edit: This episode didn't let down one millimeter. It was also nice to see Tanda kicking some ass when nobody else could. He wasn't exactly the kind of character I expected to do that, but now in retrospect maybe he was after all. Like the old geezer shaman, he has got ideas and doesn't hesitate to follow them. Another good thing about this episode is building the special character of the hunter unit further. They are kind of like the special spearmen of Balsa's home country: soldiers but also something different.
The people vs people fights in this series have been excellent and the people vs monster was no less remarkable. Heh, you can only wish shinigami vs hollow in Bleach were anything like this...
This ep was just amazing. Tanda really let loose and saved the day. Will they find a way to save the prince or will Balsa have to find another person to save in atonement? The next ep really looks like it'll be the finale but I don't remember if this show is contracted for 25 or 26.
What an awesome episode. Best part was when the leader of the Hunters ran up the La Lunga to impale it right in the mouth :D.
anidb says this'll be 26 episodes. Hopefully when this series ends, they decide to animate the latter parts of the novel series.
25 is out
www.anime-kraze.org
A bloody excellent episode. The way they made the two world interlope was very well made, executed and made perfect sense as well. The monster battle, while in a sense quite sluggish compared to your average shounen action was all the more meaningful as well. You could almost believe those things worked just like evolution had programmed them to do... And thus were somewhat at loss when "fighting" against the hunters, just like some natural beasts of the real world trying to oppose armed humans. Not to mention the bird; we had already seen in some earlier episode how they would catch thrown stones from the air until they couldn't anymore even fly. Natural behavior very nicely linked to the most important moment in the plot.
A remarkable series. And I've never seen (or should I say heard) a more meaningful song in any anime. Not only was it pleasant background music but it actually helped them to solve the case by describing it. Truly, there are few details in this anime that wouldn't have been really well thought-out and executed.
I didn't really like this episode. Predictable and boring.
I can already imagine the next episode.. Balsa & crew go into the court for Chagum to see everyone again, but he decides to go back with Balsa. Then timeskip to Tanda and Balsa with a kid and Chagum 4-5 years older outside chopping wood. That will be the next episode mark my words :O
No it won't. Chagum will stay at the court. I'm not even sure Balsa and Tanda will end up together, but I hope they will. Balsa had certainly some issues at the beginning of the series, and well into it, but who knows, maybe having raised Chagum for a while taught her that instead of concentrating on the past she can look ahead.
Maybe the Queen will allow Chagum to keep Balsa as her second, or god-mother or something. I'm pretty sure she'll leave and go on another journey. Though, she really has no more reason to since Chagum would be her 8th saved person wouldn't it? I'm hoping for a heartfelt warm ending where they all end up together. Except Tanda, I don't really care about him =/
Final episode:
http://www.anime-kraze.org/torrent/%...5D.mkv.torrent
Great ending to a great series. I really wish Chagum would've chose to run off with Balsa. Anyways, Balsa was holding a necklace? Isn't it the one Chagum had? Maybe he left it with her as a momento.
Not a surprising ending. This series tried to maintain a certain level of believability and coolheadedness throughout the story, and this kind of ending continued that line truthfully. Even when Balsa asked that question neither of them really expected any other outcome. It was more like a way of telling Chagum that nothing really changed between them emotionally and it was all like it used to be, even if they won't see each others (ever) again.
Well, it also looked like Tanda still should keep waiting. Balsa definitely will get back to him once she has finished her business in her original home land.
I love how an entire episode is dedicated to the denuemont.
Fingers crossed for more adventures of Balsa
Such art in anime comes not often. This show has breathtaking art and very solid story; and it finally ended. I do feel this needs DVD special with timeskip through (maybe i just can't have enough).
The guardian novel series is apparently 10 volumes long, with Seirei no Moribito being the first. The next volume is all about Balsa and her travels in Kanbal according to wiki. Hopefully they do decide to make sequels.
Thank you to gotwoot and gotwooters to lure me into watching this show I enjoyed over the week-end as I wasn't able to let loose and had to watch it all.
Very nice show indeed.
Sadly I do not really see another anime coming after this one, as the end does not seem to be that open...
Its based off a series of books, so while the story of Chagum ends here, Balsa's does not.Quote:
Originally Posted by David75
Well I understand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Everon
So we are to follow Balsa rather than Chagum, although he may make some appearances throughout the stories.
I guess next step is Balsa going home and having to tidy up a bit, even long after the evil prince death.
Wow.
I finally sat down to watch this show, and i ended up doing it in about two days' time. Haven't watched anime that voraciously in awhile. Needless to say, it was absolutely awesome. A show that grounded in reality, yet with a supernatural / spiritual mix, without a clear cut villain, it was something else.
Animation: The animation was excellent. I nearly shat my pants at the awesome fight in episode 3, although it did dupe me into thinking there'd be more action than there was. The character design and scenery were all very detailed and unique. Excellent. I especially loved the animation of the Nayug stuff (the La Lunga notwithstanding) and the Imperial palaces.
Characters: Awesome slant on the 'veteran warrior, threatened royal' classic. Balsa's motherly affection was sweet, and her grittiness and valor admirable. She was badass. I also enjoyed the Eight Warriors. Shuga and the Royals were quite believable also, although I was really about to go apeshit when Shuga was going to have Balsa assassinated in the last episode. Seriously, wtf was that?
Chagum is about as cool of a spoiled 12-year as you can get. He never once annoyed me, which was shocking. Torogai was very much a deus ex machina at times, but I enjoyed her attitude.
Tanda. At first I wrote this guy off as the typical 'love interest', but things did not play out like that at all! He was a little weak at times, but when he ate those flowers, and the way he tried to protect everyone, I couldn't help but like the guy. It was unexpected that he and Balsa never got it on. I mean, you start expecting that with the way they look at each other sorta sadly sometimes... but it was interesting to see the woman wearing the pants and the guy getting turned down.
Flamethrowers. Ain't nothing wrong with that.
Music: when you watch a show in two days' time, you get to hear the tracks a bit too frequently. But the music really fit the atmosphere, and some were very good. no complaints here, especially with the good voice acting throughout.
Ending: I'm so not that guy, but I was really hoping Chagum would end up running away with Balsa at the end. I was getting so pissed when the Emperor was like "Forget that woman! You're the hero of the empire! You're still a political tool!" Seriously, I'd have made up my mind then that these fuckers need to rely MORE on people like Gaki and Shuga, and not on the goddamn stupid and vain royal family... But, I suppose it couldn't be any other way... It was sorta sad though...
There are more stories? Pray they get animated!
I had the same reactions, watched it quite quickly and was surprised to do so.
This show was very balanced in every aspect and once the rules are set, they are never to get cheated on a cheap "well it's magic..." excuse.
For Chagum's father ordering Chagum to forget Balsa is very normal. Chagum has always been his successor, and as such has to only focus on that. Chagum knows that and although he will not totally forget Balsa, he'll be up to expectations regarding his rank.
I also liked the 8 fighters, they are not the best in every aspect of combat or strategy, they are very good overall, but each of them as a gift in one of the qualities needed for the group to be very efficient.
I liked how Balsa defeated them, but not as easily as a typical anime hero would... she was severly injured and death was near... very plausible.
And yes, some fighting scenes were awesome, pretty much like dance, most of the time very quick to conclusion as it could be in real life I guess.
I hope too that the next chapters will be animated, by the same studios with quality on par with this one.
Yep, I always like when series do this, and most if not all should do it... it leaves a great sense of satisfaction, and is a reason why a series like Kurau Phantom Memory is one of my favorites.Quote:
Originally Posted by Everon
Anyways, just watched the final 4 episodes... great conclusion to a great series. Would've liked more fights between the humans, but luckily we had those Jiguro episodes which were simply awesome and made up for the lack of action.
It would be nice if more gets animated, but as always it's very doubtful.
*Keeps waiting for more Twelve Kingdoms*