So many small details in the fights make it seem so alive. You really get the sense that all parties are skilled in the fights, like the swordsman sliding his blade along the shaft of the spear at 4:56 in an attempt to remove her fingers, and her immediate reaction. Following up by attacking her open side, and her response by parrying and then attempting to attack his open side, which forces him to draw his second blade from its sheathe to block. All within the space of a few seconds.
I love how so many small moves happen over such a short period of time. Real warriors would likely move at that speed and don't bullshit around. They all seem very professional.
No, the descendants of the 8 warriors are pathetically weak, nowhere near as good as the 9 spears or Balsa. Those first 4 descendants to fight her were very offended that Balsa spared them, as if she was taking pity on them.
did you also notice, @5:10 when she lost the tip of her spear and an attack was incoming she Closed the distance so that the blade wont fully pierce through her body by reducing the opponents swing and at the same time it also allow her to put her opponent within range. brilliant move.
I can actually feel the force and brutality in these fight scenes. Excellent choreography and more importantly, camera angles. I appreciate even the small details like sweat and water particles. Just goes to show you that you don't need an OP character with lots of explosions to make a fight feel intense.
I couldn't agree more. I can feel the human struggle. It isn't about power levels or chakra or other pointless plot device. Its about one human fighting other humans. I feel like Jiguro was able to win against his former companions since he wasn't just fighting for his own life but Balsa's and the promise he made his friend. Corner someone bad enough and he is a fucking monster to beat.
Balsa is one of my favorite anime characters. She's an adult (almost never get to see an anime woman over thirty that isn't shunted off to some supporting role), she's mature, and she still has an entire lifetime of adventures ahead of her. She embraces her maternal "instincts" well, but she isn't portrayed as gentle or weak for her devotion to her loved ones. Other female characters with "emotions~" are portrayed as subservient to "logical/intelligent" types (usually masculine). But here, Balsa's emotions are valid and have meaning. She's beautiful (she's not afraid to wear lipstick lol), but there's more fanservice on the landscape than there is on her.
Growing up my dad always watched shows like Xena and Witchblade with badass women, couldn't have asked for a better influence. I want a woman who is my equal or better in all areas. Thankfully I married one who can both kick your ass and explain string theory to you. Thanks dad. ;)
If being a women is all she has to offer then I will just say what a dumb thing to praise a character for She’s a waman that should not be where all the praise is coming from
DarkAngel7717 there still way to over the top, never try to do spins or flips in combat that’s how you get yourself killed. But it is more realistic than others
The spins are difficult but possible. In any other fighting show and king fu shows they float not fly float, in a show rurouni kenshin he doesn’t often but it’s been seen he can jump at least 100 yards straight up.
In order to pull off some of what Jiguro and Balsa did, you have to be in peak physical condition along with other factors. For example in the second fight scene in this video, Jiguro and Tagul were twisting around to not only dodge, but use the mud as a distraction in hopes of getting an edge. Usually, you only do stuff like that when you are in a fight to the death because of the extreme amount of energy it takes to accomplish the feat. First person to make a wrong move... dies.
The fights are so short and brutal. The direction is as good as the animation. Need's a Balsa focused sequel. She was far and away the most interesting character.
Balsa’s like a LVL 15 fighter at the start of this anime, which I’d put around a level 5 campaign. I want to see the prequel of all her previous jobs, and side adventures.
@@kyr58 mostly fighter, sure, but she also clearly has some monk levels too. I'd say she looks leven 12ish, 4 monk, 8 fighter. No matter how you slice it, such a good character.
Balsa is an excellent spear-fighter. She's intelligent, graceful, elegant and quite fluid in her movements. No surprise given the series and its setting, but she stands out because when push comes to shove, she's quite a brutal combatant: Groin attacks, headbutts, stabs, using the environment.
She is really amazing to watch during the fights. You don't see much gritty, realistic stuff like that in anime. She gave the guy at 4:26 some punishment. A knee to the groin , a stab with the spear and a powerful kick to the stomach. He'd suffer some pains in the morning. I'd say my favourite part overall though, was when Jiguro struck that guy in the face with the stone.
Her fights are more graceful than Jiguro's but at the same time they aren't too feminine by any means. A lot her attacks involved raw strength, like how she overpowered that guy at 3:42 or knocked out the guy with her broken spear. The uploader left out another earlier action scene where Balsa had her spear sheathed, but still managed to own a few guards.
I came across this video randomly. Apart from the more popular anime (eg Naruto, Bleach) I'm unfamiliar with most having been told that they tend to have Hinata/Orihime-like female leads (ie damsels) and steered clear as a result. So watching this ... I think I've goofed. Can anyone point me towards any other anime that have good female leads? Don't get me wrong I love male leads, but I like seeing consistently strong females as well!
I feel like this show should have been way more popular than it was. The drama is good, the story is interesting, and the action scenes are phenomenal! Not to mention the animation quality is pretty consistent and great.
Rather, the fights has good choreography but not as fluid in their movement. There’s also no trails on their swords and movements, otherwise, it’d be hard to follow and looks rigid in the animation. Like 2:17, 3:30, and 5:36. Also lip movements are dumb as it looked like it didn’t follow as what the voice actors said.
@@hirvale The story wasn't boring at all. It was good. The only reason why it didn't become very popular might be because there is nothing in this anime that is over the top like 90 percent of them. People want to see protagonist vs antagonist and this story didn't have one.
@@lasttimeimaskingyouthis No, the story just doesn't have anything unique to make it interesting and the characters aren't bombastic enough to carry an unengaging plot
At 2:23 you can see hand of that one fallen guy reaching the spear. A moment after that the spear hit that Balsa's father. The animator really did their job over the top!
Hands down one of the best anime I've ever seen. Not many fight scenes, but it's clearly quality over quantity. Balsa should be an idol for anime characters.
there is nothing close to realism in this, i get its for entertainment, but dueling amateurs whit no past experience using weapons still is a Big fucking risk, and this guys are not amateurs, they are just not as skillful as the "master", but they are skillful warriors. in swords animes its almost like training enough makes you a superhuman. to be honest even in tv series and in movies training enough and becoming very skillful ensures you will win... well, only if skill was enought to keep you alive in a fight, at least 40% of the things that keep you alive are out of your controll ps: shut up, i know i went too deep in a cartoon XD
"in swords animes its almost like training enough makes you a superhuman." If you train a fuckton ever since adolescence wouldn't it make sense that you are powerful? (it does)
What a stupid way to look at life, in a street fight I'd knock the shit out of 3 guys if they didn't have the martial Arts experience I do, saying skill and experience don't matter only shows how much you lack in both.
Thank you very much. I'm writing a novel about a spear user because the entire market is saturated with sword users. But because spears appear seldom. I didn't know how to write about it. Thank you for broadening my horizons didn't know how a spear could be used closed range too. As well as how a spear would fare against a sword. I understand that with normal humans having the reach advantage usually favours the spear. But when we talking about anime logic and people with abilities the sword becomes so much more powerful. Ie. The single target damage it can cause not only that you now get people who can create wind scythes from the slashes of their sword. So literally every flaw and weakness that a sword had has now been covered. But seeing this I can think of ways to empower the strongest weapon of all times.
In regards to Balsa's first encounter with the Mikado's assassins, I think it's pretty clear the only reason she lost was because her weapon needed maintenance and they took advantage of that and broke it. If she was fighting them with a new weapon those guys would be even worse off.
Out of everyone who died to jigaro i think the 1st guy got it the worst lol, because he didn't die on the spot for a fact, probably died from kidney failure throughout the day/evening. Left him lying there pondering where he fucked up lol
gods i love her muscles so much. and her character and the rest of her design but it's so nice seeing an anime character- even any female character at all- with warrior's muscles and in a main role.
Yeah, her design is awesome. I like how she’s fully clothed with just her muscular arms exposed. It makes it very believable that she can effortlessly swing the spear around with arms like that.
Eddy deNiro that’s not what I mean You said and the other dude that she had muscular arms when she does not have such arms in fact they are very skinny
Lol. You have obviously never seen a real fight, or been in one, almost none of this is realistic. More down to earth than most anime sure, but realistic? Hell no.
I love this anime so much, unfortunately, it is under the radar for most people. The animation are consistently amazing throughout the whole 26 episodes. I can't imagine how much time it must have taken them to create that fight scene where Balsa was up against the 4 warriors, the attention to details was amazing. It's sad to see how lazy many newer animes are these days. Even their new IP Vinland saga, can't compare to the consistent animation quality of this anime from 12 years ago.
All these years later, and still one of the best choreographed anime for fight scenes. The fact that all the skilled fighters (Balsa, Jiguro) RUN AWAY from the groups when they're outnumbered in order to fight the enemies one-on-one (since every person naturally runs at a slightly different speed) is an overlooked aspect that makes the fights feel believable and the victories earned. One person isn't instantly defeating 10 goons, each enemy is a skilled fighter in their own right but Balsa and Jiguro separate them and counterattack in unexpected ways in order to take them out of the fight as quickly as possible, even if that means fighting "dirty".
I remember watching this, it would be nice to see more games and animes where main character has a spear or polearm as main weapon. AS much as i like swords i do think they tend be used bit too much.
I love the fight animation and choreography in this series, It's breath taking. At 6:06 to 6:09 I think Balsa made one block and seven attacks but I'm not sure, they move so fast! I like how it show the skill of both fighters in 3 seconds. The same with the fight at 4:12, it just shows how Badass balsa is . I also love the whole fight at 1:24 even though it's slower, you can see clearly the precise technique, strategy, and on the fly thinking of Jiguro.
idek this anime or anything but i give big props for the cool spearmanship, heard a lot about spearmanship in novels but never pictured it, this is epic
The live action version spends four episodes (season one) on the events in Seirei no Moribito. The current season is a nine-episode epic based on the later books. There will be a four-episode finale in 2018. All I can say is that my friend and I have found the live-action version riveting.
@@xrynmchyle7395 she is korean? When I forst watched the show I thought it was chinese because of the whole imperial government structure. But later I looked it up and I thought this was based early imperial japan.
Spear is like the rifle of the ancient times. Every military man back then had to study the martial arts of spear. That's why spear has the moniker of 'The King of hundred soldiers' in ancient China, because spear when used in skilled hands, is equivalent to a 100 soldiers. Spears are usually associated with dragon in the ancient times, in 6:40 you can hear the dragon's roar.
Yeah, tbh spears get no love even though in a real fight they would beat a sword most times if you are good enough at using it and adjusting your range.
Really Really love how pragmatic the moves are in the fighting. Sure some are duels but you are not in a tournament or dojo. These are the "streets" and anything goes. Throw a stone. Kick some mud. No shame in fighting a little dirty if your life is on the line.
An amazing anime, of course. As a lover of reading, I miss details in anime, however this title managed to impact me in a positive way, I recommend it.
It’s sad we don’t get animes like that anymore nowadays. Can you imagine? A female fighter in anime that isnt sexualized and doesnt need constant help or saving?!
@@BushinRyuCat I think she has a fatherly aura to her. The way she slapped Chagum. The way she challenged that one guys father in the ring. The doctor guy was more of a feminine character. Patching her up and all that sensitive shit.
... what u mean by nowdays? there are sexualized female characters before that anime. besides if u search more besides the average shonen u will find a lot of great animes.
@@dark3rthanshadows im just saying that the stereotypes of tsundere yandere or what else they are all called with cutsey little submissive women is the default in anime. If you just look at the seasonal charts 80-90% have women that are either "smul", a tsundere, a yandere, a damsel in distress, overly cutesy, submissive and/or a tastelessly sexualized. I don't reckon finding an abundance of Anime yet where the woman is actually none of these things. Maybe there are some exceptions but they are REALLLYY hard to fins
This to this is my number one anime with a female lead.. Balsa's fricken badass so is her guardian..To those of you who love swords keep in mind that Spears were used long before swords in history. This anime illustrates the combat with a spear so fluidly ya can't help but cheer Balsa and her adopted dad on they're that good! Also out of all female heroines Balsa's character development is precise and pierces forward just like her weapon of choice ironically XD naw but her character is really well written and her dub actress did a wonderful job portraying her she's the kind of "parent/guardian" she's very "grounded" "down to earth" kind of person which makes her very relatable honestly.. This is a 5/5* anime in my book and well ahead of it's time..If you haven't seen Moribito then do so ASAP! XD
For all the weapons experts out there. Can spears really be used effectively in the way portrayed by this show, aside from just poking from a distance?
I love that not only did they show that spears can be just as cool if not cooler than swords, but that they were the most commonly used weapon for so many reasons, not the least of which beng they are quite literally just superior in most situations
This is the only anime I've ever rated 10/10, and I'm one of the Naruto die-hards, as that was my first anime as a child. There's just something about this one, which at the end of watching it, made me give it a 10! Unbelievable! P.S: I strongly believe that Yasuke on Netflix used this anime as the base for its plot. The similarities are rife!
That first one was my favorite. Minimal moment and easily preformed. Plus if by some chance the spear didn't go in he could easily pull the back end around to the front for a block of another jab or to set up a high guard with the arms high and spear head pointing down and counted attack or block. Foot work will be key. You'll want to maintain that close distance so he can't rear back in time and strike again
I liked this anime a lot. The fighting was near realistic - at least very down to earth vs all these other ones where some characters, supposedly Japanese, are the size of mountains, everyone's flying around, running up walls, shooting laser beams made of soul power from their arse.... This one had a "magical" part and fights that wasn't so ridiculous, and there was some great stuff to take away from this series.
Spears got the love they deserve in this anime.
Ikr?
That’s a naginata
@@christopherbradford7703 A naginata is a glaive. A yari is a spear.
- they will in my anime ti
arbereshe I agree
So many small details in the fights make it seem so alive. You really get the sense that all parties are skilled in the fights, like the swordsman sliding his blade along the shaft of the spear at 4:56 in an attempt to remove her fingers, and her immediate reaction. Following up by attacking her open side, and her response by parrying and then attempting to attack his open side, which forces him to draw his second blade from its sheathe to block. All within the space of a few seconds.
I love how so many small moves happen over such a short period of time. Real warriors would likely move at that speed and don't bullshit around. They all seem very professional.
No, the descendants of the 8 warriors are pathetically weak, nowhere near as good as the 9 spears or Balsa. Those first 4 descendants to fight her were very offended that Balsa spared them, as if she was taking pity on them.
There was no weak fighters she's simply better.
It doesn't make them weak.
Another really cool detail: You can see the wounded guy's arm move towards his spear at 2:21 , setting up the spear throw a short while later.
did you also notice, @5:10 when she lost the tip of her spear and an attack was incoming she Closed the distance so that the blade wont fully pierce through her body by reducing the opponents swing and at the same time it also allow her to put her opponent within range.
brilliant move.
I can actually feel the force and brutality in these fight scenes. Excellent choreography and more importantly, camera angles. I appreciate even the small details like sweat and water particles. Just goes to show you that you don't need an OP character with lots of explosions to make a fight feel intense.
I couldn't agree more. I can feel the human struggle. It isn't about power levels or chakra or other pointless plot device. Its about one human fighting other humans. I feel like Jiguro was able to win against his former companions since he wasn't just fighting for his own life but Balsa's and the promise he made his friend. Corner someone bad enough and he is a fucking monster to beat.
Yea, like The Art of War teaches, it's a big mistake to corner your prey. You better make sure you can beat them 100%.
Camera movement as well. As well as the build up to these fights.
My mixed martial arts instructor said no fight is a fair fight. The goal is winning/ survival, one mind any weapon.
Balsa is one of my favorite anime characters. She's an adult (almost never get to see an anime woman over thirty that isn't shunted off to some supporting role), she's mature, and she still has an entire lifetime of adventures ahead of her. She embraces her maternal "instincts" well, but she isn't portrayed as gentle or weak for her devotion to her loved ones. Other female characters with "emotions~" are portrayed as subservient to "logical/intelligent" types (usually masculine). But here, Balsa's emotions are valid and have meaning. She's beautiful (she's not afraid to wear lipstick lol), but there's more fanservice on the landscape than there is on her.
YES is all i can say.
Xineal Yes. She feels more like an actual woman and not a caricature of what someone THINKS a woman is supposed to be like. I love it.
A very strong woman. One that can own any man both physically and intellectually.
Growing up my dad always watched shows like Xena and Witchblade with badass women, couldn't have asked for a better influence. I want a woman who is my equal or better in all areas. Thankfully I married one who can both kick your ass and explain string theory to you. Thanks dad. ;)
If being a women is all she has to offer then I will just say what a dumb thing to praise a character for
She’s a waman that should not be where all the praise is coming from
What I like is how realistic all the fight scenes are. There so awesome but they don't seem to break physics really.
DarkAngel7717 there still way to over the top, never try to do spins or flips in combat that’s how you get yourself killed. But it is more realistic than others
+Can't Remember
Than why do martial arts always teach stuff like that?
The spins are difficult but possible. In any other fighting show and king fu shows they float not fly float, in a show rurouni kenshin he doesn’t often but it’s been seen he can jump at least 100 yards straight up.
In order to pull off some of what Jiguro and Balsa did, you have to be in peak physical condition along with other factors. For example in the second fight scene in this video, Jiguro and Tagul were twisting around to not only dodge, but use the mud as a distraction in hopes of getting an edge. Usually, you only do stuff like that when you are in a fight to the death because of the extreme amount of energy it takes to accomplish the feat.
First person to make a wrong move... dies.
Realistic? Kinda. But they're not using their spears properly or any proper footwork
The fights are so short and brutal. The direction is as good as the animation.
Need's a Balsa focused sequel. She was far and away the most interesting character.
Jiguro was awesome too.
+Zach F Read the books if that's what you want. They're really good.
@@warwatcher91 indeed, the second book is all about Balsa too... a shame none of the others got translated though, can't read them -_-
Balsa’s like a LVL 15 fighter at the start of this anime, which I’d put around a level 5 campaign. I want to see the prequel of all her previous jobs, and side adventures.
@@kyr58 mostly fighter, sure, but she also clearly has some monk levels too. I'd say she looks leven 12ish, 4 monk, 8 fighter. No matter how you slice it, such a good character.
Balsa is an excellent spear-fighter. She's intelligent, graceful, elegant and quite fluid in her movements. No surprise given the series and its setting, but she stands out because when push comes to shove, she's quite a brutal combatant: Groin attacks, headbutts, stabs, using the environment.
She is really amazing to watch during the fights. You don't see much gritty, realistic stuff like that in anime. She gave the guy at 4:26 some punishment. A knee to the groin , a stab with the spear and a powerful kick to the stomach. He'd suffer some pains in the morning. I'd say my favourite part overall though, was when Jiguro struck that guy in the face with the stone.
Her fights are more graceful than Jiguro's but at the same time they aren't too feminine by any means. A lot her attacks involved raw strength, like how she overpowered that guy at 3:42 or knocked out the guy with her broken spear. The uploader left out another earlier action scene where Balsa had her spear sheathed, but still managed to own a few guards.
I came across this video randomly. Apart from the more popular anime (eg Naruto, Bleach) I'm unfamiliar with most having been told that they tend to have Hinata/Orihime-like female leads (ie damsels) and steered clear as a result. So watching this ... I think I've goofed. Can anyone point me towards any other anime that have good female leads? Don't get me wrong I love male leads, but I like seeing consistently strong females as well!
I recommend Ghost in the Shell if you're into cyborgs & technology.
Thanks I'll check it out.
I feel like this show should have been way more popular than it was. The drama is good, the story is interesting, and the action scenes are phenomenal! Not to mention the animation quality is pretty consistent and great.
It's probably because there wasn't any ecchiness, or over the top comedy, or the usual anime tropes that people were comfortable with.
I think outside the fights, the story was for the most boring. The entire egg eater good/evil flip flops were confusing and not all that interesting.
Rather, the fights has good choreography but not as fluid in their movement. There’s also no trails on their swords and movements, otherwise, it’d be hard to follow and looks rigid in the animation. Like 2:17, 3:30, and 5:36. Also lip movements are dumb as it looked like it didn’t follow as what the voice actors said.
@@hirvale The story wasn't boring at all. It was good. The only reason why it didn't become very popular might be because there is nothing in this anime that is over the top like 90 percent of them. People want to see protagonist vs antagonist and this story didn't have one.
@@lasttimeimaskingyouthis No, the story just doesn't have anything unique to make it interesting and the characters aren't bombastic enough to carry an unengaging plot
While i do like people praising Balsa, can we also appreciate Jiguro! I mean seriously, he freaking made her into the badass we all love.
At 2:23 you can see hand of that one fallen guy reaching the spear. A moment after that the spear hit that Balsa's father.
The animator really did their job over the top!
ikr
Good points all around but jiguro (the male spearman in this video) is not her father.
The attention to detail is remarkable.
@@nathanielgaffney2230 he might as well be.
@@Wolf10media He is her guardian, her father was the emperor's doctor
Hands down one of the best anime I've ever seen. Not many fight scenes, but it's clearly quality over quantity. Balsa should be an idol for anime characters.
Years after I watched this anime, I still recall it as the most realistic, exciting, high effort fight scene anime. Love it.
ほんとこのアニメは戦闘が格好いい。
音もすごく迫力あって好き。
So nice a more "realistic" female got the spotlight lol, loved this anime so much!
there is nothing close to realism in this, i get its for entertainment, but dueling amateurs whit no past experience using weapons still is a Big fucking risk, and this guys are not amateurs, they are just not as skillful as the "master", but they are skillful warriors.
in swords animes its almost like training enough makes you a superhuman.
to be honest even in tv series and in movies training enough and becoming very skillful ensures you will win... well, only if skill was enought to keep you alive in a fight, at least 40% of the things that keep you alive are out of your controll
ps: shut up, i know i went too deep in a cartoon XD
"in swords animes its almost like training enough makes you a superhuman." If you train a fuckton ever since adolescence wouldn't it make sense that you are powerful?
(it does)
and by "realistic" +xaforn was talking about writing wise I believe.
Fedora The Explorer my point is that it doesnt matter how skillful you are, in real life most factors are out of your control,
What a stupid way to look at life, in a street fight I'd knock the shit out of 3 guys if they didn't have the martial Arts experience I do, saying skill and experience don't matter only shows how much you lack in both.
I loved the part where balsa is watching him fight his best friend and her eyes dial in. Such a simple detail shows quite a bit.
This anime had some of the best fighting scenes i’ve ever seen to this day
I love Balsa, she's one of the greatest characters
owl Balsa is ja favourite character from this animie
Thank you very much. I'm writing a novel about a spear user because the entire market is saturated with sword users. But because spears appear seldom. I didn't know how to write about it. Thank you for broadening my horizons didn't know how a spear could be used closed range too. As well as how a spear would fare against a sword. I understand that with normal humans having the reach advantage usually favours the spear. But when we talking about anime logic and people with abilities the sword becomes so much more powerful. Ie. The single target damage it can cause not only that you now get people who can create wind scythes from the slashes of their sword. So literally every flaw and weakness that a sword had has now been covered. But seeing this I can think of ways to empower the strongest weapon of all times.
You should write one about the shield heh
How is it going?
How is it going?
spears are based
been almost 15 years and still love this show. I'm 24 now. OLD.
back after my third full watch o-o
24 isn’t old lol! Great shows like thsi never get boring
In regards to Balsa's first encounter with the Mikado's assassins, I think it's pretty clear the only reason she lost was because her weapon needed maintenance and they took advantage of that and broke it. If she was fighting them with a new weapon those guys would be even worse off.
Not only that, but she was holding back as well. She didn’t want to kill them.
The fights are few and far between in the series but they were all extremely well done
they should really do a season 2: guardian of darkness. I NEED A SEASON 2😭
om nom! that sounds like a great idea!
Good job assembling these scenes in a way that makes more sense to anyone who hasn't watched the show.
Out of everyone who died to jigaro i think the 1st guy got it the worst lol, because he didn't die on the spot for a fact, probably died from kidney failure throughout the day/evening. Left him lying there pondering where he fucked up lol
I need to watch this again
I mean come on this is such a Masterpiece. High quality tbh
Balsa,Motoko,Teresa, lady Oscar ...this 4 lady's are the Bomb
Fun Fact: In the German Dub, Balsa and Lady Oscar are voiced by the same voice actress.
This show has in my opinion the best fights. No flashing lights or bright colors. Just skill and technique.
I was happy to finally find an anime that used something other then a sword/katana for once and the fact that they use spears are even better.
Oh I miss this anime so much. 12 kingdoms and this anime gave me strongest impression. Great work
Man these fights are gorgeous.
gods i love her muscles so much.
and her character
and the rest of her design
but it's so nice seeing an anime character- even any female character at all- with warrior's muscles and in a main role.
Yeah, her design is awesome. I like how she’s fully clothed with just her muscular arms exposed. It makes it very believable that she can effortlessly swing the spear around with arms like that.
Where are her muscles
In her arms. And probably legs and other parts of the body not exposed.
Eddy deNiro that’s not what I mean
You said and the other dude that she had muscular arms when she does not have such arms in fact they are very skinny
There's clearly muscle on them. Her biceps are very visible at moments.
Incredible work for 2007. It holds up really well even today.
THe choreography is so realistic, it's unreal
was that pun intended?
Lol. You have obviously never seen a real fight, or been in one, almost none of this is realistic. More down to earth than most anime sure, but realistic? Hell no.
@@johnathanera5863 Oh and I suppose you've seen two spear masters fight to the death enough times to be the judge of that?
2:37 I’m in tears. Jugoru and Balsa relationship was one of the greatest really.
Moribito is one heck of a tough lady. Best to be her friend. One great anime. Lots of action and a very different kind of story too.
It is an excellent anime! Btw, Balsa is the character's name, not moribito.
Kid Goku i'd be her husband
I wish there were more movies that utilized the spear. This was a great anime
the subtle details are insane... watch the green guy at 2:24 grab his spear slowly before it's hurled in the next cut
Ever single fight in this anime it seems like someone is just watching the other person fight all of the time.
No. You don't understand. Moribito absolutely IGNITED my love of spears. I only know the basics, but dear gods, I love them.
THE most criminally underrated anime of all time
Yeah I am so glad that you put this together, and in HD too! Most other videos on the front page were 240p haha
I love this anime so much, unfortunately, it is under the radar for most people.
The animation are consistently amazing throughout the whole 26 episodes.
I can't imagine how much time it must have taken them to create that fight scene where Balsa was up against the 4 warriors, the attention to details was amazing.
It's sad to see how lazy many newer animes are these days.
Even their new IP Vinland saga, can't compare to the consistent animation quality of this anime from 12 years ago.
All these years later, and still one of the best choreographed anime for fight scenes. The fact that all the skilled fighters (Balsa, Jiguro) RUN AWAY from the groups when they're outnumbered in order to fight the enemies one-on-one (since every person naturally runs at a slightly different speed) is an overlooked aspect that makes the fights feel believable and the victories earned. One person isn't instantly defeating 10 goons, each enemy is a skilled fighter in their own right but Balsa and Jiguro separate them and counterattack in unexpected ways in order to take them out of the fight as quickly as possible, even if that means fighting "dirty".
I remember watching this, it would be nice to see more games and animes where main character has a spear or polearm as main weapon. AS much as i like swords i do think they tend be used bit too much.
I love the fight animation and choreography in this series, It's breath taking. At 6:06 to 6:09 I think Balsa made one block and seven attacks but I'm not sure, they move so fast! I like how it show the skill of both fighters in 3 seconds. The same with the fight at 4:12, it just shows how Badass balsa is . I also love the whole fight at 1:24 even though it's slower, you can see clearly the precise technique, strategy, and on the fly thinking of Jiguro.
5:06 is still one of my favorite moments in anime. Such a badass sacrifice move.
槍をここまで格好良く魅せるアニメ、精霊の守り人しか知らない。
This is one of my favorites from back in the day. The lines were so clean. Nice, concise story
the fight scenes are so dayum good
idek this anime or anything but i give big props for the cool spearmanship, heard a lot about spearmanship in novels but never pictured it, this is epic
One of the best anime I've ever seen
13話が、クソかっこよかったわ
はじめて、声優凄いなおもた
自分は3話のバルサと狩人が初戦闘するとこ好きです
どちらもかっこいい😆👍
They're making a live action version. I wish they would do a live action Sword of the Stranger.
The live action version spends four episodes (season one) on the events in Seirei no Moribito. The current season is a nine-episode epic based on the later books. There will be a four-episode finale in 2018. All I can say is that my friend and I have found the live-action version riveting.
That would be badass.
This is how fighting should be done. You don't get stabbed multiple times and continue to fight like no tomorrow :/
Balsa = Motoko's ancestor. If this isn't canon yet, it should be.
Who's Motoko ?
@@glorialiedtke8931Kusanagi Motoko = Ghost in the Shell 。 Balsa /Motoko是同一位配音人員
it cant be...
Balsa is Korean
and Motoko is Japanese
@@xrynmchyle7395 she is korean? When I forst watched the show I thought it was chinese because of the whole imperial government structure. But later I looked it up and I thought this was based early imperial japan.
Some of the best fight animation i've ever seen. Castlevania was really good with that the first and second season.
We need more anime and games where main character a spear wielder ^^
Love how chaotic a fight is its more real and still fluid believable.
this really helps me visualize the fighting in the stormlight archive
book 2 seriously needs to get animated.
There's a sequel?
@@hirvale There's 12 books but just 2 of them were translate to English. I'm not sure if the mangas are translate but maybe they are.
@@glendatrevino2673I had no clue there were that many. Might have to learn Japanese and read them all lol
This was absolutely one of my fav animes. i enjoyed the story very much.
2:36 gives me chills every time
Spear is like the rifle of the ancient times. Every military man back then had to study the martial arts of spear. That's why spear has the moniker of 'The King of hundred soldiers' in ancient China, because spear when used in skilled hands, is equivalent to a 100 soldiers. Spears are usually associated with dragon in the ancient times, in 6:40 you can hear the dragon's roar.
Yeah, tbh spears get no love even though in a real fight they would beat a sword most times if you are good enough at using it and adjusting your range.
I heard a tiger.
Really Really love how pragmatic the moves are in the fighting. Sure some are duels but you are not in a tournament or dojo. These are the "streets" and anything goes. Throw a stone. Kick some mud. No shame in fighting a little dirty if your life is on the line.
I read a novel "I am the monarch" the mc's speraman, so i watch this cause i need to imagine how Mc's fight with his spear.
An amazing anime, of course.
As a lover of reading, I miss details in anime, however this title managed to impact me in a positive way, I recommend it.
spears and staffs are my favorite weapons.
thank you for compiling these amazing sequences..
Polearms have always been the king of the battlefield.
I like that you edited it in chronological order.
The quality of animation in this series is superb. Really wish studios would take the time and money to make more things that look this good.
try fate zero. and garden of sinners
try Kurenai. it's just as good
Fate zero was also very pretty. That was the only fate show I could get into.
IF all episodes included scenes like those, the anime will be top tier
It’s sad we don’t get animes like that anymore nowadays. Can you imagine? A female fighter in anime that isnt sexualized and doesnt need constant help or saving?!
Yes! We need more. I LOVE IT!!!
Yes...but still easy on the eyes, and with a motherly sense, too :)
@@BushinRyuCat I think she has a fatherly aura to her. The way she slapped Chagum. The way she challenged that one guys father in the ring. The doctor guy was more of a feminine character. Patching her up and all that sensitive shit.
... what u mean by nowdays? there are sexualized female characters before that anime. besides if u search more besides the average shonen u will find a lot of great animes.
@@dark3rthanshadows im just saying that the stereotypes of tsundere yandere or what else they are all called with cutsey little submissive women is the default in anime. If you just look at the seasonal charts 80-90% have women that are either "smul", a tsundere, a yandere, a damsel in distress, overly cutesy, submissive and/or a tastelessly sexualized. I don't reckon finding an abundance of Anime yet where the woman is actually none of these things.
Maybe there are some exceptions but they are REALLLYY hard to fins
was looking for spear fight refrences and holy crap this is good
This to this is my number one anime with a female lead..
Balsa's fricken badass so is her guardian..To those of you who love swords keep in mind that Spears were used long before swords in history. This anime illustrates the combat with a spear so fluidly ya can't help but cheer Balsa and her adopted dad on they're that good! Also out of all female heroines Balsa's character development is precise and pierces forward just like her weapon of choice ironically XD naw but her character is really well written and her dub actress did a wonderful job portraying her she's the kind of "parent/guardian" she's very "grounded" "down to earth" kind of person which makes her very relatable honestly.. This is a 5/5* anime in my book and well ahead of it's time..If you haven't seen Moribito then do so ASAP! XD
A fellow Balsa appreciater, welcome friend.
For all the weapons experts out there. Can spears really be used effectively in the way portrayed by this show, aside from just poking from a distance?
@ Gusion Rebake ,yeah. I can do these with ease. :-) Short proportioned spear with blade shown in this anime is as versatile as sword.
Yep
Yup. Spears are the king of weapons for a reason....well, melee weapons anyway.
I love that not only did they show that spears can be just as cool if not cooler than swords, but that they were the most commonly used weapon for so many reasons, not the least of which beng they are quite literally just superior in most situations
i love this anime
I FOUND IT I FINALLY FOUND THE ANIME I WAS LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU😁😁😁😁
This is the only anime I've ever rated 10/10, and I'm one of the Naruto die-hards, as that was my first anime as a child.
There's just something about this one, which at the end of watching it, made me give it a 10! Unbelievable!
P.S: I strongly believe that Yasuke on Netflix used this anime as the base for its plot. The similarities are rife!
Man to think their probably never going to be a season 2 to this. There is not that many animes with such fights.
You can read the second book of the series.
@@Slaggedfire Light novel i guess ? SInce i don't believe the mangas ever got completed ? But i haven't looked for it in quite a while.
@@Alzakielz Yes. It's called Moribito Guardian of Darkness I believe. Something like that.
Spear and quarterstaff fighting is underrated
This is one of the best anime.
That first one was my favorite. Minimal moment and easily preformed. Plus if by some chance the spear didn't go in he could easily pull the back end around to the front for a block of another jab or to set up a high guard with the arms high and spear head pointing down and counted attack or block. Foot work will be key. You'll want to maintain that close distance so he can't rear back in time and strike again
Its sad that there wasn't more fighting scenes in this show, as with what we got, they were awesome.
balsa's fight against the hunters is one of the all time's
look at balsas muscles 😍
What muscles
@@gunblade8674 Late reply,but anyway you can see her toned arms when fighting, pause it.
man! This chick is kicking some serious ass!!!
ive never seen this anime before.
it looks amazing
Jason Grey it is amazing. definitely worth the watch
it aired on adult swim years ago
さすが攻殻機動隊SACシリーズの監督とスタッフ……
so beautiful damn y hav i jus discovered this now
That's how fights are supposed to be. Quick, decisive, efficient, not spinning your spear around like a Fidget spinner for swag.
Loved this series absolutely loved it
バルサねぇさん本当カッケェ
every time i forget this anime's name i just type in "epic staff fighting anime" in the search field.
That second fight in the rain was probably the sickest one ngl
Girl: My nail broke! I hate staff fighting at school!
Boys what is feels like: 0:49
I liked this anime a lot. The fighting was near realistic - at least very down to earth vs all these other ones where some characters, supposedly Japanese, are the size of mountains, everyone's flying around, running up walls, shooting laser beams made of soul power from their arse....
This one had a "magical" part and fights that wasn't so ridiculous, and there was some great stuff to take away from this series.
I know of yona of the dawn but does anyone know of some series there we have a badass spear wielder like balsa and hak? if so please do tell!
Stunning Anime. A true Masterpiece!
lets just take a moment to appreciate how most of the fights involve spears