The Moribito series is a Japanese fantasy novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi. The first novel in the series, , has been adapted into numerous media, including a radio drama, manga series, and an. Scholastic released the first novel in English in June 2008. Media Blasters has confirmed that they acquired the rights to the anime. 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.
Setting
Moribito is set in a fantasy analog of historical Asia. The setting includes several nations, such as Kanbal, a rugged, Himalayan-like kingdom, and New Yogo, a fertile empire that combines elements of feudal Japan and Southwest China. The supernatural plays very prominently into the world of the series, with the physical world being referred to as Sagu and a parallel spirit world being referred to as Nayug.
Characters
Protagonists
; Balsa ; Chagum ; Tanda ; Torogai
New Yogo Empire
Imperial family
; The Mikado ; The First Queen ; The Second Queen ; Sagum
Star readers
; Shuga ; Gakai ; Hibi Tonan
The Hunters
; Mon ; Jin ; Zen ; Yun ; Hyoku* ; Rai* ; Taga* ; Sune
; Jiguro Musa ; Kassa ; Gina ; Yuguro Musa ; Kaguro Musa
Herder people
; Toto
Publication history
The novel series was published in hardback by Kaiseisha 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 Moribito and Tabibito strands of the series split after the first book, Guardian of the Spirit, and merge again in the chronologically final book, Ten to Chi no Moribito. The series also includes Balsa's Table, a non-fiction volume that includes cooking recipes with photos of the cuisines described in the series; and Complete Guide to Guardian of the Spirit, an extensive guidebook with background information on the setting and characters and a new short story, "春の光" by Nahoko Uehashi, about Balsa and Tanda's relationship.
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 2009. Due to unsatisfactory sales, publishing of the series in the U.S. has since been indefinitely suspended by Scholastic.
Title
Publication date
ISBN
Notes
June 2008 April 2009
May 2009
Media
Moribito has since been adapted into numerous media, including radio, manga and adaptations.
Radio drama
adapted Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit and Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness into radio drama series, which aired in NHK-FM Broadcast's program . The first series and second series aired from August 7, 2006, to August 18 of the same year and from April 16, 2007, to April 27 of the same year respectively.
Anime
The 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. 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 1:30 a.m. Sundays, but was moved to , swapping it with Fullmetal Alchemist in November.
Manga
A manga adaptation of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Kamui Fujiwara was published in Square Enix's magazine ' from the April 2007 issue to the August 2008 issue. Its spin-off titled ジン ～アニメ精霊の守り人外伝～ was published in the same company's another magazine ' from the 9th 2008 issue to the 17th 2008 issue. A manga adaptation of Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness by Yū was published in ' shōjo magazine '' from August 12, 2014.
TV Drama
The Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit television series produced by Japan's NHK network consists of 22 episodes covering three series from the Moribito series of novels. Four episodes adapting the material in Seirei no Moribito were released in 2016, and another nine covering the Kami no Moribito novels aired in 2017. The remaining nine will begin in November 2017 and continue into 2018. It appears this third and final season will adapt Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness, which takes place in Balsa's home country of Kambal.
