Guardian of the Sacred Spirit [26 episodes] [PG-13]

Plot:

After saving him once from drowning, Balsa the spear-wielder is tasked with defending Prince Chagum from the Chin-Yogo Emperor, who plans to kill him and extinguish the evil spirit residing within him.

Individual Ratings:

Art: 10/10

Guardian of the Sacred Spirit has some of the most astounding visuals you will ever see. The amount of work put into the scenery is incredible, especially since most of the scenes are outside. The character designs are better than most anime in my opinion; in fact, this is the first anime I've seen where they don't put too much work into making the female lead sexy. Balsa is muscular and strong, and doesn't strip to her underpants when she fights, which is a huge accomplishment for an action anime with a female lead. Also, the animation for the fight scenes are simply superb. The characters move realistically, and the style of their fighting was given much thought when the movements were choreographed.

Plot: 8/10

The plot is realistically paced towards the beginning, although there is a couple-month time skip near the end. The beginning is more fast-paced, the middle is kind of slow but allows for a lot of character development, and the last 5-6 episodes speed up again to fit in all of the source material.

Characters: 9/10

All the characters of the anime are realistic. Unlike mainstream shonen, the characters all have their ups and downs. Also, I really liked how Chagum wasn't a stuck-up brat like most princes - rather, he was actually quite admirable. Balsa is also an interesting character, with a harsh past and a realistic goal as a spear-wielder. The reason I give it a 9/10, however, is because there are also many characters who don't get any development, such as some of the government officials.

Sound: Unrated

Unfortunately, the speakers on my laptop broke, and of course I had to lose my headphones. I can't rate the sound on this one until I rewatch it, which will probably be a couple months from now.

Enjoyment: 10/10

I really enjoyed the pacing of the series, as well as the fighting scenes. The characters were interesting, and the serious mood of the show somehow blended well with the fact that there is NO human blood in this show. That's right, I didn't observe a single drop of blood, despite the fact that the anime is very mature and has action. Remember that this is a compliment.

Overall Rating:

9.3/10

Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal

The main characters, Tomoe (left) and Kenshin (right).

Plot:

During the Japanese revolution, a master swordsman saves a young slave from a bandit raid. Feeling potential in the child, he takes him in and gives him a new name, "Kenshin," and teaches him the Hiten Mitsurugi style. Some time later, he leaves his master and becomes a feared killer named Hitokiri Battousai.

Individual Ratings:

Animation: 9/10

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Music: 8/10

Opinions:

This magnificent OVA is the prequel to the widely known Rurouni Kenshin series. It has a much darker undertone, however, and displays fantastic storytelling. When you first watch Trust & Betrayal, you might think that I have scored the animation too high. But if you take a closer look, you'll see that the art is very finely detailed, and a lot of attention was paid to the appearance (also take note that this was made in 1999). If you have seen the original Rurouni Kenshin, this is where you will find out how he got his cross-shaped scar.

Overall Rating:

9/10

Samurai Champloo

Mugen, one of the main characters of Samurai Champloo.

Plot:

Fuu, who works in a tea shop, is saved from the harassment of the local authority's son by Jin and Mugen, who are both samurai. However, they both start to fight each other after realizing each other's skill. After saving them from being executed, Fuu convinces them to accompany her on a journey to find a mysterious man who smells of sunflowers.

Individual Ratings:

Animation:10/10

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 9/10

Music: 10/10

Opinions:

Samurai Champloo is one of Watanabe's 2 greatest works (the other being Cowboy Bebop, which I will review soon). For an anime from 2006, the animation is pretty good, plus some of the OST's from this are my favorites. The action and humor really go well, with some depressing moments as well.

Overall Rating:

9.5/10