I.D. Analysis – 3rd episode of Seirei no Moribito and Kaze no Shoujo Emily

The 3rd episode of both series can only be described with one single word (make that two): TOTALLY AWESOME. If any of you out there is not watching these two series, you are missing out on the candidates for the top five series of the spring season and that is definitely not an understatement. Even if my personal endorsement means nothing, I beseech you to at least take a peek at these two wonderful series that has captured my attention.

With detail, graphics and fight choreography being so realistic in Seirei no Moribito, to the detailed character analysis, emotions and innocence of youth in Kaze no Shoujo Emily, both series up to this stage can proudly say that they had excited anime fans. Move first into the world of the mystics as Barsa fends off assassins on Chagum, before seeing how Emily adapts to the new children in her school.

Seirei no Moribito Episode 3

Summary in a chunk

Barsa told Chagum to hide in the forest while she took the four assassins. Hitting and running, she was able to fend off the fighters, but her mast head of her spear came off with the strings being broken, as she was stabbed and escaped while incapacitating the leading man. Chagum was caught by one of the assassins and was rendered unconscious as they took him away. Jin tried to find Barsa but she had escaped as Jin took Chagum away to the capital. Even though the other fighters admired her fighting scenes against the odds, Jin said she was a mercenary and would not return as they dispersed.

Toya and Saya were hiding under a boat, as they tried to look for Tonda who was peddling his medicine to people in an area and waited there as there were advertisements to look for him. Jin was carrying Chagum before carrying him down. A flashback showed Chagum had given him some food when he was tortured in his training and was vomitting badly, and Jin eternally thanked Chagum for his kindness ever again. He then professed to kill Chagum, since he knew that Chagum would be killed for the water spirit in his body. He would bear the crime but he was eliminated by the hurt Barsa.

Barsa continued to carry the unconscious Chagum away until he woke up and said he could walk. Barsa immediately fell down after the stress to her body and told Chagum to meander around the tough terrain (rough rocks, animal trail, grass field) in order to find Tonda. Chagum nearly fell to his death due to the slippery ground with the rain pouring down and a wolf was also following him. Eventually, he reached the destination but he found no house as Chagum stepped forward and fell into a pool of water.

Chagum was about to drown when Tonda did arrive and saved him. Chagum informed him about the plight of Barsa and he rushed away.Toya also found out where Tonda was, as Tonda was out of medicine and went back to retrieve some more. Two masters were fighting around Barsa, and one eventually killed the other as the killer cried. Before Barsa passed out, she saw a girl that she somewhat recognized, and Tonda arrive to the scene to the bleeding Barsa, who was not going to last to the evening with the loss of blood from her midsection. She lost consciousness in the unsympathetic rain, as the voice of Tonda continued to ring.

Thoughts

Oh my god, Seirei no Moribito just goes from strength to strength with this episode three going totally crazy with the fight scenes at the start and the end. The fights are very realistic, rather than making it all heroic by making Barsa overly strong and killing them easily. The thing about the characters is that there is in fact a distinct difference and personality from the assassins, rather than some token evil killers that just enjoy killing. I have enough of lame evil killers, and Seirei no Moribito makes the assassins humans, compared to mere robots.

One of them is warped enough to kill Chagum so that Chagum will not have to face with the fact that he will be killed by his own parent. Yet, it gives each character more life, even if they are to appear for a short while. With that form of character sophistication, I really applaud the story writer and animation company for doing such a great job with the story board of this episode. It really makes such an excellence graphical show even better. I am just in awe and Seirei no Moribito got to be one of the top five anime of the spring season, along with Bokurano.

I also find that Barsa’s character is filled with warmth and irony. She laughed at her own weakness of being unable to protect her appointed customer, and laughed at herself for getting help from him. However, she does have a strong sense of honor herself, simply thinking of how to save Chagum even though she is physically weak. I also feel that the fact that she returned to hunt down Jin in order to retrieve Chagum despite her injures is very admirable. In all, the realistic portrayal of a woman that is strong yet vulnerable is done excellently.

I personally feel that Chagum is still not as special as it is, but there is at least a bit of character development. Considering his upbringing as a child that is given anything he wants, he is showing a great extent of maturity as well as strength in terms of the things that he has been doing. I mean, walking on a thin trail along two high cliffs is not something that can be done by a child like him, if he had no strong conviction to save Barsa, as well as his own willpower to move on.

Kaze no Shoujo Emily Episode 3

Summary in a chunk

Emily had a fight with IIse, and as Ilse ran away, Emily’s skirt got trapped along the fences. The teacher finally came and the skirt of Emily got torn as everyone went into the classroom. Emily introduced herself, and people were gossiping about her being with the Murrays, considered to be one of the stuck up families in the area. She talked about her interests in writing and poetry, before sitting near IIse. Emily tried to get the girl beside her to share her history book but was ignored. When IIse offered hers, Emily simply ignored her meanly. Some of the girls, after class, placed a snake inside a box passed by a girl called Roda, who seemed to be kind and interested in Emily’s poetry.

Roda told her that the girls were mean to her as Ilse told them to, and IIse’s father was a wizard that conjured magic to curse people. Roda then pointed out the direction of the house, telling her to bring a rose for protection tomorrow and left. Jimmy looked on as Emily went on the road to see IIse’s house. As Roda left, Emily tried to look at the house, with a man mixing chemicals using test tubes. IIse caught her peeking and Emily confronted her for trying to instigate the other children to bully her, with IIse looking clueless. Eventually, they fought, slapped and got each other in the mud, before IIse’s father came out to call her in.

Emily was looking all dirty when she came back, hoping to escape from Elizabeth but she failed. Only a good lie from Perry that Emily fell from her horse and Jimmy confirming it as he brought back the basket Emily left while searching for IIse’s house saved Emily from a thrashing down. As Emily cleaned up, she told Jimmy about what happened, and it was the first time she fought. Emily also found a secret hidden room with the cat’s house, a place like an attic as she decided that it was the place she would start writing. The next day, Emily was not bullied, as she ambushed IIse who was about to go home.

Emily questioned IIse why she did nothing today, and IIse replied innocently that she was no longer angry after the fight. Emily then heard Roda talking badly about her with the three bullies, with Roda bribing them with sweets to work with her. Emily confronted them and slapped Roda. She told Roda that she was Emily and should be treated as so. One of the girls took her writing book, as they threw it around until IIse got it back as they escaped. IIse’s father was in fact a chemist that was also a medicine man, and they were on their way to Terry, a sickly boy that they visited every week. IIse suggested to Emily to pick some flowers for him. Terry’s mother said that Terry was out on the fields since he was feeling better. When Emily saw Terry drawing in the grass field, she was entranced by his good looks, as the wind blew peacefully.

Thoughts

Kaze no Shoujo Emily is definitely the best show to watch after Seirei no Moribito, being in a totally different spectrum in the genre. It’s always good to watch something relaxing, soothing yet a bit subtly amusing, and Emily is all that. The petty fight between Emily and IIse is just so hilarious, since Emily is someone who really does not easily forgive anyone, yet is so naive at times that we tend to forget that she is but a child that believes whoever is treating her nicely even if it’s an act.

I personally like all the characters of Kaze no Shoujo Emily because they are all so appealing. We have the really spunky and ready to fight with anyone if they do her injustice Emily, the rather bratty yet helpful Perry, the stern and yet still caring Elizabeth, the jovial and happy go lucky Jimmy as well as the quick to tease, yet open-minded IIse and also Terry, a good looking young man that seems to be good at drawing. The character dynamics between all the people in this show are just like a fluid movement of emotions and interactions. They are really just so fun to watch, and the novel must be an excellent read with such a compelling cast.

I must add that Emily can be a tad too judgmental. It is apparent that IIse, for all her mean behavior at the start, is just a playful girl that immediately become nice to her after lending her book when the fat girl refuses to lend her the book. Her quick temper starts and ends fast, and she is clearly someone who forgives easily, a good complement for Emily who does not really seem like someone who will ever forgive someone and makes sure that they pay a hell lot.

To be honest, the episode portrayed the society very logically, an ironic touch to the elitism of society. We often think of elites as a group of snobbish people and when they turn out to be snobbish, we allocate it to their status. We have to remember what Emily said in her declaration toward Roda, that she should be treated as Emily, not a member of the Murray family since she is herself and not belonging to any personal ideology of others. Perhaps, the little lesson that can be learned in this episode is not to judge a book by its cover, and to approach anything with an open heart, rather than stereotyping things that will twist your views before you can take the time to understand.