Like the two before me, I have also watched the anime, and found the world completely mesmerizing. The characters were quite realistic, with ample character development. However, the only one that really had the most visible character development was Chagum, going from a weak boy to one who has the bearing of a prince. Though he started out quite like a spoiled prince who does not know the ways of the world, it is not hard to come to care for the boy.

The main character, Balsa, is quite a strong character. She knows exactly how to survive in the world, but also does not neglect the tenderness that most mangas do not portray in lone warriors. Her motherly side comes out whenever she is around Chagum, yet she still exudes that confident aura. Also, her voice is so sure of itself, making one immediately place their trust in her.

Character development is what really drives this anime/manga and what allows it to become so memorable. However, while Chagum had considerable development, Balsa does not have quite as much. She does soften up during the course of the anime, but it was nothing that was not going to happen anyways. Also, the other characters, such as Tanda and Tohya, remained static. While the anime was not negatively impacted by this, I felt that there could have been maybe something to tie these things up.

The only complaint that I have about the anime was that when the time came around to actually taking the egg out, it felt more like a deus ex machina than an actual well thought out ending. It seemed like the writers could find something to resolve the dilemma. Though some clues led up to the climax, such as the underground room, there was no mention of any spell, especially since the Shaman had said that such things were impossible. It just felt too sudden, like the appearance of Athena in some of the Greek tales and plays.

All in all, it's quite a find. I would have liked to have seen a different ending, but somehow this ending fit along with the mood and themes. The deus ex machina was slight enough that I could ignore it, but it made me take .1 points off the score.

... Last updated on March 29th, 2011, 5:29pm

Like spduke, I watched the anime and LOVED it. Total genius. COMPLETELY WITHOUT STEREOTYPES, just like spduke said. Possibly the best female character in history - I love Balsa and how real she is, and how she kicks ass when she fights but isn't ridiculously perfect like some action heroes, how she's a bit gruff and guarded but tender when she has to be, that she doesn't make romance the main point (or even a side-point!) of her life like most female characters in manga do. She's all about duty and justice and she's strong and noble and beautiful in a completely different way from most manga heroines - I think she's more beautiful, because she's so real and such a solid character with a great and very relateable backstory. I could imagine a fireside chat with her, haha. She's really the epitome of feminine power and strength. A good heart and a noble spirit and strong arms to defend them both.

Chagum is also a great character because he starts off as an overprotected child who is (understandably) weepy but then grows slowly in so many ways, like learning how to live a normal life and make friends, and learning how to stand up for himself and also to protect others. He's such a good kid and you feel protective for him like Balsa did, just reading about him.

Everyone else is great too. All the other characters - the witch and her apprentice (w/ the lifelong crush on Balsa), Balsa's own guardian, the swordsmith and everyone you meet in the story is just so well-developed as a character and again so real that you could actually imagine meeting such people and talking to them. Nobody's a total villain and you can see the psychology and even the good reasons people have (or think they have) for doing things that you would normally consider horrible or heart-breaking. There are no "evil" characters and yet there is no shortage of opponents and enemies. Lots of fight scenes and lots of introspective scenes as well. Whatever you want, it's here.

I'm very grateful to TMI-Scans for picking up the manga in the past but it seems they have not been able to continue. Frankly I have no idea why it hasn't been licensed already - even setting the anime aside, just looking through the raws proves it is also a great manga. Until it gets licensed, I hope the scanlators will persist. Thankyou in advance to any groups that pick this up.

... Last updated on July 30th, 2009, 8:05am

Haven't read the manga, but watched the anime which was absolutely awesome. The series is listed here as shounen, but it has 0 of the shounen type cliches. The story has a very real feel to it with very good characters. Series is completely different from other manga, such as Naruto, Bleach etc. You won't see any power levels or summoning jutsu either. The settings have a fantasy old China feel. Truly Epic