Nagareikusha: Moribito Short Story Collection (流れ行く者: 守り人短編集 )

February 25th, 2018

If you, like me, enjoyed the Moribito novel series, and the Seirei no Moribito anime and the Moribito live-action series, (all of which are reviewed here on Okazu) you may, like me, have wondered what kind of life Balsa had when she was a child.

Balsa was a child when her father was the doctor for the king. When he died (not explicitly stated, but implied) by being poisoned by his son, that son took the throne and commanded his personal guards to kill the doctor and his family. The leader of the personal guard was a man named Jigoro, and was Balsa’s father’s best friend. Balsa’s father knew he would be killed, so he asked Jigoro to save Balsa. Jigoro killed the rest of the guard – his brothers and sisters in arms – and ran away with Balsa.

It is apparent from Balsa’s own training of Chagum that Jigoro was a harsh teacher, but equally apparent that she loved him. In Yami no Moribito, we also learn that he deeply resented her because his promise to her father meant that he had to kill his friends. She, fully aware of this, spent her life saving lives as a bodyguard, to atone for the deaths her life caused.

In Nagareikusha: Moribito Short Story Collection (流れ行く者: 守り人短編集 ), the last of the Moribito series (so far), we follow young Balsa as she and Jigoro wander along with other bodyguards, mercenaries, cuthroats and commoners.

The first story shows us a young Tanda, runty for his age, and already with one foot in the other world and a lot of knowledge of healing and Balsa undergoing a mystical experience.

We see Jigoro suffering from an infection as the result of being fought too hard and too long against too many people, by a man he hired himself out to for room and board, and Balsa struggle to buy medicine to break the fever. As Jigoro regains health, Balsa is fostered by a woman of the village, who teaches her local crafts and who is very kind to her. In this story, another girl of the village is being harassed by some youths who have come to the inn Balsa and Jigoro are staying at. When Balsa defeats their leader, the girl develops a little crush on Balsa. But by the time they leave, she’s moved on to a local boy and Balsa and she part as friends. ^_^

They travel with mercenaries who work for an abusive lord, who eventually challenges Balsa. She scores first blood. When they escort him back to his home, he expects them to come in, but without a word the mercenaries turn their back on this jealous and petty lord, riding off.

The next to last chapter follows Balsa and Jigoro traveling with a group of soldiers. Balasa is taken under the wing of an older guy. He’s always showing her good vantage points and giving her advice. But when he turns to criminal endeavor and she finds out, she’s forced to defend herself against him to the death. We watch as young Balsa kills a man for the first time.

And, at last, in the final pages, she returns to Tanda’s village…and Tanda…for respite.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

I kind of hope there’ll be more in the future, but it’s always a pleasure to spend time with female bodyguard and Guardian, Balsa.

2 Responses

  1. DISNEYGIRL says:

    I read all of your summaries in the Moribito series. Thank you so much for all of your translations and summaries from over the years. Moribito is honestly one of my favorite fantansy series of all time and I have spent years searching for news to see if other English speaking publibshing companies will pick up the series. As much as I want to read the novels for myself, I can’t since I’m not fluent in Japanese.

    I now somewhat have a feeling of closure after reading your summaries. Many thanks again.

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