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.
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 1:30am Sundays, but was moved to 2:30a.m. Eastern time, swapping it with Fullmetal Alchemist in November 2009.
Characters
The series primarily features Balsa and Chagum. Balsa is a wandering spear-wielder from the kingdom of Kanbal. Despite claiming to be a simple bodyguard-for-hire, in reality she wields her spear in order to save lives in atonement for the eight lives that were taken to protect her when she was a child. Chagum is a young prince of the New Yogo Empire, who throughout the series struggles to protect his empire from ruin.
In the first novel, Balsa agrees to become the bodyguard of Prince Chagum as her eighth and final job after she happens to save his life. Chagum, the second prince of the Imperial family of Yogo, carries a powerful spirit within him and has become the target of assassination by his father, the Emperor. Balsa must protect Chagum from relentless assassins as well as the spirit within her young charge as he attempts to master and understand his own powers.
During their journey, Balsa and Chagum are aided primarily by Balsa’s childhood friend, a Yakue healer named Tanda, and his teacher, Madame Torogai. Chagum’s tutor, the star reader Shuga, is also featured as a prominent supporting character and strives to learn the truth behind the spirit contained in Chagum’s body and restore the prince to his rightful place when he begins to suspect that Chagum is still alive.
anime @ west regional library 