Imagine The Fugitive meets Ninja Scroll, except the main character is a bad ass chick. I was really surprised how good this anime series is. Not only is the animation first class, the storyline is great. The animation is beautifully done by Production I.G., the same animation team who produced the Ghost in a Shell series.

What’s really cool is how the fantasy elements add to the story. The plot revolves around Balsa, a bodyguard, who reluctantly takes the assignment of guarding a prince. The prince is infected with a water spirit which the emperor is afraid will destroy his empire. The emperor sends hunters after them as Balsa tries to stay one step ahead of them. The series slows down a bit when Balsa fakes their death to escape the pursuit. The action does not pick up until the end of the series when Balsa actually joins forces with hunters to save the prince from the water spirit.

The characters’ back-stories are well developed. They also have distinguishable personalities and flaws that audiences can relate too. Its kind of hard to think of an anime about water spirits and warriors as realistic but the characters somehow give it a human quality. That is the strength of this series, plus the animation quality is one of the best I have seen recently. I definitely recommend this series.