Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is a Japanese novel that was first published in 1996. The novel received the Mildred L Batchelder Award from the American Library Association in 2009. It has since been adapted into numerous media, including radio, manga, anime, and taiga drama adaptations. The anime series adaptation premiered on Adult Swim in the U.S. at 1:30 a.m. ET on August 24, 2008, but was dropped from the schedule without warning or explanation. Media Blasters has confirmed that they acquired the rights to the anime series.