NHK fantasy series gets 4K MIPTV screening

The TV adaptation of fantasy novel Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit will get a 4K screening at MIPTV next month.

The series, from Japanese pubcaster NHK, has been three years in the making.

Set in an imaginary land at a time in which the spirit and human worlds become intertwined, it follows the adventures of bodyguard Balsa, who is tasked with protecting a mysterious prince.

The twelve-volume novel series it is based upon has sold over 3.7 million copies. NHK is selling the series, which is produced in 4K and runs to 1x73mins and 21x60mins.

NHK also has docs for MIPDoc including A Century on Film. The Japanese pubcaster’s in-house production unit made the show, which relives the last century’s classic film moments.

It has newly-discovered film and clips, and restored footage, culled from NHK’s access to 500 film archives around the world, containing 20,000 hours of film footage.

The six-part series also covers the history of film by following the stories of the people who shaped the industry and filmmaking.

Changing tack, The Luminous Bay: Life in the Twilight Zone, follows efforts to film 1,00 metres below the ocean’s surface.

It is a coproduction with Discovery founder John Hendrick’s SVOD service CuriosityStream.