In the final years of the Bakumatsu era lived a legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai. Feared as a merciless killer, he was unmatched throughout the country, but mysteriously disappeared at the peak of the Japanese Revolution. It has been ten peaceful years since then, but the very mention of Battousai still strikes terror into the hearts of war veterans.
Unbeknownst to them, Battousai has abandoned his bloodstained lifestyle in an effort to repent for his sins, now living as Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman with a cheerful attitude and a strong will. Vowing never to kill again, Kenshin dedicates himself to protecting the weak. One day, he stumbles across Kaoru Kamiya at her kendo dojo, which is being threatened by an impostor claiming to be Battousai. After receiving help from Kenshin, Kaoru allows him to stay at the dojo, and so the former assassin temporarily ceases his travels.
Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan tells the story of Kenshin as he strives to save those in need of saving. However, as enemies from both past and present begin to emerge, will the reformed killer be able to uphold his new ideals?
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
VK11
Rurouni Kenshin - an amazing anime taking place during the Japan Revolution - is an amazing story first written by Nobuhiro Watsuki in 1994 and first aired as an anime in 1996. If you're one of the older anime fans, chances are that you probably have seen this anime already and give it the respect that it deserves. If you are one of the younger anime fans out there and haven't heard too much about Rurouni Kenshin (also known as Samurai X in other countries outside of the United States), I urge to immediately to get your hands on a copy of theanime somehow and start watching it, you won't be disappointed if you are into samurai.
The story is deep, intricate, emotional, and touching. Everything from romance, action, suspense, and even some thriller in included in Rurouni Kenshin. There are a total of 95 episodes to Rurouni Kenshin, however, only the first 62 (the first two seasons) are only worth watching because the third season is all fillers. The first two seaons depict the story of Himura Kenshin, also known as Hitokiri Battousai, and his motley bunch of friends in Sagara Sonouske, Myojin Yahiko, and Kamiya Kaoru. Without giving too much away, the first season is based on his stay with Kaoru Kamiya and how he keeps his vow of not to kill. The second season is where the plot develops and we are introduced to a little bit of Kenshin's past.
To some of the younger fans out there, the animation may seem a bit older and not as new as some of our recent anime like Death Note and Full Metal Alchemist, it still is drawn with very exceptional quality and after the first few episodes, you find that the style perfectly suits the time frame in which the story takes place.
Taku Iwasaki has done a beautiful job with the soundtrack to Rurouni Kenshin as during each and every part, there is the perfect song that fits the scene. This is especially the case during the second season as Iwasaki unveils a multitude of amazing pieces of music that you will undoubtedly look to download.
You will either hate the characters or love them. The character development during the anime is portrayed very well. An example of this is the development of Yahiko from an innocent child to an exceptional swordsman throughout the show. The only qualm people may have is the lack of romance between Kenshin and Kaoru. Though its hinted at very slightly during the first two seasons, there is not much between them. All of Kenshin's rivals also have unique personalities and Nobuhiro Watsuki has done an excellent job with them.
The only reason I advise you to avoid the episodes 63-95 is that they are pointless fillers. By the time the second arc had ended, the Kyoto arc, the anime had caught up to the manga. So as with all animes, they stopped animating the manga and aired fillers so the manga could develop. However, by the time the manga finished, the fillers were so terribly bad that Rurouni Kenshin had to be cancelled.
That is why after episode 62, I urge you to find the manga and start reading it from Volume 18 to enjoy the amazing story of Enishi and the Revenge Arc. It is there where the true story of Kenshin is continued and completed, and not with the later episodes.
Overall,
I rate episodes 1-62 a 10/10 because they follow the manga very well..
I rate episodes 63-95 a 6/10 because even though they are pointless, some of the fillers do have good back stories and battle scenes..
A final overall rating of a 9/10 is due to the anime, Rurouni Kenshin (the manga I would give a 10 ^_^). There is no doubt in my mind that if you are looking for an anime with a little bit of everything and looking for an anime that involves mystic sword styles, amazing battles and an "oro-ing red-headed samurai," look no further.
Master10K
Based on the actual Meiji Period of Japan, Rouruni Kenshin is a Shounen, Action, Adventure about a wandering samurai, "Kenshin". Even though he is a kind and friendly person, he carries a bloody past he wishes not to return to. This shounen anime starts of like any other as we are introduced to the characters the story revolves around (Kenshin) and we learn quite a bit about them. Also like the typical shounen anime, once all the main characters are together to form some kind of fighting team, it starts of with couple short random adventures. There's plenty of action and comedy here but itlacks substance and it is not until later on in the Kyoto Arc. That is when the story becomes truly interesting, with even more intense battles, drama and a decent array of characters to back it up.
The characters are great and well developed, which is the sort of thing you'll expect from a shounen action series, of this calibre. But the character that truly stands out is "Kenshin", with his 3 contrasting personalities; dopy Kenshin, noble protector Kenshin and manslayer Kenshin and it is interesting how all of this is crammed into a single character. However there are a few brat-like characters that can get quite annoying at times but it doesn't take much away from the show.
There were two things I had to consider when looking into the quality of the animation; the time it was made and how well it depicted scenes. The animation quality of RK is exactly what you'd expect from something made in the 90s however when it comes down to it, it is really good especially during the action sequences. It is able to show the true intensity of the intense fights however those kinds of fights happen to rarely in RK.
The music on the other hand isn't all that special and there are only a few noticeable good tunes that go well, with the situations. The OP and ED themes are a range of catchy and annoying tunes however you'll definitely find some of them really enjoyable and hard to get out of your head. Another thing I just have to mention is that RK is one of those few anime that even a Sub anime fan like myself, actually prefered viewing the Eng. Dub version (uncut).
Overall RK is definitely one of the classic Shounen anime series that every shounen anime fan must watch. There a great deal of action, comedy and drama; with a superb story to back it up. The characters are also well developed and bring forth some really emotional moments but some are just plain annoying. Also little things like stupidly thought-up enemies and the huge number of cheesy moments reduce the overall quality of this fine anime. Another thing that badly affected the series was that it ended with a bunch of fillers but if you don't get bothered by all this, then you'll definitely enjoy RK.
^_^
AkiNoKenshi
One of the more popular anime of the older generation out there is Rurouni Kenshin. If one is a fan of more of the retro productions or even for the more modern ones, most people have heard of this highly spoken of anime. I myself am more of a modern viewer; however, I gave Rurouni Kenshin a try and was surprised at the depth and entertainment this anime gave. Synopsis: Rurouni Kenshin is a series about a wandering samurai named Kenshin Himura. Before the current era, the Meiji era, Kenshin was known by a different name: Battousai the Manslayer. During the revolution fought to bring outa new era, Kenshin slayed many men and was one of the most feared among the assassins. His name was infamous among all of Japan. Now, in the Meiji era, Kenshin wanders to protect people with his sword.
Story: 9
The story of Rurouni Kenshin had an intriguing plot that provided comedy, suspense, and tons of action. It is a shonen manga after all, so the action was one of the greatest assets to the story.The first 27 episodes are single episode or around 4 episode arcs. These mostly consist of Kenshin meeting new people, new enemies, and new allies. Each arc will show you more and more of just how strong not only Kenshin is, but also his allies. Although the arcs are short, there is plenty of plot and a lot of EPIC action. Whether its Kenshin or one of his allies, like Sanosuke, there will be some impressive fights.
What makes Rurouni Kenshin LEGENDARY is the massive Kyoto arc. This arc consists of episodes 28-63. This arc is where the heart beating action takes place, and an intriguing plot that will have you going to the next episode before the ending animation even starts. This arc has epic battle after epic battle. It also contains the most heated fight I have ever scene in any anime. A fight so intense that my heart was beating a mile a minute. I was actually short of breath in the anticipation throughout the fight. Not just action, but the Kyoto arc is filled with plenty of drama and tender, touching moments as well. It was the perfect blend of action and drama to keep you glued in.
The final episodes, 64-94, were just filler episodes. They were alright and did have some good elements in them, but they, in my opinion, failed in comparison to the main story. These consisted of mainly 1 episode entertainment episodes and around 5 episode story arcs. In truth, I actually liked the one episode stories better than the arcs. Although they did give some entertainment, they had no real connection to the main story.
Animation: 9
For a 1996 anime, the animation was actually pretty good. The fight scenes were beautifully drawn and the characters were all different. Some of the best animation of the anime was actually the backgrounds. They were simply stunning and made you feel as if you were actually seeing ancient Japan. Whether it was the beautiful sakura trees, giant mountains, or ancient Tokyo, the animation was all purely done and strikingly depictic.
Soundtrack:10
The soundtrack it one of my favorites among the anime I have seen. The background music is well chosen for each situation for you to feel sadness, anticipation, or even calm. It makes you feel the rush of battle, or the peace of just walking down the streets, and of course that emotion felt during those dramatic moments. In all. its a well rounded soundtrack that makes you feel all emotions in all moments.
Characters: 10
Rurouni Kenshin is a masterpiece when it comes to its characters. Each character was unique in their own way. They all had their own personality that brought tears to your eyes in laughter or silent out of fear. It was actually hard to pick my favorite character at times because I actually liked most of them. They all had their own dramatic pasts that sculpted this unique personality you see before you. There is plenty of character development, enough to keep you intrigued and guessing what a character will do in a certain situation. One thing this anime had was really amazing villians. The main villain of the Kyoto arc, Shishio, is now one of my favorite villains of all time. He is truly evil, and is epic while being it. Each villain was unique and expressed their different attributes. They were vile, sympathetic, epic, and ingenious.
Overall:9
Rurouni Kenshin is an anime that you can enjoy. If it weren't for those last fillers, this would definitely be a 10. It has many of the things one looks for in an anime: Action, Suspense, Drama, Romance, Comedy. It has some stunning animation for a 1990's anime and an all rounded soundtrack. For an older anime, this is truly a diamond in the ruff. For people who love retro anime, this anime is definitely a must watch for your collection. To the modern people, give this a try. Whether you need an epic action anime or something with an amazing story, Rurouni Kenshin doesn't disappoint.
Nervin
Your deeds of the past is something you won't be able to evade, neither ignore in any way: it will always come back gnawing at you. This is the tale of Himura Kenshin, who once was a ruthless assassin in the past, in his quest of finding redemption from his previous actions. Rorouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan is a magnificent, well crafted samurai based anime with fantastic characterization and story, which is so rare to find these days. However, it is profoundly clear that the anime falls apart in the last third of its duration, due to fillers. ~Story~ The story of Rorouni Kenshin takes place inTokyo, former Edo, in the 11th year of the Meiji era 10 years after the Meiji restoration. Himura Kenshin, now a vagabond, turned his back on the revolution that took place in Kyoto in its turning point, his travels leading him to Tokyo. There he encounters a kendo master, former thief, brawler and doctor, where he is able to find solace, but not without facing the enemies that constantly surge from his past.
The narration of the story is well executed. The first third of the anime is dedicated to the introduction of all the characters, while at the same time developing them, in addition to providing corresponding background stories. This part is mainly of episodic nature, yet some small arcs are present as well which gives good insight of the desolation of the samurai in the Meiji era due to the prohibition of using swords, as they find themselves out-of-place and struggle to survive. This was particularly well done in conveying these to the viewers, as you could really feel and understand the atmosphere and harships the people were going through.
However, where the anime truly shines is in the second part, the Kyoto arc. This is where the anime as a whole makes huge improvements which is easily the main reason why it is so highly praised. It is filled with plot twists, intricate and well executed narration, as well as providing well fleshed out villains with coherent motives and dark pasts. All the different characters and events come together as a joint to later conclude with fantastic ending. The pacing was well done too, neither too long nor too quick.
There fights are fantastic, but there are naturally flaws in it as well. Sudden power ups happen quite often as well, which is a little disappointing considering the high level of story telling; dialogues can be at times lackluster in the standalone episodes. But this is nothing compared with the last third of the anime, which is mainly composed of fillers. Fillers aren't bad on its own, yet they were very poorly written. This comes as no surprise, as the anime caught up with the manga. This doesn't excuse this however: it is plagued with bad narrative and story, in addition to having terrible characterization. It also floats away from focusing on feudal Japan, and starts introducing a lot of mythical non-sense, as well as a sudden unnecessary influx of foreigners that have no purpose other than to stretch out the story, in addition to boring fighting scenes. This mainly concerns episodes 63-94, and I would recommend anyone to avoid those. There some amusing moments, yet it isn't worth sitting through the remainder of the story.
~Characters~
The cast of characters in Rorouni Kenshin is large, yet appropriate for the setting. Audiences are introduced to vagabond samurai's, high-ranking governments officials, revolutionaries in hiding, you name it. As mentioned earlier, character development and fleshing out of those is one of the redeeming qualities of the anime.
Himura Kenshin clearly undergoes the biggest character development, and fleshing out: he evolves from a cold and ruthless assassin to a man who vowed to never kill again. Nevertheless he struggles to maintain his composition, as being pushed to the limit by his foes he tries to avoid reverting to his older self. There is little background story provided for Kenshin, yet little bits of his past are shown, which nevertheless keeps the reader intrigued and the want for more. His past is more extensively explored in "Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen", which should be your next watch.
Kenshin is not the only one that undergoes development; his near friends such Sagara, who evolves from being a simple thug to a more brightful person, or the evolution Yahiko in his sword skills. These are not that impressive in comparison, yet good to see. There is however the main female lead, Kaoru, and this character undergoes little to none character development which is very disappointing. She is your typical forceful and easily angered tsundere girl who serves no purpose in the story other than providing some comedic relief, and generating tension from some of the fights.
Villains are no exception either: these are in fact were very well crafted, each with their own motives, while at the same time providing a background story to enhance the credibility of the characters. This is naturally only for the first 62 episodes of the anime, as the last third the villains characters worsen as story progresses. Some of the fights can be a bit silly, in the respect that inexperienced people can win from top-notch warriors, yet this was a small drawback.
~Animation and sound~
The animation quality of Rorouni Kenshin is certainly very well executed, especially considering it was done in the late 90's. The battle choreography was well done, fluid and detailed, yet it must be said that some fights can be rather uninteresting because of the usage of the same techniques. Backgrounds are well drawn and detailed, easily conveying the atmosphere of the 19th century Japan. Character design are easily distinguishable from each other, yet the female cast shared similarities with each other.
The soundtrack used was one of the best, if not the best, I have listened to so far. These are well used in each different scene, especially when it begins with the more serious parts of the story. The viewer truly feels the atmosphere and tension in the air the story takes place in. I must mention that in the standalone episodes some of the OST's were overused. The voice actors performed their roles well, with characteristic dialogues and usage of words of the era, which at times could get a little bit annoying, as for example the case of Kenshin with his constant "gozaru".
~Enjoyment~
Rorouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan was overall a fantastic experience, with a fantastic story and narrative full of plot twists, in addition to having very good character development and fleshing out of these. The soundtrack used was great and very important to convey the overall atmosphere of the anime. This anime would have easily been a great show, was it not for the fact that the last third thwarted the anime too much. I personally would recommend anyone potentially watching this anime to avoid episodes 63-94, and proceed with Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen for the background story of Himura Kenshin. I highly recommend this anime to anyone with a slight interest in history of Japan or samurais in general.
Thank you for reading.
critic
Absolutely horrible. I don't know what can make a series so unwatchable while its OVA and movies were fantastic. The lame excuses of jokes that this anime try to come up with makes you want to hop off a cliff. Kenshin totally does not possess the aura of a fighter but rather a klutz and fails at being funny. Even during the fights, it is just ridiculously stupid. E.g. forgot the name but there was this one villain who has a blade that reeks of the fats of the victims that he slaughtered in the past that when he fights his blade becomes coatedwith fire. I don't even know what to say to that, it's beyond retarded.
kekekeKaj
Ahh, "Rurouni Kenshin", one of first really long series that I'd watched. A series that at times epitomises the best of fighting shounens while at other times perfectly demonstrates the pitfalls of adapting popular, long running shounen manga. "Rurouni Kenshin" is the story of Himura Kenshin, a wandering Samurai with a dark past. One of my strongest first impressions of this series is how similar it is to "Trigun", a show I'd already watched. In particular, there are strong parallels between Kenshin and Vash, the main protagonists from their respective shows (no prizes for guessing which is from which). They're both insanely strong vagabonds who refuseto kill, and who like to hide their strength under an air of goofy incompetence. There are stylistic similarities too, like the heavy use of electric guitar in the sound track (although "Trigun" took this further). But since "Trigun" came after "Rurouni Kenshin", if there's any ripping off going on, it certainly isn't "Rurouni Kenshin" that's doing the ripping.
But enough about "Trigun", lets talk about "Rurouni Kenshin" instead. "Rurouni Kenshin" is split into three parts. The first part, subtitled "Wandering Samurai", sets up the show as a promising one; "Legend of Kyoto" sees it rocketing into a terrific and stupidly addictive show... only to have it come crashing back down earth in "Tales of the Meiji". In many ways, its rise and fall is quite characteristic of long running shounens.
"Wandering Samurai" gives the show a good starting point, introducing a cast filled with interesting, infectiously likeable characters. I did however, find one aspect of it to be particularly irksome - its goofy humour. I know that Kenshin is trying to hide his true strength, but still, his whole act of going goggle eyed and uttering "Oro?" every couple of minutes wears thin rapidly. It gives the series a silly feel it could have done without.
In addition, the action for the first few episodes are boring. They generally involve Kenshin jumping high into the air, followed by a flash of light, and then a scene showing his opponent(s) lying on the floor knocked out cold. But after a while, they improve, as more skilful opponents appear and the fights become more than just a matter of Kenshin one hit KOing cannonfodder. The mini arcs that span several episodes are especially good, as they generally have the strongest adversaries for Kenshin, and also longer and more complex plot, usually involving a couple of exciting cliff hanger moments.
As the series progressed, "Rurouni Kenshin" becomes more and more like something that's not too distant from a show of the superpower fighting genre. But it seems reluctant to join this genre completely, and tries to find middle ground between over the top special moves and pseudo-logical explanations behind them, and I'm not too keen on the result. I mean, some of the explanations behind the techniques on display are bordering on absurd. For example, there's one guy who swings his sword so fast he creates a vaccum with which he can cut people without actually touching them.
But anyway, by the time the "Legend of Kyoto" arc started, I've gotten used most of those minor irritations. With the start of this second part of the series, "Rurouni Kenshin" kicks into a much higher gear. Triggering it all off is a showdown between Kenshin and Hajime Saito, an old adversary from the shadows of Kenshin's dark past. Hajime Saito is one of the most badass characters ever, and that explosive encounter is one of the best choreographed fights ever, certainly the best in the series.
The "Legend of Kyoto" comprises a single, long story about Kenshin being sent after Shishio, a man who is linked to Kenshin's past despite them never having met. This arc is a prime example of a fighting shounen at its very best: the story is full of twists and turns, the build up of tension before the fights are incredible, and the fights themselves are seat gripping stuff. The whole arc is ferociously addictive, and I found myself going through perhaps the highest number of episodes of anime I'd ever watched in a day (while procrastinating on the thesis I was supposed to be doing for my MSc).
Perhaps it was because I watched too much in too short a period, but I found my enthusiasm starting to wane ever so slightly towards the end of "Legend of Kyoto", and its end nearly came as a relief. Part of this is probably due to the fights - they'd started to become repetitive and formulaic at that point. Fortunately, the arc ends without it becoming too much of a problem. UNfortunately, it wasn't the end of the problem, more like the beginning of the end, the beginning of the crumbling of (what was up to that point) an awesome show.
And so we come to the final part of "Rurouni Kenshin", "Tales of the Meiji". For me, along with like 99% of the shows fans, this part single handedly killed the series. But "Tales of the Meiji" actually made a good start, throwing out some quietly entertaining, episodic stories that brought about a refreshing change of pace from the long, exhausting intensity of the previous arc. The main problem is with the multi-parters - they were just poor re-hashes of the last section of "Legend of Kyoto"; it's almost the opposite of "Wandering Samurai", where the longer stories outshone the single episode ones. The worst problems with these long stories are the dull stories (they're more like set ups rather than proper stories) and even duller battles. Since towards the end of "Legend of Kyoto", Kenshin has been incessantly abusing this one overpowered attack of his; one that seems to work in pretty much all situations. Good for him, but bad for viewers. It's akin to some guy playing a fighting game and spamming a single broken move over and over again while his opponent is yelling "cheap!" at him repeatedly.
So why did everything go so horribly wrong? Apparently, it's because the anime followed the manga up to the end of "Legend of Kyoto" only. It's a classic case of the anime catching up with the with the manga, then, having run out of material and unwilling to let go of such a popular hit, started making up stories of its own. You can tell something is different about "Tales of the Meiji", and it's not just that it's sh*te: most of the stories in this part of the series involve people from foreign lands; Kenshin's opponents went from a bunch of swordsmen/ninjas to a bizarre mixture of knights, feng shui masters and God knows what else. There's also a glaring inconsistency when it comes to the battles themselves. The anime started introducing increasingly imaginative special attacks for the villains in order to make the fights more difficult for Kenshin. As a result, the attempt to retain a tenuous link with reality by way of some flimsy explanations on how the attacks works is often abandoned, especially since the nature of the new attacks don't lend themselves well to explanations, even absurd ones. Everyone just start pulling off exotic attacks because they CAN, and this doesn't fit very well with how the show worked previously.
With all the inconsistencies and staleness creeping in, "Tales of the Meiji" was a struggle to get through, especially the last few episodes. The final episode is confusing, as it comes out of no where, and goes nowhere as well; it's a rather random episode that just pulls out some flashbacks and highlights from the series. On a good note, it brought back memories of old skool "Rurouni Kenshin", and reminded me just why I loved it so much at one point. But apart from nostalgic value, the last episode seems kinda pointless and anti-climatic.
On the art and animation side of things, the style of "Rurouni Kenshin" can be a bit goofy and overuse the super deformity style at times, but it's great when it gets serious. Kenshin's transformation into "battousai mode" is very cool, as is the character design for Saito, who comes off as cold and deadly, especially when he gets into his various combat stances.
The opening and ending themes of "Rurouni Kenshin", although mostly catchy (I especially loved "It's Gonna Rain"), all feel out of place. The one exception is the ending track "Heart of Sword" which, in addition to being catchy, also energetically captures what the show is all about. The background tracks are not only easy on the ear, but also adds tremendously to the mood. The exquisite accoustic instrumentation combines surprisingly well with the electric guitar sounds, and the combinations give the OST quite a unique flavour.
At its best, "Rurouni Kenshin" is a great anime. It has a memorable, colourful cast, some awesome storylines and intense battles. But ultimately, it became a victim of its own success. It's sad to see the series suffer the slow and painful fate of "death by being overly milked as a cash cow". Adaptations where anime studios stray from the source material and comes up with good original material of their own do exist (the original "Full Metal Alchemist" comes to mind), but they're few and far in between. "Rurouni Kenshin" is a much more typical case of what happens. If you've seen this series, I'm sure you'll agree that the result isn't pretty. For those who haven't seen it, I strongly advise you to just watch up to the end of "Legend of Kyoto" arc, then stop and pretend that "Tales of the Meiji" never existed. Trust me, you won't be missing much, and this way, you won't be wasting away hours of your life just to look back on "Rurouni Kenshin" with a sour aftertaste in your mouth.
YuYuDragon
(NO SPOILERS! If you have not seen the Prequel to this anime there will be no spoilers either) This is my first review in a while and my last one was not very popular so I'm going to do this review as best I can. First off, if you have not seen this show at all including its prequel do yourself a favor, watch the prequel first, it will give you a much better experience watching the show after. Also, if you have seen the prequel and have not but are going to start the main story know that 10 years has passed and Kenshinis not very serious which may take some time for someone who watched the prequel first to adapt to.
Story- This story is about a wandering Samurai who has a dark past and refuses to kill because he wants to repent for past sins. His weapon of choice is a reverse blade sword meaning the inside of the sword is sharp and lethal and the out side is dull and full of blunt force. He meets a girl (as always) and she wants him to stay with her at her dojo and of course he accepts. The first couple episodes are mainly for character development. You meet Kenshin and Kaoru and the Doctor and his granddaughters. Then you meet Yahiko who becomes Kaoru's apprentice and then Zano/Sanosuke a bounty hunter who changes his ways. The whole first season is about mini arcs with really important villains and some great fights. The filler is good filler, it provides character development which makes it enjoyable. The humor is really good and also makes the first season very good. The second season is a masterpiece, more characters are introduced, there is a main villain, the story is complex and dark and those who have seen the prequel go "OH MY GOD!!!! I UNDERSTAND". Everything was going great and I changed my rating from 9 to a 10 and then the 3rd season came along. It is all filler. The first arc was a masterpiece but the rest was unneeded. The anime caught up to the manga so they needed the filler but then the show was cancelled and what ever happened after was put into Seisou-Hen the final OVA series to end the show. The story is genius for the most part but the last 20 episodes are pretty average so if I were you, watch up until episode 77 then skip to the special ending (episode 95) and you will be totally happy with yourself.
Art- Even though the art looks like a 90's anime, it works so well with the show. It is about imperial Japan in the 1800's, it's supposed to have a vintage look and it pulls it off so well. The battles are amazingly done and everything looks so phenomenal no complaints.
Sound- The sound was amazing!!!!! It was that old type of music and then the battle theme was great and the sad soundtracks amplified the feelings of the characters. The openings and closing were not that bad, they were actually catchy. I would have liked to get more than 3 openings though so if you are the type of person that likes different opening every 15 episodes might as well skip the openings after you had your fair share of the songs. I watched this in Dub because I don't like it when there is a woman voice for a character that is a grown man, I'm not sexist, I just want it to be somewhat realistic. Anyway, the Dub was great... kind of. Those who were important in the overall story or an arc of the story the Dub was great, pointless one episode characters had awful Dub. It was bad acting at the finest but it is something easy to overlook but you cant ignore it.
Character- The characters in this show are the ones that stay with you forever. Kenshin is the most moral badass I have ever watched on screen and I really thought those two traits could not go together but I was wrong. The side characters were just as enjoyable and added depth to not only the story but to the main characters themselves because of love interests and danger etc. There is plenty of character development even with the villains and the way the story is told and how the characters are portrayed show how in war there really is no hero and villain, everyone gets hurt and everyone fights for their beliefs and many of the antagonists have good reason for the "bad" they do. If I were to say a flaw, it's that Kenshin most of the time is overpowered. There are about 6 antagonists out of a hell of a lot more that give Kenshin a hard time so it gets old when you see Kenshin own people but in the same sense it makes the tougher fights seem even more epic.
So this was a long review, hope you stayed through the whole thing... To sum it up watch this after its prequel for a better experience, watch up to episode 77 if you hate filler and then skip to 95 but if you are engrossed in the show the episodes after 77 are not that bad, and be prepared for epic fights and characters that you would go through hell and back to protect. Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Romantan is the best samurai anime that has ever been shown in my opinion and is a must watch "That it is" (for those who have seen the show you know where that line comes from)
yusuke116
Man its been awhile since i watched this but i recently watched an amv of kenshin and i just felt inspired to write so lol:P Synopsis Rurouni Kenshin recounts the adventures of Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman struggling to begin a new life in the Meiji era. Once a feared manslayer, Kenshin has taken up a reverse-blade sword and pledged to use it only to protect others. Review During the war 10 years ago, Kenshin Himura was known as Battousi the Manslayer, the most-feared swordsman of the revolution, personally responsible for taking countless lives as an assassin for the Emperor. After the Imperialists were defeated in thewar against Tokugawa, Kenshin has been attempting to assimilate himself back into society. His enemies aren't so willing to forget his violent deeds, however; and he is confronted at every turn by shadows from his past.
The section of the show leading up to the confrontation with Shishio, known as the Legend of Kyoto Arc, is the best-executed portion of the show, with sufficient action, plot twists, and new developments to maintain viewer interest.
Unfortunately, instead of ending on a high note, the show continues to linger on, feeling sometimes as if it is languishing on life support and no one has the gumption to pull the plug. The final 20-30% of the show feels somewhat unnecessary, and the writers rely more on simplistic action and corny humor to propel the story along. Despite this, there are some entertaining moments, but they are certainly diamonds in the rough.
The characters of the show are lovingly-crafted, displaying a healthy range of personalities. The main cast consists of a stubbornly-independent swordswoman, a wise-cracking brawler/slacker, a street urchin turned apprentice, a young shinobi, and a beautiful druggist. Over the course of 95 episodes we certainly have ample opportunity to get to know and love them, but there did seem to be some inconsistencies in their behavior.
For instance, Kaoru's sudden transformation from an assertive dojo master to a simpering, needy melodrama queen was a bit startling. Kenshin, on the other hand, almost seems to have split personalities throughout the entire series, morphing from legendary swordsman to bumbling homemaker in an unnerving fashion. As much as I liked aspects of Kenshin's character, the dichotomy of his personality was a bit overplayed. It is understandable that he struggles between a need to use violence and a desire to never kill again, but there's really no need to portray him as a socially-handicapped moron in order to make the point.
The enemies that our heroes must face also have the very consistent habit of turning from their evil deeds and joining the circle of friends. While this could be used convincingly in isolated instances, as the show wears on it becomes predictable and unexciting plot device. It is more than a little doubtful that even the most black-hearted of individuals could be so thoroughly rehabilitated by a few words from a known killer, but that certainly doesn?t seem to discourage them.
Regardless of these flaws, the characters are still very distinctive and enjoyable to watch, and this is one of the few shows that contain memorable secondary characters and enemies as well.
The battle sequences and sword techniques are a large part of the show, so it's fortunate that they are managed with such aplomb. For such a long-running series, most of the action sequences convey a sense of action and intensity, although some are certainly more well-animated than others.
I found some of the earliest fights to be the most skillfully done, containing more dynamic movement, fewer still frames, and, in some cases, more brutal action. Some of the later fights in particular tend to rely on Kenshin being beaten mercilessly until he finally finds the wherewithal to end the fight with a single blow. Another gripe I had was that the near-supernatural techniques used by Kenshin and others were often explained away in rather mundane terms, removing much of their mystery and appeal.
Although I'm no historical expert, the setting seemed convincing enough for the era, with a few obvious exaggerations and anachronisms. Throughout the animation is crisp and colorful, and the character designs are excellent. Some of the episodes feature varying levels of quality, with several looking particularly hideous, but this is not at all uncommon, especially among the longer-running shows.
The soundtrack quality was above-average, effectively blending the past and present into a moody and fitting musical score. The voice-work seemed to fit the characters well, but be warned that Kenshin's speech patterns can cause fits of rage. His habit of appending "that it is" or "that it does" onto almost every phrase he utters is an attempt at cuteness that is immensely frustrating.
Humor, action, and romance are all incorporated into Rurouni Kenshin's style, and the show manages to deliver on all counts, although it doesn't particularly excel at any of them. The action was no doubt the high point, and the warrior philosophies espoused by several of the show's characters were often thought-provoking. The comedy was consistently humorous, but I found little of it to be truly laugh-out-loud funny. Romance and drama elements were mercifully infrequent, and although they were sometimes moving and inspirational, they typically tended towards melodrama. Kenshin's personal conflicts marked both the most effective and most frequently-used dramatic theme.
Conclusion
Rurouni Kenshin has a variety of elements that appeal to a widespread audience, making it one of the best-loved anime series of all time, despite its flaws. Its colorful visuals, compelling theme, and lovable characters will leave an impression on any anime fan. It may not become your new favorite, but its quality and longevity cannot be denied.
literaturenerd
Overview: Rurouni Kenshin is a historical fiction/action series set 11 years after the Meiji Revolution of 1867-1868. It is bound to remind literature fans a bit of Alexander Dumas' Three Musketeers, due to both series revolving around furious sword fights, clever plot twists, and highly likeable protagonists in a Romantic historical setting. story 10/10 Kenshin Himura was once a ruthless soldier who killed hundreds of opponents and earned the nickname "Battosai the manslayer". 11 years after the war, he has become a wandering swordsman who refuses to kill and lives to repent for all the lives he took during the war. He refused fame and powerin order to live a simple life and has become disenchanted with the Japanese government that he helped usher into power. Kenshin must use his superb swordsmanship to protect those around him and take down various bad guys. It is supposed to be an age of peace, but evil never rests and kenshin can't afford to either.
characters 10/10
Kenshin soon meets a wide range of interesting friends including the loud and rambunctious Kaoru (who runs the Dojo Kenshin lives in), the teasing Dr. Megumi, the hilarious Sanosuke, and the badass cop Hajime Saito. Together Kenshin and friends fight a number of devious villains including ultra nationalist/militarist and social Darwinist extraordinaire, Makoto Shishio. Shishio argues that human society should reflect the "Law of Nature" and should be highly stratified with the strong crushing and exploiting the weak. Attempts to create equality result only in weakness, which he despises above all else. Shishio is basically like if Tojo met Murray Rothbard in hell and together they fused into one massive asshole! Other characters include the awesome ninja Aoshi and too many others to name here. This is a colorful and very well done cast.
art: 8/10
This is an older anime, but is one of those select few that has aged fairly gracefully. The art is much more cartoonish than the more serious toned OVAs but actually I prefer the artstyle of the main anime. It looks much closer to the original manga, and lets me know I'm watching rurouni kenshin. The OVAs look like a totally different anime, and Kenshin is barely recognizable to readers of the manga.
Sound 10/10
Rurouni Kenshin has my favorite overall soundtrack in all of anime! I'm not kidding! This soundtrack really has it all. Exciting fight music, tear jerking drama music, comedic silly music, all the way across the spectrum it is superb.
Enjoyment 8/10
I should explain that Rurouni Kenshin should be split into 2 parts. The part that actually follows the manga, and the god awful filler that follows the Kyoto arc. The filler is poorly executed, lazily animated, and just looks like no one on board the staff gave a flying fuck! The terrible filler drags this enjoyment rating down a notch.
Overall 9/10
Rurouni Kenshin would have gotten a 10/10 if it had simply ended with the Kyoto Arc, but that god damned filler 3rd season leaves the viewer with a bad taste in his or her mouth. I deducted 1 point for that reason alone. I would highly recommend this anime for men and women of all ages. Just don't watch any of the episodes after 62!!! You will thank me for saving you the time and agony!
Naruto81191
Well this review is short and simple. If you want to watch an action-drama with a great main storyline, then this anime is for you. OR should i say the first 62 episodes anyways. There are 95 in total, but after episode 62, the main story simply ends. It turns into a giant filler arc or rather i should say it qualifies for a filler series its so long and boring. I watched it in hopes there would be something, anything that would revolve around furthering the story, but alas my patience were fruitless D: it has some good episodes to it here and there,i can say i slightly enjoyed the christian god-wad part of it all, mainly because the main character for those episodes voice was played by Crispin freeman who is by far one of my favorite english dub VA's. (In fact he played at least a dozen supporting characters through the filler arc which was kinda weird after awhile O.o; I started saying Wtf when every small time supporting character was played by him, it was really messed up xD total abuse of talent to make him play so many poor characters in one series) But anyways, if your going to watch this anime i recommend just simply ending it at 62, if you do that then the anime is a 10/10 and incredibly enjoyable! ^.^
KimimaroKenshin
Story - 10 The story in Rurouni Kenshin is set in the Meiji era of Japan. The story follows protagonist, Himura Kenshin, who begins as a wanderer. Throughout the anime, Kenshin's dark past is revealed, showing that he was a once notorious assassin, the Hitokiri Battousai. As a wanderer he meets a woman who owns a local dojo, a boy forced into theft, and a fighter-for-hire hired to kill him, who all come together to form some type of a family. The group faces many enemies, where usually Kenshin and Sanouske (the fighter-for-hire) fight to maintain peace. The story is original and great which is oneof the strong points of the anime.
Art - 9
The art in the anime is a bit older than most, however, it is very well-done. The characters are well drawn as well. But most importantly, it is the battle sequences in this anime where the art explodes and enthralls. This is not due to any special effects, as the sword fighting is somewhat realistic, but it is because of how well motion is captured and then presented that the art thrives in this anime, making it truly spectacular.
Sound - 8
The sound was mediocre. Sound effects throughout the anime were done well. The opening and ending songs were nothing special. The background music during the anime was actually pretty good at times, which was a good change. However, the music did not really have much effect on the anime.
Character - 9
The characters in the anime are great. Amongst the characters Kenshin meets throughout the anime, many are interesting.Also, some of them are based on historical figures, giving them even more depth. Characters also develop, and we see a lot feelings expressed from each character throughout the anime. However, there are some typical and predictable characters, which exist in all animes, so although there can be some nuisances, they won't take away from the show.
Enjoyment - 9
There are so many aspects of this anime that are great, however, depending on your taste, they could be canceled by other aspects. For example, if you like action but not romance, or if you like romance but not comedy, etc. This is because the anime consists of many themes, which is good and bad, but most audiences can enjoy it because of that. The main character is likely to drive the anime the most, since the anime is fixated on him, you will want to figure out more about his mysterious past, and be drawn into this long anime.
Overall - 9
Although it is one of my favorite animes, I must admit that it has some flaws, again just like most animes. However, this anime is still a masterpiece in its genre. This anime is truly a great one, so you should at least give it a shot.
DaBigD
"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu...Kuzu Ryusen!" Story: The story is your classic samurai story. But the important thing is that it is the anime that made samurai anime popular. Based on the Meiji era, the story is divided into 3 main parts. The first part is sort of like an introduction to series, going in an episodic nature and introducing new characters every few episodes. The second part is where the plot thickens and Kenshin actually starts to fight against his opponents. The episodic nature is left alone and instead we have a flowing story. The last part is all fillers, so you don't have to watch them. Idid watch them for the sake of seeing more of our Hitokiri, but that of course is your decision.
9/10
Art: The most important thing while rating the art is to remember when it was animated. For an anime made in 1996, the animation quality is superb. Of course, you can't compare them to new productions, but RuroKen won't make you think that you are wasting your time. Characters are well drawn, sword fights and special moves are awesome. Background is detailed (for an anime from '96 anyway.) I think I have seen a few (only a few) scenes where the background was dull and discolored, but that doesn't mean the quality is bad. OP and ED sequences were pretty well drawn, but of course you can see that ED sequence was worse than the OP.
10/10
Sound: I can't really recall how was the BGM, mainly because I was 7 years old when I watched it ^^ But I still can remember some of it, and that few things I remember tells me that soundtrack was great. Iwasaki Taku's BGM always amazes me. Even 12 years ago, he made great BGMs, and he continues to make great BGMs. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, anyone? One thing I remember is that the first OP is awesome. It holds a special place in my heart as it's the first anime song I've ever downloaded. I still listen to it. I can't really talk about the Voice Actors as I've only seen the first 15 episodes in Japanese, but Kenshin's voice is great. And how that voice can come from a girl is yet another mystery.
8/10
Characters: Kenshin is one of my favourite characters. He is so awesome that all of the other characters seem dull. Don't get me wrong, all of the characters are explained in-depth and they all have their places in the story, but Kenshin is way above them. Not too overpowered like Alucard (from Hellsing), but he gives a feeling that he is unbeatable. Along with his friends and rivals, Kenshin alone would make watching the anime worthwhile.
10/10
Enjoyment: Hell yea! This IS a shounen anime, so if you like shounen, there is no way you won't enjoy it. All of my friends who watched the series have taken an interest in swords, and one of them actually bought a katana (as an accessory of course, not to use it.) Although the blood can scare some little kids, there is a reason for this to be rated PG-13. All of the 95 episodes are worth your time, and if you are a boy, you'll like every second of it.
10/10
Overall: My favourite anime... What can I say? It's nostalgic to write a review for it. One of the greatest anime of all the time. It is a classic and remain a classic. Don't be scared of the number of episodes, the first part may seem a little slow, but you won't understand how fast the second part finished. Wanting more, you'll move on to the OVAs, I guarantee you. May your swords stay sharp!
10/10
EpicBlargman
Rurouni Kenshin is another classic 90's anime that i got introduced to via Toonami when i was younger. It's high up on my scale alongside other famous anime. It's also Nobuhiro Watsuki's most well known work. The Story and Plot of Rurouni Kenshin is really interesting, and i also like the realism mixed in with some of the shounen elements; it made it that much more enjoyable. The story can go from being happy to dark with sad very intense moments; its a variety of emotions. I honestly felt for its time the art was very clean and crisp while the animation was also verygood as well. It really has that 90's spirit in its production work with both its art and animation.
The Characters were the strong points of this anime . I loved every single character both in design and personality; very well made characters. Even side characters had a bit of depth to them.
The Music was composed by both Taro Iwashiro and Noriyuki Asakura. Every single composed music track in this anime is absolutely amazing and memorable. It fits the anime in many different contrasting ways. Even the opening and ending themes are great like T.M. Revolution's "Heart of Sword" for example.
This is also one of the rare anime's where i prefer the dub compared to the sub. However this is an opinion and all up to preference.
My only gripe with the series is some of the "subtle" filler i did not pick up on. The filler in Rurouni Kenshin is very subtle in the range of episodes 10 to 20 but try's to flow into the canon. However when it comes to episodes 63-94 this is not the case. This is where the anime stops being canon and has anime only filler story's/arcs and doesn't follow the rest of the manga.
Regardless of this i highly recommend watching Rurouni Kenshin if you haven't had a chance to watch it yet.
DonKangolJones
Rurouni Kenshin (A) – in my opinion, THE samurai anime. It’s a series that attempts to blend reality and history with superhuman action and suspense. It succeeds at being hugely entertaining and almost flawless. The title character, Himura Kenshin is timeless and classic character set in a history piece that manages to be original and absolutely likable despite his past. Supporting characters Saito and Sanosuke also manage to be memorable favorites with some rather annoying, but unique and identifiable characters rounding out the cast. Kenshin’s story is wonderfully told through seasons 1 & 2, through flashbacks and encounters with characters from his blood soakedpast. The action is a mix of Kenshin dispatching villains in quick and sometimes funny ways and epic battles with masterful assassins/manslayers. In true shonen style, the other characters get a chance to knock heads, but in the end it always comes down to Kenshin.
The series also adds in comedy and romance with mixed results. I don’t find Kaoru to be a particularly likable character, and I found Yahiko to be extremely annoying for most parts of the show. And usually when one of them was featured something less than entertaining was probably going to happen. This usually took the form of some less than stellar filler episodes or completely skippable scenes.
The music for the series is extremely well done and memorable, with nothing really standing out as out of place. Well, nothing except the shows first opening theme, that really rubbed me the wrong way. Saying that I own the soundtrack should tell you how much I enjoy it.
Every series has a pivotal story arc and action series usually have a turning point battle that changes the series from that point forward. That battle was the match between Kenshin and Saito, which finally gave the viewers more than slight glimpse into what Kenshin truly was and let everyone know that things had gotten very serious. The arc is of course the Kyoto Arc (season 2) leading up to more battles of that caliber and a deep and powerful story. That arc may be the best in any series.
I also prefer to not include season 3 in my reviews, as I did not particularly care for it. It gave an ending completely deviating from the manga, and the pivotal Jinchuu Arc in the manga where Kenshin was forced to face the darkest part of his past. This is covered though in the excellent OVA’s Trust & Betrayal and Reflections. If I were to take into account the final season of the anime, I would probably drop it a point, because it drops the ball, in my opinion.
In the end, Rurouni Kenshin is an action series where the comedy helps round things out, and the romance will help give the characters depth. But make no mistake, it is the action and Kenshin and the villains/allies who make this series what it is.
chuckles79
The hard part about reviewing this series is if you decide to count the filler arcs as part of the series. The quality of the story telling between the canon (based on the manga) and the filler (stuff they did to give the manga time to catch up) is radically different. I've seen both subbed and dubbed episodes but I'm more familiar with the dubbed version so I'll be reviewing that. I will note that much of the context of what is said in the Japanese version is missing, for which I recommend reading the wikipedia synopsis of this show because itgoes into these "lost in translation" moments with great detail.
Story: To sum up this story as simply as possible, it's a Spaghetti Western with Samurai instead of cowboys. The hero, Kenshin Himoura, is a former manslayer (Samurai assassin) who's vowed to never kill again. He wields a "reverse-blade" sword (a sword that one uses the blunt side to strike with) and the fictional Hiten Mitsurugi-style of sword techniques. At the beginning he's a wanderer, struggling to find his way in the world as a man who's only skill was killing, but becomes a permanent guest at the Kamiya-dojo. Kaoru Kamiya, the dojo's owner, is the primary romantic interest for Kenshin. They are quickly joined by Yahiko (teenage son of former Samurai, and Kaoru's student) and Sanoske (street ruffian and political malcontent). These four make up the core heroes. There are several groups of foes in the series, most of whom are insane or just plain corrupt. My favorites are Shisio and the Edo Oniwabon Group.
Art: There are few parts that blew me away, but the show was overall aesthetically pleasing. The credit for the unique outfits (inspired by Marvel comics characters, per the author) go to the manga. I found the swordfights were often painfully abbreviated. A couple of flashes, then a two minute explanation on how Kenshin defied the laws of physics.
Sound: It was a solid soundtrack. I liked the ending song, Heart of the Sword quite a bit. The in-show music went well with the action and never stagnated **cough** Shippuden **cough**.
Character: While not a character-driven as many newer anime titles are, the characters are all solid, interesting, and usually not two-dimensional. Kenshin's near superhuman abilities are matched by the depth of his character. Most of his development, and most of the series' as well, is during the Kyoto arc where he learns to set aside his "inner-manslayer" and learn to fight at his full power without suicidal bloodlust. The tenderness of his and Kaoru's love is interesting. It never becomes fully passionate, but a Kenshin's quiet adoration and Kaoru's determination to be strong for him is handled very maturely. At first disconcerting, Kenshin also respects Kaoru as a swordswoman by not rushing to confront men who slight her but trusting her to handle it. His passive nature is at odds with the Samurai-stereotype, but that is part of his nature in his role as wanderer/pacifist. Sanoske and Yahiko are good characters, but don't have much depth and mostly develop in skill rather than personality. One of the more interesting charactes is Hajime Saito, a former nemesis of Kenshin's turned police officer. Despite being rather cold-hearted, he's ruthlessly committed to destroying evil (his motto "Slay Evil Immediately"). The fact that he was a real person, makes him more interesting.
Enjoyment: Rurouni Kenshin doesn't spend a lot of time trying to make you think. It's a popcorn experience in that the good guys spend most of their time beating the crap out of (but no killing, no guilt) the bad guys who are almost all thoroughly evil and no one would cry much if they were "accidentally" killed off. A little sprinkling of Japanese history and their civil war (aka the Boshin Wars); all wrap up into the anime equivalent of Josie Wales.
Overall: I hadn't seen a lot of anime when I first watched this series, but it remains one of my solid favorites. This series only falls short of perfection with it's DREADFUL filler episodes. The filler episodes are marked by a series of mediocre villains, only one of which is even close to Kenshin's level of fighting. I actually quit watching just shy of the final episodes because I couldn't take the threat of Feng Shui (that's right, interior decorators) using their powers to threaten Tokyo. We should be thankful that they didn't continue on to the Ninja Hairdressers.
My diatribe against these filler episodes (and most fillers for that matter) aside, the core part of the series, especially the Kyoto Arc, were classics and nothing has surpassed them as of yet.
taehoeung
I was a little hesitant to start this anime but upon one of my closet friend's persistence, I gave in and managed to finish the entire anime within two weeks time (while juggling between school and work). I'm honestly so glad that I gave it a try because it has become one of my all-time favorites and this beautiful work of art truly deserves to be called a masterpiece. Firstly, the plot itself is beautifully written (or drawn) illustrating wanderer Kenshin's journey of saving lives as a form of repentance due to his actions being "Battousai, the manslayer" in the war(s) prior to the Meijaera. During his journey, he meets many friends and some foes (some who later on become friends). Secondly, every character mentioned in the anime is unique in so many different way, it is almost impossible to not love them all. Lastly, the anime has the best soundtrack giving the perfect 90's feel. I highly recommend this to everyone who's looking for a classic anime.
NisemonoDesu
Oro? Oro oro?? Ruroni Kenshin… a beloved classic produced the year I was born. I decided to pick this up mainly because of how good I’ve heard Trust and Betrayal is, but after finishing the series proper I had to write a full review because it would do this show a disservice to just slap a number on it and move on. I’ll try and keep this one brief. I’ll probably fail. This is a show I want to be able to say I love, because there’s a lot here to love. Kenshin is one of the gems in director Kazuhiro Furuhashi’s Infinity Gauntlet, next to Hunterx Hunter, Gundam Unicorn, and Spy x Family. This is a director who needs no introduction—his work across 40 years of anime speaks for itself. His blood runs shounen, and he’s made a name for himself because almost everything he touches is quality. And directorially, Kenshin lives up to the hype. Despite having to get by on a 90s budget and make it stretch for almost a hundred episodes, Kenshin has a certain energy to it. Action scenes are never sakuga-infused eye candy, but the cuts, angles, and sense of kinetic energy keeps it exciting to watch. But… what are we even watching?
This is where I’m going to have to show my hand a little and explain that I do not typically enjoy shounen anime. Like, at all. The tropes that everyone loves… shouting attack names, speeches in the middle of battles, the-former-enemy-is-now-your-friend, all that stuff just really doesn’t resonate with me. I’m a big salty bald adult man now, not a teenager; I’m decidedly not the target demographic for these kinds of shows. I prefer a bit more subtlety and maturity in what I watch. However, when I decide to spend my time doing anything I like to put my best foot forward, so let me get into some of the things that kept me watching through the entire lengthy series.
First of all, there’s the setting. I’m a huge history nerd, and an even bigger Japanese history nerd. And my favorite period of Japanese history is definitely the Meiji Restoration. This show doesn’t just take place during the Meiji period—it embraces it with reckless abandon. Actual historical characters appear left and right—we’re talking people like Yamagata Aritomo, Saitou Hajime, and Katsu Kaishu—and most of them play large roles in the plot. The entire central theme of the show revolves around Japan’s transition from a warring feudal system to a modern peaceful nation-state and the philosophical predicament that places on the people who must use force to enforce that peace. Heavier stuff than your average shounen.
That brings me to the second strength of this show: the man who used more force than anyone to achieve his goals, Himura Kenshin. Among shounen protagonists, Kenshin stands apart for several reasons. For one, he’s 28 years old—much older than what we typically see in these kinds of shows. That age lends credence to his dark past because he’s had enough time alive to actually… you know… HAVE a dark past. And second is his ideals. While every other shounen protagonist’s ideals can be easily boiled down into something you can shout at the baddie in the series finale, Kenshin has a little more complexity to him. He combines optimistic pacifism with pragmatism.
Early on in the series Okubo Toshimichi approaches him and asks him to become part of the new Meiji government and Kenshin declines, which is surprising to Okubo because Kenshin fought so hard to put that government into place. But what Kenshin knows is that to keep that government in place, he’ll have to continue to perpetuate a cycle of violence that he doesn’t agree with. This is basically Max Weber’s philosophical treatise “Politics as a Vocation” presented in an anime for young teens: the fundamental characteristic of any government is the monopoly on the legitimate use of force. Kenshin both understands that fact and disagrees with it. After all, even if he fought to establish the Meiji government because he felt it was a better alternative to the Tokugawa shogunate, would everything they ask Kenshin to do be justifiable? He knows the answer to that is no, so he chooses a different path: rather than blindly do the bidding of some dubiously moral entity, he just tries to help the people who are directly in front of him who are obviously hurting or in danger, because that use of force requires the least possible amount of mental gymnastics to justify.
This is where my opinion on this show begins to fundamentally differ from most other people’s. Everyone else I see talk about this show unanimously agrees that everything before and after the Kyoto arc is boring filler, and the Kyoto arc is the real 10/10 stuff in this show. I have the complete opposite opinion: I think the “filler” is the best part, and the Kyoto arc is boring as sin. Those slow episodic “slice-of-life” -ish bits are where the show really takes its time to establish characterization and explore the show’s themes and setting. The Kyoto arc is where the show slides right back into all those same tired cliché shounen tropes that I mentioned hating a few paragraphs ago. By the time the Shishio battle was nearing its conclusion the show had become an absolute slog for me; I contemplated dropping it a few times but was barely able to finish it.
Is this the show’s fault? Not really—it just wasn’t written for me. I touched on this briefly in my last review of Kemono no Souja Erin, but I’m not the target audience for shows written at the YA level. And if you’ve read my review up to this point but haven’t seen the show, don’t let my over-analysis fool you—this show really doesn’t explore those interesting concepts it presents very deeply. I guess that’s the most frustrating part of this whole experience for me: the show teases my brain with these interesting themes and characters, and then barely scratches the surface with them because we can’t go too deep since we’re a shounen and need our battle arcs gosh darnit.
Overall, I’m going to have to give the show a 6—which on my rating scale is still a recommendation, albeit a weak one. If I were 13 years old again, this might be one of my favorite shows. If you’re a shounen fan, you should definitely check this one out. As it stands though, this is a battle shounen first and foremost, and an interesting historical thinker a distant second.
Oh, and Misao best girl don’t @ me.
Paulwillson26
What more can I say that hasn't already been said about Rurouni Kenshin, arguably the greatest swordsman in anime history. The anime is pretty simple as Kenshin was once a feared assassin called the Battousai during the Meiji Restoration. A tag he finds difficult to shake off and something he is determined to find atonement for with his reverse blade sword. To help him there is a female kendo master, a young thief, street brawler, a female doctor and a young female ninja. Together they fight injustice between Tokyo and Kyoto and help Kenshin defeat those trying to defeat the Battousai. The series is split into aseries of arcs. The first where we are introduced to the main characters and we find out about their past. We then have a number of bad guys who try to bring down the corrupt Meiji government which Kenshin must stop at all cost.
What is great about Ruouni Kenshin is that nothing is black and white. Although the bad guys are bad, the Meiji government Kenshin is defending is no better. Also the bad guys henchman aren't necessarily bad. More often than not they have their own tragic past which leads them to the bad guys side.
The violence is never gratuitous. There is blood and serious injuries but it normally follows the same format where Kenshin tries to persuade the bad guy to give up then Kenshin's eyes narrow and we know he is going to fight.
Sadly Rurouni Kenshin loses its way at the end where the arcs plots become too far fetched but by then you have come too far with Rurouni Kenshin to abandoned it.
The artwork does look dated but it improves as the series goes and even introduces some modern animation techniques so for its day the animation is excellent.
The music, what can I say about the music. The background music is very good getting the mood just right, however, the opening and ending music with the exception of one are just terrible.
Rurouni Kenshi is a great anime by itself but with the OVA's Trust and Betrayal and Reflection Kenshin's life becomes a saga putting the story up with the best in anime.
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I found this to be an excellent morality play as well as a tale of loss and redemption based loosely on one of 4 possible characters [Gensai Kawakami] from the time period in which it was set. He was orphaned as a child and saw his earliest protectors killed in a bandit attack. After the attack he apprenticed himself to a master who advised him to adopt another name which he did[ Kenshin ]. He strove throughout the most turbulent times to protect an ideal and his closest friends. He grew increasingly disturbed by both the killing he wasdoing and the shifting morality of the cause he was supporting and suddenly walked away from that life.
He chose the life of a wanderer but the travel was both outward and inward. As he continued to apply non-lethal force his personality began to subtly change and he was more and more distant.
He story is admirably laid out for us by the dellicate use of both straight line telling and by skilled use of many tangental sub plots which illuminate the main character as well as many of the supporting characters.
We meet his first wife who betrayed him and redeemed herself by saving him at great self cost. We see some of the side stories on many other supporting characters as well. At long last and after great wandering and suffering we see Kenshin return to the dojo which his significant other kept and, resting in her lap, asks to be called by his original name. I feel this signifies his finding peace and coming to grips with his bloodstained past.
Doing evil things does not make one necessarily evil, and Kenshin has realized this at last
Because of the intricate plots and finely braided subplots this might well be a modern masterpiece. It certainly had all the ingredients to make a wonderful movie if Spielberg continues to develop projects from Anime
