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Plot Synopsis

Ten years after the beginning of the Meiji Era, a wandering samurai came to Tokyo. This man, known as HIMURA Kenshin later on, ends up living in a Kamiya Kasshin dojo and teach kendo for a living.

However, his life is not as simple, as turmoils arise from time to time, unfolding his true nature as the famous Hitokkiri Battousai, the greatest killer of the Bakumatsu. However, vowing never to kill again, he tries as hard as he can not to draw his sword until the critical moment comes, and so far, manages to escape his bloody past.

Until the day when an old menace, in the form of Shishio Makoto, the successor to the Hitokiri Battousai, threatens the peace of the new Meiji Era. Shishio and his Juppon Gatana are ready to start a new revolution to correct the evils of Western influence, and forced Kenshin Himura, along with his new friends, once again raise his sword to protect their loved ones.

Credits: niomea

Story & Characters

<p><em>Rurouni Kenshin</em> is an anime based on the manga of the same name, by Watsuki Nobuhiro. Ruroken follows the life and times of Himura Kenshin, an itinerant swordsman during the Meiji period, who carries a reverse-blade sword. Many mysteries are raised: &quot;Why does he carry such a sword, how did he get the cross-shaped scar on his cheek, what does he fight for?&quot; In the many fight scenes throughout this series, we learn as much about his enemies as we do Kenshin himself. The Kenshin story is also highly epic, divided up into roughly three &quot;arcs&quot;: Tokyo, Kyoto and Jinchuu. However, the series only covers these first two arcs (which is about the first 50 episodes). When Kenshin was being animated, the third arc had not yet been published, so the studio decided to produce filler episodes until it was. Unfortunately, the quality of these filler episodes nose dived, and after episode 94 the series was canceled. A while later, a special 95th episode was released, which gave some closure to the TV series. One of the great hopes and wishes you can hold onto, if you're a Ruroken fan, is that some day the Jinchuu arc will finally be animated (which was an excellent addition to the Kenshin saga, once it was finally published).</p>
<p>What type of series is Kenshin, and who would enjoy it? First, it is most certainly <em>not</em> in the style of the OVA's (commonly known as <em>Samurai X</em> in the states). The OVA's feature a dramatically different visual style, and are very serious in tone. The TV series, however, is a more typical <em>bishonen</em> drawing style (think <em>Escaflowne</em>), and a constant mix of drama and comedy. (And yes, there will be <em>many</em> SD scenes, and even chibi Kenshin's along the way.) The SD scenes tend to peak in the Kyoto arc, for some reason, and are fairly less common in the Tokyo arc, and especially the &quot;Filler&quot; arc. Hence, Kenshin is a light-hearted, slice of life kind of series, and not for those who demand realism or complete seriousness. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Ruroken-world to me, at least, is how completely things have been thought out. Watsuki-sensei takes great care in presenting a historically-complete setting, although he's clearly willing to take liberties in the interest of making the story more enjoyable, when necessary. However, this series touches many aspects of the Meiji era, and how people from all walks of life were affected by the major political changes taking place. Watsuki-sensei also clearly likes to think a lot about <em>kenjutsu</em> and martial arts in general, and his fights tend to be more intellectual and spiritual, than just the application of brute force. The theory behind many of the kenjutsu moves, which Watsuki-sensei has made up, comes across as logical to anyone who's at least taken a high school physics course. And while many moves are still likely to be far beyond the physical limitations of any human being, there's just enough &quot;real science&quot; behind them to make you think, &quot;Well, maybe that'd be possible...&quot; (On the other hand, in many of the filler episodes, the laws of physics seem to be blatantly disregarded, making many of the fight scenes a complete disappointment.)</p>
<p>One important point of debate regarding the anime series is the changes from the manga. What are the changes? Personally, in my opinion, not many. For the most part, especially in the Kyoto arc, the anime is a direct translation to screen of the manga. Even the visual layout of shots, text captions, etc. are borrowed directly from the manga. The major changes are the addition of some filler episodes, mainly in the Tokyo arc, as well as changing/removing some minor characters, rearranging chronological flow of episodes, and reducing dialogue in many places, for brevity. Some scenes have also been &quot;extended&quot;, such as the back-stories for Anji and Soujiro. So while we observe reduction in some places, there are also extensions in others. My opinion on the filler episodes in the first two arcs is that they don't detract: if they really bother you so much, there's a &quot;next chapter&quot; button on your remote. Many of the dialogue reductions were necessary, I feel, to keep the series from being <em>too</em> long. Since it's far more expensive to produce an anime series than a manga, it makes for a logical choice.</p>
<p>Regarding the changes/extensions, I tend to usually favor them over the original versions in the manga. For instance, the decision to replace Gohei's evil brother with Dr. Gensai was not a change that had any negative impact on the story, and made things a little easier to understand. (Plus you get the lovable Dr. Gensai, what more could you want!?) The additions to Anji and Soujiro's back-story add another dimension to their characters, further fleshing them out, in my opinion. Watsuki-sensei himself has said he wanted to add more about these characters, but didn't have the chance in the manga. Anyone who has read the very early prototypes of the Kenshin story (see the Bonus chapters in the manga) know that Ruroken is a constantly evolving work-in-progress. (And thank goodness, because some of those bonus chapters were <em>realllly</em> bad!) To me at least, the series simply represents one more further evolution of the storyline, trimming down some unnecessary things, expanding on the more important stuff, giving more impact here and there, etc. (And for those who find the manga more serious than the series, there's actually waaay more SD jokes in the manga than the series, and the more serious Jinchuu arc was never animated, making such an observation difficult to argue.) I'll admit that one change I particularly didn't like was the Raijuta story-line.. it seems so much cooler in the manga. They took what was not a particularly great mini-story to begin with, expanded it into something much longer than it should have been, and eliminated the more interesting first-half of that story... go figure. This was a minor impact on the series as a whole, though. In the most pivotal Kyoto arc, the series is very true to the manga, except for the additions already mentioned.</p>
<p>Hence, the story as presented in the anime, is not significantly different from what is found in the manga. Watsuki's tale is one filled with many shades of meaning, and truly epic in scope. For me, the final three-hour fight scene of the Kyoto arc will remain unforgettable... both Watsuki-sensei and the series director are masters of suspension, keeping you glued to your seat, needing to know what will happen next. And while some have complained greatly about the ending of the Kyoto arc, calling it a cop-out, for me it could have happened no other way. The ending <em>many</em> expected and wanted, would have, in my esteem, made Watsuki-sensei a complete hypocrite: what he provided instead provides both a twist, closure, and further reflection on the true message of Ruroken. To me, that's a great ending. I have to give this story a 10 for having achieved near perfection in so many aspects, a story which is as sentimental and moving, as it is inspiring.</p>

Rating

10 (excellent)

Art

<p>I'm particularly in love with the drawing style of Ruroken. It is slightly <em>Bishonen</em>-ish (in fact, the entire story is slightly <em>Bishonen</em> when you think about it...), and the Meiji world is rendered vibrantly. Being late 90's, it is not the last word in crisp, clean animation, to be sure. I'm not sure to what extent computer techniques were used in the series... most of the series looks like it was done in the traditional manner, with some slight film grain being apparent in most scenes. In the Filler arc, some shots look like they were digitally-created (i.e. the &quot;abstract&quot; light-flare fight scenes). There is a huge improvement in quality as the show goes on. The earliest episodes tend to be a bit blurry, and then things get better by the Kyoto arc. Some of the shots in the Filler arc are actually near-perfect on my R2 version of this set. Speaking of R2, I'm going to comment on both the US and Japanese versions of this DVD set, because they were both scanned/processed/compressed differently. The R1 set is 22 discs, all dual-layer whereas the R2 set is 24 discs, dual-layer. The R2 set tends to allocate slightly more space to each episode, meaning it was compressed slightly less. (There seems to be noticeably less blocking artifacts in scenes with a lot of fast movement, such as Aoshi's <em>Kaiten Kenbu</em> and when Kenshin first performs the <em>Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki</em>.) On side-by-side comparison, the R2 is sharper and more vibrant, but the R1 has far less rainbows. Luckily, the rainbows are difficult to detect while the series is playing; it's mostly noticeable on still frames. However, it is there, and it is noticeable, and it is barely visible in the R1 set (probably because it had been filtered out after scanning). If you have a DVD player or external processor (there are some available) which eliminates this &quot;temporal chroma&quot; noise, then you are definitely in for a treat with the R2's. Even without, I still find the R2's to be far superior to the R1's, video-wise.</p>
<p>One of the big issues art-wise with Ruroken are the fight scenes. It is very clear that the staff was on a tight schedule, and didn't have time to animate everything fluidly. (I always laugh when I see Sano's flashback to the Sekihoutai, because the animation quality there seems so bad.) There are scenes where the drawings were done very hastily, or a static shot has been used in place of actual animation. In fight scenes, don't expect realistic movements, such as in the OVA's. The fights are highly stylized, utilizing many static and panning shots. One reason for this is probably because many of the fight scenes are adapted from the manga, which relies on static shots--but the issue of time/cost was also probably a major factor. The big exception to this rule, however, is the Kenshin/Saitou fight... <em>WOW!!!</em> It has a kinetic rhythm that's just amazing, and the animators did an amazing job. Even in the Kyoto arc, when fights are not as fluid, they still build up a steady tension, and are engaging to watch. The all-time low is hit in the Filler arc, when many fight scenes just become simply anti-climactic, with the actual fight being replaced by abstract imagery.</p>
<p>All in all, for a series made in the late 90's, and considering the sheer number of episodes, I think the art of Ruroken is a great effort, that doesn't disappoint, but also doesn't make your jaw drop. </p>

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

<p>I personally love the sound for this series. The voice-acting is top-notch. I don't listen to dubs, so I won't comment (nor will I allow them to lower the score)! Bad English dubs are the given nature of anime, and this is irrelevant for those of us who never listen to them. Never mind how much meaning you're going to miss if you actually <em>do</em> listen to the English dub... if that's your thing, I'd recommend maybe you find a new hobby instead of anime. Every artist deserves to have his work presented in the form he intended, and if you can't read, you should seriously consider learning. (How are you reading this review anyway then??) In any case, the part of Kenshin is voied by the <em>seiyuu</em> Mayo Suzukaze, who is actually a female. The role of Himura Kenshin is the only major role she's ever done (it was also her debut role, as was Kaoru's <em>seiyuu</em>). This is a shame, because she did such a wonderful job... not only is she able to play the role of a male so convincingly, but she also has an amazing range which allows her to do Kenshin's silly <em>oro</em> voice as well! She's like two totally different voices in one! (Plus her real voice, which I guess would make three!) For a cool interview with Mayo-san, you should check out the <em>Reflection</em> DVD extra's. I'm not as crazy about Kaoru's voice-actor Miki Fujitani, but it is also very nicely done. At times it seems pretty plain to me, but it definitely grows on you... it can be pretty cute when she's all worked up. As for the entire Kenshin cast, I feel that it is pretty solid overall... there are no obvious defects anywhere. Even many of the <em>seiyuu</em> from the Filler arc put in a stellar performance.</p>
<p>The soundtrack for this series is also wonderful, in my opinion. On the bad side, most of it is pretty generic synthesizer stuff, and makes some pretty strange choices at times--electric guitars with wind pipes?? Much of the music has a vaguely traditional Japanese feel, although those electric guitars can really throw you off at times... I'm not sure how much I would've liked the soundtrack without having seen the series (probably not that much), but now I'm inseparable from it! Is it just coincidence that many of my favorite songs, like Departure, Ishin Tenpuku Keikaku, No Way Out, are the backdrop for many of the most pivotal moments in the series?? Perhaps. In any case, the Ruroken music collection is almost as epic in proportions as the series, and there are sets available on as many as 12 CD's. Beware, however, that there are some pretty bad songs, too... who could ever forget that horrible song they play for pirates, the <em>Danger Zone</em> one (Aku no San)? Oh wait, I already did... All in all, though, you're bound to love the music in Ruroken, and it will grow on you, and you will be unable to keep buying Ruroken CD box sets... (Drat, not again!) Well, for those wanting a change from classical-sounding OST's (i.e. Yoko Kanno, or the Kenshin OVA music done by Taku Iwasaki) you'll probably love the Kenshin soundtrack, and all of its memorable themes.</p>
<p>I have to also give kudos to the audio quality of this series. Listening to the R1's on a state-of-the-art two-channel stereo system, I was highly impressed. You can really hear the nuance and detail in Mayo-san's voice work. Pretty much the same for all the cast members. The music does not sound quite as crisp as on the OST CD's, but in general holds up very well... you'll be hard-pressed to hear the difference. I've also heard the R2's feature better audio quality than the R1's, but not yet had a chance to confirm this. There were apparently out-of-phase issues on early R1 discs, a problem which was subtle and difficult to notice directly. From what I remember of the R1's, however, the audio is great. And for those of you complaining about the lack of a 5.1 DD or DTS release, my response is that I'd rather take a well-done 2-channel audio track than a cheesy, gimmicky 5.1 any day. In general, the 5.1 releases for anime done to date have not been all that <em>innovative</em>... I mean, what, when Kenshin slashes his sword, do you need to hear the swoosh go in circles around your head as well? I think this is one series that does not need a 5.1 track, and I'm totally content with the 2-channel Dolby Digital choice. </p>

Rating

9 (very good)

Presentation

<p>The amazing thing about Ruroken is how many different ways it can be watched. There's the TV series, OVA's, a movie, and the manga. My personal journey was: OVA's, movie, series, then manga. If you follow the manga's layout, the correct order is series, OVA's (minus <em>Seisouhen</em>, or <em>Reflections</em> as it's known in the US), and then Jinchuu arc (which was never animated). One of my big disappointments was <em>Seisouhen</em>, the OVA episodes which added an ending to the manga, that didn't sit so well with me... but I won't comment on the OVA's here (maybe that's for another review). What's really cool, however, is that I kind of like the order I watched it in, compared to the <em>official</em> order. Having seen the OVA's before the series, I <em>knew</em> just how bad-ass Kenshin really was in the beginning parts of the series, whereas he would normally come across as just a wimpy shrimp to a newcomer. In the series, you're gradually learning just how powerful Kenshin really is... If you've seen the OVA's, however, you just keep thinking, &quot;Man, that idiot has <em>noooo</em> idea what he's up against.&quot; Personally, going into the series, I think <em>knowing</em> just how powerful Kenshin was made the series that much more enjoyable. I'm not sure how I would've felt if I kept being surprised as much as his enemies were. Besides, even if you <em>know</em> Kenshin is strong, you're still wondering what awesome technique Kenshin will devise to defeat his enemies... so there are definitely different ways you can enjoy this show. Another big thing for me was, having seen the movie, I <em>knew</em> Kenshin couldn't die at some point in the series. I guess this should be pretty obvious (since the series is about <em>him</em> after all) but there were times when I was thinking, &quot;Did Kenshin <em>really</em> just die?? Oh wait, no, he's alive for the movie, thank goodness... &quot; So, if you don't want to be a complete spaz when watching the series, do yourself a favor and watch the movie, just to reassure yourself that, yes, Kenshin does make it through thick and thin alive. As for manga first, series first, I highly recommend the series. If you've already read the manga, the series is likely to be quite boring... if you've already seen the series, however, the manga is likely to fill you in on many details you might have missed, or that were left out.</p>
<p>My overall opinion on this series is high, clearly. The excellent artwork, engaging soundtrack, top-notch voice acting, all come together in great synergy to present one of the most epic and fascinating tales I have had the privilege, as a human being, of experiencing. I highly suggest to anyone who think they might enjoy this series, to maybe try out the movie and see if you like the style (keeping in mind that the movie is far worse than much of the series). If so, then set aside a period of about 8 days, rent/purchase this entire series, and enjoy! I think many people stop at the end of the Kyoto arc, although I made the decision to watch the entire series in order. You'll have more closure that way, at least, and it gives you further time to digest and comprehend what was presented in the first two arcs. Personally, I liked the Christian mini-arc, which follows right after the Kyoto arc. I think it gives a nice change of pace, and presents some new material to think about (especially if you have any interest in Christianity, or deal with Christian people). It also serves the very important role of further fleshing out Sano's character by giving him a romantic interest, something I really wish had been done in the manga, but wasn't. Yes, many of the character designs from the Christian arc are pretty silly (although I do particularly like Magdelia's design, especially her hair), and its not up to the quality standards of the previous arcs, but I still found it pretty enjoyable, enough that my interest was piqued the entire time. As for everything after that... well, what can I say, I wouldn't blame you if you started skipping some of the episodes (especially the whole thing on <em>Feng Shui</em>). If nothing else, the final episode gives some slight closure to the series, although I really think one needs to read the manga if they want closure. With the manga being released in English now, there's no excuse not to do yourself a favor and read the Jinchuu arc. All in all, I watched the series all the way through, from episode 1 to 96 in five days, just to get the <em>complete experience</em>. (It's like that THX Logo Trailer, except instead of THX it should just say &quot;KENSHIN&quot;, ha ha.) This is a series that is likely to have far more material than one can possibly process in one viewing. It is saturated with all kinds of metaphors and symbols, intertwined in <em>kenjutsu</em>, zen, religion, life and death, history, etc. It's taken me months to fully digest and comprehend many of the themes throughout the series. (One reason why having your own copy handy is a great idea, especially for those sleepless nights when you just <em>can't</em> grasp the spiritual connotation of the centripetal force in the <em>Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki</em>.)</p>
<p>All in all, a terrific series. Rurouni Kenshin is considered by many to be one of the top ten anime of all time. It's unlikely to become entrenched in the annals of art criticism, the way films like <em>Akira</em> or <em>Neon Genesis Evangelion </em> have, because unlike those films, Ruroken does not make any artistic presumptions about itself. It is purely a series about enjoyment and raw emotion, so as far as enjoyability goes, I believe Rurouni Kenshin to be the only series that has kept my level of enjoyment so high, for so many episodes. It truly deserves a 10 in this category.</p>

Rating

10 (excellent)

Final Verdict

9.50 (excellent)

Reviewed by finiteyoda, 3y 38wk ago