Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin - TV Series Season One

Rurouni Kenshin - TV Series Season Two

The 34 episodes in this eight-disc set make up the "Kyoto" arc of the popular martial arts adventure-comedy. The tone of the narrative has darkened since the introductory story (Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai). When the forces of the Tokugawa Shogunate were defeated by the Imperialists 10 years earlier, Kenshin Himura abandoned his identity as Battousai the Manslayer. Makoto Shishio succeeded him as the country's deadliest assassin. Government agents captured Shishio, and although he survived a botched execution, an attempt to incinerate his body left him hideously scarred. Shishio has assembled a private army to overthrow the Meiji government and make himself ruler of Japan. Can Kenshin keep his oath never to kill again, or must he once again become a murderer to prevent a civil war? Kenshin's internal struggle is complicated by Seiko, his arrogant former sensei; Aoshi, the ex-commander of the Oniwaban; and Saito, a police officer who may be a friend, rival, and/or enemy. The drama and violence are played against the broad comedy of the cast of friends Kenshin made in Tokyo in the previous continuity: Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, Megumi. Yahiko tries to emulate Kenshin, clobbering an opponent as he shouts, "Hiten Mitsurugi style--or close to it, anyway!"

Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi stages the sword fights and martial arts duels with panache, using rapid cutting, split-screen, and reversed colors to heighten the excitement. But the filmmakers stress that the spiritual aspects of the samurai tradition of bushido outweigh mere physical skills. Kenshin's inner nobility triumphs over Shishio's commitment to a misguided social Darwinism. The emphasis on internal conflict demands nuanced performances from the vocal cast. As Kenshin, Richard Hayworth finds subtle transitions between the warm, slightly goofy Kenshin and the implacable warrior who once terrified Kyoto. This depth and complexity of characterization gives Rurouni Kenshin a resonance lacking in animation that pits blandly virtuous heroes against cackling villains. The Legend of Kyoto set makes it clear why Rurouni Kenshin remains one of the best-loved anime continuities of all time. (Rated 13 and older: violence, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Rurouni Kenshin - TV Series Volume Three

After the epic of Kyoto, Kenshin and his group settle back into their usual cycle of adventures. Old friends like Yutaro and Misao make appearances, as do villians like Shogo Amakusa, a rogue warrior who fights with the same sword style as Kenshin.

Samurai X - The Motion Picture (Rurouni Kenshin)

Although it boasts plenty of sword fights, martial arts combat, and odd, orange blood, Samurai X offers deeper and more sensitive characterizations than typical anime samurai epics. Based on the manga by Noboru Watsuki, the film centers on questions about the nature of Japanese society during the years following the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century. Kenshin Himura and his friends Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko seem like an ordinary, slightly goofy quartet. But red-haired Kenshin is an expert swordsman; tall, lanky Sanosuke, a martial arts master; adolescent Yahiko, a samurai-in-training. Kaoru fills the role of outspoken anime heroine. An ugly encounter with some drunken British sailors introduces Kenshin and his friends to the noble Takimi Shigure and lovely Toki Takatsuki. Shigure leads a group opposed to the Meiji government, which they believe is corrupting Japanese culture, and his ill-conceived attempt at rebellion brings him into conflict with Kenshin. A key fighter in the Restoration, Kenshin received scars on his soul that mark him more decisively than the X on his cheek; he weeps for the needless bloodshed he helped to unleash. Director Hatsuki Tsuji builds subtle visual patterns of downward motions--falling tears, fluttering bamboo leaves, the deadly stroke of a sword, Kenshin's spectacular leaps--to create a film with an unusually satisfying resolution. Not rated; suitable for ages 14 and up for violence. --Charles Solomon

The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Shigure Takimi watched his friends and family get slashed down in the name of freedom and prosperity. Now he and a band of desparate rebels have sworn to settle one final score. Only one man stands in their way: Rurouni Kenshin. Will the former assassin take up his sword to fight again? When Shigure discovers Kenshin's true identity and his fight becomes a personal vendetta, the young hero will have no choice.

Samurai X - Reflection (Rurouni Kenshin)

The final OAV in the Samurai X/Rurouni Kenshin continuity brings the long-running saga of master swordsman and assassin Kenshin Himura to its conclusion. The story is set in 1893, long after the bloody conflicts of the Meiji Restoration--and the events in the previous OAVs that culminated in the death of Kenshin's wife, Tomoe. With his devoted second wife, Kaoru, Kenshin seeks peace in trying to aid the helpless. But he cannot escape the karmic burden of the many deaths he caused: there is no peace for Kenshin in this world. The Japanese concept of the transitory nature of beauty permeates the two-part adventure. Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi ushers the narrative along at a deliberate pace, deftly inserting the many flashback sequences. The result is a properly elegiac farewell to one of most popular anime characters on both sides of the Pacific. (Rated 17 and older: violence, alcohol use, mature themes) --Charles Solomon

Rurouni Kenshin is a wanderer, a lost soul, cursed to seek atonement for his life in the bloody trade of the samurai. During the long war to overthrow the corrupt government, he was known throughout all Japan as the Hitokiri Battousai ("sword-bearing master assassin"). But the end of the war has brought no peace to Kenshin, despite a vow to draw his sword only for the protection of those in need. Now his wife Kaoru steadfastly awaits his return, mourning his absence as well as that of their son, Kenji. Will Kenshin return before she dies of grief? The past meets the present fifteen years after Kenshin first left.

Samurai X - Betrayal (Rurouni Kenshin)

The peace that reigns over the remote mountain village of Otsu contrasts sharply with the rapid-fire violence of the previous episodes (Samurai X: Trust) set in Kyoto. Working as a farmer, growing crops and savoring the passage of the seasons, Kenshin comes to terms with the discontent festering in his soul. He regrets the death and suffering he has caused, and hopes to find a better life--with the mysterious Tomoe. A conventional story would end on this note of self-discovery and moral growth. But Samurai Xunfolds like a Kabuki tragedy: the desire for revenge remains strong, especially among the agents of the last Tokugawa Shogun, who are anxious to crush the nascent rebellion led by the Choshu clan. Kenshin was an important agent for the Choshu; Tomoe is just a pawn, but the outcome of a game may hinge on a strategically positioned pawn. Kenshin finally grasps the lessons his master, Hiko, attempted to teach him: the need for inner peace and the possibility of defending the weak without resorting to violence. The exquisitely detailed artwork evokes 19th century Japan, and director Kazuhiro Furuhashi depicts these understated inner conflicts as skillfully as the epic sword fights in the first episodes. Samurai X demonstrates the power of animation to present stories of great emotional depth, earning it a rightful place among the top anime series. Unrated; suitable for ages 18 and up for explicit violence. --Charles Solomon

Samurai X - Trust (Rurouni Kenshin)

The four-episode Samurai X original animation video captures the mixture of swordplay and poetry that makes Japanese warrior culture so intriguing to viewers on both sides of the Pacific. The OAV series serves as a prequel to both Samurai X: The Movie and the more lighthearted TV series. The action unfolds in 1864, when a few clans began the revolt that would overthrow the military dictatorship of the Tokugawa Shogunate and return power to the Emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Shinta, a lonely orphan, is transformed by master swordsman Hiko into Kenshin Himura, an assassin in the service of Katsuga, one of the revolutionary leaders. Kenshin kills whomever Katsuga orders with consummate skill and unshatterable calm. He believes he is using his sword to bring about a better world, even as the intrigues and counter-intrigues escalate. But he becomes aware of unspoken doubts when he meets Tomoe, a mysterious girl whose beauty, like the iris, is seen to best advantage in cloudy weather. Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi choreographs the sword fights with a grace that infuses even scenes of extreme violence with an elegant sensuality: in one striking image, he focuses on the rain washing a spatter of blood from Tomoe's cheek. The dialogue in the English translation often sounds stilted, but the words are usually superfluous. Furuhashi's ability to present a story visually has made Samurai X a popular anime property in America and Japan. Unrated; suitable for ages 18 and up for explicit violence. --Charles Solomon

Rurouni Kenshin - Legendary Swordsman, Vol. 1

Set during the second half of the 19th century--a time of enormous change in Japanese society--Rurouni Kenshin begins when a wandering swordsman saves the life of a young woman on the streets of Tokyo. The wanderer's name is Kenshin and his blade is sharpened only on the back edge, meaning that he can use it to disable, but not kill, his enemies. The woman, Kaoru, invites Kenshin to stay at her father's kendo dojo, and he comes to her aid when she is attacked by a disgraced student. During the battle it emerges that Kenshin is Battousai the Manslayer, a vicious assassin who terrorized Japan in the turbulent years before the beginning of the Meiji Era. Now he is looking for redemption, but the forces arrayed against him will make it very difficult for him to escape his past. This first installment contains the first four episodes of a long and complex series, and the plot doesn't really begin to gather steam until episode 4. There's plenty of entertaining scene-setting in the other episodes, which introduce the main characters and give a glimpse of Kenshin's troubled past. The series strikes a nice balance between adventure and cute comedy, but its real strength is its convincing evocation of a fascinating historical period. A refreshing change from the more common science fiction and fantasy titles, Rurouni Kenshin is a thrilling adventure that only gets better as the plot develops. Suitable for ages 12 and up. --Simon Leake

The Meiji Era was one of great renewal for Japan, where swords and killing were outlawed. How-ever, many survivors from the time of Revolu-tion still lived, lurking in the shadows and waiting for a chance to use their killing blades again. Only Kenshin Himura, formerly one of the most brutal of killers, hopes to keep his swordsman's honor and still live in the new era.

Rurouni Kenshin - Battle in the Moonlight, Vol. 2

It's disaster for Kenshin when he runs into Jine, a Manslayer from the Revolution. Jine has always wanted a chance to fight the Battousai, but Kenshin's refusal to kill makes the victory too easy. Determined to bring back the Manslayer he had always heard about, Jine uses Kaoru to re-awaken the murderous anger hidden inside Kenshin!

Rurouni Kenshin - Holy War (Episodes 71-74)