Rurouni Kenshin
Hello there...This is a website that has no other perpose but to show off the best show ever made Rurouni Kenshin or Samurai X.If you think i'm wrong then why are you wasting your time on a website that you don't even like,now for those of you who respect the fact that Rurouni Kenshin is an awesome show then here is what I got for you.If you dont have time to watch the show I got Story guidelines and summary's of all the episodes shown including the Original Series...Samurai X.I have a pictrue gallery with both Samurai X and Current Episodes of Rurouni Kenshin tales of the Wandering Samurai.If you think i'm missing something that you would like to see then my email will be posted on this website,just send me an e-mail telling me what you want.I will respond to it as soon as possible.For now thats all,enjoy the world of Rurouni Kenshin
.::Series Summary::.
The story of Rurouni Kenshin takes place in Japan during the 1870's during Japan's restoration period known as the Meiji Era. This was a time of economic growth where the shoguns were overthrown and the government of Japan changed to include trade with Europe and the Americas.
The story revolves around a red-haired man named Himura Kenshin who paved the road into the restoration period and was known for his deadly sword skills in the style and art of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu.
The true story first starts with the 2 OVA episodes preceding the anime series. Himura Kenshin, who's real name is Shinta, was an orphan after his low-class family died in a cholera outbreak in his village. He was taken under the care of three young women who cared for him till they were killed by bandits protecting him. Before the bandits could lay a hand on the young Shinta, a man appeared out of the darkness and killed the bandits with a few strokes of his sword. This man was Hiko Seijuro and would become Shinta's teacher of the deadly sword style, Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu.
Shinta's name was changed to Kenshin by his master and he trained under him for years till he turned fourteen and wanted to leave his master to go help ease the suffering of Japan. Against his master's wishes, he left the mountain and became a Ishinshishi and a hitokiri or hired assassin. He killed countless people with his powerful sword technique and earned himself the name of Hitokiri Battousai. A name that haunted him for the rest of his life even if he was still a young teenager when he acquired it.
Kenshin later meets a woman by the name of Yukishiro Tomoe and he eventually falls in love with her though she is truly out to kill him because he had assassinated her fiancé. She falls in love with him and eventually helps ease the pain and the madness of being a killer and they get married. Sadly for her, she is killed and Kenshin vows from then on never to kill again. This marks the end of the Bakumatsu era and the start of the Meiji era. After this event, Kenshin disappears for ten years. His whereabouts, unknown.
Ten years later in Tokyo, a red-haired man is chased down by a young woman carrying a wooden sword. She claims he's the Hitokiri Battousai that has been disgracing her dojo and her sword art, Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu or the Sword that Protects. He shows her his sword, which, instead of a katana, has been replaced by a sakabatou, or a reversed edge sword. This woman is Kamiya Kaoru, and Kenshin's future wife and lover. They later discover that a man has been posing himself as the Hitokiri Battousai to scare others off and Kenshin reveals himself as the true Hitokiri Battousai and saves Kaoru's life from the man. He then apologizes and starts to leave, but Kaoru asks him to stay at the dojo with her as her family died years ago and she is lonely by herself. Kenshin agrees and becomes a permanent member of the Kamiya household.
The story progresses much in this fashion with Kenshin once again appearing out in the public's eye and the return of the Hitokiri Battousai, or at least that's what most everyone thinks. Kenshin has long since vowed never to kill and he never breaks that promise once during the series as he fights for peace and the betterment of Japan.
The final 2 OVAs take place ten years after the end of the anime series. If you do not wish to know the storyline behind these two heartbreaking specials, stop reading now. The following paragraphs are all spoilers.
Kaoru and Kenshin have a son by the name of Kenji who is already a teenager by the time this story takes place. Kenshin has given his sakabatou to Yahiko as a present for the 'coming of age' for samurai. Kenshin still travels through Japan spending more time away from his family than he should to help out Japan as he did for his whole life and this causes Kenji to detest his father.
After coming back from one of his travels, Kenshin appears to be sick with some sort of incurable sickness (leprosy) and is dying. Kaoru tells him that she lives her life only for him now and they share an intimate moment together. Kenshin tells her he must leave again, but when he comes back, he wants her to call him by his real name for once, "Shinta". She agrees and he leaves off again and is gone for a very long time.
During this time, Kaoru develops the same sickness that Kenshin does and lives her life solely for the moment that she will see him again. Her son tries to get Hiko to teach him the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, but Hiko decides that his ideas are unpopular in the changing Japan and decides to let the skills die with him. Kaoru's condition worsens and she continues to wait for Kenshin.
Eventually Kenshin does return and they meet for the last time in the same area that Kenshin bid her farewell to years ago when he left for Kyoto to fight Shishio Makoto. She holds him and welcomes "Shinta" home and then realizes that his scar has finally faded and then... realizes that the great Himura Kenshin has died.
.::Series Review::.
The Rurouni Kenshin ratings is my review of the anime after I've seen it based on the following qualities: I: Animation, II: Storyline, III: Musical Score. Please remember that this review was written by me and reflects my personal interest.
I: Animation
In the anime series, the animation is simply stunning. The artwork is high-quality and not jerky like some of the cheaper, faster made animes are (Dragon Ball as example. Not saying I'm bashing DB as it's one of my favorite animes, but...). The same goes for the OVA series where the animation is top notch and very accurate. The sword play in the OVA series is simply stunning as if they got real actors to use as demonstration for how the animation sequences should go. Artwork is eye candy and the traditional Japanese feel is uniquely set into the animation and is very accurate. As for those who like to see sword fighting, this is a very good series for that as the main protagonist, Kenshin is a master swordsman. ^_^ [9/10]
II: Storyline
Really nothing needs to be said about the storyline of Rurouni Kenshin. It's awesome! It has one of the best storylines ever in an anime. Not overly difficult to understand like Evangelion and Lain, but not overly repetitive and childish like Sailor Moon. The storyline combines the elements of drama, humor and romance all into a wonderfully illustrated anime with interesting characters that sport a wide range of personalities. The RK series is also based heavily on fact. It takes place in the mid 1800s during the age of the Meiji Restoration and the end of the Bakamatsu era. During this time, samurai were forbidden from carrying swords, a sign of their dignity, and a corrupt government was ruling Japan in an attempt to try to unify Japan under one economic system. Himura Kenshin's character was based off the famous story in Japan of an assassin that was given the name, "Hitokiri Battousai" which means the "man who slays with his sword". After his days as an assassin, the mysterious swordsman disappeared off into history without another word. The RK series picks up where this tale leaves off and follows the romantic narrative of Rurouni Kenshin, a kind wanderer talented with the mysterious sword style, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. [9/10]
III Musical Score:
I'd have to say that the Rurouni Kenshin series has some of the best music I've ever heard in any anime. Favorites include the first opening theme, Sobakasu, Heart of Sword, 1/3, Tactics, Natsu no E, Ice Blue Eyes, and Namida wa Shitteru. All these songs were performed by famous artists in Japan including L'Arc En~Ceil, Bonnie Pink, and Siam Shade. The songs are wonderful and I'd HIGHLY recommend the soundtracks to anyone who wants to purchase them on ebay or anywhere else they can get them. [10/10]
Random Quirks:
I had to rewatch the series a year and a half later to pick out any quirks in the series. My largest is the battle scenes in the anime. While there are a decent amount of battles, Kenshin does tend to love to talk and play peacemaker, so there are FEW epic battle scenes. The best include the battle with Jin'eh, the battle with Saitou Hajime in the Kamiya Dojo (that one just owned me), Kenshin's battle with the godlike Seta Soujiro, and the final battle with Shishio Makoto. All of these are spread out between the 95 anime episodes and are long battles where Kenshin just talks and talks and talks! The only time he cuts right to the chase is in the Jin'eh battle, but that's because he was pretty out of it at the time. The first time you watch the series, it won't bother you, but the second and third, you'll be like, "Get on with it, Samurai boy!"
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