Rurouni Kenshin  

That's a lot better introduction than mine.. soo you like the series? You've seen the OVAS? What do you think of it?

I think this discussion was started so you could state your opinion and not rewrite something that a website made before you. That was just a waste of time, because in this way, you help nobody

i thouougly enjoyed this series

Rurouni Kenshin: Romance of a Meiji Swordsman (?????? ???????, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan?)[1], a manga and anime series created by mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki, is set during the early Meiji period in Japan. The English versions of the OVAs as well as the movie are sold under the Samurai X name. The series tells the story of an assassin named Himura Kenshin, who was known as the Hitokiri Battosai ("Man killer - Master of Battojutsu"). Kenshin later grieves for all the lives he has taken, and vows that he will never kill again.

The manga originally appeared in the Japanese Shonen Jump Weekly Anthology, and the completed work consists of 28 tankobon volumes. The United States release of the manga has been completed by VIZ Media. Rurouni Kenshin is subtitled "Wandering Samurai" in some English releases, as a rough translation of "Rurouni."

Writer Kaoru Shizuka has written an official Rurouni Kenshin novel titled Voyage to the Moon World. The novel has been translated by VIZ Media and distributed in the United States and Canada.

Contents [hide]
1 Plot and Series information
1.1 Manga
1.1.1 Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story
1.1.2 Rurouni Kenshin
1.1.3 Yahiko no Sakabato
1.1.4 Kenshin Kaden
1.2 Anime
1.2.1 TV Anime
1.2.2 Movie
1.2.3 OVAs
2 Characters
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 Notes and References
6 External links



[edit] Plot and Series information
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Manga

[edit] Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story
A prototype series titled Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story[2] first appeared as a pair of separate short stories published in 1992 and 1993 in the manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump Special.

The story released in the first manga features an earlier version of Himura Kenshin helping a wealthy girl named Raikoji Chizuru. Chizuru would later be the prototype for Rurouni Kenshin's heroine, Kamiya Kaoru. Chizuru also makes a cameo in the Seishouhen OVA with Kenji in the final scene.

The second story, which though released second in the manga format was indeed the first 'Rurouni' one-shot, has Kenshin saving the Kamiya family's dojo from a corrupt crime lord who seeks to marry the family's oldest daughter, Megumi (later to become Takani Megumi), with the aid of her younger siblings, Kaoru and Yahiko (the heir to the Kamiya dojo, later to become Myojin Yahiko). While Kaoru and Yahiko's characters are similar to their incarnations in Rurouni Kenshin, Megumi's personality is distinctly different as she is more timid and submissive than her eventual incarnation in the series, and Watsuki has noted her personality from that part has been transferred to the character of Sekihara Tae.


[edit] Rurouni Kenshin
In 1994, Watsuki created an ongoing version that was published in Shonen Jump until its conclusion in 1999. The manga consists of 28 tankobon volumes. The storyline of Kenshin is divided into three storyline arcs: Tokyo, Kyoto, and the Jinchu (???, Jinchu-ban?). The Jinchu arc (also known as the "Ending Arc", "Revenge Arc", and sometimes spelled "Jinchuu Arc") was not animated, except for the parts about Kenshin's background which formed one of the OVAs released.

The Jinchu arc contains a large amount of Himura Kenshin's backstory including the meeting of his first wife, (Yukishiro Tomoe), and the events that resulted in his infamous cross-shaped scar. The story arc is primarily focused on characters from Kenshin's years spent as the Hitokiri Battosai, who now wants to atone for all the people he has killed. The Jinchu arc also has a stronger romantic theme to it.


[edit] Yahiko no Sakabato
In 2000, it was followed up by Yahiko no Sakabato (??????, ("Reversed-Edge Sword of Yahiko")?) VIZ Media released the story in the September 2006 edition of Shonen Jump.

The story follows the character of Myojin Yahiko, who reluctantly accepts an assignment to teach at the Kikuhara Kasshin Shinto style dojo. At the dojo, Yahiko finds that Midori and the three students are being held hostage by a criminal, Muto Kaname, and his followers. Yahiko quickly defeats Muto and a police officer, Lieutenant Kitaki, who attacks Muto with the blind belief that all criminals must be executed for the sake of the Meiji era. Yahiko returns to the students and subjects them to harsh training for the rest of his duration at the dojo.

He returns to Tokyo at the end of the month and then takes off to Akabeko to visit Sanjo Tsubame, not knowing the whole trip was planned by Kenshin for Yahiko to become stronger.


[edit] Kenshin Kaden
An encyclopedia (164 pages), including Haru ni Sakura, detailing the fates of all of the Rurouni Kenshin characters.

Haru ni Sakura is six pages long and in full color. The story takes place years after the manga's conclusion, when Kenshin and Kaoru have married and have a young son, Kenji. Many of the series' major characters who have befriended Kenshin reunite (or otherwise reveal their current whereabouts) with him in a spring picnic.


[edit] Anime
There are four animated Rurouni Kenshin series: one television series, one theatrically released movie, and two OVAs.


[edit] TV Anime
For a list of episodes from the anime, see List of Rurouni Kenshin episodes.
The television series was split into three approximate seasons, with the first 27 episodes generally following the Tokyo Arc, episodes 28-62 closely following the Kyoto Arc, and episodes 63-95 being "filler" non-manga based episodes designed to allow for the manga plot line to advance. The anime series slid from high popularity after the Kyoto Arc to eventual cancellation before the Jinchu/Revenge Arc could be animated.

The animated series enjoys immense popularity worldwide, and although designed primarily for young male fans, its detailed exploration of emotion and relationships (especially the romantic relationship that develops between Kenshin and Kaoru) attracts many young female followers.

Samurai X was used for the Sony dub of the TV series, which aired in Europe, South Asia, and other countries. The Sony dub, while generally well-received by casual viewers in these countries, has been criticized by fans for its localization of the series.


[edit] Movie
A movie, Samurai X: The Motion Picture, known in Japan as Ishin Shishi he no Requiem (??????????, Requiem for the Ishin Patriots?)[3] which tells a story where Kenshin meets a samurai who was very close to a man Battosai murdered in the war. The samurai is trying to start a revolution to overthrow the Meiji government.


[edit] OVAs

Kenshin as a medicine salesmanThe first OVA series, Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal, known in Japan as Tsuiokuhen (???, Recollection?)[4] was set during the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate and telling of Kenshin's childhood and teenhood. Only a few characters from the TV series appear in this OVA, namely Kenshin, Kenshin's master, Hiko Seijuro (Seijuro Hiko in the English anime), and Saito Hajime (Hajime Saito in the English anime), as well as a cameo by Makoto Shishio in silhouette at the end. The OVA mainly depicts the life of Kenshin as Battosai and his time with his first wife, Tomoe. Kenshin is ten years old at the beginning and eighteen years-old at the end of the OVA. This OVA was both critically acclaimed and well-received by fans of the seires.

The second OVA series Samurai X: Reflection, known in Japan as Seisohen (???, Time?) [5], was set both during and after the TV series and telling of Kenshin and Kaoru's later years, differs from the manga on many key plot points, such as the details in regard of the Jin-e and Enishi fights. The OVA is best described as a montage of singular events surrounding the life of Kenshin, told from the point of view of Kaoru. Unlike the highly acclaimed first OVA, this one wasn't well-received by fans, mainly through the sad ending where Kenshin dies of an unknown disease.


Himura Kenshin leaving the Ishin ShishiThe OVA series, which feature a number of historical characters, attempt to be more realistic and accurate than the TV series, which begins as a romantic comedy but evolves into a period drama. The OVA made use of live footage spliced with animation cells giving the series a different feel than straight animation. Both OVAs were re-released in "Director's Cut" forms that spliced the separate "episodes" together into continuous movies, as well as adding some extra footage. The order of musical cues in both director's cut OVAs were significantly lessend and altered, although the tracks themselves were not altered or omitted.


[edit] Characters
Usage note: Character names are given in Japanese order with the given name after the family name. The English anime dub uses the Western order (family name after the given name) while the English manga uses the Japanese order. See: Wikipedia Manual of style, Japan for more info on usage.

Nobuhiro Watsuki, in each tankobon, details the creation of the characters, as well as the influences he had for the characters' personality and design. Influences include historical figures (prominently seen with members of the Shinsengumi) and fictional sources including X-Men and Marvel characters, and SNK video games characters, mainly Samurai Shodown and Last Blade ones.

Rurouni Kenshin main characters
Himura Kenshin (Kenshin Himura)
Kamiya Kaoru (Kaoru Kamiya)
Sagara Sanosuke (Sanosuke Sagara)
Myojin Yahiko (Yahiko Myojin)
Takani Megumi (Megumi Takani)
Rurouni Kenshin minor characters

[edit] Trivia

Cover of Rurouni Kenshin volume 18 (English version).Kenshin's original Japanese dialogue contains some unusual words which can cause problems in translation. Most of the time, he refers to himself with the extremely humble pronoun "sessha" (translated by Viz as "this one") and uses the formal verb "de gozaru" (conveyed by MediaBlasters by sentence-fi

Hi Jawanza! This is really great and very informative. This is really fun to read you see. I love the this anime but I really hate how it ended. Kenshin died fighting a disease I just hoped that he died fighting a very indestructible or strong villain that he had never fought before.

I wish it had ended in a better way. I am disappointed on how it ended but not on the series and OVAs of that Rouroni Kenshin.

Kenshin rules!

Oh yeah I was so disappointed that there was no oro in the english voice acting. It was a real let down, you know?

Oh yeah I was so disappointed that there was no oro in the english voice acting. It was a real let down, you know?

botosai the man slayer

Yeah!

Kenshin is the best swordsman out there, he will surely defeat his enemies no matter how strong they may be. He has friends and lots of friends, they are his strength that keeps him going. They are his reason not to give up and he always fight for them.

His the best fighter and the best friend you will ever find!

I completely agree with you! In fact, the manga had an excellent ending with which I'm very happy. I don't think I'll ever watch the OVAs because I don't agree with it. Neither did the author, if I remember right.

Thats absolutely right!

Fight scenes are really fastactic and breath taking!

His aerial attacks are deadly and unstoppable, he slash very fast and very accurate. His effective and efficient attacks are all thanks to his battou technique.

His magnificent aerial maneuver are my favorites. He rotates and flips his body so that his slash will be very deadly but still his enemy will be badly hurt and still keeps his life. After fighting with someone, they will be surely and badly bruised, hurted and unconscious but they will still wake up and live afterwards.

Thats why I really like Kenshin, after being a wonderer he stopped killing.

I think Shinta is the name of Kenshin's son?

Yup, he is really awesome. He was a ruthless criminal before but when he turned to be a wanderer he stopped killing people. Thats the best reason why I liked him and see him as the best swordsman.

Eventhough he has no power, he still kicks a**!

He rocks!

Yeah.. the people are all realistic.. with positive and negative characteristics. I mean, I can't say I ever *liked* Shishio, but you couldn't help but respect a person who was that determined to do what he believed was right. I mean, people who do what they believe to be right may not necessarily be correct and that's actually a pretty valuable lesson.