Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin

Samurai X (sometimes referred to as this. The same thing)

Original Story by:Nobuhiro WATSUKI

Production by: Studio Gallop

Adapted from a manga: yes

Movies: yes-Samurai X: The Motion Picture (aka-Rurouni Kenshin:Requiem for Patriots)(sequel)

Live Action Series: none

OAVs: yes-Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal(prequel, 4 eps), Samarai X: Reflection (sequal, 2 eps)

Genre: action, comedy, historical fiction, shonen

Number of Episodes: 95

ANN's Plot Summary: "Himura Kenshin is a vagabond with a dark past and sunny disposition. Not a ronin but a rurouni, he was never a samurai, but an assassin of utmost skill in the Meiji restoration, who in the turning point of the war simply walked away. His travels lead him to Tokyo in the 11th year of the Meiji era, where he befriends a female Kendo master, a former thief, a brawler and a doctor all with their own secrets. Together they fight off the enemies surfacing from the dark past that Kenshin cannot escape."

My Ranking: 4 hoshi

My Rating: PG13

Its all pretty basic stuff. Some bad language and a bit of goofy suggestive stuff (but isn't that in all anime?) The only thing is allot of bloody violence and inklings of twisted talk.

My Review: Kenshin was an adventure and an experience, I'll say that. I was very much in love with it for the first 30 eps or so. The action was win and the characters could actually provide quite a bit of humor. I really liked the story and concepts that went along with the time period. The old samurai-like atmosphere was something I really enjoyed. I'm sure there are fans out there saying I'm not giving the series enough credit but the thing is I'm trying very hard to give props to a category I'm not all to familiar with so I hope they'll forgive me.

Though I haven't seen this anime described as historical fiction I think it should be. There is an educational feel to it sometimes which I actually liked for once. This series can also make you think. Some of the things the characters say are really well put and meaningful. A few times I found myself pausing the ep to think for a few seconds before resuming. Also the time period it was put in opened up a bunch of opportunities for the plot. The series takes place in the Meji Era or commonly known as the 1870s. I believe this is the time around where Japan finally opened up to the world after being secluded for so long. There were allot of things happening around this time which gives the story allot of interesting views.

The only thing that actually bugged me about this series was that I kept getting burned out. 95 eps is allot compared to normal series. Of course it is a Shonen Jump and those tend to be longer than normal. Still, the plot was very up and down for me. As I said, I was good for the first 30 eps or so but then I started to get tired. The series developed a thing i like to call stop and go syndrome. Where the series is full of little adventures compiled into a series. Yes the little adventures were cool most of the time but it still left a 'Hey Kenshin, have you seen the plot anywhere?' feel.

Amidst all the flakiness of this review I'd like to make clear that I did like this series. It was cool, full of action, and made me laugh allot too. It was pretty well rounded it just could have been planned better in accordance to its length.

Comparison: Watching this anime was an experience in itself for me. sub or dub? (subs better!) where to find it. (four different sub groups in different locations. whew I'm exhausted). Well, both the manga and the anime were cancelled mid series which explains the sudden drop at the end of the series that leaves a 'wait, what? that's the end?'. It also explains why even though its a Shonen Jump why its shorter than most series from there. I know nothing of the manga unfortunately so I cannot assess a proper comparison. For that I am sorry. I can only warn you of the sudden cancellation of the series, not for lack of funds but I think because the artist simply stopped.

Sample vid: sorry to disappoint but I could not find a good amv that did not have a butt load of spoilers or an assortment of clips from the OAVs mixed in. sorry. If anyone finds anything on their own, let me know.