Rating: 
Summary: One of, if not, the best Anime TV series available
Review: Along with Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trigun and Cowboy Bebop, Rurouni Kenshin will make a great case for being the best anime series out there. The TV series explores the middle section of Himura Kenshin's life, with two excellent and highly recommended movies explaining his life before the TV series (Trust, Betrayal), and three more explaining what happens after (Samurai X, and the Seisou Hen OAVs). The basic TV plot involves Himura Kenshin, once the most feared Hitokiri (assassin) during the Bakumatsu, a bloody period of governmental chaos that produced some of the most skilled fighters, around. For reasons explained in the prelude OAVs, he decides to wander for ten years following the Bakumatsu, carrying a sakabatou, or a dull sword with the blade on the reverse side, to atone for his countless killings. He runs into Kamiya Kaoru, Sagara Sanosuke and Myojin Yahiko, his eventual gang that accompanies him throughout the series. This is a series that, as should most anime, be watched in Japanese, even if you struggle with subtitles. Kenshin's voice is given a more manly flavor in the dubbed version, but this dulls a very important effect later on. The main, driving issue in this series is much like the issues addressed in Ghost In The Shell, Jin-Roh: Wolf Brigade, Trigun and Neon Genesis and even Star Wars: how not to turn over to the dark side. Throughout the 95-episode series (which ends quite abruptly, and drops significantly in intensity after the Kyoto series), Kenshin fights the urge to return to his Hitokiri nature, constantly finding a way to defeat his highly-skilled opponents without killing them. Occassionally, however, something breaks within, and his wanderer's identity turns into the darker Hitokiri of the past. The Japanese version has a girlier version of Kenshin's voice, but the effect, along with the darkening of the mood, and the transformation of his eyes into the "killing eyes" of his Bakumatsu days, is dramatic when his voice turns low and is laced with cool hatred and confidence. The overexaggerated faces and voices (the phrases "de gozaru" and "oro" are Kenshin staples that can only be enjoyed when watched in Japanese) are welcome breaks from the more serious sub-topics and violent action. The fights are well done and Kenshin's true strength (which can only be unleashed once he completely returns to his Hitokiri self) is never displayed, but hinted at. Unlike Dragonball Z, it isn't just a matter of who's the strongest; it's a matter of strategy, skill and speed. Opponents are accorded the right amount of fight time: those less skilled are dispatched quickly and with little effort as are those who are strong, but generally not intelligent. Only true swordmasters can even come close to putting up a decent fight against his Hiten Mitsurugi sword style. This style relies heavily on analyzing your opponent's moves, emotions, fighting ki and on moving with godlike-speed. Kenshin is a particularly adept sword drawer, and has mastered the art of Battou-jutsu, drawing and killing the opponent in a single stroke, earning him the nickname Hitokiri Battousai. But it IS an extremely long series, well worth enduring the timid but important first season to get to the violent and tragic second season, which is unrivaled by any other series. The topics are brutal: child abuse, drug use, murderous betrayal and government ruthlessness. The series doesn't shy away from the killing or beating of children, women, and old people, or just flat out mass death. It doesn't present it in graphic or gratuitious fashion either; it's all part of the show's feel: how can you stand by and turn the other cheek when such atrocities are continuing? Nearly each character is well-developed, making the viewer find attachment to both hero and villain, particularly the boy assassin Soujiro, whose story is incredibly heartwrenching. Each character has incredibly deep emotional scars -- particularly the death of a loved one -- and nearly each episode connects and builds until the end of the climactic second season. Rurouni Kenshin is great, but not perfect. Once a silent and efficient killer (as shown in the OAVs), Kenshin now delivers long speeches about killing before and after he fights. It gets repetitive after a while, but adds some tension. There are the occassional flashback and comedy-break episodes that don't further the story, such as the one including the Sumo wrestler Toramaru (skip it). The third season ends abruptly, as it probably should have, the result of an extremely well-done second season that would surely overshadow any subsequent storylines. The music is a take it and leave it situation: the important parts have great music, the not so important parts do not. The soundtrack varies from classical sounds to synthesized beats, and creates some subconscious unrest. The new Seisou Hen set of OAVs actually does provide a sense of closure absent in many anime series (Neon Genesis, Trigun). The art is similar to the Trust and Betrayal set, and even features many fights from the TV series re-done in much more realistic animation. The new fights aren't as spectacular, but the emotion and the music are much stronger. These are must-haves...but only after viewing the TV series. This is a powerful series that takes a look at the struggle of man within. I recommend watching the TV series first, then the Samurai X movie, then watching the Trust and Betrayal OAVs, which reveal an incredible amount, then re-watching the TV series, then finishing with the Seisou Hen set. Watching Trust and Betrayal beforehand will ruin a lot for the viewer, so try and watch the series in the aformentioned order. A highly-recommended series and movie set with some factual basis in Japan's turbulent samurai era near the end of the Tokugawa Dynasty.
Rating:
Summary: The best anime TV series in years starts here
Review: The key to understanding "Rurouni Kenshin", if you ask me, is not that it's about a man who decides to use his sword for peace rather than death. It's bigger than that, and it's no accident that the series is set in the Meiji Era, when Japan was uneasily abandoning feudalistic living for Western capitalism and industrialism. This is a story about nothing less than the end of one way of life and the beginning of another, and the people who stand on the dividing line between two ages. That being said, this is a joy of a series to watch -- funny, thoughtful, impassioned, and full of the sort of grand comeuppance and rip-roaring adventure that we expect from something with such a high pedigree. (The story is adapted almost directly from a long-running manga from Jump Comics, and the art is also strongly redolent of the original.) One foggy day in a mid-sized Japanese city, the assistant instructor of a local dojo, Kaoru Kamiya, happens across someone she's convinced is "the manslayer" responsible for a number of local murders -- using a sword style taught in her own school. The man in question, Himura Kenshin, is not in fact the killer she's looking for -- but he was a killer, once, and he's only too happy to explain (in his curiously sheepish manner) that his sword, with the blade on the wrong side, isn't designed to kill. Kaoru doesn't trust him -- especially not when he accidentally bursts in on her in the bath, but it's not because he's got a prurient interest in her. He was convinced she was trying to drown herself in shame, you see, and... well, his good intentions earn him a night in the storehouse. But over time she learns that this oddball fellow with his unruly thatch of carrot-red hair and his ugly X-shaped scar and his stilted syntax may very well be the one true friend she has in this world. The first volume in the series also rolls in two more people who become longtime staples of the Kamiya dojo. Yahiko Myojin, a street urchin and pickpocket, winds up becoming Kaoru's first new student in a long time. And Sannosuke (aka "Zanza"), a street brawler and bare-knuckle fighter, also gets stirred into the mix. Yahiko makes constant fun of Kaoru's looks (she's certainly not the ugly girl he makes her out to be, unless she's snarling in anger at him), and Sannosuke's weirdly laid-back approach to everything drives her crazy. But their friendship and loyalty to each other is unquestionable. The animation is top-notch for a TV show, with striking character designs, blazingly choreographed fights and some insanely funny bits of slapstick that come out of absolutely nowhere. The one blemish is the English dub track, which is OK, but Kenshin's bizarre "Oro?" really loses a lot in English -- it's translated something like "Wha-huh?" Worse, Kenshin's deliberately weird sentence structure doesn't translate well into dialogue without a good deal of awkwardness. I admire them for trying, though. "Rurouni Kenshin" is a treasure to seek out and cherish, and the first volume is recommended to almost anyone who's an anime fan.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS GREAT
Review: THIS IS AWESOME AND DON'T LISTEN TO THE BAD OPINIONS WHO SAYS IT ISN"T BECAUSE IT IS.AND SO ARE ALL THE OTHER FILLERS!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Some of the best anime out there
Review: Plot: Himura Kenshin, formerly a feared assassin during the revolution known as Hitokiri (manslayer) Battousai, is now a rurouni (wanderer) in the Meiji era who wields a reverse-blade sword, having sworn never to kill again. The story follows Kenshin as he finds a family in his new friends and tries to protect the people he loves without reverting back to being the Hitokiri Battousai. This is especially difficult because many old enemies show up to test their strength against the revolution's best swordsman. Kenshin must learn to accept the Battousai so that the rurouni can live on. My thoughts: An all-around wonderful show. Technically it's shonen (boy's) anime, but I'm a girl and I love it (and I'm far from the only girl that does). Kenshin is such a wonderful character, and not just because he's pretty. Aside from Kenshin the show is filled with great characters, Sanosuke, Yahiko, Karou, Saito, Hiko.... It also has everything, comedy, drama, action, romance, good themes, good music. The opening song to the Kyoto arc is horrible, I always fast forward through it, but the rest of the music is very good (especially the "It's gonna rain" ending, it's one of the best in all anime, both the song and the visuals). It may sound odd, but I love the struggle that Kenshin goes through, I don't think there's anyone that can't identify with having to face bad things they've done in the past and/or having things about themselves that they'd rather have remain hidden. The dub is fine, all the voices fit the characters. (One thing I did notice about the dub is that Hotohori's voice from Fushigi Yugi shows up as minor characters in more than one episode, which was a little odd for me because FY is my other favorite anime and I love Hotohori's voice) Very highly recommended, get this now!!!! :-)
Rating:
Summary: Non Spoiler Review
Review: First of all... As with all my other reviews, I dare not ruin this anime classic for you by telling you the main parts of the story that are found in this DVD, because REVIEWS SHOULD NOT BE SPOILERS. That being said, Kenshin falls under the genre of Action and Comedy. Many action-genre anime's tend to have superbly well drawn battle scenes, such as Ninja Scroll, but I think Kenshin really goes above and beyond almost all action anime's by incorporating so many things that make an anime great. The action is fluid, the battle scenes are awesome, and if you notice... the camera and viewing angles are really creative and brings out the best in these scenes. The storyline itself is original and truly well thought out, and much time and effort is spent on character development as well. Tying into this is also Kenshin's comedy aspect. You'll laugh and fall in love with the characters as the story progresses. Ninety nine percent of the people who watch this series think it's a classic and you really have to trust what the reviews and I say on this Anime; it's truly a legend and truly worth your time. Note: The anime is divided into four series; the first three series being the tv episodes and the fourth series being the OAV episodes The first episodes are from the "Wandering Samurai" collection. The second series is called the "Legend of Kyoto" and the third part is called "Tales of the Meiji Era." The fourth series, "Samurai X - Trust and Samurai X - Betrayal" dive into Kenshin's past. I highly recommend that you watch the Samurai X collection at least until after you have finished the Legend of Kyoto arc. I say this because much of the Kenshin TV series plays along on what went on in the mystical and enigmatic past of Kenshin's life before he arrives in Tokyo in episode one. Enjoy!~
Rating:
Summary: The best anime TV series in years starts here
Review: The key to understanding "Rurouni Kenshin", if you ask me, is not that it's about a man who decides to use his sword for peace rather than death. It's bigger than that, and it's no accident that the series is set in the Meiji Era, when Japan was uneasily abandoning feudalistic living for Western capitalism and industrialism. This is a story about nothing less than the end of one way of life and the beginning of another, and the people who stand on the dividing line between two ages. That being said, this is a joy of a series to watch -- funny, thoughtful, impassioned, and full of the sort of grand comeuppance and rip-roaring adventure that we expect from something with such a high pedigree. (The story is adapted almost directly from a long-running manga from Jump Comics, and the art is also strongly redolent of the original.) One foggy day in a mid-sized Japanese city, the assistant instructor of a local dojo, Kaoru Kamiya, happens across someone she's convinced is "the manslayer" responsible for a number of local murders -- using a sword style taught in her own school. The man in question, Himura Kenshin, is not in fact the killer she's looking for -- but he was a killer, once, and he's only too happy to explain (in his curiously sheepish manner) that his sword, with the blade on the wrong side, isn't designed to kill. Kaoru doesn't trust him -- especially not when he accidentally bursts in on her in the bath, but it's not because he's got a prurient interest in her. He was convinced she was trying to drown herself in shame, you see, and... well, his good intentions earn him a night in the storehouse. But over time she learns that this oddball fellow with his unruly thatch of carrot-red hair and his ugly X-shaped scar and his stilted syntax may very well be the one true friend she has in this world. The first volume in the series also rolls in two more people who become longtime staples of the Kamiya dojo. Yahiko Myojin, a street urchin and pickpocket, winds up becoming Kaoru's first new student in a long time. And Sannosuke (aka "Zanza"), a street brawler and bare-knuckle fighter, also gets stirred into the mix. Yahiko makes constant fun of Kaoru's looks (she's certainly not the ugly girl he makes her out to be, unless she's snarling in anger at him), and Sannosuke's weirdly laid-back approach to everything drives her crazy. But their friendship and loyalty to each other is unquestionable. The animation is top-notch for a TV show, with striking character designs, blazingly choreographed fights and some insanely funny bits of slapstick that come out of absolutely nowhere. The one blemish is the English dub track, which is OK, but Kenshin's bizarre "Oro?" really loses a lot in English -- it's translated something like "Wha-huh?" Worse, Kenshin's deliberately weird sentence structure doesn't translate well into dialogue without a good deal of awkwardness. I admire them for trying, though. "Rurouni Kenshin" is a treasure to seek out and cherish, and the first volume is recommended to almost anyone who's an anime fan.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS GREAT
Review: THIS IS AWESOME AND DON'T LISTEN TO THE BAD OPINIONS WHO SAYS IT ISN"T BECAUSE IT IS.AND SO ARE ALL THE OTHER FILLERS!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 1
Review: Himura Kenshin is a wandering swordsman. Ten years before, he was an assassin and a warrior for the Choshu clan, in the revolution against the Togogawa Shogunate(forgive me if I spelled it wrong), and he was called Battousai, the Manslayer. Wanting to repent for his sins, for all the lives he took in the revolution, he has become a wanderer, with his Sakabatou (reverse-bladed sword) he helps others in pain, and fights those who still oppress others. As Kenshin wanders around Down town Tokyo, he meets a girl on the streets named Kauru. After saving her from a ruthless killer, who was going under cover as "Battousai the Manslayer", Kauru invites Kenshin to stay and live with her. As the episodes go along, they meet Yahiko, a pickpocket who is a descendent of a long line of samurai's, and they also meet Sanosuke, a.k.a. Zansa, the fighter for hire. Overall, this video is really great, and I recommend it and this series to anyone who loves action, comedy, and a great story.
Rating:
Summary: Well, I'm Hooked!
Review: This is an amazing opening to what I hope will turn out to be a great series. I have only seen this first volume but I am absolutely hooked to these characters. Everyone of them has a soul and is well developed. I also found the animation to be quite striking. A very well directed show. One of the best I've seen...At least so far.
Rating:
Summary: The best anime ever!
Review: There, I've said it. Ruroni Kenshin is definitely one of my favorite anime, probebly my favorite. I watched it and I completely fell in love. With just the right amount of action, romance, comedy, and drama, it keeps you at the egde of your seat the whole time. The animation I absolutely wonderful, most of the dubbed voices are good, too. If you don't buy this, you don't know what you're missing. BUY IT@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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