Rating: 
Summary: Ridiculously good
Review: Taken together with its second half, "Betrayal," this is far and away the best anime I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a bit. It is vastly superior to the Rurouni Kenshin series, the motion picture, or just about any other anime series or movie one could name.This is not in any way similar to the series, except in character and setting. The entire atmosphere and premise of the OVA is dark, depressing, and tragic. There is a great deal of death on all sides, and the stereotypical "good guy vs. bad guy" herofest is nowhere to be seen. There is confusion over who the bad guy is, and though there are traitors and assassins everywhere, their motives are not evil, or even (for the most part) selfish. It reminds us that the only thing which often separates mortal enemies is nothing more than a different point of view - two sides of a coin. The animation is essentially flawless, aside from the strangely colored blood which at times seems to be a little too vibrant when spilled onto stone walls. The fight scenes are fast, brilliant, and have the same lethal edge of efficiency as Himura's sword. The imagery, the depiction of both characters and environment, is extremely well done - mood, thoughts, and atmosphere is immediately evident and presented masterfully - all of which leads one to believe this OVA to be the work of a profound poet. The soundtrack is haunting, and magnifies immensely the melancholy that permeates the characters and storyline. For anyone who is a fan of anime, a fan of samurai, or a fan of tragic drama, this OVA, along with "Betrayal," is absolutely must-have.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT!
Review: I love this DVD.
i also love the Rurouni Kenshin series, and this was a grat add on to my collection. ive watched it like 15 times and it still hasnt gotten old. its best anime ive ever watched!!
Plenty of swordfighting, great storyline, and full of suspense.
MUST BUY!
Rating:
Summary: TRANCENDS ANIME, PERHAPS THE BEST MOVIE...
Review: When I first purchased a copy of Samurai X: Betrayal, I was just finishing off the Samurai Trilogy (Musashi), some of the Kurosawa Samurai Flicks, as well as the first 2 discs of the Rurouni Kenshin Saga. So being the Bushido and swordsman fan that I am, I was pretty pumped to get to know the origins of the swordsman I was introduced to in the first 2 discs of Rurouni Kenshin (which by the way I thought was just an okay series...from what I saw of it in the first 2 discs). The first episodes I saw of Kenshin built up an intrigue necessary to enjoy this first part of Samurai X to the fullest (but Im still sure I would have enjoyed it just as much without).
Let me just start out as saying, this 2 part movie has become my all-time favorite movie, yes even over any anime (even Grave of the Fireflies), Kurosawa, or Toshiro Mifune flick Ive ever expierienced. The opening was the splash scene needed to grab any viewers attention! The opening scene was so great, chills ran down my spine! Before, I could regroup myself, another secondary action sequence to when Kenshin had joined up to help overthrow the Shogunate! The first episode of this DVD goes on to flashback his coming to join the movement to topple the Shogunate. I wont go too far into the story, as to leave something for the future viewers of this amazing movie!
The action scenes are realistic with just the right amount of overexaggeration to make it very appealing to any skeptical viewer. This movie truly tranceds the bounds of typical anime and is a haunting tale of tragedy and atonement. The japanese voice-overs are great (as usual), with a decent american dub (rare).
The musical score heightens this amazing tale and is nothing short of breath-taking, hats off to Taku Iwasaki (puts Yoko Kanno to shame). Iwasaki has since become my favorite movie orchestral composer (even over the likes of Hans Zimmer, James Horner, John Williams, and Yoko Kanno), after hearing his work done for this 2 part series as well as the upcoming Samurai X: Reflection!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Samurai X
Review: I bought it from a store and i saw it. It was unbelievbaly good and it almost made me cry. It was the best OVA of all time in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: A true work of art
Review: This DVD presents the first two episodes (30 minutes each) of the Rurouni Kenshin OVA (miniseries), not to be confused with the theatrical film or the main television series. This DVD (and its companion, Betrayal), presents the backstory of Himura Kenshin (hero of the RuroKen series), during the years of the Imperialist Revolution against the Tokugawa Shoganate (i.e., more than 8 years before the start of the main series). This particular DVD tells how the orphaned Kenshin meets the solitary master of the ancient Hiten Mitsurugi style of Japanese swordsmanship; how the kind-hearted but tormented Kenshin is drawn into the rebellion (against his master's wishes); and how he comes very close to losing his soul as a special assassin for the struggling rebellion. It also recounts how the mysterious young woman named Tomoe comes into his life, and what happens to them when the Shinsengumi (a sort of police force for the Shogunate who are tasked to hunt down and stop the rebels) closes in on the bickering rebel factions. The OVA is very different in style and tone from the main series; subjectively, I can't decide whether it's better or worse (the two stylistic presentations are intended for two different target audiences, I think, and both do their distinctive jobs very well). Objectively, the animation is more detailed, nuanced and realistic. Music and sound are at the same high standard (by the same composer, too, I think), but appropriately more tragic and epic and even understated than what is sometimes found in the main series. These two DVDs stand well together as an independent storyline (it isn't necessary to know, or be a fan of, the main series); and in some not-insignificant ways, the film is better than the comparable live-action American Revolutionary War movie _The Patriot_. There are high standards of realism to the film--no hyper-jumps, or vacuum-slinging swords, but merely extremely realistic swordfighting. The violence level is very high, particularly in the first half of the first episode; but it is in keeping with the central point to the film: no matter how necessary killing may sometimes be, it is still a tragedy that threatens to turn the killer (even with the best of intentions) into a monster. Like many of the best oriental fighting-movies (and like the main series upon which the OVA story is based), the underlying message is actually rather anti-violent. Language is roughly PG-13 material. There is no nudity or sex, although the conversation veers occasionally into 'adult themes' (for entirely good reasons with respect to the plot). DVD production values are competent, though nothing particularly special. English dubbing is very good, and subtitling makes good sense; both are distinctive enough to be worth going through each, but overall I prefer the dubbing. Not being familiar with the Japanese language, I can't gauge how accurate they are to the original, but they fit what's shown very well. It's difficult to recommend when a fan of the main series should watch this. Fans should definitely get it, but it does contain many 'spoilers' about the history of Kenshin. The best time might be after season two of the series.
Rating:
Summary: The begining of an excellent anime series
Review: This is the start of Rurouni Kenshin, an excellent Action/Romance/Comedy anime set during the time after the revolution, this prequil is set during the revolution and introduces Kenshin, a boy swordsman with excellent skill, I recomend turning the label around to the Japanese cover (which is superior) because the idiots who named it in english forgot one thing, Kenshin IS NOT a Samurai, he is a swordsman, there is a difference, but its long and complicated, *SPOILERS* anyways, basicly Kenshin is a boy, who trains in the Hiten Mitsurugi style, he leaves his master to join the revolution, in doing this he doesn't finish his training, but is still more powerful than most of the swordsmen fighting in the revolution, he performs assasinations for the Choshu clan untill....well find out for yourself Get it with the second DVD in the series, Betrayal, then watch them so you won't sit there in suspense for a while
Rating:
Summary: absolutely great
Review: One of the best animes ever.
Excellent in every aspect:
music, sound effects, storyline, artwork.
Boy, I wish there was a lot more like this.
The only series I've watched that come close is Berserk, which I whole-heartedly recommend as well.
I like how the story is based on historical accounts. You can even read up on its setting from the menu on the DVD (if you're unfamiliar with that period of Japanese history.)
I should mention that the animation framerate is not perfect (it's especially noticeable in the beginning, but after that, not significant.) But regardless, be sure not to miss out on this one.
Rating:
Summary: For those who want to know the true begining
Review: This set of DVD's Trust & Betrayal are necessary to understand the nature of Kenshin's Battuosai side, these are very serious and show the true development of Kenshin's personality. I think they are a must buy for fans of the series. Basically if someone had questions about Kenshin's early years.. these DVD's settle those questions. I won't reveal what happens... but either rent or buy these DVD's. Fans will definately not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Unreal!
Review: I am a big fan of animation. I've not seen the Kenshin serie, but when i watched this movie, i just can't wait the see all the rest of the Kenshin movie. Unlike the Kenshin serie, The OVA is much more serious stuff... all the fighting are much more detailed, the soundtrack is also awesome, it match the movie perfectly! The storyline is also very interesting and the movie itself incredibly well made...
It has a great deal of violence which i think is more suited for a mature audience. The movie is also not too long, 4 episodes, just enough to carry u away without getting you bored. It has everything in the movie, Action, Suspens, Violence and an incredibly nice romantic tale. This is a really must see!
Trust me!
Rating:
Summary: You cannot go wrong with this series...
Review: Short Version - This is part 1 of the two part Rurouni Kenshin OAVs, and although it has its share of flaws, it ultimately proved to be extremely worthwhile. A must-see for any serious anime fan or anyone serious about true art. Long Version - As a die-hard fan of Rurouni Kenshin, I could seriously hurt myself before giving anything involving Kenshin a rating of below three stars (see my review for the movie), but thankfully, this OAV series was just short of perfection. My 5 star rating is actually more like a 4 1/2, but I had to round up. Below, is the explanation for this as I rate several aspects of the OAV. Plot: "Trust" essentailly details the dark beginnings of our favorite rurouni (wandering masterless samauri) and is the long-awaited animated version of the Memorial Arc. Set in the year 1864 at a time of civil revolution, Himura Kenshin leads the afflicted life of a shadow assassin for his political faction, the Ishin Shishi. He is only a young boy himself, but every night when he receives a dark envelope with a single name inside, he must go out to commit murder. Drenched in human blood and unshakable memories, he longs to find inner peace. Will the mysterious young woman he meets one night outside a tavern be that salvation? Or, more importantly, can he afford to trust her with all the danger that stalks him?
Intricate and poignant, the plot of this OAV is the foundation upon which it stands. Not once does it falter in providing this support. 5/5 Pacing: This anime had an almost perfect pacing, like clockwork. The speed felt neither too slow nor too fast, although it did drag in a few places. But it wasn't too long before something happened to capture your full attention again. All in all, the pacing reflected the mood of Kenshin's life very well - a languid, dream-like sort of state where everything steadily flows forward without stopping, but you wish that you could halt for just a moment to take a look around at where you are. 4.5/5 Animation: This OAV gets much praise from both critics and fans alike for its "life-like" animation and rich backgrounds. However, I found the animation to be strangely wooden and uninspiring. The people especially looked quite disturbing when I first viewed them. They all had rather blank expressions, and even Kenshin looked like a rag doll. The backgrounds are draped in shades of black and dark greens, and, granted, this is supposed to be a very dark film, but I felt it was gratuitous in its sombreness. At many parts of the film, a lot of what's happening in the foreground simply blends into the background due to lack of contrast and this detracted from the viewing experience overall. Plus, the odd CGI shots thrown in were needless. 3.5/5 Music: ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!! If you watch this OAV series for any reason alone, it has to be for the music. In tune with the gloomy atmosphere, the music (composed by Taku Wasaki) is primarily composed of steady, drawn-out rhythms that bring to mind images of slow-motion sword battles and starless desolation. The battle music for the OAV is heart-pounding; made more so by the fact that the orchestra builds up masterfully and gradually to a climax - unlike a lot of other scores whose fight themes are simplistic banging of drums. There is no j-pop to be found here, nor the decidedly more electronic sound of the TV series' OSTs. Classical orchestra and woodwind sounds comprise the entire score - which is a wonderful thing. This is the type of score you can listen to in times of joy, in sadness, or even just when you want to fall asleep to something that'll inspire your dreams. Trust me, one listen and it'll all make sense. A very enthusiastic 5/5 Accuracy: The OAV is pretty good about accuracy although I did notice some deviations from the manga's original storyline. The OAV left out some parts from the manga that I thought were pretty important for the story. For one, the storyline was stripped of any possible spark of humour or lightness. In the manga, the story was still dark, but traces of cheer could be found at odd moments. Nothing like those here, and it irked me that Kenshin was made out to be completely devoid of the brighter emotions. But other than that, a commendable effort. 4/5 Voice Acting (seiyuu): The original voice actors from the TV series return for this OAV, with the talented Mayo Suzukaze as Himura Kenshin. Not many of the characters from the TV show showed up in the Bakumatsu, however (obviously), so the cast was mostly new actors. Not one of them were poorly chosen, however, as always, and the characters were all brought to life on the screen with believability and impeccable timing. If professional seiyuu can't emote, I don't know who can. 5/5 OVERALL: After averaging all the scores, we come up with 4.5, which would round up to a five. As I've covered, this anime was certainly not perfect - but it came pretty close. I am a huge fan of the TV series, and at first, I disliked the OAVs immensely, simply based on how different they were from the series I adored so much. But after several viewings, you come to appreciate and love the OAVs on their own, and not just because you can compare them to something else or to another anime series. The Rurouni Kenshin OAVs stand on their own as a pinnacle of Japanese animation, and "Trust" is without a doubt a strong and engaging prelude to the incredible second half. I recommend both DVDs with my most sincere enthusiasm and love for this series. You will not be disappointed.
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