Samurai X - Rurouni Kenshin

In 1868, after the end of the Bakumatsu war, the former assassin Kenshin Himura (Takeru Sato) promises to defend those who needs without killing and wanders through Japan with a sword with inverted blade during the transition of the samurai age to the New Age.

When Kenshin helps the idealistic Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei) from the gangsters of the powerful opium drug lord Kanryuu Takeda (Teruyuki Kagawa) that wants her school for his production of opium, Kaoru invites Kenshin to stay in the school. But the drug chemist Megumi Takani (Yû Aoi) escapes from Kanryuu and seeks shelter in the school. Meanwhile the killer Battosai is murdering police officers and leaving messages attached to their bodies. When the cruel Kanryuu poisons the population to get the school, and Kenshin and the street fighter Sanosuke Sagara (Munetaka Aoki) join forces to attack their common enemy.

"Rurôni Kenshin: Meiji kenkaku roman tan" is an excellent samurai movie with spectacular choreography of the fights and a good story. I have just learned that it is based on a manga and I really liked a lot. I saw this movie in the airplane and unfortunately my flight arrived and I did not see the conclusion of the story. The worst thing is that I will have to wait since this movie has not been released in my country yet. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Note: Fortunately Internet does exist and today (30 December 2012) I have just finished watching this awesome movie again, this time until the very end.

On 13 August 2016, I saw this film again on DVD.

I have never even seen a manga so approached this movie with no preconceptions or prior knowledge of the characters. A bit like seeing a Batman movie without ever having read a comic, I imagine. The result was a very pleasant surprise. The principle characters were largely convincing, the photography was very attractive and the story line reasonable given the limits of the genre. The fact that it kept me interested for the entire 2+ hours speaks for itself. I found the sub-titles very effective in keeping me involved which is normally not the case. I am not sure if they are integral to the movie or a third party add-on, but were much better than a dubbed English version which would have taken away much of the authenticity of the movie. I am looking forward to the next episode.

When I was a teenager, I used to love watching the highly-popular anime series called Samurai X (an international title otherwise known as Rurouni Kenshin in its native Japan) back in the late 1990s. Now, over ten years later, writer-director Keishi Otomo finally brings RUROUNI KENSHIN to life. At first, I was doubtful whether a live-action adaptation from such a popular manga can live up to its high expectation since most like-minded movie like this always ends up as a rip-off. But thankfully, fans of the anime/manga series will be (mostly) satisfied the way this first live-action adaptation of RUROUNI KENSHIN has turned out admirably.

The movie opens briefly on a gritty battlefield in 1869 during the battle of Toba-Fushima, where a young samurai named Hitokiri Battosai (Takeru Sato) almost single-handedly defeated a score of enemies. He walks away from the battlefield as the Empire is finally declared victory and thus a new era has born.

Ten years later, Battosai becomes a wanderer and now calls himself as Himura Kenshin. He vows himself not to kill people anymore and even carries a reverse-edged sword. He arrives in a countryside of Japan and subsequently meets Kamiya Kaoru (Emi Takei), the owner of a fencing school used to run by her late father. After Kenshin manages to save her from getting killed by a fake Battosai named Jin-e (Koji Kikkawa) and also helps her to stop a group of thugs trying to take over her dojo, he moves in with her. Apart from them, Kaoru also has an orphaned boy named Myojin Yahiko (Taketo Tanaka) who happened to be her only student.

Meanwhile, Jin-e is actually a hired ex-samurai who works for a wealthy businessman named Kanryu Takeda (Teruyuki Kagawa). Takeda is also a notorious criminal who runs a huge opium operation. Megumi (Yu Aoi), who is being forced to make opium, manages to escape from his mansion and subsequently seeks shelter at Kaoru's dojo. Things get worse when a number of innocent people around the countryside are suffering from rat poison in the community wells, but luckily Megumi, who used to be a healer, manages to cure them with sufficient medication. She knows that this is the work of Takeda, and prompts her to return to his mansion so she can kills him. However, she fails to do so and ends up being a hostage. To save Megumi, Kenshin and his newfound friend, Sagara Sanosuke (Munetaka Aoki), who was a street brawler, make their way to Takeda's mansion and settle the matter once and for all.

Most of the cast are spot-on excellent. Takeru Sato is excellent as the titular character and he certainly looks the part fans have to use to see him in the anime series -- his trademark red-haired and long ponytail, curvaceous lips, wide eyes, his outfit and even the way he runs, jumps and draws his sword. Not only that, fans will also be delighted with Sato's signature delivery, "oro?" as well. As the street brawler Sagara Sanosuke, Munetaka Aoki carries that familiar rough-and-tumble attitude effectively, while Teruyuki Kagawa is gleefully over-the-top as the villainous Kanryu Takeda. The rest of the supporting cast are equally captivating -- ranging from Yu Aoi, Koji Kikkawa and even Taketo Tanaka. The only (slight) disappointment is Emi Takei as Kaoru. Her character is supposed to be a tomboy-ish type, but yet she is too pretty to pull off the part convincingly. Most of the time you'll see her more of a damsel-in-distress than a so-called tough vixen she meant to be.

RUROUNI KENSHIN is particularly noted for its impeccable technical values here. It is clear that Keishi Otomo has poured his heart to make this live-action adaptation as stunning as possible. The art direction and costume design are perfectly detailed, while Takuro Ishizaka's lush cinematography is right on target. The action sequence is also top-notch. The sword-fights choreography is fast and furious, yet it's well-staged with an adequate help of elegant slow-motion. The particularly final 30 minutes is downright entertaining -- Kenshin vs. Gein (Gou Ayano), the masked ex-samurai; Sanosuke vs. Banjin Inui (Genki Sudo) in a brutal fisticuffs; and of course the final sword-fight between Kenshin and Jin-e in a forest. Added to the excitement is Naoki Sato's energetic score which often gives the already well-choreographed action scenes a much-needed kinetic boost.

The movie has its flaw, though. Clocking at over two hours long, the story feels laborious at times, especially in the middle section. At the same time, the movie is a bit overlong as well. But such flaw is forgivable because RUROUNI KENSHIN manages to accomplish a rare feat for being a highly-satisfying, Japanese live-action adaptation I've ever seen so far.

Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy is the best anime based live action movie ever! All three of it are the best. I didn't really appreciated the anime series when I was a kid but then I grew up and I saw the first movie. I was like, "Wow, even live action movies based on an anime is possible!" Because of this movie, I'm now interested to watch the anime series.

The story was great, the characters were also great, even the setting. This is the movie that made samurai battles more realistic. As anime fan, I also like this movie from start to finish. The sequels were also great and I might review those in the future.

In conclusion, Rurouni Kenshin is a must watch especially to Samurai X fans and other anime fans out there.

Relying on the familiar narrative of a warrior who tries to shed his violent past in pursuit of a peaceful existence, this live-action adaptation of the highly popular manga and anime series (sometimes known as 'Samurai X') based on the well-known Civil War hero Himura Kenshin makes one wonder why there aren't more of such films coming out of Japan. To say it is good is an understatement, because director Keishi Otomo's film really is a rip-roaringly entertaining samurai movie that packs a riveting punch.

We'd have to admit that we aren't acquainted with Nobuhiro Watsuki's original shonen manga nor the anime series that followed, so we won't be able to inform fans of the former or the latter if this adaptation stays close to its source material. From what we have gathered though, Otomo – who co-wrote the screenplay with Kiyomi Fujii – has taken from the first two story arcs of the series, namely Kenshin's vendetta with an opium dealer during the early years of the Meiji Restoration as well as his harrowing past during the Civil War that led to the cross-shaped scar on his face.

When we are first introduced to Kenshin, it is already the deciding battle of the revolution - the battle of Toba-Fushima in 1868 – and amid stark sobering scenes of bloodshed and death, Kenshin, better known as the fearsome 'Battosai the Killer', slices the last remaining cohorts of the Shogunate. As news spreads of the Emperor's victory, Kenshin is content to ditch his sword for the solitary life of a wanderer – even as his fellow samurai, Jin'e (Koji Kikkawa), warns him that a samurai lives and dies by the blade.

Ten years later, Kenshin has pretty much managed to live his choice of seclusion, before running one day into Kaoru (Emi Takei). Kaoru runs the fencing school left to her by her father, a school whose name has however been vilified for being that of 'Battosai' widely believed to be responsible for a string of murders around Tokyo. A psychopathic warrior who manages to escape death from Kenshin's blade in the battle has assumed the name of 'Battosai' and now goes about doing the bidding for the ruthless businessman Kanryu (Teruyuki Kagawa).

Rapacious for power, Kanryu amasses his own private army of ex-samurai, most of them he wills into his service by getting them hooked on a special brand of opium he develops with reluctant pharmacist Megumi (Yu Aoi). Kenshin is forced to revisit his deadly ways when Kaoru, whom he develops an affection to, is threatened first by a sudden run-in with Battosai and later on when Megumi seeks refuge from Kanryu's men at the dojo. The only difference? Kenshin now fights with a 'reverse sword', or simply one with the sharp edge reversed.

Truth is, you can pretty much guess where the story is headed, but what makes the movie so enjoyable is the exhilarating fight choreography from action director Kenji Tanigaki. Indeed, the best parts are when we see Kenshin wielding his sword against numerous other opponents, even without the benefit of a lethal blade. Tanigaki ensures that the action is never repetitive, and each sequence boasts its own balletic rhythm to keep you engrossed. Unlike some wuxia films, Tanigaki also opts for a realistic style even with the requisite wirework, offering his audience the spectacle of fluid and furious swordplay without the exaggerated embellishments.

In between the clashing of swords, Otomo stages confidently the bond that develops between Kenshin and Kaoru. Rather than conforming their relationship to some formulaic romance, both characters are allowed to play out a more complex relationship that is entwined with Kenshin's own demons from the past. And in that regard, it is fortunate that both Sato and Takei are better actors than to resort to the melodramatic trappings of TV romances where both hail from, with both performers also sharing a graceful chemistry with each other.

That they are able to deliver such nuanced performances is also to Otomo's credit, who directs the movie with an assured hand. Rather than the slapstick humour we are told is part and parcel of Kenshin's character in the manga, Otomo opts for a more down to earth portrayal, so even the light heartedness is never overplayed. Similarly, Otomo drops the exposition on the various schools and techniques of kenjitsu, and keeps to having some other character name the cool-sounding move that Kenshin executes whenever it is expedient.

It is inevitable given its origins that fans of the manga and anime will bring their expectations to bear on this live-action version. Nonetheless, in going for a more true-to-life feel, this adaptation is, in our opinion, all the better for it. It's not one of those Yoji Yamada samurai movies, nor is it anywhere close to Takashi Miike's '13 Assassins', but this is solid blockbuster entertainment with universal themes of pacifism, vengeance and love packed with a distinct Nippon flavour.