The adventures of a young wandering swordsman who stumbles upon a struggling martial arts school in Meiji era Japan.The adventures of a young wandering swordsman who stumbles upon a struggling martial arts school in Meiji era Japan.The adventures of a young wandering swordsman who stumbles upon a struggling martial arts school in Meiji era Japan.
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If you're looking for a great samurai story it doesn't get much better that Ruroni Kenshin.
Kenshin is just about the best samurai to ever pick up a blade, but now that Japan has settled into the peaceful Meiji period guys like him are no long needed. In fact, ex-samurai are scorned by the public in general. So Kenshin sets out to try and find a normal life for himself. In time Kenshin finds a home and friends in a Tokyo dojo but ghosts from his past keep popping up as do people out to destroy the new government. Kenshin, who has vowed never to kill again, isn't about to let anyone disrupt the new life he's built for himself. So such times come he reluctantly heads out to knock some heads.
I really just can't get over how great this show is. Richly draw characters, great action, compelling stories, romance, humor and more all set against a very real felling backdrop of late 1870's Japan. RK works not only as a good anime, but historical show as well.
One other thing I like about the show is the villains. RK's creator (whose name escapes me at the moment) is an admitted fan of American comics and you can see that in some of the villains. Psycho killer Jin-E bears an (pardon the expression) uncanny resemblence to Gambit from the X-Men. I've also seem elements of characters like Spawn, Wolverine, Omega Red, the Absorbing Man, the Incredible Hulk and Daredevil in some bad guys. Really cool.
In short, Kenshin is a show that belongs on the shelf of anyone who calls themself an anime fan.
Kenshin is just about the best samurai to ever pick up a blade, but now that Japan has settled into the peaceful Meiji period guys like him are no long needed. In fact, ex-samurai are scorned by the public in general. So Kenshin sets out to try and find a normal life for himself. In time Kenshin finds a home and friends in a Tokyo dojo but ghosts from his past keep popping up as do people out to destroy the new government. Kenshin, who has vowed never to kill again, isn't about to let anyone disrupt the new life he's built for himself. So such times come he reluctantly heads out to knock some heads.
I really just can't get over how great this show is. Richly draw characters, great action, compelling stories, romance, humor and more all set against a very real felling backdrop of late 1870's Japan. RK works not only as a good anime, but historical show as well.
One other thing I like about the show is the villains. RK's creator (whose name escapes me at the moment) is an admitted fan of American comics and you can see that in some of the villains. Psycho killer Jin-E bears an (pardon the expression) uncanny resemblence to Gambit from the X-Men. I've also seem elements of characters like Spawn, Wolverine, Omega Red, the Absorbing Man, the Incredible Hulk and Daredevil in some bad guys. Really cool.
In short, Kenshin is a show that belongs on the shelf of anyone who calls themself an anime fan.
Excellent!A good story,the best animation ever!I love this series.The story of a samurai who wants a new life and protect the people.The music is superb,and the action scenes are fantastic.This is a good drama.10\10
Ruroni Kenshin (Known in Samurai X in the US) is one of the greatest animes of all time. Ruroni Kenshin has everything an anime fan could want: a compelling story, interesting characters, and equal amounts of bloodshed and character development. I have seen a few episodes of the subtitled version and the first two OAV's "Trust" and "Betrayal.
I recommend both of them, but the subtitled version is much better.
If you haven't seen it before, then buy it (don't rent) and add it to your anime collection. It is an essential anime title for the anime fan I also recommend Ghost in the shell, Ninja scroll, the Dragonball Z and Gundam series
I recommend both of them, but the subtitled version is much better.
If you haven't seen it before, then buy it (don't rent) and add it to your anime collection. It is an essential anime title for the anime fan I also recommend Ghost in the shell, Ninja scroll, the Dragonball Z and Gundam series
I must say that this is THE BEST ANIME I have EVER seen!!! It definitely is the perfect mix of romance, story, history, mystery, and all other good things all rolled into one series!
I especially love it because of its strong storyline and characters. Every character has a history and this anime has been created in a way that allows them to show you that background on each character, making each character all the more interesting. I also like the subtle romance it portrays and the way that it intertwines real Japanese history with fiction - that was probably the best part, actually.
Anyway, from the first episode, I was hooked...I was so hooked, I finished the series within like a month and half. Now, I'm on to reading the manga, which is just as good as the anime. This is one anime that I can watch over and over and not get bored of!
I especially love it because of its strong storyline and characters. Every character has a history and this anime has been created in a way that allows them to show you that background on each character, making each character all the more interesting. I also like the subtle romance it portrays and the way that it intertwines real Japanese history with fiction - that was probably the best part, actually.
Anyway, from the first episode, I was hooked...I was so hooked, I finished the series within like a month and half. Now, I'm on to reading the manga, which is just as good as the anime. This is one anime that I can watch over and over and not get bored of!
This is one of the most memorable and most recognizable anime I know, with a cast of great characters and story lines and funny sub-plots, it's everything you'd want to see in an anime. It starts out as Kenshin Himura a wanderer in the Meiji era, ends with a kendo teacher Kaoru Kamiya, and he starts living with her, and eventually she finds out this is no ordinary traveler, this is Battousai, the slasher! An infamous samurai who killed a lot of people in his past. But finds him to be a sweet gentle man who is kind towards children, who wants to restore peace, and end his days as a slasher. Later more characters appear, Yahiko, and then Sanosuke, then Megumi. A great cast with very dark and dramatic backgrounds filled with tragedies. Every episode seems to give each character some background and info and their dark secrets. The soundtracks are also great, I love the one by L~Arc~Ciel in the latter episodes. The sword fighting is also cool, and unforgettable. But wait, a few characters portrayed or based on actual people, like Saitou Hajime and Aritomo Yamagata, oh my, I wonder if they were really like that in real life, I mean their personalities as seen here. Anyways recommended to all anime fans, and to non-anime fans who are not familiar with anime yet, forget Dragon Ball or Pokemon, watch this.
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Did you know
- TriviaOne of the main characters, Hajime Saitoh, was a real person. Saitoh was a swordsman for the Shinsen Gumi throughout the last days of the Bakufu (Shogunate) government and the fighting leading up to the Meiji Restoration. After the defeat of the Shogunate, he did obtain a job in a provincial police organization, where he spent his days before this death near the end of the century.
- Quotes
Hajime Saito: I'll kill you now.
Kenshin Himura: "I'll kill you now"? That's my line.
- Crazy creditsThe USA Region 1 Media Blasters DVDs have overlays over the Japanese credits.
- Alternate versionsThere is a alternate English dub version called "Samurai X" which aired in various Asian countries.
- ConnectionsEdited into Rurouni Kenshin: Volume 6: The Flames of Revolution - Outtakes (2000)
- SoundtracksFreckles
(Opening theme)
Original lyrics by Yuki (as Yuki Isoya)
Original composition by Kaito Onta
Original Japanese version Performed by Judy and Mary
English Version Performed by Sandy Fox
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Rurouni Kenshin
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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