Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan

Based on the actual Meiji Period of Japan, Rouruni Kenshin is a Shounen, Action, Adventure about a wandering samurai, "Kenshin". Even though he is a kind and friendly person, he carries a bloody past he wishes not to return to. This shounen anime starts of like any other as we are introduced to the characters the story revolves around (Kenshin) and we learn quite a bit about them. Also like the typical shounen anime, once all the main characters are together to form some kind of fighting team, it starts of with couple short random adventures. There's plenty of action and comedy here but itlacks substance and it is not until later on in the Kyoto Arc. That is when the story becomes truly interesting, with even more intense battles, drama and a decent array of characters to back it up. The characters are great and well developed, which is the sort of thing you'll expect from a shounen action series, of this calibre. But the character that truly stands out is "Kenshin", with his 3 contrasting personalities; dopy Kenshin, noble protector Kenshin and manslayer Kenshin and it is interesting how all of this is crammed into a single character. However there are a few brat-like characters that can get quite annoying at times but it doesn't take much away from the show. There were two things I had to consider when looking into the quality of the animation; the time it was made and how well it depicted scenes. The animation quality of RK is exactly what you'd expect from something made in the 90s however when it comes down to it, it is really good especially during the action sequences. It is able to show the true intensity of the intense fights however those kinds of fights happen to rarely in RK. The music on the other hand isn't all that special and there are only a few noticeable good tunes that go well, with the situations. The OP and ED themes are a range of catchy and annoying tunes however you'll definitely find some of them really enjoyable and hard to get out of your head. Another thing I just have to mention is that RK is one of those few anime that even a Sub anime fan like myself, actually prefered viewing the Eng. Dub version (uncut). Overall RK is definitely one of the classic Shounen anime series that every shounen anime fan must watch. There a great deal of action, comedy and drama; with a superb story to back it up. The characters are also well developed and bring forth some really emotional moments but some are just plain annoying. Also little things like stupidly thought-up enemies and the huge number of cheesy moments reduce the overall quality of this fine anime. Another thing that badly affected the series was that it ended with a bunch of fillers but if you don't get bothered by all this, then you'll definitely enjoy RK. ^_^

Absolutely horrible. I don't know what can make a series so unwatchable while its OVA and movies were fantastic. The lame excuses of jokes that this anime try to come up with makes you want to hop off a cliff. Kenshin totally does not possess the aura of a fighter but rather a klutz and fails at being funny. Even during the fights, it is just ridiculously stupid. E.g. forgot the name but there was this one villain who has a blade that reeks of the fats of the victims that he slaughtered in the past that when he fights his blade becomes coatedwith fire. I don't even know what to say to that, it's beyond retarded.

One of the more popular anime of the older generation out there is Rurouni Kenshin. If one is a fan of more of the retro productions or even for the more modern ones, most people have heard of this highly spoken of anime. I myself am more of a modern viewer; however, I gave Rurouni Kenshin a try and was surprised at the depth and entertainment this anime gave. Synopsis: Rurouni Kenshin is a series about a wandering samurai named Kenshin Himura. Before the current era, the Meiji era, Kenshin was known by a different name: Battousai the Manslayer. During the revolution fought to bring outa new era, Kenshin slayed many men and was one of the most feared among the assassins. His name was infamous among all of Japan. Now, in the Meiji era, Kenshin wanders to protect people with his sword. Story: 9 The story of Rurouni Kenshin had an intriguing plot that provided comedy, suspense, and tons of action. It is a shonen manga after all, so the action was one of the greatest assets to the story.The first 27 episodes are single episode or around 4 episode arcs. These mostly consist of Kenshin meeting new people, new enemies, and new allies. Each arc will show you more and more of just how strong not only Kenshin is, but also his allies. Although the arcs are short, there is plenty of plot and a lot of EPIC action. Whether its Kenshin or one of his allies, like Sanosuke, there will be some impressive fights. What makes Rurouni Kenshin LEGENDARY is the massive Kyoto arc. This arc consists of episodes 28-63. This arc is where the heart beating action takes place, and an intriguing plot that will have you going to the next episode before the ending animation even starts. This arc has epic battle after epic battle. It also contains the most heated fight I have ever scene in any anime. A fight so intense that my heart was beating a mile a minute. I was actually short of breath in the anticipation throughout the fight. Not just action, but the Kyoto arc is filled with plenty of drama and tender, touching moments as well. It was the perfect blend of action and drama to keep you glued in. The final episodes, 64-94, were just filler episodes. They were alright and did have some good elements in them, but they, in my opinion, failed in comparison to the main story. These consisted of mainly 1 episode entertainment episodes and around 5 episode story arcs. In truth, I actually liked the one episode stories better than the arcs. Although they did give some entertainment, they had no real connection to the main story. Animation: 9 For a 1996 anime, the animation was actually pretty good. The fight scenes were beautifully drawn and the characters were all different. Some of the best animation of the anime was actually the backgrounds. They were simply stunning and made you feel as if you were actually seeing ancient Japan. Whether it was the beautiful sakura trees, giant mountains, or ancient Tokyo, the animation was all purely done and strikingly depictic. Soundtrack:10 The soundtrack it one of my favorites among the anime I have seen. The background music is well chosen for each situation for you to feel sadness, anticipation, or even calm. It makes you feel the rush of battle, or the peace of just walking down the streets, and of course that emotion felt during those dramatic moments. In all. its a well rounded soundtrack that makes you feel all emotions in all moments. Characters: 10 Rurouni Kenshin is a masterpiece when it comes to its characters. Each character was unique in their own way. They all had their own personality that brought tears to your eyes in laughter or silent out of fear. It was actually hard to pick my favorite character at times because I actually liked most of them. They all had their own dramatic pasts that sculpted this unique personality you see before you. There is plenty of character development, enough to keep you intrigued and guessing what a character will do in a certain situation. One thing this anime had was really amazing villians. The main villain of the Kyoto arc, Shishio, is now one of my favorite villains of all time. He is truly evil, and is epic while being it. Each villain was unique and expressed their different attributes. They were vile, sympathetic, epic, and ingenious. Overall:9 Rurouni Kenshin is an anime that you can enjoy. If it weren't for those last fillers, this would definitely be a 10. It has many of the things one looks for in an anime: Action, Suspense, Drama, Romance, Comedy. It has some stunning animation for a 1990's anime and an all rounded soundtrack. For an older anime, this is truly a diamond in the ruff. For people who love retro anime, this anime is definitely a must watch for your collection. To the modern people, give this a try. Whether you need an epic action anime or something with an amazing story, Rurouni Kenshin doesn't disappoint.

Your deeds of the past is something you won't be able to evade, neither ignore in any way: it will always come back gnawing at you. This is the tale of Himura Kenshin, who once was a ruthless assassin in the past, in his quest of finding redemption from his previous actions. Rorouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan is a magnificent, well crafted samurai based anime with fantastic characterization and story, which is so rare to find these days. However, it is profoundly clear that the anime falls apart in the last third of its duration, due to fillers. ~Story~ The story of Rorouni Kenshin takes place inTokyo, former Edo, in the 11th year of the Meiji era 10 years after the Meiji restoration. Himura Kenshin, now a vagabond, turned his back on the revolution that took place in Kyoto in its turning point, his travels leading him to Tokyo. There he encounters a kendo master, former thief, brawler and doctor, where he is able to find solace, but not without facing the enemies that constantly surge from his past. The narration of the story is well executed. The first third of the anime is dedicated to the introduction of all the characters, while at the same time developing them, in addition to providing corresponding background stories. This part is mainly of episodic nature, yet some small arcs are present as well which gives good insight of the desolation of the samurai in the Meiji era due to the prohibition of using swords, as they find themselves out-of-place and struggle to survive. This was particularly well done in conveying these to the viewers, as you could really feel and understand the atmosphere and harships the people were going through. However, where the anime truly shines is in the second part, the Kyoto arc. This is where the anime as a whole makes huge improvements which is easily the main reason why it is so highly praised. It is filled with plot twists, intricate and well executed narration, as well as providing well fleshed out villains with coherent motives and dark pasts. All the different characters and events come together as a joint to later conclude with fantastic ending. The pacing was well done too, neither too long nor too quick. There fights are fantastic, but there are naturally flaws in it as well. Sudden power ups happen quite often as well, which is a little disappointing considering the high level of story telling; dialogues can be at times lackluster in the standalone episodes. But this is nothing compared with the last third of the anime, which is mainly composed of fillers. Fillers aren't bad on its own, yet they were very poorly written. This comes as no surprise, as the anime caught up with the manga. This doesn't excuse this however: it is plagued with bad narrative and story, in addition to having terrible characterization. It also floats away from focusing on feudal Japan, and starts introducing a lot of mythical non-sense, as well as a sudden unnecessary influx of foreigners that have no purpose other than to stretch out the story, in addition to boring fighting scenes. This mainly concerns episodes 63-94, and I would recommend anyone to avoid those. There some amusing moments, yet it isn't worth sitting through the remainder of the story. ~Characters~ The cast of characters in Rorouni Kenshin is large, yet appropriate for the setting. Audiences are introduced to vagabond samurai's, high-ranking governments officials, revolutionaries in hiding, you name it. As mentioned earlier, character development and fleshing out of those is one of the redeeming qualities of the anime. Himura Kenshin clearly undergoes the biggest character development, and fleshing out: he evolves from a cold and ruthless assassin to a man who vowed to never kill again. Nevertheless he struggles to maintain his composition, as being pushed to the limit by his foes he tries to avoid reverting to his older self. There is little background story provided for Kenshin, yet little bits of his past are shown, which nevertheless keeps the reader intrigued and the want for more. His past is more extensively explored in "Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen", which should be your next watch. Kenshin is not the only one that undergoes development; his near friends such Sagara, who evolves from being a simple thug to a more brightful person, or the evolution Yahiko in his sword skills. These are not that impressive in comparison, yet good to see. There is however the main female lead, Kaoru, and this character undergoes little to none character development which is very disappointing. She is your typical forceful and easily angered tsundere girl who serves no purpose in the story other than providing some comedic relief, and generating tension from some of the fights. Villains are no exception either: these are in fact were very well crafted, each with their own motives, while at the same time providing a background story to enhance the credibility of the characters. This is naturally only for the first 62 episodes of the anime, as the last third the villains characters worsen as story progresses. Some of the fights can be a bit silly, in the respect that inexperienced people can win from top-notch warriors, yet this was a small drawback. ~Animation and sound~ The animation quality of Rorouni Kenshin is certainly very well executed, especially considering it was done in the late 90's. The battle choreography was well done, fluid and detailed, yet it must be said that some fights can be rather uninteresting because of the usage of the same techniques. Backgrounds are well drawn and detailed, easily conveying the atmosphere of the 19th century Japan. Character design are easily distinguishable from each other, yet the female cast shared similarities with each other. The soundtrack used was one of the best, if not the best, I have listened to so far. These are well used in each different scene, especially when it begins with the more serious parts of the story. The viewer truly feels the atmosphere and tension in the air the story takes place in. I must mention that in the standalone episodes some of the OST's were overused. The voice actors performed their roles well, with characteristic dialogues and usage of words of the era, which at times could get a little bit annoying, as for example the case of Kenshin with his constant "gozaru". ~Enjoyment~ Rorouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan was overall a fantastic experience, with a fantastic story and narrative full of plot twists, in addition to having very good character development and fleshing out of these. The soundtrack used was great and very important to convey the overall atmosphere of the anime. This anime would have easily been a great show, was it not for the fact that the last third thwarted the anime too much. I personally would recommend anyone potentially watching this anime to avoid episodes 63-94, and proceed with Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen for the background story of Himura Kenshin. I highly recommend this anime to anyone with a slight interest in history of Japan or samurais in general. Thank you for reading.

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