Rurouni Kenshin


Reviewer:	Iryl
Email:		Private.
Website:	http://www.hugglebunny.com

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The Anime


Episodes:	95
Seasons:	3
Movies:		1
OVA:		2

Price:		$122.53 Premium DVD Box Set (amazon.com)
		$25.00 OAV DVD (amazon.com)
		$28.31 DVDs (amazon.com)
		$28.00 DVD Movie (amazon.com)
		$4.74 VHS Subtitled in English (amazon.com)
		$8.00 VHS Dubbed in English (amazon.com)


Rated:		PG

Catagories:	Action
		Romance
		Comedy
		Drama
		Historical

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Review


Synopsis:	Kenshin, a sweet, gentle red-haired man, was the most
		powerful assassin of the revolution.  Rurouni Kenshin
		begins ten years after the success of the revolutionary
		war when Kenshin has been travelling with a no-kill policy
		and a heart open to helping others.  He encounters
		Kaoru, who takes him in despite his past, and 
		suddenly Kenshin finds new friends in his new home.
		Unfortunately, he also finds old enemies who bear 
		grudges, and new enemies who want to prove their worth
		by beating the strongest man to ever live.

Age Rating:	There is a lot of violence, but people rarely
		die and excessive gore is not an issue.  If someone is
		killed, it is viewed as a terrible act and Kenshin gets 
		kind of angry.

Adult Content:	One of the badguys at the beginning (Shishio) has a 
		sexy companion (Yumi).  Her shoulders and a little
		cleavage is the only thing to worry about with her.
		One of this same man's warriors, the Scythe-Woman,
		is in love with Shishio and is, in fact, a man.  A
		drag queen, if you will.  Feelings are not
		reciprocated.

Magic:		There are certain "abilities" that some characters
		develop -- such as one man's ability to use his 
		fighting ki (his swordsman's spirit) to stun those
		around him, affecting different levels of paralysis.
		This is not, however, seen as magic.  This is instead
		depicted as a warrior's talent which all warriors could
		cultivate if they had the patience and will.
		This is primarily a historical (not historical as in
		"trying to relate historically accurate events" but
		as in "trying to tell the story in a time period that
		really existed") story, and has reasons for why people
		can do odd things.  Even Shishio, who can light his
		sword on fire, can do so only due to real facts.

Overall -- What You Really Want to Know:
		Rurouni Kenshin is funny, dramatic, and action-packed.
		A small, feminine-looking uber-warrior is fun to watch,
		and the characters are well-developed and wonderful.
		Kenshin's old reputation catches up with him time and
		again.

		The story is usually highly enjoyed by both genders.
		The boys like the action and the girls like the cute
		art style.  Also, the girl Kaoru is a very strong
		female role-model, being a teacher of no-kill
		swordsmanship and developing a very healthy love for
		Kenshin.  Romance is subtle, which should please
		parents.  Mostly it is the touching of a hand or a hug.
		
		The anime is entertaining, but the story quality drops
		a little each season.  Considering how great the first
		season (the Shishio arc) is, this is disappointing.
		The last few story arcs are anticlimactic.  Very minor
		characters have bigger roles than the main characters,
		and Kenshin seems to be there only as a token "I'm 
		supposed to be the main character" sidekick.
		This doesn't mean that the anime isn't worth watching
		-- the first few arcs (storylines) are lovely, and
		between each arc are two pointless funny episodes.
		These are worth seeing.

		The manga has a more refined art style and tighter
		plot.  It goes further than the anime in the timeline
		(the anime never has Kaoru and Kenshin "getting
		together," which is disappointing for romantics).
		It also has notes from the author, character profiles,
		and little extra stories.

		Some facts checked or obtained from:
		http://www.the-oro.com/


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