Rurouni Kenshin
Information courtesy of Wikipedia
Rurouni Kenshin (るろうに剣心), a manga and anime series created by mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki, is set during the early Meiji period in Japan. The English versions of the OVAs as well as the movie are sold under the Samurai X name. In other countries, the TV series itself is known as "Samurai X", as explained later in this article.
The series tells the story of an assassin named Himura Kenshin, who was known as the Hitokiri Battōsai ("Man killer - Master of Battōjutsu"). Kenshin later grieves for all the lives he's taken, and vows that he will never kill again.
There are four animated Rurouni Kenshin series. るろうに剣心 "Rurouni" is a neologism created from the verb "ru," meaning "to wander," and "ronin," meaning "masterless samurai." A rough translation of the title would be "Kenshin the Wandering Swordsman". This became the English title of the first story arc.
- The TV series was set during the early Meiji period. In the United States, Rurouni Kenshin was the second most popular cable TV show for ages 13-17. The TV series was split into three approximate seasons, with the first 27 episodes generally following the Tokyo Arc, episodes 28-62 closely following the Kyoto Arc, and episodes 63-95 being "filler" non-manga based episodes designed to allow for the manga to get ahead a little. The anime series slid from high popularity after the Kyoto Arc to eventual cancellation before the Jinchū/Revenge Arc could be animated.
- A movie (Rurouni Kenshin: Ishin Shishi no Requiem/Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Patriots, called Samurai X: The Motion Picture in the English language release), which tells a story where Kenshin meets a samurai who is trying to start a revolution to overthrow the Meiji government.
- The first OVA series (Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen/Rurouni Kenshin: Recollection, split apart as Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal in the English language releases), set during the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate and telling of Kenshin's childhood and young adult life. Only a few characters from the TV series appear in this OVA, namely Kenshin, Kenshin's master, Hiko Seijūrō (Seijuro Hiko in the English anime), and Saitō Hajime (Hajime Saito in the English anime), as well as a cameo by Makoto Shishio in silhouette at the end.
- The second OVA series (Rurouni Kenshin: Seisōhen/Rurouni Kenshin: Time, called Samurai X: Reflection in the English language releases), set after the TV series and telling of Kenshin and Kaoru's later years, differs from the manga on many key plot points, such as Kenshin and Kaoru falling ill in the 1890's, and details in regard of the Jin-e and Enishi fights.
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