Rurouni Kenshin/ Samurai X Review

Rurouni Kenshin Review

Rurouni Kenshin is often said to be one of the all time classics of anime, and after watching it myself, I would have to agree. The anime followed a familiar style and story for me and I personally really enjoyed watching the granddaddy of swordsmanship anime. Long before the likes of Ichigo, Zoro or Gintoki were even a thought in the author’s cradles. This is the anime that our authors of today were inspired by, and many characters traits and stories you may find familiar from where modern authors have intergrated it into their own works. I would also like to point out that I am reviewing this based on my interpretation of the anime alone. However I am planning on reading the manga and I may or may not do a follow up review of it afterward.

Rurouni Kenshin the anime ran from 1996 to 1998 with a total of 94 episodes and was originally written and drawn by Watsuki Nobuhiro. Rurouni Kenshin is actually an unfinished anime as the last arc was unfortunately never animated.

Story:

Rurouni Kenshin is a story based around the story of Kenshi Himura. Kenshin is a former ‘man-slayer’ or ‘vagabond’ who was a highly skilled assassin during the Meji restoration, playing a key role in many turning points. Upon the end of the war he disappears from the battlefield swearing to never kill again. He makes an oath to only use his sword to protect in an effort to try to redeem all murders he committed during the war. Kenshin befriends Kaoru, Yahiko and Sanosuke and their story begins.

The story of Rurouni Kenshin is incredibly well written, with the initial setting proving endless material for the author to write into. The story will often shift from the past and the present as prior enemies and events are revealed. At the same time Kenshin’s past is slowly revealed, as we slowly learn more about how he came to be. As Kenshin quickly realises that he may try and let go of his past, but it will never let go of him. He is tested time and time and again in battle, all the while remaining at a constant disadvantage of not being able to kill anyone.

The story is set in 1870 Meji, where Samurai and swordsmen ship were at their peak just before their end due to the introduction of more modern weaponry. The story uses this setting to a unique advantage. Often introducing  foreign people  into the story that often create intense political situations that would have been common at the time. This builds a more realistic story that doesn’t entirely focus on swordsman ship, diversifying itself and creating a more interesting story overall.

Although well written, the story is not without imperfections. In the anime version the story peaks at the Kyoto arc and afterward things take a turn for the worse. Rurouni Kenshin also suffers from another terrible problem; filler. There are filler episodes throughout the series, which can prove frustrating if you have read the manga prior to watching the series. The peak of this frustration is all the content from the manga ending after the Kyoto arc and the remaining 30 episodes are filler.

Art and Animation

I’m not going to lie, the art and animation of Rurouni Kenshin is horrendously  out dated and will likely be the biggest hurdle for those hesitant about watching the show. The animation does pick up as it enters the fights and if you consider when if was made, you could even consider it impressive for its time. The art stays very close to the original manga art and that is a very good thing. The art and character design in the manga are very impressive. In a surprise but not a surprising way, I have drawn similarities to Bleach’s art style. Not just because of they both feature samurai, but because of the way the faces and fights are drawn. In summary, the Animation is very out dated and is major draw back for the show, but this does not mean the show is not work watching. The animation is still more than watchable and you feel almost a sense of appreciation for the times it was made in when watching it.

Characters and Development

The main characters in the show are Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko and Sanosuke, all of which are extremely oddball characters. The characters are all very unique with equally unique relationships between each other. Its easy to see that the author has invested heavily into each of their back-stories. Expressing both their individuality and personal problems that they address and overcome through the series. The most heavily developed character is Kenshin himself. He quickly grows to realise that his past will not leave him alone. When looking at the characters in the start of the series and comparing it to when it finished. You gain a real sense of appreciation for the time and effort that the author put into the development of these characters which benefits the overall plot greatly.

Music

There isn’t really much to say about the music as it is a similar situation to that of the animation. The music is not as noticeably out dated as the animation but occasionally you will hear a sound effect that sounds very similar to that of a previous action or the quality will simply not be there. I hold that same opinion for the music as I do the animation in saying that it is not necessarily ‘bad’ it’s simply dated.

Overall

Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X is one of the older animes that has laid the foundation for modern anime along with Cowboy Bebop, Akria, Yu Yu Hakusho and many others.  The show is incredibly well rounded with a solid, interesting story and strong characters that noticeably change over the series. The series does suffer in the animation and as a result of the period it was made. It does have some scenes which are a little cheesy to watch. This series has so many reasons that it needs to be remade and would be an injustice to such a great series if they didn’t. My advice would be to definitely watch this series, but I also understand that some might find the dated animation and older style a little too much to handle. If this were that case, I would recommend that you at least read the manga. The art is fantastic, is fully competed unlike the anime and you will still get the same fantastic story of Kenshin Himura. I give this series an 8.5 out of 10, inevitably losing points for the animation. If this was remade and completed without filler I would likely give it 9.5/10, a truly fantastic watch.

- Panda Slayer

Special thanks to SimpleProdutions for drafting assistance