Media Announcement

July 13, 2021

     Back in 1994, a Japanese show called, Rurouni Kenshin, snuck into the world’s anime consciousness. Based on the 1994 manga comic, this animated series struck a sweet-tooth nerve with fans of the genre, mainly because the protagonist, Rurouni Kenshin, was at one time the most feared assassin of their time. And yet, he gives it all up one day, to wander alone through the countryside, attempting to find ways to make up for all the harm and violence he has caused. This is a very unique, archetypical character, the Lone Wanderer, with a revenge/redemption arc. The animated series that I saw lasted 95 episodes, and this is where I draw most of my Kenshin appreciation from.

     However, recently a live-action film version has made itself known, impressing overseas audiences for almost a decade now. In 2012, the first of a trilogy of Kenshin films came out: “The Beginning.” Then the second film, “Kyoto Inferno” and the third, “The Legend Ends” round out a lavish production of this famous anime character. Many viewers of martial arts cinema have praised this Kenshin trilogy for being accurate to the anime, for showcasing some beautiful fight choreography, and decorating the environments with incredible art-production. The actor, Takeru Satoh, takes on the role of Rurouni Kenshin and has a lot to accomplish besides just standing in front of a green screen. He’s got to personify a beloved cartoon character that happens to be an expert swordsman. So, the role entails a great deal of physical ability and sword skill. It can’t be easy, but Takeru manages to make it look that way.

     Overall, it’s a little confusing… There’s the trilogy, and then, in 2021, the same collection of filmmakers decided to put out two additional films. One of them, “Rurouni Kenshin: The Final,” is now available to see on Netflix. It contains the same director, actor, choreographer, etc… from the original trilogy, which immediately makes it appear familiar in all its elements. When I researched the original trilogy for purchase, I could not find a copy of any of the first three films for sale at UNDER 100 bucks. It was no longer available in hard copy. However, the films can be viewed through Amazon Prime for a rental fee.

     That made me think - if someone was to jump in and watch the film currently available on Netflix without any prior understanding of the franchise or the characters from the cartoons, they would be absolutely lost. “The Final” is the 4^th film and it is fairly necessary to have seen the first three. So, with this blog, I am clarifying if this film series interests you. I believe it’s strange that the earlier films weren’t available on Netflix before the current iteration was shown. There’s nothing we can do about it, so we may as well figure out how best to enjoy this series.

     Initially, it’s the anime cartoon that really captures the character-focused, martial arts drama at its best (Well, except for the awful theme song). The episodes are only 25 minutes long too, and can be digested easily. Once you’ve seen at least 10 episodes, the show becomes addicting and one can leap through all 95 episodes quickly. I would recommend this. It’s available on Funimation, YouTube, and cartoon sites like, www.wco.tv (Watch Cartoons Online). Make the effort. It’s so worth it.

     Then there’s the world of live action films, in which obviously I would recommend renting the trilogy to start. Next, you’ve got additional films from 2021. At that point, you should be filled with Rurouni Kenshin goodness. If you require more, there’s A LOT of info on YouTube. Feel free to check it out!