Rurouni Kenshin (2012)

Rurouni Kenshin (2012)

7/10

Starring

Takeru Satoh

Emi Takei

Directed by Keishi Ōtomo

In the 90s there was an anime series that I and my peers looked forward to seeing daily, we tried not to miss an episode of the swordsman and one time Samurai Hitokiri Battōsai, as he goes about helping villagers and bringing down oppressors.

The Manga series of Hitokiri Battōsai was successful enough to spring out an Anime (cartoon) series and after a long wait of 13 years this wonderful live action movie of the tales of Hitokiri Battōsai/Rurouni Kenshin was done.

Continuity is the movies strong point, and that was nothing compared to the fluidity of the fighting style displayed. The fight coordinator and the director Keishi Ōtomo made sure that the fame and the skill of Hitokiri Battōsai that we have seen and read of in the Anime and Manga was well portrayed. The actor Takeru Satoh, was also a high point in the movie as transformation from Anime to live action can be sometimes difficult as some of the motions in a cartoon can’t be well adapted, but Satoh tried and it was impressive.

The film like the Manga and Anime focuses on fictional events that took place during the early Meiji period in Japan, it follows the stories of Hitokiri Battōsai who was a former Samurai who gave up fighting and uses a reverse edge sword, so as not to part take in killing anymore.

The movie shows how he went about trying to live a sword free life and yet keeps falling into situations that he has to draw the sword again.

After the Samurai X days in the 90s all that many of us fans had was just memories of the past and many collected the whole anime episodes to watch as often as they please.

So when I happen to stumble on this movie I was curious to see if they will do justice to one of the best cartoons of the 90s, and when watching this film I actually believe that the producers did a good job and I do hope a sequel will be made of this.

The sad thing I had to face while watching this movie is the fact that I had to wait over 35 minutes to see Kenshin take on a gang, that first scene was so impressive that I just had to rewind to see it again, this is one of the coolest movies to see, and I recommend it to all Samurai X fans.