Alternative TitlesEnglish: Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal Synonyms: Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen, Rurouni Kenshin: Reminiscence Japanese: るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪漫譚―追憶編
Information
Type: OVA
Episodes: 4
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Feb 20, 1999 to Sep 22, 1999
Duration:
30 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.901 (scored by 40856 users)
Ranked: #122
Popularity: #202
Members: 63,345
Favorites: 2,267 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action drama historical romance samurai |
SynopsisIn the days before the Japanese Revolution, Hiko Seiijuro, a wandering master swordsman and hermit, encounters a bandit raid on a slave wagon. Hiko kills the raiding bandits in hopes of saving as many lives as possible, but only manages to spare one life from the massacre. Hiko leaves the child, advising him to go to the nearby village and have them take care of him. A few days later, as Hiko comes back to check upon the child he saved, he is shocked to see the child had created graves, both for the slaves he befriended and the bandits who killed them. Seeing potential in the young one, Hiko takes the child under his wing, names him Kenshin, meaning "heart of sword," and teaches him about the art of swordsmanship under the Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryu.
Struggling in a constant challenge with his ideal beliefs reflecting against the harshness of reality, Tsuiokuhen tells the melancholic and dark story of Himura Kenshin as one of the most feared assassins of the Japanese Revolution: the Hitokiri Battousai.
[Written by MAL Rewrite] |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Rurouni Kenshin Sequel: Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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TheCriticsClub
336 of 414 people found this review helpful
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4 of 4 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
There's a universally accepted truth as far as anime shounen stories go: nine times out of ten, the manga is better than the anime adaptation. While that is the case with Rurouni Kenshin as a whole, what Studio DEEN did with Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen can be called nothing short of a masterpiece. In the manga, Nobuhiro Watsuki describes Kenshin's past that's full of strife and hardship, but with a touch of comedy to help tone down the entire seriousness of the situation. Studio DEEN abolished what little comedy Watsuki went with and, along with flawless animation, a unique art style, and a beautifully composed soundtrack by Taku Iwasaki, Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen is an ideal example of as close to perfection as one can get.
Art/Animation - 9
Taking a step away from the style of the Rurouni Kenshin TV series, Tsuiokuhen takes a darker and more grim approach to its presentation. The first and most notable change from the TV series is the depiction of the various sword styles and their employment in the scenes, as well as realistic blood splatter. While the TV series emphasizes the effect and abilities of the techniques of these styles, Tsuiokuhen brings realistic swordplay into its story. Another noticeable changeover is the expressions of its characters: although in the TV series these characters are serious but still have comedic tendencies, all this is removed in these OVAs, leaving a serious tone for its story. In addition to these changes, Tsuiokuhen also has more of an emphasis on its setting through its animation. It is undeniably Japan under the Tokugawa Regime, the banners of the Samurai, rags worn by the slaves, and everything down to the buildings and clothes.
Sound - 9.7
This anime’s music soundtrack is both beautiful and intense. In addition, combining sword fights that sound like real sword fights, attention to sound effects, and the voice actors chosen, Tsuiokuhen’s sound is nothing short of brilliant. The voices of the characters are just another reason as to why this anime has a grim depiction as many are cold and basically emotionless, while other characters have either normal voice expressions or even upbeat tones. With such great story, characters, and animation, Tsuiokuhen could have easily loosened the reigns in the sound department, but instead this show doesn't stop short. The great sound selections really finalize and add polish to an already great show with the final result being a true masterpiece.
Characters - 10
Tsuiokuhen provides the foundation for what becomes one of anime's most likable and well developed characters in Himura Kenshin. A focus of this anime is Kenshin's growth as he transitions from adolescence to adulthood and his struggle as he comes to terms with his role in the world. Newcomers to the Rurouni Kenshin scene will be introduced to a wide variety of unique characters who play a prominent role throughout Kenshin's life. Fans of the historical/samurai genre will see familiar faces in Soushi Okita and Hajime Saito of the Shinsengumi. The swordmaster Seijuro Hiko also serves as a counterpoint to Kenshin's idealism with his jaded take on life and his belief that a sword is merely a tool for murder. Those already familiar with Kenshin as the vagrant samurai with a reversed blade sword will be treated to a glimpse into the background of the Hitokiri Battousai, his relationship with Tomoe, and the events that shaped Kenshin and gave direction to his life. Cameo's by Makoto Shishio and Enishi Yukishiro will seem more noticeable and somewhat nostalgic for those who have seen what they become and the role they play in Kenshin's future.
Story - 10
The story of Tsuiokuhen depicts the past of Himura Kenshin and how he became known as Hitokiri Battousai, all the way to the origin of his cross-shaped scar and his vow to never kill again. It shows Kenshin's trials and tribulations during the Bakumatsu and, as readers of the manga are familiar with, his relationship with both Yukishiro Tomoe and her little brother, Enishi. The beauty of what Studio DEEN has accomplished here lies within the dark, brooding and emotional way they went about narrating the story. Contrary to the aloof way the TV series was, Tsuiokuhen went with a more mature outlook, easily evident with the excessive blood and gore shown in all of the battles. And with telling the story in only 4 OVAs, the story never seems to slack, but stays intriguing from start to finish.
Enjoyment - 10
Tsuiokuhen manages to combine a high level of violence with a very dramatic historical storyline, which is quite an accomplishment since many shows often go overboard on either the gore, the action, or the narration. Here Studio DEEN has done a great job portraying the story in a very gritty, down to Earth style that lends seriousness to the historical and dramatic aspects of the show. At the same time, the violence is very raw, brutal, and shocking to the senses, but while there are fantastic sword fights, the focus remains on the purpose behind them. Combined with a subtle but chilling soundtrack, this lends an air of maturity to the show and contributes to the tumultuous and unsettling environment Kenshin has become a part of. While this OVA isn't very lighthearted, it is a very unique blend that will likely please most viewers and makes Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen a must see for any anime fan.
OVERALL - 9.74
This review is the final result of a review team composed of members from the "Critics and Connoisseurs" club. The team members were:
BlackMagic - Who wrote the Character and Enjoyment sections and combined the individual review parts together into a whole.
BURNlTHElPRIEST - Who wrote the Art/Animation and Sound sections.
vindemon64 - Who wrote the Introduction and the Story section.
Here are their individual scorings for the Anime:
Category - BlackMagic, BURNlTHElPRIEST, vindemon64
Art/Animation - 9, 9, 9
Sound - 9, 10, 10
Characters - 10, 10, 10
Story - 10, 10, 10
Enjoyment - 10, 10, 10
In the club wide poll held for Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen it received an average overall rating of 9.09 read more
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mistress_reebi
176 of 240 people found this review helpful
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4 of 4 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
Also named: "Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal", this is a prequel to the anime series 'Rurouni Kenshin."
One word for this anime: Amazing! It's so good that it's hard to decribe. This is one of the only anime series that will make the viewer's jaw drop to the floor and be filled with emotion. Those who are Rurouni Kenshin fans will love it; those who are new to the series will still like it. It's a drama and may not be as interesting among younger viewers and is more mature than the anime. Those who are sensitive to extreme violence and blood may want to turn their heads during some scenes.
The first episode is a little jumpy as it skips from past to present, which to non-Kenshin fans may be confusing. Besides the jumpiness, the plot is excellent. For a drama, the pacing isn't thin and slow and is perfect for the setting. The story to Trust and Betrayal is far more enjoyable than regular series. (which is enjoyable to begin with) The characterisation is somewhat shown in the series, and could be developed further. One learns that Kenshin is turning into a merciless manslayer when he slices a man in half, killing for the first time, and shows no emotion after. However, the other character's personalities aren't as developed.
The artwork is realist compared to Nobuhiro Watsuki's original concept, but is artwork at it's finest. Those who aren't into realist artwork will still find this series interesting to watch. They used computer three-dimension graphics, mostly in the backgrounds, but still kept unto the traditional animation. For traditional animation, it's one of the best.
The music will make one go in awe with it's use of a fulll orchestra. It creates moods and themes that also make the viewer full of emotion. The music is a main factor in making this OVA unbelievable, but it was already magnificent to begin with.
They hired the best actors in both casts for this anime. The Japanese Kenshin voice (Mayo Suzukaze) is a little too girly for the role and the English Tomoe voice (Rebecca Davis) is too emotionless it sounds like she is reading the script. The voices have a different tone than the regular anime series, which is a nice change. The OVA voices are realistic and set the drama tone, while the anime has exaggerated voices that are too cartoony. Even the Kenshin voice is different, but it's hard to decide which voice is suited better. (J. Shannon Weaver in OVA, Richard Hayworth in anime) The Landlady had the best acting performance in the English dubbed, but the acting was still great. More emotion could be used in characters, but the voices matched the characters.
This OVA has to be the most underrated anime known in the anime world. It was never a "fad" or a trend as most popular series start out, which is somewhat sad because this anime deserves attention. (Although fads are always hated in the end which shouldn't happen to this OVA) Everything about the OVA is wonderful from the music to the artwork. Anyone involved with this OVA worked extremely hard in putting effort and it clearly shows. This OVA should be on every anime fan's shelve.
read more
Recommendations
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Similar in depth and action, it's more emotional although not as realistic.
Both are very violent and bloody, and have as main plot big fights and killings, and also the main girl falling in love with her enemy (the main guy). Both have a very deep tragic end.
Both stories are about ninja/samurai and has the same essence.
A little bit of romance and blood and action too much!
Although Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen has to do with samurai and Basilisk involves ninja they are both similar in plot. Both of them are extremely tragic endings, and have intense fight scenes (though Basilisk more so than Rurouni Kenshin). Both of these series have great character development that watchers identify with, as well as extremely involved storylines. The Rurouoni Kenshin OVA is a bit more believable than Basilisk but each series is extremely enjoyable and sad, the historical allusion in both is excellent, and oddly enough the music in both is really very well done.
Both anime are about ninja's and the main character is in love with a woman. There is lots of violence, action and bloodshed involved. Basilisk has some weird characters with weird and sometimes absurd powers/techniques. Both stories are really good, serious stories.
Both are very bloody and violent. In both a girl falls in love with her enemy which is the main character. Both have tragic endings.
Rurouni Kenshin Tsuiokuhen is definetly like Basilisk. They carry the same sense of action and romance. The hint of romance in these two also makes these two extremely similar. Although Basilisk is about ninjas, Kenshin is about Samurai. Both are definetely worth watching.
Both spin a tale of men's lives being torn by the winds of time,
and of love that should not be.
A huge amount of blood, amazing fights and yet great character development contained.
Full of bloody moments, perfect fights, excelent drama moments
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Engaging historical stories of ninja and samurai with a very similar storyline and plenty of action, violence, and gore.
In both the protagonist is an homicidal ronin sword master who develops a romantic relationship with a beautiful woman encountered during his journey.
Both anime are extremely nice to watch and have the same tragic ending.
In both anime main characters are samurai.Both have a lot of action and violence.Both have a romantic story with dramatic ending.
Both anime's are a bit older (nineties). Both the main characters are samurai's and meet a woman during the story. Both anime's are quite serious and got action, violence and bloodshed. The differences are more or less that ninja scroll has some more nudity and contains a slightly more humor. Also do Ninja Scroll and Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen have some sort of sequel (series) but that's quite irrelevant for these stories.
Both are extremely gripping tales of love, loss and revenge that focus on a master swordsman with a habit for stabbing the crap out of everyone he meets.
Both storyline is in feudal japan(mainly in EDO), Swirling swords & awesome fighting techniques were u expect too see bloodshed and ripped clothing, TOPNOTCH animationstyle wich in both is one of a kind! from back in the days!
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Opening Theme"In Dreams" by Taku Iwasaki
Ending Theme"Quiet Life" by Taku Iwasaki
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