Alternative Titles
Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Romantan; Samurai X
Information
Type: Manga
Volumes: 28
Chapters: 255
Status: Finished
Published: Sep 2, 1994 to Nov 4, 1999
StatisticsScore: 8.701 (scored by 3600 users)
Ranked: #252
Popularity: #15
Members: 5,157 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action drama historical samurai shounen |
Synopsis140 years ago in Kyoto, with he coming of the American "Black Ships," there arose a warrior who, felling men with his bloodstained blade, gained the name Hitokiri , man slayer! His killer blade helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu era and slashed open the progressive age known as Meiji . Then he vanished, and with the flow of years, became legend. (Source: Viz) |
Related MangaSequel: Rurouni Kenshin: Yahiko no Sakabatou
Adaptation: Rurouni Kenshin
Side story: Rurouni Kenshin: Voyage to the Moon World
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Well, Buso Renkin may not be as great as Rurouni Kenshin, but both are by the same manga-ka and both have lots of action and a fair amount of humor. All Kenshin fans need to check out Buso Renkin.
Busou Renkin is written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the manga-ka of Rurouni Kenshin. Like Rurouni Kenshin, Busou Renkin is a lot of action, with just the right amount of comedy and romance thrown in.
Busou Renkin is another great series authored by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the man responsible for Rurouni Kenshin. It shares the same mix of intense action, good story, great character development, and light-hearted humor. If you enjoyed the overall feel of Kenshin at all, then Busou Renkin is something you really should read.
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If you liked the Rurouni Kenshin manga, as I'm sure thousands of u do, then check out Vagabond: another manga about a ronin just trying to get by in post revolutionary Japan ... except that he could kick Rurouni Kenshin's lily ass!! Seriously, check it out if u like samurai manga, I swear you won't be dissappointed.
If you enjoyed Kenshin, Vagabond should be up your alley. Main character is a swordsman, takes place in Japan, historical fiction, great story and great characters.
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Art |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
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Mar 8, 2008255 of ? chapters read 30 of 39 people found this review helpful As we move closer and closer to the next decade, it seems like we keep on getting farther and farther away from amazing samurai stories. With possibly the recent exemption of Samurai Champloo and Gintama (which, to be fair, aren't your typical Meiji era samurai story, there seems like an apparent lack of new series that features your traditional Japanese samurai. Well, new series that are actually entertaining and interesting to read. The mid-90's and the turn of the century saw the ...unveiling of many great series (most still ongoing) like Vagabond and Blade of the Immortal, which truly define and really sets the standards of your traditional samurai story, though not your typical mainstream stuff. That is where Rurouni Kenshin comes into play. Nobuhiro Watsuki has really defined the standard of this genre, since his story was arguably the most mainstream and popular of the three. With the anime receiving mixed reviews because of the mistreatment of its final season (which were all fillers), its important to go back to the original manga counterpart and review what exactly sets apart Rurouni Kenshin from other manga and anime, and really, why when people hear the name of this series, have the tendency to group it with the elite of japanese work.
We begin with the story. Himura Kenshin, whose character is loosely based off a real life samurai during the Japanese Revolution back in the mid-1800's, is known as the dreaded Hitokiri Battousai and for some reason, he left the revolution halfway with a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, a reverse-blade sword and a vow never to kill again. Simply with this much information that is revealed at the beginning of the story, we get a sense that Kenshin's past must have been full of strife, hardship and events which turned him away from the life of a hitokiri to that of a wanderer (rurouni). And simply put, that is where the broad story feeds off of. As you begin to read the manga, you are unfolded to events which will reveal his past to you, all the way up to the final chapter. Not only does this keep everything interesting, but it really gives you a chance to dive into the mind of Himura Kenshin and actually feel what he has felt, see what he has seen, and literally, witness Kenshin's developing character from start to finish. Watsuki has almost flawlessly done this as advertised, with three main arcs to his story - the Tokyo arc, the Kyoto arc and the Jinchuu (Revenge) arc - the latter two really the main players in defining this series.
Another feature that gets easily overlooked in Watsuki's legendary story is the art. I feel when people look at manga as a whole, they look at all the obvious elements of plot, character, etc., but a major categoy that is a factor in the enjoyment score is how well has the series been drawn. Is it consistent? How detailed? And most importantly, do I actually know what the hell is going on, especially during battles? Each of these questions are answered positively in the art as the character models and designs do stay consistent with the mid-1800 feel and culture. The environments, though not intricately as designed as other series, do hold up in its own right, but prevent that "outsanding" score. And the nice part with Rurouni Kenshin is that Watsuki has done a decent good job in drawing the flow of battles to the point where you're not questioning yourself what just happened. Although, some of the sword techniques some characters have will make you stare at the page and be like, "is that even physically possible?"
The character development of Himura Kenshin really comes alive through his dialogue and interactions with the other characters. Well, one might think, "of course this would be the case," but the fact of the matter is that most of the characters that you witness this kind of relationship all have some vendetta or hatred against the Battousai, which makes it all the more interesting to see how Kenshin goes about putting to rest not only these characters, but also his inner hitokiri self. And for as much as these characters bring out the worst in him, it is evenly balanced with his daily, ever growing relationship with Kaoru Kamiya. These interesting character relations and interactions are augmented prodigiously during the Kyoto and Jinchuu arcs, where you get to see the other, more deadly, side of Kenshin for the first time. I will say that some of the characters will make you question what exactly was the manga-ka thinking when he created them, but after watching them in battle, it'll be a simply afterthought.
Witnessing Kenshin go through all these ordeals is what really makes the manga so interesting. With his belief and vow of never to kill again, you really wonder sometimes if he is able to keep it, as there are many circumstances which really push Kenshin's psyche to the limit and even at times, his hitokiri side is unveiled. This is really, in my eyes, what makes the story so enjoyable to read. Every avenue of Kenshin's past, present and future is explored in heavy detail, leaving you with a fulfilled story, an actual complete ending and a truly satisfied feeling of nirvana (okay, maybe I'm stretching it a little bit, hehe), but you get the point. To say the least, the story is captivating, especially if japanese samurai, traditional sword-style battles that don't drag on, are things you are looking for in a manga.
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Art |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
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Apr 30, 20088 of ? chapters read 14 of 21 people found this review helpful Rurouni Kenshin is an older samurai manga that still holds a lot of fun and action to please most current day fans.
Rurouni Kenshin's story is rather long but it keeps you interested nonetheless. The story does a great job at accurately portraying Meji Era Japan giving the reader a neat look into Japan's past. The series has plenty of action but there are some instances that make the fighting seem repetitive (the opposing samurai get pretty over the top at times). Being over 10 y...ears old as of today, the series art looks slightly dated. After the first six or so volumes though it gets more crisp and clean. The series is one of the best at blending comedy with romance. The romance in the series never shows itself as too over the top yet it still remains very funny. The romance does a good job at switching moods too, from funny to serious without making it seem awkward. Rurouni Kenshin is a shonen title, but it is a bit more mature than most other shonen titles. Time may be catching up to Rurouni Kenshin, but it should be said that not many good samurai titles have been released in the past decade and Rurouni Kenshin remains one the best, and most accurate in showcasing the samurai lifestyle and culture.
Most fans will like Ruruouni Kenshin a lot. Its fun, it has good action, and its actually a good samurai tale. It may be too repetitive for some but most fans of shonen, action, or even romance should give it a try. read more
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Art |
9 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
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Dec 2, 2008255 of ? chapters read 2 of 10 people found this review helpful Rurouni kenshin tells the story of a sowrdsman (not a samurai) who doesn't want to kill any more. Thel context lets you understand more about the history of japan, since the historical facts are very well explained (sometimes the problen is to difference facts and fantasy, anyway).
This manga will keep you entertained from the begining to the end, being very dynamic and quick (not "That" quick, but quick enough).
It's onl weakness are some minor characters, who sometimes... don't really fit in an hitorical manga.
Finally, Rurouni Kenshin has a plausible end, not like the anime, allowing you to declare satisfied once you finish reading. read more
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External LinksOfficial Site, Wikipedia
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