Since this anime was one of the first anime I have ever seen I decided to go in to re-watch it with a critical perspective and I surprisingly came out of it enjoying it much more than I did before.
Story: (9/10)
The story of Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan begins with a man named Kenshin Himura who is a wandering samurai in the Meiji era in Japan. In the past he was known as Battousai the manslayer because he killed a lot of people during the Bakumatsu war but then there was a sudden transition in Kenshin and he became a samurai who doesn't kill. Throughout the story Kenshin meets many different characters and has many adventures with them. The story structure usually starts with mini stories that are 1-4 episodes long then goes into an arc. The Kyoto arc that happens in the middle of the story is fantastic. The arc has great buildup because of how some of the mini stories before the arc have pieces that all eventually tie in to the Kyoto arc and has great buildup to all the fights that happen. The arc has pretty good pacing compared to the bigger shounen anime that are out these days. The other 2 arcs that are after the Kyoto arc definitely aren't as good but manage to stay okay. The story makes many very effective moments and some are in the mini stories. My problems with the story is how there are some mini stories that aren't as good as other ones and how the anime ends very abruptly which will leave the viewer dissatisfied but there is a sequel ova to show to the true ending to the story which I will make a review of after this.
Art and Animation: (8/10)
I think that the art for this anime is pretty good for the time it was released. The backgrounds are good, all the characters designs are good, and the visuals for the attacks that the characters use are pretty good. The animation like the art was also pretty good for its time. The good animation is most apparent during the fight scenes and there is very good animation in the first OP.
Sound: (8/10)
I love the soundtrack to the anime. It helps the scenes that are being presents be much more effective. All the OPs and EDs are very good. The voice actors all did a very good job and the sound effects are good.
Characters: (8/10)
All the characters that appear in the story are all pretty good. They all get good character development and have their chance in the spotlight. Himura Kenshin is one of the best main characters I have seen so far. His way of fighting people is definitely unique because how the weapon he wields is a reverse blade sword so whenever he defeats an enemy he cannot kill them and can only badly injure them. Another way Kenshin defeats an enemy is by talking to them to figure out the root of the problem with them which also gives development to the villains. Something else interesting about Kenshin is how his past of being the Battousai comes back to haunt him and it really shows how much he regretted killing all those people in his past and how many enemies has made over it. Sagara Sanosuke is another very interesting character because of how the story goes over his backstory of being betrayed by the Meiji government and how much he despises it. The friendship between Sanosuke and Kenshin gets challenged because of Kenshin helping the Meiji government in one of the episodes and they both in the end of the episode become true friends which makes them grow more as characters. Myoujin Yahiko is another main character who I think is pushed to the side a lot but he does have his moments in the spotlight in the anime. There is one very good scene with him and that is when he has his first major fight because it gives the viewer a sense of catharsis since throughout most of the anime he is training to become strong so he can protect people. Then we have our last main character who is Kamiya Kaoru. I think that she is the weakest character of the main 4 characters but like everyone else she has her moments. The anime also contains a very interesting villains but the best villain overall goes Makoto Shishio because of how he views life and his unique fighting style. My only problem with the characters is how some of them get pushed to side a lot like Yahiko and Kaoru.
Enjoyment: (9/10)
I really enjoyed this anime to the point where I got addicted to watching it and has become one of my favorite anime.
Overall: (9/10)
Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan is a very good anime even though the later half of the anime isn't as good as the middle part but I would still highly recommend the anime.
