Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Seisou-hen

Now Rurouni Kenshin is probably the best samurai manga story I have read to date, and I was pretty satisfied with the anime adaptation, so now I decided to check out the other anime versions, because I put it off for too long and to prep myself up for the recently announced new anime coming out in some time.

I decided to watch the 2 episode ova that acts as sort of a closure to the series, and well... My mind is a little mixed up after watching this.

*This is just my personal impression of this ova, if you do not agree, that's fine and I'm ... not trying to troll, I repeat: I'm not trying to troll anyone*

To be fair, I did not personally think of this ova as a bad anime, in fact it's very good, aside from a bit of melodrama overdose (And I'm usually a big sucker for melodrama), the story does a great job at being a real tear jerker, and an emotional powerhouse that would have shaken me to my core if only it wasn't Rurouni Kenshin and was a different, original anime all together, I would've actually ended up loving it.

I appreciated to finally see characters like Enishi in animated form along with some of the series greatest moments and battles, that was a great service to the fans, but... That's it, I couldn't enjoy it as anything other than that, why?

Because, Himura Kenshin, the Hitokiri Battōsai, the famous fictional man slayer with a heart of gold, the Rurouni Kenshin himself, it really had nothing to do with him.
What I saw was dying shell of a man, stricken with an unexplained disease, that was there to replace the Kenshin fans all know and love.
Just what happened to the Kenshin who laughed and smile, where were the oros? No oro, just a soft spoken man that simply wants to die, just wandering around, trying to make everyone depressed, and is unfortunately successful at doing so.

Out of character doesn't even begin to describe it, I honestly felt betrayed, and even cheated out of supposedly watching Kenshin in, no arguments about it, the best animation I've ever seen from Japan.
But that's no compensation to me, and I doubt it was to the fans of the series as well, because what is the point of a series when the main character wasn't even actually present for the spotlight, if this was Durarara, it wouldn't matter, if this was Baccano, it still wouldn't matter, why? Because there's no actual main character in those series, all of the characters drove those series, but this is Rurouni Kenshin not those anime, and the titular character is the driving force of this particular story, it had everything to do with him, but in here, in this ova, it was just depressing that it actually had nothing to do with the actual kenshin I read about and cheered for in the manga.

The series was a shonen romance swordsman story, not a freaking death of a samurai who spread his depression like a disease, like the disease this kenshin had himself, striping away every sense of humor the series had and everything it make people love about it, but only looked like the series it was trying to be.

In another view point, this would've felt like another dragonball gt waiting to happen, but the difference here is that this was an actual well executed sad story and not a cash grab mockery of a franchise everyone loves, especially when it comes to the production values.
I do not hate this ova, far from it, it's an amazing piece of animation that is practicably professional at making anyone depressed as they watch, I just completely disapprove of what I watched, and warn others who call themselves Rurouni Kenshin fans to not actually watch this, as I felt like it was a total alienation of the fans, but to everyone else, it's a great tragic story that has nothing to do with the actual story it was based off of, but definitely not the most recommended way to make more fans of the series.

OVERALL: To sum it all up, to me: This ova was like a funeral for a beloved character, that was still actually walking around and wasn't even in his coffin in the first place, and with all the BS the character Kenshin went through, he deserved to have a happy ending or at least a better ending, not this.

The Last arc of Rurouni Kenshin, it's all about the final days of a great man that is Kenshin.

Everything has been decipted well in this OVA, from the stunning sceneries and up to the stunning orchestral score that it has. The story is delivered very well. It contains flashback of some of Kenshin's greatest battles and is remade or should I call it "Remastered", with a stunning animation. It also includes some scenes/events which you won't find in the manga. The OVA itself will give you a timeslip of what has happened to Kenshin through all of the years he has spent ... during his swordsman days.

If you have seen the TV Anime, Rurouni Kenshin. This OVA is highly recommended and should I say that you "must" also see the OVA masterpiece Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuioku Hen for these are the best OVA's of our time.

***Please do not read this if you have not seen this and/or do not like spoilers*** Thank you.

Samurai X: Reflections - the good and the mostly bad

So what's my beef with the third Samurai X OVA? Well, for starters, it's never a real positive when the creator is not involved with development of a new story (with George Lucas as the exception, as exemplified by the SW prequels). Also, I know people praise the animation as being far superior to the TV series, Rurouni Kenshin, but I wasn't a big fan of the new character designs. I'm all for high-quality, better action, more violence ... when appropriate, but don't strip the characters of the cool looks that made them unique.

I am very grateful for the OVA having animations of the parts of the manga that were never realized by the show (to which it COULD have been done if the third series followed the manga, versus coming in with some totally random and meaningless storylines - but that's a whole 'nother rant I could get into...) especially the Enishi battle, but that too had a lot of problems. And here we go!

The good:

Original voice actors
(BTW, anyone who watches anime with the English dub - you do realize you're not a true anime fan?)
Short of death, productions should NEVER try to substitute their actors - EVER. Hearing all of the original cast can't begin to express my pleasure at knowing production did their job.


More realistic and tender actions by the characters
I loved seeing Kenshin and Kaoru actually touching hands, sharing a kiss, and simply taking the time to stand next to one another while looking out across the horizon, etc.

Flashback re-animations
It was a real treat seeing previous situations brought to life again, such as Kenshin's fight with Jineh, the montage of battles with Sojiro and Shishio, and including important figures like Hiko Seijuro, Shinomori Aoshi, and Saito Hajime.

Yukishiro Enishi brought to life!
The Jinchu arc of the RuroKen manga is my favorite, by far, because it is the most personal story of Kenshin's and the one in which Kaoru is spotlighted as his great love. So seeing Enishi moving and talking and fighting was a huge deal for me, even if the moment only lasted some minutes.

The bad:
Character designs... "Hated it!"

As stated, I did not like the character designs for the OVAs. Hey, I'm all for the realism and a new look, but can't we make Kenshin still look "sharp" and Kaoru prettier? Even Tomoe looked really generic and beyond hairstyles, the two ladies could be interchangeable. BORING. And something in the way about Kenshin made him less attractive - as Kenshin or even as any anime character.


M.I.A. - Saito and Aoshi!!
WTF! We get one glance from Saito in the dojo flashback and you spend all this time on the Jineh fight, but you don't bother to animate ANY of the battle between Saito and Kenshin?! This battle could have been done in a montage fashion without any dialogue, but where is the Gatotsu!
And then we get a faraway image of Aoshi when he, Sano, and Kenshin return from Shishio's lair - again, NO Aoshi interaction AT ALL! And hello! Where was Misao! I realize people may not like her, but I liked the fact she loved Aoshi and didn't have feelings for Kenshin.

Tweaking Kaoru's "Reflections" - especially versus Enishi
I understood that some of the events were changed from how things transpired from the manga or even the TV series, when recollected in the OVA, but some things altered so much, I find it unforgivable. Yes, you can skip the faked death doll as that would be too long and confusing to get into, so I was fine with Enishi straight-kidnapping Kaoru. I even enjoyed the fact they kept in the little exchange of understanding that Kaoru had for Enishi's pain in losing his beloved sister. But what about the final Enishi vs. Kenshin battle!?!

There is no real reason to change the entire events of the Enishi vs. Kenshin battle on the island. Here was the perfect opportunity to show the fans all the major characters in RuroKen even if they never speak or are shown battling the "Four Gods" from the manga. I loved this part where Kenshin allows his comrades to shine in their respective artform in battle - Saito/katana; Aoshi/kodachis & martial arts; Yahiko/shinai; Sano/fists. Instead, Kenshin arrives alone - not even Yahiko and Sano are allowed. What a complete waste.

And then, they completely altered the concept of the "truth" that Kenshin had found within his heart that brought him out of the self-imposed living hell he fell into once he thought he'd lost Kaoru. That truth was that no matter what, Kenshin would always pick up his sword to help someone in need - that is his way to find atonement for his past, and to carry on the sacrifice Tomoe made for him to live on. So WHY the hell would Kenshin offer up his life to Enishi? He is completely tossing aside the truth he found for the sake of one person when his goal was to save as many because dying is too easy - living is what is hard.

They could have bypassed the gun fight problem by still letting Kaoru stand between Enishi and Kenshin at some point, but to have Kenshin not only fall to the ground to offer his life up, but to lie there and not even react when Kaoru fell over him to protect him from Enishi's sword? Wrong, wrong, wrong!

And now, we step into the realm which completely pissed me off the first time I saw this OVA years ago that made me want to throw this DVD away. (Actually, I was going to sell it until I stumbled across some images of Enishi online that made me realize this "flashback" was on this disc. Whew!)

The mighty UGLY:
The major problem here is that not involving Watsuki in the creative/development department meant missing his desire for Kenshin, as evidenced by the open-ended but happy place Kenshin and Kaoru found themselves at the end of the manga.
Watsuki's own feelings about the OVA ending was that, "Kenshin went through so much crap and deserved a happy ending." And what did these OVA people do instead?

- Kenshin decides to help his country by assisting those devasted by war and disease throughout Japan, so he leaves behind his son, Kenji, and his wife, Kaoru, for weeks upon weeks.
- Then, Kenshin has some kind of incurable disease (some surmise it is leprosy) and they decide to further this depressive them by letting Kaoru sacrifice herself by contracting the disease as a sign of love and devotion. (Um, YEAH.)
- Finally, Kenshin using his last bits of energy returns home to Tokyo to at least die in Kaoru's arms, to which only then his cross-shaped scar finally disappears because he has found his peace and happiness in death. And based on Kaoru's health, she is soon to follow Kenshin aka Shinta to the grave.

WHAT THE F*CK people! What upsets me about this ending is how far from the truth of Kenshin's character this OVA Kenshin has proven to be.

For instance, at the manga's end, his truth is to stay alive and protect the helpless. However, in the end, Kenshin has found some peace by starting a quiet life with family. He evens gives up the sakabato as a symbol of having moved on past the concept of living and dying by the sword.
I found Kenshin's desire to help the sick and destitute while he himself is sick and forsaking responsibilities to his own kin as being incredibly selfish and narcissistic. WHY? Because, the idea that one man, who has already done so much would continue to try and save the world, is a man who is acting as a martyr - even acting like God. He should let the era continue on. He should not try to affect the outcome for every generation. That is egotisical. He is supposed to help those he sees in front of him, not the memories of his past, etc., as expressed in the Jinchu arc. But that is all thrown out.

**huff, huff, huff** ... OK. I'm calming down now.

But there really was no need to let us see Kenshin die, let alone in such a pitiful and painful way, after "all the crap" he went through. We don't need to be given any kind of "realism" for a beloved character. There's nothing wrong with "happily ever after." There's a reason Cinderella and Prince Charming ends with the wedding and a kiss. We don't need to find out that 10 years later, they have a kid and marital problems, whether that be the truth or not, you know? Give us our joys.

I gotta stop ranting - I'm getting annoyed and losing focus. Plus I'm tired and cranky and there is still work tomorrow morning.

Basically, I totally dismiss Reflections from the official RuroKen canon and will adhere to the manga as Kenshin's true ending.

Naturally, this is all my own personal ranting opinions, so it is what it is.

I have to say, ever since Naruto before the Shippuden arcs in the manga, I have come to hate flashbacks in the middle of an important segment of a story and does nothing to advance it, and this oav does nothing more than reinforce that. I am grateful they did include Enishi and has pretty much his foundational motivations down, but he wasn’t fleshed out and doesn’t really explore him in full depth such as his fighting style and the significance of his sword. I say you’re going to have to read the manga to fully understand his character and it also excludes Enishi’s comrades ... and the fights they have with Kenshin’s crew, and how Kaoru was able to stop Enishi from going crazy. I say if they dropped the flashbacks and did the Jinchu arc or part of it instead, they could have gotten a fraction of it down and I would have been satsified.

And another thing I personally didn’t like about this installment was that it was so damn depressing. I know the first oav was sad, but at least there was character development. And in further addition, not only did fans protest the bullshit ending to this oav, even Watsuki, the original manga author of all people disapproved of it. How the fuck can you have Kenshin die of a disease? I can understand dying from abusing the shit out of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, but a disease? Come fucking on here. At least give him a death as epic as Joe Yabuki from Ashita no Joe! Also, can’t we have at least a comedic moment? I want Sano to make me laugh his with idiocy, or Kenshin act like a klutz, or Yahiko have a brother-sister like argument. Where the hell was all that? Did a bunch of emos write this shit or something? And one last thing? Where the fuck was Saitou? He deserves his right to settle his score with Kenshin dammit!!! I know Saitou in the manga sort of buried the hatchet, but I still think we need a fight at least for the sake of some kind of closure to that rivalry whether or not the Kenshin that he is now wouldn’t give Saitou the fight he wants. If they managed to squeeze that, I would have forgiven this oav for it’s flaws.

The art style and character design is pretty much the same from the first oav, so nothing too much to add and it does make up for the bullshit story. I’ll also admit it also still suits the more serious mood. In the flash back scenes, I did like how they executed the Jin-E and Kenshin fight, and I liked how they made Sano’s hair look more realistic, but yet still feel true to the character, and I thought his Rambo look was pretty cool. There is action, but I felt it could have had more. I thought the Enishi and Kenshin fight didn’t live up to the manga and we really don’t see any of the other cast members such as Kenji, Yahiko, or Sano in action either.


Pretty much the voice acting cast from the TV series is back and still do their roles well and in conjunction to the tone of the TV series. And Enishi is played by Sasaki Nozomu most famous for playing Yusuke from Yuu Yuu Hakusho and Tetsuo from Akira, and I felt he brought those qualities to Enishi as well. The music presence in this oav is pretty much the same from the last so you can see my review on that in that oav as well.

All I can say is that the ending to this OAV is pretty much an insult to the franchise and its fans. They managed to do the origin story very well, and they had no excuse to fuck up with this one. You might as well end it with Kenshin meeting Tom Cruise in his last samurai character and deciding to convert to the church of scientology to atone for his sins. To me, the people who wrote this god awful story raped Kenshin in the same light that Lucas and Spielberg raped Indiana Jones. Just animate the whole fucking Jinchuu arc and you had what I would call an epic master piece, but instead, we get an epic piece of crap.

I'm on a Rurouni Kenshin addiction right now. I've done a review on its prequel, the original story, its two specials which can be technically called sequels and now this so it's safe to say, I enjoy Rurouni Kenshin. Before you have my head I know this does not follow the manga and everyone who has read it wants to shit on this OVA. This review is for people who don't read manga like me (just not a fan) or people who want to watch this anyway.

Story- What's there to say. The first part is 95% flashback that you have already seen from the original ... series but remastered. The remastering is cool the flashbacks though are kinda unneeded. The second part gets way more interesting. There is a villain, from way back (SPOILER if you haven't seen trust and betrayal don't read ahead) Trust and Betrayal that brings the show from its very beginning full circle. There is one problem. WITH THE LONG FLASHBACKS IT MADE THE AWESOME FIGHT AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WITH THIS ANTAGONIST SHORTER!!!!!!! If they were to spend more time with the fight and less with the freakin flashbacks this OVA would be a hands down 10. After that it gets disappointing and very sad. I won't ruin the ending for those who have read this far anyway but it is sad and this is what got a lot of the manga lovers furious.

Art- Everything was remastered and it looked amazing!!!! The fights were remastered as well in the flashbacks and everything was so crisp it was quite a triumph and I enjoyed the art a lot.

Sound- Same sound from the original show so no complaints here.

Character- This is interesting. Although a lot of people hated the ending I didn't mind it. I thought it was a decent way to end but other than that each character (mostly) had their time to shine one final time. The one villain was so well done and Kenshin goes back to the Kenshin from Trust and Betrayal so that was interesting but it kinda took away from the realism. Yahiko and Zano had their time to shine with Kenshin's old master Kenshin's child and Kaoru of course. One problem is they left some awesome people out and of course the nameless villain didn't have good development thanks to an apparent and once again unneeded time restraint on the OVA but all in all very good.

For all those who want to ring my neck for enjoying this OVA it's just my opinion and I see where you are coming from, there are flaws. But for real Kenshin lovers and those who want an ending but not wanting to read the manga this is a good investment of your time. It is a real tear jerker and finally my Rurouni Kenshin experience is complete, that it is.......

As a Ruro-ken manga purist, all I can say is that this OVA is crap. Basically, the Kenshin in this OVA has to be from an alternate universe because the personality and the actions of Kenshin, and even Kaoru are totally different from how they are portrayed in the manga and in the anime. Naturally, the story line in the manga flows much better, as well.
[spoiler] As many other manga purists have already pointed out, the real Kenshin would have never agreed to have gone to China to aid in the Sino-Japanese war, even as an advisor, and leave Kaoru to ... raise Kenji by herself. And of course, you have the case where Megumi gave Kaoru a wake-up call by chewing her out about how she initially chose to cry and feel sorry for herself, rather than go after Kenshin, when he left without her for Kyoto to face Makoto Shishio. In this OVA, Kaoru uncharacteristically continues with this display of weakness and cries and runs away from Kenshin after finding out the truth about the meaning of Jinchuu and the fact that he himself was the one that killed Tomoe. Of course Kaoru never did this in the manga and never made the same mistake after being chewed-out by Megumi. [/spoiler]

i just want to tell you something
this is not a sequel to the manga
this didn't not happen in the manga
it is filler
it is like an alternative sequel or something like that
and the author didn't approve of this ending
so this is not the real ending of kenshin
the real ending in the not like this stupid ova
and i want to tell anyone who like the real kenshin that
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
... this show was really bad that i almost hated kenshin cos of it
what's wrong with this ova
what was they thinking when they make it

Seisouhen (Samurai X: Reflection) takes place after the TV show of Rurouni Kenshin, but in the style of Trust and Betrayal. The story is sort of an alternate-ending to the manga, and shows Kenshin struggling to bear his guilt

The art style is very well done, and the animation quality is top-notch. The background art is beautiful.

The music and sound are delicious, especially the music, which is some of the most emotionally satisfying I've ever heard. It is all orchestrated, very well composed.

The main problem in this is the story. The script is quite frankly terrible, and the story suffers from how it is told. ... It mainly consists of multiple flashbacks highlighting emotional scenes from the anime and manga. However, since fans of the anime and manga won't like the changes, these scenes are left as melodramatic and confusing to the audience that would appreciate this OVA more. There is a certain lack of subtlety to the emotions, and they often come across as forced.

For fans of the TV series and the manga, this is not recommended. The characters are very different than they are depicted in the show and manga, and the storyline is altered. This OVA is more suited for fans of the acclaimed first OVA, Trust and Betrayal.

I love Rurouni Kenshin but this OVA is just depressing. To me it's like they are telling about his funeral basically. There are no "oro" no one is smiling everyone is just sad. And they even have Kenshin go off wondering again after he marries Karou and has a child with her.
The whole anime series was based around Kenshin, but this is just basically Karou laying on her death bed remembering him because he wondered off again. I mean I guess it's a great OVA if you really wanna kill the series and never pick it back up again since ... Kenshin and Karou both end up dying. But still, I think this OVA should have had a better storyline or at least a better ending. I mean I don't think the Kenshin we saw in the anime series or the manga would leave her after having a child with her come on now. -.-

This spoils everything, if you can read subtext, which I imagine you're intelligent enough to do, so consider that a warning.

You're going to die. That fact is beyond reproach. You, the person looking at this review, one day, are going to die. Maybe it'll be of disease, or an accident, or hopefully something peaceful, but it's going to happen. It comes, to everyone. Your life isn't threatened today, nor everyone's because life doesn't have some anime plot where the villain threatens the entirety of the human race to destroy it in one fell swoop. Nor will everyone's life end in a heroic sacrifice in a ... display of manliness. Odds are, our ends will come not with a bang, but a whimper, and when it comes, by disease or some other complication, and you see it closing in, you look back. Reflect on the life that is yours.

Yeah, we reflect in life, in ways both small and large, but there's a significant difference when it's in the closing days of life. Even as you read a book, or watch a play, or show, or film, we can see previous events through an entirely new light knowing how it all plays in the end. But life isn't anime, and it doesn't have some dramatic foreshadowing and satisfying payoff later. This is real life, and within its chaos of circumstances, it leads us in different directions, and moments that are ours. An overwhelming amount of emotion comes into, one final time, looking back upon the deeds we have done, the words we have spoken, the things shared, the people we have met, the joys and despairs and all emotions in-between.

The music, the foley, the art as well as animation, encapsulate this feeling. When art is released into the world, it becomes the property of the world, and so I put aside the fandom and creator's regard. If a work can touch you, make you feel something, then it is significant, even if the rest of the world thinks otherwise. And it does.

There is no "and they lived happily ever after" and then suddenly everything stops, in life. Even after the most significant points in our lives, life still goes on. People will live on- like Kenji, and Sanosuke, and Yahiko, lived on. Knowing the world will go on without me is probably one of the few comforts of passing away I can think of. A protagonist saves the world, the story comes to the conclusion, we stop looking, because that's where the narrative ends, but life will continue when the main events of the story have concluded. There is only one ending, one definitive, sure ending to the story of life, and it is death. Seisou-hen is a story of death, a story not of what has transpired in life, but our impressions and perceptions of what has already transpired.

Kenshin's life was one of violence, trust, betrayal, and atonement. To epitomize his self-loathing and to spend his life trying to apologize by doing the most good he can do, even when he feels he isn't worthy of even being given the chance, was his life and legacy. Even a monster, however, has his desire. He used himself to better the world as best he could until his body literally could do it no longer. At the end of the road, what does he treasure, what was his greatest wish in life? We may not go out in a blaze of glory, we may not sacrifice ourselves to save the world, we may not even be remembered 200 years from now in any form at all, but to see that which we most desire, that which makes us whole- in Kenshin's case, Kaoru- is touching in a way no other work has. A happy ending, in an objective sense. His struggles in life, his agony and despair and joys, and hers as well, go to a powerful reunion, with a sweeping and beautiful score that captures this moment perfectly. An atonement, finally completed. His life, completed.

No film or book has touched my soul the way Reflection did. A work can be structurally unsound, or can refuse to line up with our perceptions of what we desired in an ending, but it can also be redeemed in one way or another if something about it reached you, made you feel something. As the petals of the cherry blossoms fell over the credits, I had felt the indifference and apathy of life give way and push me towards feeling raw, overwhelming emotions. It was joy, it was sorrow, it was overwhelming me to tears, and in that moment I felt truly human. We're all human, and death is a part of the human experience, and our experiences are ours, and they are real. We have the gift of being able to live and reflect upon it, and no greater gift could be given. Seisou-hen, to me, was a reminder of this truth.

Okay before I start things off, I would like to tell you all that I am a huge Kenshin fan. It was the first manga and anime that I started and finished. I enjoyed every part of it. Okay first off, I hate animes that go outside what the Manga and it's author intended to do. This OVA stayed true to many things in the manga, but the producer of the series wanted a dreary feeling of it. So the series was darker than it already was.

Story: This wasn't canon(even though it claimed to be, the author ... says otherwise). This took a huge turn in the story, away from the Manga also. It added things that were never there or explained, so that really hurt it for me.

Art: The art was really good, but as I said felt dark.

Sound: Sound was good, no complaints, music felt like it synced with the scenes.

Character: The characters didn't feel the same, even though it was a time lapse, it just felt like I was watching another anime.

Enjoyment: I thought I would enjoy it, but with everything I loved about Kenshin being destroyed, just couldn't happen.

Summary: Well.... It's hard not to be biased on something I don't like. I will say it again, it isn't Canon so I won't bother to argue why. Also the author felt he had to do the series justice and release a short special that was actually his ending, so I think you should check that out, it's short but it will fill that gap in your heart that left when this came out.

Im not a biased jerk. Im not gonna say they screwed up the character, or they made a sad ending. Im writing this review as if i never saw Ruroken or read Ruroken.
This was a story that they needed to add to something, they said lets put it with kenshin.
The story was really great, its about a couple who cant be with each other, almost. Kenshin is a guy who is busy a lot. So he cannot be with his wife. His son hates his guts because of it and along with it he has an STD that will kill him.
The art was a ... disappointment, it looks like they got the naruto artists and mixed it with realism. Which isnt good.
The sound, holy crap, was the best. Everything fit and sounded as good as it could.
If these characters were being told from someone who didnt see Ruroken or watch Ruroken, would be pretty good. If you saw Ruroken, you would say wow, they ruined them, the originals are alot better,

I enjoyed it, cause im not biased and i think that this shouldnt be something i would think of as a REAL Rurouni Kenshin OVA.

I would suggest, but if you dont want Ruroken to end any other way then it did, DO NOT WATCH THIS.
other then that go ahead.

Coming to "Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen" after "Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen", I had high expectations, as almost anyone would. Some of those were met, but perhaps more weren't.

Lets start with the animation. With "Tsuiokuhen" looking so amazing, I knew it would be hard for "Seisouhen" to match it, yet alone top it. "Seisouhen" still managed to disappoint though, even with the scaled back expectations. The character design changed yet again - it's different from both the character designs of "Tsuiokuhen" as well as that from the "Rurouni Kenshin" main series, and I don't like it nearly as much as "Tsuiokuhen" ones. Also, being set many years after ... series had ended, a lot of the characters have aged, and the way the art tries to reflect this isn't the best.

"Seisouhen" doesn't have much in the way of story. It's more of a scenario where an old Kenshin, having given up the way of the sword, spends most of his time away from his home, tending to the sick as a way of atoning for his blood splattered past. The OVA actually revolves around Kaoru waiting for Kenshin to return to her, and while she waits, she recalls some of the experiences has shared with him.

While the settings in "Seisouhen" isn't bad, it's diluted by tons of flashbacks in the first half of the anime. It's almost like a clip show of moments from the main series, and that feels to me like an excuse to redo some of the scenes. But since the new animation isn't that great to begin with, the flashbacks come across as a bit pointless. The way "Seisouhen" presented its story is also quite confusing in places, and I didn't get what happened early on.

The biggest gripe I have with "Seisouhen" is with Kenshin's characterisation. The impression I get is that the makers tried too hard to create a humourless mood similar to "Tsuiokuhen", and in doing so destroyed the sense of progression with Kenshin's character. In "Tsuiokuhen", Kenshin is a brooding youth, mostly devoid of emotion; in "Seisouhen"... Kenshin is a brooding old man, mostly devoid of emotion; sandwiched in the middle, we have the "Rurouni Kenshin" series, in which Kenshin is a friendly, smiling man who's come a long way since his days as a moody manslayer. See the problem? While the humourless characterisation worked in the case of "Tsuiokuhen", in "Seisouhen" it made Kenshin go BACKWARDS in terms of emotional maturity, and nothing happened during the main series that could have caused the change to happen. If anything, the constant presence of Kaoru should have been helped Kenshin to make peace with himself to a certain extent. What made this worse is that the flashbacks in this OVA are basically events from the TV series but done in this new, serious style, featuring the brooding Kenshin. So, not only did "Seisouhen" do some backward character development, it also tried to destroy the existing character development. Talk about character UNdevelopment!

But after some initial grumbling, I eventually managed to overlook its glaring inconsistency in character development. The reason for this is simple: the key moments in the show really hits home. What really makes the show is its deeply moving drama. What's more, it succeeds in drawing the Kenshin saga to a very emotional close, and if nothing else, that alone is worthy of the attention of Kenshin fans.

A sad closing tale to one of the greatest characters of all-time.

Before I begin, I would just like to say my review speaks from my experience of seeing only the animated series, the movie, and the Trust and Betrayal OVA. I haven't read the manga so I cannot speak in regards to it's accuracy to the manga. I watched all of these in a matter of a week since I had some extended free time to watch it all at once.

First of all, good God this was a depressing watch. From start to finish, this was probably the hardest hour and a half of an ... anime I ever had to sit through. It's hard enough when you grow so attached to a character through 95 episodes of an anime and then learn his back story in Trust and Betrayal, but to see such a wonderful character meet his sad end made for a difficult watch. For those of you who are Kenshin fans, be warned that this will be difficult to get through, especially if you've grown a strong attachment to Kenshin and Kaoru. If you're depressed, I warn you not to watch this.

I felt as though this series focused more on Kenshin's suffering than his life as a whole. Of course, if you wanted to see Kenshin's happier days, you would watch the series or read the manga. This focused primarily on what plagued him all his years of wandering and living with Kaoru. The burden he suffered through his days of being an assassin had taken a toll on his soul. On top of that, this story looked at Kenshin's life not only through his eyes, but Kaoru's as well. The burden she took on when she took Kenshin in her life and Megumi's speech during this OVA was a true testament to the burden she took on when she took Kenshin in her life.

In regards to the actual production, the animation and music is downright gorgeous. Considering that the writers went into this trying to tell the melancholic, yet bittersweet moments of Kenshin and Kaoru's life, they executed the animation and music brilliantly. Taku Iwasaki did a remarkable job with the score. My only problem in regards to the writing is the transition between different sequences in Kenshin and Kaoru's lives wasn't quite handled the best, but I think that's more a problem with Kazuhiro Furuhashi's direction than the writing.

Of course, many people will complain that this isn't Kenshin. He had learned to be happy and live life to its fullest. However, what we learned from this is the physical and emotional scars he had gained over the years had taken its toll on his body, his mind, and his soul. I had wondered as I watched the animated series what this side of Kenshin looked like and man did this ever tell it.

Overall, it was painful to see my Rurouni Kenshin experience end like this, but at the same time, I found it fitting. I watched the character that had a dark and brooding past come forth in this. This wasn't about the flashy fight scenes or the kooky misadventures Kenshin and his friends would get in. This was all about the pain and love Kenshin and Kaoru shared with each other through when they first met to when they met their end, but also brought forth a new beginning in the very end. My biggest complaint is that we didn't get more of Kenji Himura's feelings and experiences. We did get a little exposure to it but I wish this OVA could've done a little more to elaborate on it and help it move on even more so. As I said before, this story is the sad, but bittersweet re-telling of the life of Kenshin Himura and Kaoru Kamiya. It was ambitious of Studio Deen to take on such a project considering the tone of the anime series, but in my opinion, I found it worthwhile...even though I might need a prescription to anti-depressants after watching this.

I have recently become a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin franchise and binge-watched the first two seasons of the anime within days. The writing in the 2nd season was divine! I expected more of the same with the OVAs despite having no involvement with the creator. Not what I expected! Trust and Betrayal needed the dark telling to convey how Kenshin used to be, but Reflections should have shown the happier times. He's moved past his former detached self, and seeing how his goofiness came about would have been refreshing.

Story:
If Reflections did not tie itself to the Rurouni Kenshin name, I would like this story. ... Everything is depressing, and the dialogue fits in with a soap opera. The dark color schemes should have tipped me to that.

This OVA uses flashbacks to push along the story, which I didn't mind. I like seeing old scenes re-drawn in this style.

The ending makes me eye-roll a bit. Characters that dramatically run then die in each others arms? I don't mind cheesy romance at times, but these characters deserved honorable deaths. Dying from a disease does not make anyone weak, but it felt forced. Them dying in battle or by natural causes (bombed by an enemy, drowned, sacrificed, etc) would have made better sense to me. I want to tear the love scene to shreds, but I won't touch it. I will just say I felt conflicted. I liked seeing the two of them in love, but not to that melodramatic extent. Is no happiness allowed? I wish there could have been one scene with Kenshin playing with son, and then a scene of when their relationship first became strained.

I do not like this trope I see in shounen sequels, where the dads become deadbeats and leave the kids to become filled with angst. You can be a shounen hero and be in your kids life! Those two things can be simultaneous. I would have thought better of Kenshin. Family and friends should have been very important to him.

What I did like in this special was Karou calling him Shinta, the focus on romance, and the kiss scene. I did not like anything else.

Also, I understand why they snubbed my favorite character, Saito. These were Kaoru's reflections of Kenshin, and Saito doesn't hold much relevance to her life like him. Misao's got an irritating personality so her not being in this either didn't bother me.

Characters:
I don't like the new perspectives taken on by the characters. Even in the flashbacks, they were out of character. The worst offenders are Kenshin, Yahiko, and Karou. It would not have been bad to have some humor, in fact, it could have made the story bittersweet. To see our favorites laugh only for the sad end to come would hurt more.

Karou had none of her feisty personality. I felt she would drown in her tears one day. The iconic speech Megumi gave her is what made her want to stand by Kenshin's side and not weep for him another day. I know her fighting style isn't quite comparable to the sword-fighting of enemies on Kenshin's level, but could she have not tried to fight back or escape? I guess she wanted to test Kenshin's love too during the Enishi scene.

Kenshin lives his life in this movie as if he sees the ghosts of everyone he killed. Maybe he already did, but it shows here. I don't think Kenshin would walk around in life so sullen. If anything he would probably put on a happy face not to distress anyone, except those closest to him who could see through it.

Sanosuke may have been the only one who stayed in character, but that could have been due to his short appearance.

Yahiko really matured, but in those flashbacks, he should have been more bratty.

Sound: [Concerning the English Dub]
No complaints about music.

The voice acting sounded very monotone and conveyed no emotions besides gloom. I would have picked a different actor for Enishi. I don't think that voice meshed well with him.

Art:
This style is definitely attached to realism. I like it. The anime's cartoony look would not have worked well with the tone. A mixture of the New Kyoto Arc look and this one combined would have been nice to see.

Overall:
I did not like this and don't plan to re-watch. I did like older Kenji. Despite him being a clone of his father, down to learning from Hiko. I upped the score solely for the Kenshin and Karou kiss we weren't privy to in the original series. It's just my wishful thinking, but it would have been really nice for Kenji's girl (a rehash of Kaoru) to be Aoshi and Misao's daughter.

"I knew then...I knew that the world needed him and that I couldn't change his way of life - that it wasn't mine...it wasn't mine to change. But even though I knew it...even though I knew it, I wanted to chase him, to somehow keep him." Himura Kaoru

Every journey has an ending, and with Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection brings to an conclusion Himura Kenshin's journey of atonement that he has been searching for since his final days as Battousai The Manslayer. Reflection strives to add on to the endings of the anime series Rurouni Kenshin and the manga series as well as giving fans of both ... a visually emotional yet satisfying ending to Kenshin's endless struggle for atonement for all the lives he has taken, which depends on whether you are a fan of Rurouni Kenshin, or have seen or read the anime and manga series.

For those of you who have read the manga know that at the end of the manga series Kenshin and Kauru are married and have a son named Himura Kenji, while Kenshin has given his sword to Yahiko, and Sanosuke has set out on his own journey throughout the world. Reflection picks up over a decade after the end of Rurouni Kenshin the anime series and manga. Kenshin has gone to the continent to help the fledgling Meiji government in the first First Sino-Japanese War, but after the war has ended Kenshin has not returned and is considered missing, yet Kauru who has aged over the years still goes to port every day in hopes of seeing her love. Kauru struggles alone in her and Kenshin's home as their son Kenji who is now a teenager, and who after rejecting his father ran off to train with Kenshin's former master Hiko Seijūrō.

The film follows Kenshin's struggle to get home to Kauru, and Kauru's faith and love of Kenshin. Through flashbacks viewers get are able to see how Kenshin and Kauru got to their points in the film. Viewers are also able to finally see the final arch of the Rurouni Kenshin manga brought to life as Enishi Yukishiro returns to seek vengeance on Kenshin for his sister Tomoe death. Through flashbacks viewers are able to see Kenshin's continuing struggle to find atonement even though he is no longer a swordsman. Viewers see even though Kenshin is content, and in a way happy with Kauru and his young son Kenji, but still wishes to find a way to help people and prevent the loss of life, but his struggle has also taken a toll on his body with an unknown disease. The name of the disease Kenshin suffered from is never named in the film. I have heard different theories with the main one being Kenshin suffered from a form of leprosy, which he passed on to Kauru, but I believe it was something else, and Kenshin's body just broke down from Kenshin pushing his body beyond its limits for so long. Kauru is the real star of Reflection has the film shows how strong a woman is, and how much respect people have for her, and her love and support for Kenshin, and the ending is just truly heart wrenching moment.

The story is beautifully written and emotionally moving, creating one of the saddest yet emotionally satisfying anime OVA's ever. Yet I can see flaws some will have with Reflection. I have heard some say they do not want to see a broken down Kenshin or how he dies, but in my opinion what we are given in Reflection is a fitting ending to Kenshin's journey and struggle to find atonement, peace and happiness. I mean really come on with the way Kenshin used his body how long did you thing his body could hold up. Just look at athletes from boxing, UFC, football, baseball and other sports. There is only so long a person can push their body to its limits a beyond before it starts to break down, and yet even with his body no longer able to perform in battle I can see Kenshin continuing his selfless battle to help people live and survive. Another flaw I have read people complain about is Kauru. She is a strong willed woman who matches well with Kenshin and is not afraid to enter into battle, and people have complained that she would have gone with Kenshin on his journey, and brought him back. It is a flawed criticism. Critics forget that Kauru was a mother as well, and could not just drag her son on her journey with Kenshin or just abandon him. Then as years went by Kauru's health was failing as well, and she could just not just go off blindly searching for Kenshin. That is just ridiculous, instead I can see her instead supporting the main she loves, raising and loving their son, and being the beacon of light in the darkness so Kenshin would always return home to her, and she proves that by the quote above that Kauru delivers in the OVA.

Perhaps the biggest flaw of Reflection is its accessibility. Unlike the OVA Trust and Betrayal, the Rurouni Kenshin anime and manga Reflection takes place in the future, and if you have not seen or read the earlier works you will understand the storylines or connect to the characters as those who are fans of the anime and manga making Reflection simply a love letter meant for fans of the character, and no one else. The story is aided by gorgeous animation done by Studio Deen that rivals any animation that is around today as well as a score by Taku Iwasaki who brought a triumphant yet solemn and uplifting score to Reflection that added emotional impact to each scene.

Reflection is certainly not for everyone. The film is certainly not for viewers who are not fans of the characters, and who have not seen or read the anime and manga, but for fans who loved the characters along with the anime and manga series we get a fitting conclusion to Kenshin's journey as well as the love story of Kauru and Kenshin along with getting a glimpse into the lives of our favorite characters and what their future looks like. Reflection delivers on all of those giving viewers a moving conclusion to the journey of Kenshin one of the best characters ever created along with beautiful animation, and a moving score. I highly recommend Reflection for those who are fans of the character, but if you are not or do not know about Himura Kenshin then skip Reflection for now, and instead I highly recommend you watch Trust and Betrayal, watch Rurouni Kenshin the anime series or read the Rurouni Kenshin manga series. You will not be disappointed, and will be introduced to an amazing character as well as being captivated by his struggle and emotional journey.

This review is a comparison of the Trust and Betrayal OVA (hereforth referred to as TnB) to the Reflections OVA. Specifically, the fight scenes.

Animation: Not much difference. Although there are fewer fights in the Reflections OVA, they are animated pretty well, at least on par with those from TnB.

Choreography: Here is where they differ. In TnB the shorts were short and brutal, most consisting of at most one or two clashes before sword meets flesh. Just like what would have happened in real life. In Reflections the fights are long and consist of Kenshin bashing his sword against the enemy's sword until it ... breaks. It's fucking Bleach. All 3 of the fights in Reflections were "won" by breaking the other guy's sword. It's fucking stupid and lazy. In TnB the sword-breaking was kept to a minimum, most of Kenshin's battles were won through superior maneuvering and parrying, not by hacking at the enemy's sword until it breaks. The Jineh vs Kenshin fight was just as I mentioned, two guys bashing swords. The Enishi vs Kenshin "fight" (if it could be called that) was pure unmitigated SHIT. Not only did the fight consist of Enishi and Kenshin hacking at each other's swords, every time their swords clashed it somehow kicked up a fuckign sandstorm where YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. Oh and Eneshi somehow disappeared then appeared behind Kenshin (I can't stress how dumb this looks. Can Enishi teleport?) and then doing this ridiculous move (you have to see it to understand just how dumb it is) where he tries to strangle/decapitate Kenshin by pulling his sword into Kenshin's neck. Kenshin could have easily just flipped the handle upwards sliding Eneshi's sword over his head, then Enishi would be in a real bad position, having both his hands on the blade of his sword and all. Fucking stupid. The fight ends with Kenshin breaking Enishi's sword, as expected. Fucking dumb. The last fight which was between Kenji and Yahiko again employed the same stupid shit that plagued the Kenshi vs Enishi fight. Namely, Kenji suddenly teleporting behind Yahiko. I fucking hate this "flash-step" bullshit. It's not realistic, it's not cool, it's just plain fucking dumb. There was none of this teleportation shit back in TnB. The fight also consisted entirely of swords hacking at each other as I mentioned, which is again dumb and unrealistic. It's like they were trying not to cut each other, but just to hit each other's swords. Again, unrealistic. I could forgive this if it was hollywood, because realistic swordfighting is fucking dangerous, but this is a fucking cartoon, there are no safety concerns as there are with actors on stage. A realistic sword fight consists of parrying and maneuver and certainly not two guys just bashing their swords together, or one guy attacking and the other guy just blocking - which is what happened in the Kenji vs Yahiko fight. TnB had very little blocking and mostly just parrying and maneuver, and certainly none of the ridiculous acrobatic you have in Reflections. In the Kenji vs Yahiko fight, Kenji jumps up, does a mid-air flip, the flips over Yakiho using Yahiko as support. Fucking dumb. Also: lots of talking during fighting, something I absolutely despise. The choreography is worse than Berserk.

Conclusion: I highly recommend avoiding the Reflections OVA whilst I highly recommend watching the TnB OVA. There are only 3 fights in Reflections, all of which are very poorly choreographed and consist of two guys bashing swords against each other until one breaks.

This is how the entire anime should have been imo. This style is what drew me in to watching the series in the first place after watching Trust and Betrayal. I love the more realistic way the fights are portrayed and how the atmosphere is more gritty and less lighthearted. The main series is very over the top with the way they get "power ups" and such which just doesn't work with this kind of show. The way Trust and Betrayal and this one are shown are a complete 180 to the series. Some people will like the series more ... and others will like this more, just depends on what you want from this particular story. I would recommend watching all things related to Rurouni Kenshin and decide for yourself which you like more :)

One thing that I need to be clear about with this OVA right off the bat – it is literally the MOST DEPRESSING thing I have ever seen. It leaves with you void in your soul. The entire OVA serves as a requiem for Kenshin Himura’s arduous life. A much different presentation style than the anime series.

If you are sensitive to sad endings or do not like melodrama, you should heed my advice and stay the hell away from this OVA!

Let’s move on.

The gist of this OVA is to show the romance between Kenshin and Kaoru in a more realistic and melancholic manner than the ... original manga through a series of flashbacks. This may immediately raise red flags to somebody who has read the manga and has not seen Reflections. Why? Because this OVA is a far cry from a 1:1 panel adaptation of the manga. I cannot emphasize this enough.


Eventually we get to see a fragment of the Jinchuu arc that involves Enishi and his plan for revenge. This "arc" is extremely compressed into about 20 minutes of screen time, with the actual act of “Jinchuu” being completely omitted from the OVA, which is a huge let down as it is the climax of the Jinchuu Arc in the manga.

Once this segment is finished, we see how Kenshin and Kaoru live after the main series has ends, and unfortunately for the married couple, it does not end well. Their marriage is a disaster as Kenshin is unable to truly accept Kaoru as his lover due to his depression, leaving her as an empty shell (due to being broken-hearted) of a person and forcing her to raise their son on her own since Kenshin decides to wander again throughout Japan, leaving Kaoru and Kenji behind. He does this because he is unable to forgive himself for the atrocities he committed as a Hitokiri, which is ultimately a grave mistake. Kenshin has a disease that can most easily be compared to leprosy, and before he ventures off to wander one last time, it is clear that his days are very numbered, along with Kaoru, who too, has the disease. Over time this leads to their son, Kenji, to learn to hate his father (he is quite cynical), furthering the suffering Kaoru must endure. Kenji eventually disassociates himself from the Himura family, and moves in with Hiko Seijuro in the wilderness near Kyoto. The OVA comes to a very depressing conclusion, but it seems at the end Kenji has turned over a new leaf, and will live a fulfilling life with his spouse, Chizuru.
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Story: 4.5/10

The plot itself is very scattered, and is frankly unwatchable unless you have seen the whole anime series or read the manga. It is essentially just a menagerie of contorted flashbacks. However, the plot somewhat coherent in the second episode, even though half of it is non-canon.
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Animation: 10/10

The art in this OVA is beautiful. Nothing more needs to be said. (my personal favorite animation style)
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Sound: 9.5/10

Taku Iwasaki, the composer, does an outstanding job composing in both OVAs. Extremely beautiful orchestrated music that I wish more anime today had. Emotionally compelling.
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Characters: 7/10

This is most definitely an unpopular opinion, but I think Kaoru really shines in this OVA, for the sole reason of how devoted of a wife she is. It truly is rare to see such a display of unconditional love. Kenshin however was devoid of any personality since it seemed like all of his personality died along with Tomoe in the first OVA, and Koaru was left with an empty shell of Kenshin. Kaoru is madly in love with a brick wall, so to speak. There is no reciprocation. Very depressing.
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Enjoyment: 9/10

Since the Rurouni Kenshin manga is in essence a tale of redemption, you would expect the original source to provide the reader with both more introspective and intimate elements than what were provided in the manga. Some of these needed aspects missing from the original source can be found in this OVA. Reflections also explores the vulnerability of Kenshin, which helps us see Kenshin more as a man, rather than just a sword-wielding god like he is portrayed in the manga/anime. While it is true that this OVA did indeed send a different message than the manga, you cannot overlook the fact that this OVA had some of the missing ingredients that held the manga back from being a masterpiece. Both the manga and this OVA have flaws, but I find them both enjoyable nonetheless.
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Overall: 7.5/10

This is a must watch for any RK fan, but be warned, this is not the same goofy Kenshin you see in the anime. Essentially, this version of Kenshin is just a sad man with a huge wound on his heart forged by a woman who died by his own sword that will never heal no matter how much love and care he receives. There is no redemption for him in this OVA until death. This to me is just a what-if scenario, an original piece of work, so I am able to enjoy it for what it is – a supplement to the manga. Some people hate this OVA because it sends a different message than the manga, and I understand their grievances, but I personally liked it. Watch at your own risk.


If there is anything to take away from my review it would be this:

A) This OVA is completely inaccessible to those who haven't read the manga or seen the other OVAs

B) The ending is more suitable to those who like more realistic conclusions to their anime

C) The message sent in this OVA drastically digresses from the author's original intent in the manga

D) Any puerile or comedic elements are completely averted in this OVA - leaving us with a much darker, melancholic interpretation of Rurouni Kenshin than the original anime

Leaving aside the fact that the ending itself is a big disappointment; this anime has little to contribute to the actual story. It starts out well enough, but it soon fades into a series of flashbacks and repetitions that take up the majority of the anime.

This is a summary of events that happened with Kenshin and Kaoru, focusing on Kaoru's point of view, but her thoughts are not elaborated beyond what we have already seen in the series. A few small details were changed in the flashbacks, but the contradictions are not huge.

The art and sound are good. The character designs and animation is ... similar in style to the prequel OVA with a more realistic look than the series. The tone is also similar to the OVA and lacks the humor of the series. The story is supposed to be serious and somewhat tragic, but it quickly grows monotonous.

However, if you're a fan of Kenshin and Kaoru or its been a while since you watched the series, you might appreciate the flashbacks, otherwise you'll be tempted to fast forward until the OVA returns to the present time.

On the positive side, though the OVA wastes a lot of time in flashbacks, it does eventually reveal what happened between Kenshin and Kaoru and the real end of Kenshin's wanderings.