Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Seisou-hen

This review does not divulge any direct spoilers but if you can read in-between the lines you'll probably be able to figure things out. Beware.

The people who hate on this are babies who cannot handle a sad ending. Never before have I seen such a cut and dry example of that than with this OVA. Even Watsuki's criticism which the haters of Reflection love to mention boils down to his own personal preference. I mean seriously, read the quote; it is largely just him saying that the series "deserved" a happy ending.

Now don't get me wrong, it's cool if you don't like depressing endings. I ... get it, I really do; you are well within your rights to have that preference! But where I take issue with it is when people conflate their personal taste with the objective quality of what they are analyzing. This is one of the worst examples of this that I can think of. If you don't like sad endings, it is intellectually dishonest to act as if this was some horrific way to end the series just because of your own taste. This is an incredibly high budget production showcasing a quite frankly realistic turn of events that works exceedingly well as a finale.

Emotions running high over the nature of the ending are compounded by the fact that this is an anime original production, which opens it up to further unfair criticism due to the stigma around anime original content. Particularly thanks to the outdated mindset in which people act as though anything which isn't manga canon is worthless and should be discarded as if it is garbage. By nobody is this made clearer than by the opponents of Reflection themselves.

With that out of the way, allow me to discuss the strengths of this OVA and why I love it. Firstly, in terms of production quality this is pretty much equal to Trust and Betrayal. The background art, the art style, and the animation are all among the best, if not the best that the medium has to offer. That alone wins it many points in it's favor, but it would all be for naught if Reflection did not deliever a touching and heartfelt story. Fortunately it does just this in spades!

Though much of the flashback portion of this is spent giving a recap of things covered by the anime, it also serves as a sort of remaster of many iconic scenes in the incredible T&B art style. Furthermore the flashback portion also includes original, touching scenes such as the one involving Kaoru's father. As well as other welcome character interactions that I had definitely been left to wonder about after completing the 1996 anime. Particularly if Kenshin had divulged the information about Tomoe to Kaoru or not and what her reaction would be. I enjoyed the flashback portion, but it had also been a few months since I originally watched the anime. If I were to watch this immediately after finishing the show I could imagine myself finding it somewhat redunant. This is amplified because the flashbacks take some time away from Enishi, the main antagonist of this special.

In short, Reflection attempts to partially adapt the unadapted Jinchuu arc from the manga. It is clear to me as someone who has never read the manga that much detail was omitted. Despite this I still found it to be a great side-story; given the runtime, they handled it in about the best way they could. You see many heartfelt character moments such as Kaoru preparing breakfast for Enishi and what occurs at the climax of the battle. Enishi also has realistic motivations and these motivations will induce sympathy from even the most hardened of viewers.

An interpretation of mine is that the disease in this show is not to meant be literal but rather metaphorical. The disease is the toll of all of the scars Kenshin has accumulated throughout the years, both mental and physical. After all this time, they've finally burned the embers of him away despite his best efforts. A major message of Kenshin as a series is his attempt at atoning for the things he did in his past. I find this to be an incredibly fitting conclusion as such.

In my opinion, this is pretty much Kenshin's equivalent of End of Evangelion. A high budget titan of technical marvel which delivers a compelling narrative and further character development to many characters after the cliff hanger of an ending in the original show. It is a fantastic finale to the series and I loved it to the end. Reflection presents its message of mortality in a conscious, down to earth manner. There are no tricks, no loopholes, there's no cheap emotional manipulation. It serves this message up to you bluntly, and in doing so delivers a right hook of feels to the viewer.

Main Rating: 6.2/10
Status: Mixed Feelings


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💬 English Version

Story: 6.0/10
This OVA tries to give closure to Kenshin’s story by jumping far into the future, showing an older Kenshin and Kaoru dealing with the aftermath of his violent past. It’s much darker and slower than the main series. While the idea of closure is appreciated, the story feels unnecessarily depressing and almost contradicts the tone and message of the original.
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Plot: 6.1/10
The narrative is disjointed, with time jumps and flashbacks that often interrupt the emotional pacing. Instead of celebrating Kenshin’s redemption, it focuses on guilt, punishment, and suffering, which some fans found excessive or out of character.

Characterization: 6.5/10
Kenshin is portrayed as deeply regretful and self-punishing—almost to a frustrating degree. Kaoru’s role is expanded emotionally, but her arc feels more tragic than empowering. The OVA seems to strip hope from their relationship, which makes it hard to connect with.

Animation / Visuals: 7.5/10
Visually, it's well-crafted—beautiful backgrounds, mature character designs, and fluid animation. The muted color palette suits the somber tone, though it may not appeal to everyone.

Sound / Music / Audio Direction: 7.2/10
The soundtrack is melancholic and quiet, matching the mood. Voice acting is strong, especially in emotional scenes. However, the lack of variety in tone contributes to the overall heaviness.

Execution: 5.8/10
As a finale, this OVA feels emotionally heavy-handed. It abandons the balance of redemption and peace the series built. Some fans appreciate its seriousness, but many feel it’s too bleak and out of sync with the spirit of Kenshin’s journey.


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❓ What Makes You Want to Watch This OVA

• It shows what happens after the story ends
If you’re curious about Kenshin’s later years, this offers a glimpse—just be ready for a sad version of it.

• More emotional scenes between Kenshin and Kaoru
Their relationship is more developed here, though in a very tragic direction.

• A darker, more mature take
This is not shounen anymore—it’s serious, slow, and emotional.

• You get to see Kenshin aged and vulnerable
It’s rare to see a shounen hero deteriorate physically and emotionally like this.

• Well-animated with a cinematic tone
Even if the content is divisive, the quality of the visuals and direction is solid.


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🥀 Rurouni Kenshin: Seisou-hen (Reflection)

Rating Utama: 6.2/10
Status: Campur Aduk (Mixed Feelings)


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💬 Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Cerita: 6.0/10
OVA ini mencoba menutup kisah Kenshin dengan melompat jauh ke masa depan, memperlihatkan Kenshin dan Kaoru yang sudah menua, sambil menghadapi beban masa lalu Kenshin. Ceritanya jauh lebih kelam dan lambat dibanding seri utamanya. Niat untuk memberi penutup itu bagus, tapi kisahnya terasa terlalu menyedihkan dan agak bertentangan dengan pesan dari cerita aslinya.

Plot: 6.1/10
Plotnya terpecah-pecah, banyak loncatan waktu dan kilas balik yang bikin alurnya terasa tersendat. Alih-alih menekankan penebusan, ceritanya justru lebih fokus pada rasa bersalah dan penderitaan, yang bagi sebagian fans terasa berlebihan.

Pengembangan Karakter: 6.5/10
Kenshin digambarkan sangat menyesal dan menyiksa diri sendiri—terlalu dalam sampai kadang bikin gregetan. Kaoru memang lebih banyak diberi peran emosional, tapi ceritanya cenderung tragis. Hubungan mereka terasa lebih menyedihkan daripada menghangatkan.

Visual / Animasi: 7.5/10
Secara visual sangat rapi dan matang—desain karakternya dewasa, latarnya indah, animasinya halus. Warna-warna yang redup cocok dengan suasana cerita, meski mungkin tidak disukai semua orang.

Musik / Audio: 7.2/10
Musiknya lembut dan sendu, pas dengan temanya. Voice acting-nya kuat, terutama di momen emosional. Tapi karena nadanya monoton dan terlalu melankolis, bisa bikin terasa berat terus.

Eksekusi: 5.8/10
Sebagai penutup, OVA ini terasa terlalu dramatis. Nuansa damai dan penebusan dari seri utama jadi hilang. Sebagian orang suka karena lebih serius, tapi banyak juga yang merasa ini terlalu suram dan gak cocok sebagai akhir cerita Kenshin.


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❓ Yang Menarik dari OVA Ini

• Ngasih tahu apa yang terjadi setelah seri utama selesai
Kalau kamu penasaran soal nasib Kenshin dan Kaoru setelah cerita utama, OVA ini jawabannya—meski versinya bikin sedih.

• Hubungan Kenshin dan Kaoru lebih dalam
Hubungan mereka jadi fokus utama, tapi arahnya tragis banget.

• Tontonan yang lebih dewasa dan gelap
Bukan anime shounen lagi, ini lebih ke drama emosional yang berat dan lambat.

• Lihat Kenshin dalam kondisi rapuh
Gak banyak anime yang nunjukin tokoh utamanya menua dan kehilangan segalanya seperti ini.

• Animasi dan arahnya rapi banget
Meski ceritanya kontroversial, kualitas visual dan arahan sinematiknya gak bisa dianggap remeh.

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
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... 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