Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Ishinshishi e no Chinkonka

I judge movies and tv shows based on its emotional impact on me, and needless to say this was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had with a movie.. Just plain outright amazing, a very impactful and inspirational film.. Just when I’d thought I’ve seen everything from Rurouni Kenshin, I find this movie.. The soundtrack was outwright beautiful and heartwarming, the animation was second to none, and the fighting sequences were some of the best I’ve seen from any Rurouni Kenshin overall. I am so glad this film lived up to my expectations, definitely a must watch.

This Rurouni Kenshin movie is filler, which is not always inherently bad, but worse than that a shameless rehash of multiple arcs of the anime series. Yet again are we introduced to the idea of the disgruntled samurai who fought in the Bakumatsu era of Japan who are not satisfied with the current state of the Meiji Government and the collapse of the Shogunate. We’ve seen such plot points numerous times in the anime however executed much better and with greater impacts on the characters. Multiple characters are not important to the plot but happen to be there, maybe just for fanservice and for marketing. ... Overall, the movie is very bland and at times boring, if you’ve seen the anime, this movie will feel very familiar to you, and skippable.

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Well, it's a non-canon anime movie of an already existing franchise. You probably know how these go by now. If you don't, I'll fill you in:

1. Plays like an extended filler episode that doesn't expand upon the already existing franchise out of either some fear of meddling, lack of ambition, or likely both.

2. Introduces new characters with stock personalities and motivation which ties into...

3. Recycles themes and stories expressed in the main series without any attempt at one-upping them.

In this feature length film, Kenshin and the rest of the gang go on vacation or something for no real reason and discover Shigure Takami, yet another ... ghost of the Bakumatsu who has a bloodstained vendetta against the current Meiji government. Only Kenshin along with Shigure's doting implied lover Toki Takatsuki have a hope of teaching Shigure the valuable lesson that revenge isn't the answer.

Truly gripping stuff. It is the blandest storyline element the original Rurouni Kenshin series would have ever given us stretched out to an hour and thirty minutes, thus making it worse. The new characters feel like empty shells, making it impossible to care about their plight or its resolution. This is lame fanfiction with our favorite characters stuck in the middle to get our attention, just like our usual non-canon anime movies.

Upsides? They exist. The animation is nicer than the series and deservedly so, since it's a movie. The main cast of characters (as in, the old ones) are used quite well, each of them getting moments of individual attention, except for Kaoru who just kind of seems to be there. The movie gets decent for five minutes near the end when it remembers Rurouni Kenshin combined its historical roots with (then) modern battle shonen to spice things up a bit for the final duel.

But all in all, this is just an extended filler episode of the anime, and naturally not a very good one.