| Rurouni Kenshin was one of my earlier anime series, so I had always seen Kenshin as this iconic character who would continue to fight and protect and that his story would end in an open manner. I didn't know about these OVAs, so after I finished the main anime series, I had just assumed that it ended the way it did. 4 years later, however, I found Trust and Betrayal and then this. When I first saw this, it was extremely painful to watch Kenshin suffer and I ended up becoming depressed once he died. Not simply because he died, but the manner in which he did. He was frail, weak, losing his memory, diseased. I never thought I'd see him in such a saddening and pitiful state. He wasn't some iconic superman samurai, he was...only human. I haven't read the manga yet, but I personally am satisfied with this ending. It was sad, but the symbolism behind Kenshin's scar disappearing and finally letting his burden go was powerful and well executed. |
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| Hated it. It really defeat the whole aim of the manga which is to show how a man who did so much sins, who suffered himself terribly, will choose to face people , to live on, to carry his burdens, to help others, to rebuild his life and to smile and bring smiles and happiness to the ones around him. Kenshin chose to be positive, not to be depressed. If he had chosen to be depressed and to follow the path of retribution he would have chosen death the day he killed Tomoe. The person who created this fake ending never understood Rurouni Kenshin and should die of cancer. 0/10 |
short_reviewJan 15, 2014 6:09 PM
| I haven't read the manga. I will, eventually, but I know they have a sort of happily ever after there. I know what you are saying, that Kenshin deserved a better ending but life doesn't give better ends because we deserve it. After everything that happened, and mostly the thing with his frail body not being able to stand swordfighting anymore, like I understand is in the manga, had to have a worst meaning than just `he was not able to fight anymore so he became a house man living happily ever after'. What strikes me is that in Tsuyokuhen Kenshin said to Tomoe that he will die young. I also thought that was how it should naturally be. I dont know, this whole Seisou hen kind of reminded me of Okita Souji's real story, I wouldn't be surprised if the anime would have some inspiration out of that. And that's what made Okita such a loved character isn't it? Aside from that, the fact that Rurouni didn't give in to the domestic life is in my vision a lot more powerful as a story and builds on the character's greatness. And more realistic. He did love Kaoru, yet he decided he had to walk his other way too. And in the end, he had both. |
Morridine said: I haven't read the manga. I will, eventually, but I know they have a sort of happily ever after there. I know what you are saying, that Kenshin deserved a better ending but life doesn't give better ends because we deserve it. It's not that he "deserved" a better ending, it's more like he "chose" a good ending in the manga (the last arc in the manga is a lot about this question "what should I do of my life now"). Kenshin is the story of one man's struggle against everything to live a happy life with his friends. If you give it a sad ending it means "it doesn't matter how much you struggle for a happy life, you will die in pain and suffer". I don't think this is a good message for any story. Stories are not real life, they exist to inspire us. Plus as Aoshi Shinomori himself says in the manga "I don't think so low of becoming an average barkeeper", they have no problem in becoming normal people and live a normal life. You should read the manga, it's an awesome one (and even more if you like lots of historical references). =) |
short_reviewJan 19, 2014 7:35 PM
short_review said: It's not that he "deserved" a better ending, it's more like he "chose" a good ending in the manga (the last arc in the manga is a lot about this question "what should I do of my life now"). Kenshin is the story of one man's struggle against everything to live a happy life with his friends. If you give it a sad ending it means "it doesn't matter how much you struggle for a happy life, you will die in pain and suffer". I don't think this is a good message for any story. Stories are not real life, they exist to inspire us. Plus as Aoshi Shinomori himself says in the manga "I don't think so low of becoming an average barkeeper", they have no problem in becoming normal people and live a normal life. You should read the manga, it's an awesome one (and even more if you like lots of historical references). =) Oh okay, I haven't looked at the picture this way. It does kind of look like a bad message indeed but I guess I haven't seen it like that. I just few days ago watched the movie and it gave me other points of view too, besides the anime. For example this phrase that Kenshin is told in the beginning: `you live by the sword, you die by the sword`, as a response to his gesture of giving up his sword, happy that the new era he had helped create is finally there so he can live peacefully. So in the end of Seisouhen, when he dies of this sickness, I was only thinking, rather, well that was fine, he didn't die by the sword as they said he should. So his effort wasnt really meaningless... in a twisted weird thinking way. But I think you are right and yeah... that does sound better if you think that's what he fought for. I will read the manga yey I love love historical references and I read a lot about Shinsengumi (which kind of made everything about Kenshin weird since he was an imperialist!) |
Morridine said: I just few days ago watched the movie and it gave me other points of view too, besides the anime. Yeah. The anime gives a bit too much the impression that Kenshin's world is "all blue and happy". The anime was for kids. The manga is a bit grimer. For example it's oftenly hinted that the Meiji government is doing a lot of bad things. When Jinne dies he says "my death serves the politicians since I was doing their dirty job for them, I knew too many secrets". After the fall of Shishio, they talk a lot about what happened to the juppongatana, it is said that Yumi was really upset with the governement who legally considered prostitutes like her not even human and less than cattle. When kenshin says "I'm completely sure that the strong doesn't have to devour the weak" there is a comment next to the image "In fact some years later the Meiji government turned Japan into a strong and aggressive military country in which the strong ruled". So even if in the end Kenshin chose a normal life, everything was not going well in Japan, far from it. |
short_reviewJan 20, 2014 4:47 PM
| I fully understand all the complaints here (especially the one about Aoshi being nowhere in sight, not to mention Misao and the others...), but I think it's kind of missing the point of this OVA. The depressing atmosphere is the focal point of this and in that regard, I think it shines well. I think it would be best to view this as an "alternate ending," especially for those already familiar with how the manga ends. |
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TinkerAsuna said: I think it was something like leprosy but it had no cure. And like what some others have posted, I just see this as an alternate ending with really good animation quality. Kinda like "what if kenshin never really moved on from tomoe and couldn't truly accept kaoru as his wife" scenario, which of course this does not happen in the manga. still good nonetheless imo, but nowhere near as good as the other OVA.What was the illness that he had, that was transmitted to his wife? Was it hepatitis? Only reason why I said it was because his friend fought a tiger for its' liver. Any clue? |
| I've heard this isn't considered canon. |
| I really don't get why people disliked this ending, call it bittersweet but kenshin found peace, and both he and kaoru were together when they died(if it wasn't obvious, the ending heavily implies that kaoru died shortly after kenshin), to me, kenshin, a man who had lived a life filled with blood and carnage, and nightmares, finally finding peace with a woman who wanted to share his pain with him, and dying beside the woman he loves, to me there's not a more noble and blessed death a man like him could truly have. I mean i get people didn't want to see kenshin and kaoru die, but we all die, and i hope my death is half as pleasant as this ending. |
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