Synopsis:
Rurouni Kenshin is a series about a wandering samurai named Kenshin Himura. Before the current era, the Meiji era, Kenshin was known by a different name: Battousai the Manslayer. During the revolution fought to bring out a new era, Kenshin slayed many men and was one of the most feared among the assassins. His name was infamous among all of Japan. Now, in the Meiji era, Kenshin wanders to protect people with his sword.
Story: 9
The story of Rurouni Kenshin had an intriguing plot that provided comedy, suspense, and tons of action. It is a shonen manga after all, so the action was one of the greatest assets to the story.The first 27 episodes are single episode or around 4 episode arcs. These mostly consist of Kenshin meeting new people, new enemies, and new allies. Each arc will show you more and more of just how strong not only Kenshin is, but also his allies. Although the arcs are short, there is plenty of plot and a lot of EPIC action. Whether its Kenshin or one of his allies, like Sanosuke, there will be some impressive fights.
What makes Rurouni Kenshin LEGENDARY is the massive Kyoto arc. This arc consists of episodes 28-63. This arc is where the heart beating action takes place, and an intriguing plot that will have you going to the next episode before the ending animation even starts. This arc has epic battle after epic battle. It also contains the most heated fight I have ever scene in any anime. A fight so intense that my heart was beating a mile a minute. I was actually short of breath in the anticipation throughout the fight. Not just action, but the Kyoto arc is filled with plenty of drama and tender, touching moments as well. It was the perfect blend of action and drama to keep you glued in.
The final episodes, 64-94, were just filler episodes. They were alright and did have some good elements in them, but they, in my opinion, failed in comparison to the main story. These consisted of mainly 1 episode entertainment episodes and around 5 episode story arcs. In truth, I actually liked the one episode stories better than the arcs. Although they did give some entertainment, they had no real connection to the main story.
Animation: 9
For a 1996 anime, the animation was actually pretty good. The fight scenes were beautifully drawn and the characters were all different. Some of the best animation of the anime was actually the backgrounds. They were simply stunning and made you feel as if you were actually seeing ancient Japan. Whether it was the beautiful sakura trees, giant mountains, or ancient Tokyo, the animation was all purely done and strikingly depictic.
Soundtrack:10
The soundtrack it one of my favorites among the anime I have seen. The background music is well chosen for each situation for you to feel sadness, anticipation, or even calm. It makes you feel the rush of battle, or the peace of just walking down the streets, and of course that emotion felt during those dramatic moments. In all. its a well rounded soundtrack that makes you feel all emotions in all moments.
Characters: 10
Rurouni Kenshin is a masterpiece when it comes to its characters. Each character was unique in their own way. They all had their own personality that brought tears to your eyes in laughter or silent out of fear. It was actually hard to pick my favorite character at times because I actually liked most of them. They all had their own dramatic pasts that sculpted this unique personality you see before you. There is plenty of character development, enough to keep you intrigued and guessing what a character will do in a certain situation. One thing this anime had was really amazing villians. The main villain of the Kyoto arc, Shishio, is now one of my favorite villains of all time. He is truly evil, and is epic while being it. Each villain was unique and expressed their different attributes. They were vile, sympathetic, epic, and ingenious.
Overall:9
Rurouni Kenshin is an anime that you can enjoy. If it weren't for those last fillers, this would definitely be a 10. It has many of the things one looks for in an anime: Action, Suspense, Drama, Romance, Comedy. It has some stunning animation for a 1990's anime and an all rounded soundtrack. For an older anime, this is truly a diamond in the ruff. For people who love retro anime, this anime is definitely a must watch for your collection. To the modern people, give this a try. Whether you need an epic action anime or something with an amazing story, Rurouni Kenshin doesn't disappoint.
