Rurouni Kenshin tells the story of Kenshin Himura, a legendary samurai who fought during Japan’s Meiji Revolution, as he struggles to repent for all the lives he ended during the bloody years of the revolution. It’s been ten years since the Meiji Revolution ended and peaceful days have once again graced the inhabitants of Japan. The samurai class has been abolished; peace and prosperity are the order of the day. Navigating through this peaceful era is Kenshin Himura, a former manslayer—now turned wanderer—who has sworn off killing and now intends to use his skills as a swordsman to help ordinary people live their lives without fear or worry. Kenshin suffers from a deep sense of regret at having killed so many people in the past, and it’s his redemptive journey that drives the story forward.
At its core, Rurouni Kenshin is a story about breaking away from one’s past and correcting one’s mistakes. Along his journey Kenshin meets many people and makes many genuine friends. Each of the series’ arcs focuses on the growth of its central cast of characters as they themselves come to realize their own mistakes and work hard to make amends and live life fruitfully. There is an incredibly wild yet knowingly sober aspect to the purity of Rurouni Kenshin’s emotional narrative. The central theme of redemption shines brilliantly in each arc, creating one of the most memorable narratives in all of Japanese animation. Redemption is the stepping stone for growth, and each character in the story illustrates that very same growth in a profound and mature manner.
What makes Rurouni Kenshin the glowing example of anime that it is, is its wonderfully fleshed out cast of characters: they completely steal the show. Each and every single one of the characters feels like a living entity. Everyone has a history of their own; they all have personal motivations and goals. What stands out most about the cast is how deeply human they all feel. While there are certainly moments of absurd comedy which reduce the characters to funny caricatures of their actual personality, never once does it detract anything away from their humanity. The growing bond and chemistry between Kenshin and his friends is an endearing example of friendship, love and loss. From the deep gratefulness that Sanosuke Sagara feels towards Kenshin for showing him the proper way to live, to the way young Yahiko Myojin looks up to Kenshin as his role model, the character interactions are what define this series. Kenshin is a fantastic protagonist: he’s wise, insightful, understanding, capable and even silly. Despite being a feared warrior, he is surrounded by an aura of vulnerability as he is impaired by his vow not to kill. Every battle he finds himself in is unique; each of his conflicts carries emotional and philosophical weight. Kenshin, despite his frequent silliness, is a profoundly mature character; he behaves very differently from other shounen protagonists. However, it isn’t just the main character who shines—each of the supporting characters are great in their own right. From Kaoru Kamiya to Aoshi Shinomori, everyone has a past, everyone has suffered and no one is immune to error. Every character has to realize that what’s important is getting back up and striving hard to make amends for all the wrong done. To redeem oneself in one’s own eyes is what everyone is trying to achieve. This is what makes Rurouni Kenshin great. This is the crux of Rurouni Kenshin’s emotional beauty. What’s even more fascinating is the lack of melodrama; the characters behave as fully grown adults should. It is precisely because of this that Rurouni Kenshin’s cast feels so wonderfully alive and human—vivid, realized, living, breathing entities.
Perhaps the only area where Rurouni Kenshin doesn’t shine as brightly is in its visual aesthetic presentation. While the art style, character design and backgrounds are certainly pleasant, it lacks the detail that its contemporaries sport. The main problem arises from its animation, which is merely good at best and mostly mediocre for the majority of season one. However, it does improve slightly as the series progresses. Despite this improvement, it does not compare to the other giants of the era such as Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Berserk.
The soundtrack, however, is a different story: it is the saving grace. Each piece is remarkably reminiscent of the times, lending the anime a distinctively retro feel. Many of the tracks do sound generic but even these are delightfully pleasant to listen to. However, the fireworks really take off once season two gets underway. Noriyuki Asakura has outdone himself. He masterfully composes a variety of truly brilliant pieces—from quirky to upbeat to tragic—that express the emotional spirit of Rurouni Kenshin perfectly. The wonderful soundtrack elevates the experience of watching this series to a new level.
What really prevents Rurouni Kenshin from being an unforgettable masterpiece is its lack of a conclusive ending. After properly wrapping up the amazing Kyoto arc, the studio ran out of source material to adapt. As a result, what was animated instead was a series of subpar filler episodes. Indeed, the entirety of season three is nothing but filler episodes. This proved to be fatal for the show’s continuity. Rurouni Kenshin was ultimately cancelled due to poor reception for season three. Aside from the lackluster “Reflections” OVA, Rurouni Kenshin has still not received a proper ending—even after twenty years.
After two decades, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan still stands as one of best the anime medium has to offer. It skillfully fuses mature and fun storytelling with profound emotional depth to ultimately create an endearing tale of redemption and friendship. It is a story that can be appreciated by people of all ages. In the end, this is a series that will be remembered for a very long time.
[This is a review of episodes 1-62. Season 3 has not been reviewed in this write-up. For the sake of thoroughness, however, public reception has been mentioned.]
