The anime is pretty simple as Kenshin was once a feared assassin called the Battousai during the Meiji Restoration. A tag he finds difficult to shake off and something he is determined to find atonement for with his reverse blade sword. To help him there is a female kendo master, a young thief, street brawler, a female doctor and a young female ninja. Together they fight injustice between Tokyo and Kyoto and help Kenshin defeat those trying to defeat the Battousai.
The series is split into a series of arcs. The first where we are introduced to the main characters and we find out about their past. We then have a number of bad guys who try to bring down the corrupt Meiji government which Kenshin must stop at all cost.
What is great about Ruouni Kenshin is that nothing is black and white. Although the bad guys are bad, the Meiji government Kenshin is defending is no better. Also the bad guys henchman aren't necessarily bad. More often than not they have their own tragic past which leads them to the bad guys side.
The violence is never gratuitous. There is blood and serious injuries but it normally follows the same format where Kenshin tries to persuade the bad guy to give up then Kenshin's eyes narrow and we know he is going to fight.
Sadly Rurouni Kenshin loses its way at the end where the arcs plots become too far fetched but by then you have come too far with Rurouni Kenshin to abandoned it.
The artwork does look dated but it improves as the series goes and even introduces some modern animation techniques so for its day the animation is excellent.
The music, what can I say about the music. The background music is very good getting the mood just right, however, the opening and ending music with the exception of one are just terrible.
Rurouni Kenshi is a great anime by itself but with the OVA's Trust and Betrayal and Reflection Kenshin's life becomes a saga putting the story up with the best in anime.
