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Rurouni Kenshin is a Japanese historical-adventure-action-romance anime that takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. It narrates the story of a peaceful wanderer named Himura Kenshin, formerly known as the assassin Hitokiri Battosai (Man-Slayer), the greatest killer of the Bakumatsu. He carries with him his bloody past vowing never to kill again, until the critical moment comes when an old menace, the successor to the Hitokiri Battousai, in the form of Shishio Makoto, threatens the peace of the new Meiji Era. With the duty to protect their loved ones, Kenshin Himura, along with his new friends, once again is destined to raise his sword.
I find the character design in this Japanime one of a kind as it discloses the depth and sense of personality. Each introductory of character is unique as the viewers learn more about Rurouni’s past without fully revealing everything until end of the series. The anime beautifully gives a constant sense of curiosity that captivates the viewer. It has a flavor that touches the heart in some way. From be the physical and emotional struggle of Kenshin Himura, Kaoru Kamiya’s fear of loneliness or even the bond that unites Yahiko, Sanosuke and Megumi, you can feel the essence of the characters depicting some of the emotions in your own personal life.
The art and animation are good and quite consistent in quality. Although it isn’t anything breath taking, but it does a good job of making sure the characters movements synchronizes with the visual experience. The simple art is strong and crisp clean. The fight scenes in this anime are excellent, especially the one between Kenshin and Sito. I would recommend this show to any anime fan who likes a good fight.
The music in this series is absolutely superb. The various opening and closing songs are all very good and the music can stand by itself due to its quality. Additionally the songs in the series are very good and suit each character and each situation very well heightening the emotion of each sequence.
Like many great epics, Rurouni Kenshin is a story of redemption and the road to recovery. He makes many friends and begins helping people in so many ways. It’s a wonderful message to send to people: it’s never too late to change. This anime explores morality and at times can get pretty deep into politics and what not but it all ties in very well to the anime as a whole. This is truly a classic series.
Ratings: 4.99 out of 5
Rarely do you come across an anime which is so perfect in terms of storyline, artwork and music all blent together. In its heyday, Rurouni Kenshin was ranked as the top anime of its time, and the mangaka definitely understands what readers want. If you had to choose a list of ten animes to watch, I would give this my recommendation.
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