Rurouni Kenshin (Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story ) Watsuki Nobuhiro Images

Rouruni Kenshin is a manga created and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It was published on April 11, 1994 in Weekly Shonen Jump and ended on November 4, 1999. The anime adaptation was done by Studio Deen, SPE Visual Works and Studio Gallop. The anime aired starting January 10, 1996 and ended on September 8, 1998. Two OVA were released afterwards. The first featured content in the manga that was left out in the anime and the second was a continuation of the manga. A live-action film was released in 2012.

Rouruni Kenshin Plot:

Rourini Kenshin revolves around the Meiji Era assassin, “Hitokiri Battosai” Himura Kenshin. Ten years after the Bakumatsu war, Himura Kenshin became a wanderer who wields a reverse-blade sword and travels across Japan to help anyone in need to repent for the deaths he caused. He arrives in Tokyo in 1878 where he meets Kamiya Kaoru, who is looking for a man claiming to be the Batossai who uses her Dojo’s sword technique, Kamiya Kasshin-ryu kenjutsu, for a string of murders. After Kenshin helps her defeat the fake Battossai, it is revealed to Kaoru that Kenshin is the real Battossai. As a show of gratitude, Kaoru invites Kenshin to stay in her dojo where Kenshin meets several other people such as the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu kenjutsu student, Myojin Yahiko, the fighter for hire and former Sekiho member, Sagara Sanosuke and the once opium maker, Takani Megumi. Kenshin and his new friends go through many trials where Kenshin walks the fine line between a peace-loving swordsman who swears to never kill again and becoming the Battosai once again.

Rouruni Kenshin Characters:

Himura Kenshin – Kenshin is known as the legendary Battosai who killed several people in the Bakumatsu war. Ten years later, he has left that part of him behind and became a wanderer to protect people and never kill again. He wields a reverse-blade sword and fights with the dull side. He finds himself in Tokyo where he ends up living in the Kamiya dojo. He walks the fine edge between a protector and the Battosai.

Kamiya Kaoru – Kaoru is the assistant teacher of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu kenjutsu dojo in Tokyo. He meets Kenshin after her hunt for the fake Battosai who was using the Kamiya Kasshin style for a string of murders. After Kenshin defeats the fake Battosai, she invites Kenshin to stay with her in her dojo. She eventually gets involved in a relationship with Kenshin and constantly stops him from returning to the Battosai.

Sagara Sanosuke – Originally Higashidani Sanosuke, he used to be a member of the Sekiho Army before they were betrayed and wiped out by the Meiji Government. He grows up borrowing Captain Sagara’s name becoming Sagara Sanosuke. He then becomes known as the fighter for hire, “Zanza”. He is then paid to take down Kenshin but is defeated. Sanosuke then quits his fighter for hire career and becomes a wanderer frequenting in the Kamiya Dojo and helping Kenshin in his battles.

Shishio Makoto – Shishio was the successor of the Battosai’s title after Kenshin stopped fighting. He was used by the Meiji government to fight then, when he was no longer needed, was assassinated and burnt. He barely lived but his skin was covered in burns and he lost the ability to sweat making his body temperature abnormally high. He then slowly creates an army to overthrow the Meiji government.

Rurouni Kenshin Similar Series:
1. Peace Maker Kurogane
2. Sword of the Stranger
3. Trigun

source: Zerochan; written by Bootan

Aliases

• Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
• Samurai X
• Ruroken
• Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story
• るろうに剣心