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WARNING: Spoilers shall be present however, bear in mind that this will not be a detailed retelling of the Manga, TV Series, or the OVA. Most of the information describing these must be considered a summary, something like you'd find at the back of a book cover.
I. Introduction
Creator: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Manga Volumes: 28
Episodes: 94 complete, 1 unfinished
Movie: 1
Original Video Animation (OVA): 2
1. "Tsuioka Hen" or "Heart of Sword: The Beginning…" - A four part OVA showing the origin of Himura Kenshin and how he transformed into one of the most feared assassins of Japan known as Hitokiri Battousai (Roughly: One Who Assassinates With A Sword). It also showed the origin of his X-scar, his life during the Boshin Civil Wars, his relationship with one Yukushiro Tomoe and how she radically changed his perceptions. At the end of the OVA, he begins his life as a wanderer.
2. "Seissou Hen" or "The Passing of Time Saga" - The OVA set 17 years after the last episode, about reflections of the past and about Kenshin and Kaoru's son, Kenji. It tells of the life of Himura Kenshin a considerable time after the end of the manga, Kaoru's memories of their past life together, and how it applies to the present.
II. Gist of Anime
Rurouni Kenshin is centered on a character named Himura Kenshin during the Meiji Era, just after the Bakumatsu (Boshin Civil Wars). He was formerly known Hitokiri Battousai, infamous for his sword prowess (using the technique Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu: Flying Sword to Heaven Technique/Philosophy) and the many lives he took during the war. Filled with remorse, he wanders Japan ten years after the Bakumatsu, atoning for his so-called sins. The anime begins in the streets of Edo. Himura Kenshin is going about his business and is suddenly stopped by a woman with a bokken (wooden sword). She challenged him to a battle, declaring stoutly that she would put a stop to his murderous pursuits. The woman's name is Kamiya Kaoru, shihondai (adjutant master) of the technique known as Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu (The Sword that Protects). Her technique embodies the ideals of the Meiji, and in retrospect, is a direct contradiction of Kenshin's ideals during his days as an assassin. The concept of extreme opposites culminates Kenshin's quest for atonement and he decides to live with Kaoru in the Kamiya Dojo. His personality as the Rurouni is very different from Hitokiri Battousai. Where the assassin lived in pain, blood and government intrigue, his life in the Kamiya Dojo was about laundry, cooking, and protecting the ones he cares for without need of bloodshed.
Through the course of the series, the main characters come into play. Myojin Yahiko is introduced as a child, forced to work for the Yakuza as a pick-pocket. Segara Sanosuke is a street fighter who is one of the two remaining members of the Sekihoutai, a civilian army annihilated towards the end of the Bakumatsu. Takani Megumi, a woman who dreams of becoming a doctor, but is hampered by her association with a man who has compelled her to make opium in a flourishing drug trade.
A. The Tokyo Arc
Introduces the main characters apart from Himura Kenshin, giving them depth, why they are the way they are, and how they relate to life, by themselves and with their new found friends in the Kamiya Dojo. In this arc, the "Kenshin-Gumi" (Kenshin & Co.) is formed. These episodes are a prelude to how the characters would react to situations that would befall them in the later episodes. Kenshin swearing to uphold his promise not to kill (hasn't killed a soul in ten years); Kaoru's constantly bright and optimistic disposition with her propensity to help those (even strangers) in need; Yahiko's childlike eagerness for life and his tendency to do things on impulse; Sanosuke's tough-guy image clashing with his feelings of concern for his friends; and finally Megumi's go-girl attitude, finding herself able to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. The Oniwabanshu, as led by Shinomori Aoshi, is introduced.
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B. The Kyoto Arc
Kenshin is called to action again by the very government he once fought to establish. The government respects his skills and believes that he is the only one capable of putting a stop to the new menace that cropped up in Kyoto. A madman named Shishio Makoto, the assassin who replaced Kenshin as Hitokiri during the Bakumatsu, has gone completely nuts. He wants to take over Japan under the philosophy "The strong shall live and the weak shall perish." He is a monster, unwittingly created by the Meiji government when they burnt him alive (with lamp-oil, even!) towards the end of the Bakumatsu because he knew too much. He formed an group called the Juppongatana (Ten Swords) composed of some of the best and most frightening warriors. In this arc, Kenshin leaves Tokyo to go to Kyoto. Eventually, the Kenshin-Gumi follow him and helps him alleviate the threat. Here we see Kenshin's "Battousai Side" resurfacing for a while because he is purposely provoked by one Saitoh Hajime (Shinsen-gumi Captain), Kenshin's nemesis during the Bakumatsu. Here, the New Oniwabanshu is introduced. This arc shows Kenshin's will to live and fight for the ones he cares for, without having to revert back to Hitokiri Battousai, the personality he has been struggling to suppress since he began wandering. In the end, Kenshin prevailed, and he didn't even kill anyone! It is about upholding his new ideals, even in the face of peril. Officially, this is when Kenshin declares that his wandering days are over, and that he has found a home in the Kamiya dojo.
C. The Shimabara Arc
A compelling insight into the Christian struggle against the relatively anti-Christian history in Japan. A man named Amakusa Shogou, a pupil of the truncated (or altered) Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, forms a cult of Christians. He proclaimed himself the Son of God and is intent on leading his followers in a holy battle. The Kenshin-Gumi heads to Shimabara to put a stop to the uprising, before anyone else gets hurt. Of course, the Kenshin-Gumi once again prevails.
D. Something I like calling "The Filler Arc"
I call this a filler because it's quite uninteresting. The Kenshin-Gumi is caught in a whirlwind of the mysticism of Feng Shui. When Kaoru is poisoned by a laced dart, the only way to save her life is to find a mystical spring that can cure all ailments. At the same time, he must help restore the balance of the elements which is threatening to destroy the world. With the help of a mysterious man, Kenshin finds the spring, and helps save Japan (yet again) in a supernatural twist of the series.
E. The Revenge Arc (not part of the series but shown in Manga)
Kenshin's past finally comes to haunt him. Yukushiro Enishi, Tomoe's younger brother, is out for revenge. He is insane, and believes that Kenshin murdered his sister. He comes up with a diabolical plan to destroy Kenshin's happiness, and make him suffer for his sins. In this arc, Kenshin's past is revealed to the Kenshin-Gumi, and here lies the final chapters of the manga and how it turns out a couple of years after the show-down with Enishi.
III. The Characters (for details, click on the links below!)
A. The Good
1. The Kenshin-Gumi
2. The New Oniwabanshu
3. Other Friends in Edo
B. The Bad
1. Juppongatana
2. Enishi & Co.
3. Other Nuisances
C. The Misunderstood
1. Amakusa Shogou & Co.
2. Sanada Ninjas
3. The Former Oniwabanshu
4. Shigure & Co.
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