http://sightsee.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
sightsee.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
crack_van2008-10-03 12:22 am
sightsee.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2008-10-03 12:22 am
Entry tags:
Rurouni Kenshin Overview
Spoilers within.
Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin in terms of length and fandom size deserves a really good overview. Also because it's so interwoven and ultra-connected but alas, I lack the time (anyone want to that would be awesome...?) so I give you this pitiful little thing and then link you far and wide to places of helpful information.
Rurouni Kenshin is completed at 28 volumes and is awesome. I'm pretty sure its the first anime I got into before I knew what anime is (Sailor Moon was first but I was so young and I did not get the whole anime thing for years after loving that.) and I still love it. I was originally into the anime only but that leaves off a crutial storyline and instead gives us a new one so, well, I do think to really get the whole Rurouni Kenshin world you need to read the manga.
Overview - holy spoilers, batman!
The story of Rurouni Kenshin takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. It tells the story of a peaceful wanderer named Himura Kenshin, formerly known as the assassin Hitokiri Battōsai. After participating during the Bakumatsu war, Kenshin wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need, as atonement for the murders he once committed as an assassin. When arriving in Tokyo, he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who was in the middle of a fight with a murderer who claims to be the Hitokiri Battōsai from her swordmanship school. Kenshin decides to help her and defeats the fake Battōsai. After discovering that Kenshin is the real Battōsai, she offers him a place stay at her dojo as she notes Kenshin is a gentle person instead. Kenshin accepts and begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies, while dealing with his fair share of enemies, new and old.
After three months of living in the dojo, Kenshin discovers that his successor as assassin of the shadows, Shishio Makoto, plans to conquer Japan by destroying the Meiji Government starting with Kyoto. Feeling that his friends may be attacked by Shishio's faction, Kenshin goes to meet Shishio alone in order to defeat him. However, many of his friends decide to travel to Kyoto to help him in his fight. He decides to accept their help and defeats Shishio in a fight, who dies in the process due to the rise in body temperature caused by his burns.
When Kenshin and his friends return to Tokyo, Kenshin finds Yukishiro Enishi, who plans revenge by killing his friends. At this point it is revealed that, during the Bakumatsu, Kenshin used to be married to a woman called Yukishiro Tomoe, who initially wanted to avenge the death of her fiancé, whom Kenshin had killed, but instead both fell in love and got married. When it was discovered that Tomoe was part of a group of assassins that wanted to kill Kenshin, Kenshin blindly swings his sword, killing both his assailant and Tomoe, who jumps in at the last minute to save Kenshin from a fatal attack. Wanting to take revenge for the death of his sister, Enishi kidnaps Kaoru and leaves behind a tortured figure bearing a stunning resemblance of the girl for Kenshin to find and momentarily grieve over. Once discovering that Kaoru is alive, Kenshin and his friends set to rescue her. A battle between Kenshin and Enishi follows and when Kenshin wins, he and Kaoru return home. Five years later, Kenshin has found true peace; he is married to Kaoru and has a son named Himura Kenji.
Mediums
Manga
Written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the first chapter of Rurouni Kenshin premiered in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1994 and was serialized in the magazine until 1999. The 255 individual chapters were collected and published in 28 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first volume released on September 9, 1994 and the last on November 4, 1999. In July 2006, Shueisha began re-releasing the series in a twenty-two kanzenban special edition volumes. A single chapter follow up to the series that follows the character of Yahiko Myōjin, Yahiko no Sakabatō was originally published in Weekly Shōnen Jump after the conclusion of the series. Left out of the original volumes, it was added as an extra to the final kanzenban release.
Rurouni Kenshin was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media. The first volume of the series was released on October 7, 2003 with volumes released normally every other month until July 5, 2006, when the final volume was published. In January 2008, Viz began re-releasing the manga in a wideban format called "VIZBIG Edition", which is a collection of three volumes in one.
Anime
The first eighteen manga volumes of the series were adapted into a ninety-five episode anime series that began airing on Japan's Fuji TV on January 10, 1996 and ended on September 8, 1998. It was produced by Aniplex and Fuji TV, and was animated from episode 1 to 70 by Studio Gallop, whereas the episodes from 70 onwards were animated by Studio Deen. The TV series was later licensed in North America by Media Blasters.
Movie
The series also has a movie called Samurai X: The Motion Picture, known in Japan as Ishin Shishi he no Requiem which tells a story where Kenshin meets a samurai who was very close to a man Battosai murdered in the war. The samurai is trying to start a revolution to overthrow the Meiji government. The film was directed by Hatsuki Tsuji and it premiered in Japan on December 20, 1997. In North America, the film was released in DVD on March 27, 2001.
OVAs
Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal and Samurai X: Reflection
The OVA series, which features a number of historical characters, attempts to be more realistic and accurate than the TV series. The OVA made use of live footage spliced with animation cells giving the series a different feel than straight animation. Both OVAs were re-released internationally in "Director's Cut" forms that spliced the separate "episodes" together into continuous movies, as well as adding some extra footage. The order of musical cues in both director's cut OVAs were significantly lessened and altered, although the tracks themselves were not altered or omitted.
The first OVA series, Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal, collectively known in Japan as Tsuiokuhen and later edited into a movie as Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal -Director's Cut, was set during the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate and telling of Kenshin's childhood. Only a few characters from the TV series appear in this OVA. The OVA mainly depicts the life of Kenshin as Battōsai and his time with his first wife, Tomoe.
The second OVA series Samurai X: Reflection, known in Japan as Seisōhen and later edited into a movie as Samurai X: Reflection -Director's Cut. It was set both during and after the timeline of the series and tells of Kenshin and Kaoru's later years, much of which is not derived from the manga. It also differs from the manga on some points, such as details in regard to the Jin-e and Enishi fights. The OVA is seen as a montage of singular events surrounding the life of Kenshin, told from the point of view of Kaoru.
Personally my recs are coming from the manga mainly, and then the anime a little bit. Nothing from anywhere else.
Characters
My favourites are Saitou and Kaoru, Saitou because I am just one of those people who likes them mean and sarsastic and Kaoru mainly from the fact I loved her in the anime when I was younger and that stays with me. I can adore Kenshin and I can hate him, and the rest of the characters are just there in my opinion.
Main Characters
Himura Kenshin is an ex-hitokiri with the title "Hitokiri Battōsai. During the story Kenshin wanders around Japan to help those in need in order to atone for the murders he committed during the Bakumatsu. When he arrives in Tokyo, Kenshin meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru who invites him to live in her dojo despite finding out that Kenshin is a hitokiri. Significant instances transpire from that point, and Kenshin establishes lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies.
Kamiya Kaoru is the teacher from a kendo school from Tokyo called Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū. The school starts to lose all its students when a thief from the city starts killing a large number of people and claims to be the "Hitokiri Battōsai from the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū". Kaoru encounters him but before being killed by him she is saved by the real Hitokiri Battōsai, now a wanderer, Himura Kenshin, to whom she offers to stay in her dojo.
Sagara Sanosuke is a former member of the Sekihotai who becomes a fighter-for-hire after its destruction. During his introduction he encounters Kenshin, who defeats him easily and makes him note he was just fighting to release his anger. Since that moment, Sanosuke becomes a friend of Kenshin and also his partner.
Myōjin Yahiko is an orphan from a samurai family and was forced to work as a thief to repay the debt that he had supposedly owed due to his parents death before they could pay it back. When he meets Kenshin, he is saved by Kenshin, and decides that he would grow up to be just like Kenshin. But due to Kenshin's strong beliefs in not teaching anyone else the sword style he had obtained, he enlisted Yahiko to be trained by Kaoru at the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū. As the series progressess, Yahiko becomes skilled at the swordsmanship and comes to face many opponents.
Other
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rurouni_Kenshin_characters
Places to go:
http://www.twilighthush.com/sora/
http://www.geocities.com/crazy_about_rk/index.html
http://the-oro.com/
http://www.romantation.com/Main.php
http://www.sitepros.net/kenshin/
http://rkxtreme.tk/
http://rk.cherry-skies.net/Saitoh/
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
sxsas
rk_challenge
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rk_icons
kenshin_icons
rurouni_fic
rk_fans
lemonscented_rk
Thank you wiki, thank you!
Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin in terms of length and fandom size deserves a really good overview. Also because it's so interwoven and ultra-connected but alas, I lack the time (anyone want to that would be awesome...?) so I give you this pitiful little thing and then link you far and wide to places of helpful information.
Rurouni Kenshin is completed at 28 volumes and is awesome. I'm pretty sure its the first anime I got into before I knew what anime is (Sailor Moon was first but I was so young and I did not get the whole anime thing for years after loving that.) and I still love it. I was originally into the anime only but that leaves off a crutial storyline and instead gives us a new one so, well, I do think to really get the whole Rurouni Kenshin world you need to read the manga.
Overview - holy spoilers, batman!
The story of Rurouni Kenshin takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. It tells the story of a peaceful wanderer named Himura Kenshin, formerly known as the assassin Hitokiri Battōsai. After participating during the Bakumatsu war, Kenshin wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need, as atonement for the murders he once committed as an assassin. When arriving in Tokyo, he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who was in the middle of a fight with a murderer who claims to be the Hitokiri Battōsai from her swordmanship school. Kenshin decides to help her and defeats the fake Battōsai. After discovering that Kenshin is the real Battōsai, she offers him a place stay at her dojo as she notes Kenshin is a gentle person instead. Kenshin accepts and begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies, while dealing with his fair share of enemies, new and old.
After three months of living in the dojo, Kenshin discovers that his successor as assassin of the shadows, Shishio Makoto, plans to conquer Japan by destroying the Meiji Government starting with Kyoto. Feeling that his friends may be attacked by Shishio's faction, Kenshin goes to meet Shishio alone in order to defeat him. However, many of his friends decide to travel to Kyoto to help him in his fight. He decides to accept their help and defeats Shishio in a fight, who dies in the process due to the rise in body temperature caused by his burns.
When Kenshin and his friends return to Tokyo, Kenshin finds Yukishiro Enishi, who plans revenge by killing his friends. At this point it is revealed that, during the Bakumatsu, Kenshin used to be married to a woman called Yukishiro Tomoe, who initially wanted to avenge the death of her fiancé, whom Kenshin had killed, but instead both fell in love and got married. When it was discovered that Tomoe was part of a group of assassins that wanted to kill Kenshin, Kenshin blindly swings his sword, killing both his assailant and Tomoe, who jumps in at the last minute to save Kenshin from a fatal attack. Wanting to take revenge for the death of his sister, Enishi kidnaps Kaoru and leaves behind a tortured figure bearing a stunning resemblance of the girl for Kenshin to find and momentarily grieve over. Once discovering that Kaoru is alive, Kenshin and his friends set to rescue her. A battle between Kenshin and Enishi follows and when Kenshin wins, he and Kaoru return home. Five years later, Kenshin has found true peace; he is married to Kaoru and has a son named Himura Kenji.
Mediums
Manga
Written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the first chapter of Rurouni Kenshin premiered in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1994 and was serialized in the magazine until 1999. The 255 individual chapters were collected and published in 28 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first volume released on September 9, 1994 and the last on November 4, 1999. In July 2006, Shueisha began re-releasing the series in a twenty-two kanzenban special edition volumes. A single chapter follow up to the series that follows the character of Yahiko Myōjin, Yahiko no Sakabatō was originally published in Weekly Shōnen Jump after the conclusion of the series. Left out of the original volumes, it was added as an extra to the final kanzenban release.
Rurouni Kenshin was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media. The first volume of the series was released on October 7, 2003 with volumes released normally every other month until July 5, 2006, when the final volume was published. In January 2008, Viz began re-releasing the manga in a wideban format called "VIZBIG Edition", which is a collection of three volumes in one.
Anime
The first eighteen manga volumes of the series were adapted into a ninety-five episode anime series that began airing on Japan's Fuji TV on January 10, 1996 and ended on September 8, 1998. It was produced by Aniplex and Fuji TV, and was animated from episode 1 to 70 by Studio Gallop, whereas the episodes from 70 onwards were animated by Studio Deen. The TV series was later licensed in North America by Media Blasters.
Movie
The series also has a movie called Samurai X: The Motion Picture, known in Japan as Ishin Shishi he no Requiem which tells a story where Kenshin meets a samurai who was very close to a man Battosai murdered in the war. The samurai is trying to start a revolution to overthrow the Meiji government. The film was directed by Hatsuki Tsuji and it premiered in Japan on December 20, 1997. In North America, the film was released in DVD on March 27, 2001.
OVAs
Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal and Samurai X: Reflection
The OVA series, which features a number of historical characters, attempts to be more realistic and accurate than the TV series. The OVA made use of live footage spliced with animation cells giving the series a different feel than straight animation. Both OVAs were re-released internationally in "Director's Cut" forms that spliced the separate "episodes" together into continuous movies, as well as adding some extra footage. The order of musical cues in both director's cut OVAs were significantly lessened and altered, although the tracks themselves were not altered or omitted.
The first OVA series, Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal, collectively known in Japan as Tsuiokuhen and later edited into a movie as Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal -Director's Cut, was set during the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate and telling of Kenshin's childhood. Only a few characters from the TV series appear in this OVA. The OVA mainly depicts the life of Kenshin as Battōsai and his time with his first wife, Tomoe.
The second OVA series Samurai X: Reflection, known in Japan as Seisōhen and later edited into a movie as Samurai X: Reflection -Director's Cut. It was set both during and after the timeline of the series and tells of Kenshin and Kaoru's later years, much of which is not derived from the manga. It also differs from the manga on some points, such as details in regard to the Jin-e and Enishi fights. The OVA is seen as a montage of singular events surrounding the life of Kenshin, told from the point of view of Kaoru.
Personally my recs are coming from the manga mainly, and then the anime a little bit. Nothing from anywhere else.
Characters
My favourites are Saitou and Kaoru, Saitou because I am just one of those people who likes them mean and sarsastic and Kaoru mainly from the fact I loved her in the anime when I was younger and that stays with me. I can adore Kenshin and I can hate him, and the rest of the characters are just there in my opinion.
Main Characters
Himura Kenshin is an ex-hitokiri with the title "Hitokiri Battōsai. During the story Kenshin wanders around Japan to help those in need in order to atone for the murders he committed during the Bakumatsu. When he arrives in Tokyo, Kenshin meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru who invites him to live in her dojo despite finding out that Kenshin is a hitokiri. Significant instances transpire from that point, and Kenshin establishes lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies.
Kamiya Kaoru is the teacher from a kendo school from Tokyo called Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū. The school starts to lose all its students when a thief from the city starts killing a large number of people and claims to be the "Hitokiri Battōsai from the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū". Kaoru encounters him but before being killed by him she is saved by the real Hitokiri Battōsai, now a wanderer, Himura Kenshin, to whom she offers to stay in her dojo.
Sagara Sanosuke is a former member of the Sekihotai who becomes a fighter-for-hire after its destruction. During his introduction he encounters Kenshin, who defeats him easily and makes him note he was just fighting to release his anger. Since that moment, Sanosuke becomes a friend of Kenshin and also his partner.
Myōjin Yahiko is an orphan from a samurai family and was forced to work as a thief to repay the debt that he had supposedly owed due to his parents death before they could pay it back. When he meets Kenshin, he is saved by Kenshin, and decides that he would grow up to be just like Kenshin. But due to Kenshin's strong beliefs in not teaching anyone else the sword style he had obtained, he enlisted Yahiko to be trained by Kaoru at the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū. As the series progressess, Yahiko becomes skilled at the swordsmanship and comes to face many opponents.
Other
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rurouni_Kenshin_characters
Places to go:
http://www.twilighthush.com/sora/
http://www.geocities.com/crazy_about_rk/index.html
http://the-oro.com/
http://www.romantation.com/Main.php
http://www.sitepros.net/kenshin/
http://rkxtreme.tk/
http://rk.cherry-skies.net/Saitoh/
sxsas rk_challenge rk_icons kenshin_icons rurouni_fic rk_fans lemonscented_rk Thank you wiki, thank you!
no subject
no subject
no subject