Rurouni Kenshin
a meiji kenkaku romantan
A manga written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Swords collide. Sparks fly. Blood rains from the sky.
Our hero: Himura Kenshin. The enemy: Himself.
Inside Himura Kenshin is the
Hitokiri Battousai; the most skilled assassin during the Edo period of feudal Japan. The times were different then.
The government was in shambles and men wielded swords to fight for what they believed in. The Battousai was
more of a myth then a mere man. Many have seen him walking through dark alleys, but few have survived to tell about
it. The Battousai led the way to a new government in Japan. With his sword stained with countless lives, and
his deepest wound a cross-scar across his cheek, the Hitokiri Battousai vanished from battle to become a Rurouni, a
wandering samurai.
Nobuhiro Watsuki's masterpiece, Rurouni Kenshin, tells the story of Himura Kenshin, and his journey to
redeem himself for the atrocities he committed as an assassin. Kenshin's old enemies are set out to
make his life a living hell. The government that he helped form only wants his help to kill more
people. Kenshin wanders from place to place with no real motive, until he meets Kamiya Kaoru, a young teenage girl
in Tokyo, Japan.
Kaoru changes Kenshin's life by offering him a place to stay. Rather then
traveling from place to place mindlessly, Kenshin happily accepts the offer. Together they meet Yahiko, a
young boy who wants to grow strong, and Sanosuke, a reckless fighter who fought against Kenshin's
government in his past. These four will fight to protect the weak, and those who want to cause havoc.
Rurouni Kenshin Anime: The anime series is 95 episodes (including 1 extra "lost" episode). It also contains
2 different OVA's (Original Video Animation) and 1 full-length movie. The first OVA is 4 episodes long and
takes place before the TV series. It is highly regarded as one of the best made anime OVAs of all time. The
second OVA, Seisouhen, takes place many years after the anime TV series ended, and is 2 extra long episodes. Although the
anime series is a very hefty 95 episodes, it does not cover the entire Rurouni Kenshin series as it was originated in its
manga form.
Rurouni Kenshin Manga: The manga (or graphic novel) is superb and more interesting then its anime counterpart.
It truly shows Watsuki's great effort in story-telling and of course the artwork. The story is
spontaneous, well rendered and most of all, intriguing. The fighting scenes are so
intense and powerful that the anime version can't hold a candle to it. The manga contains the "true ending" of
Rurouni Kenshin, at least in my opinion.
About: This section contains contents from a retired RK site called Rurouni Kenshin Online.
RK Online began in 1998 and the site was retired years after.
I received permission from the author of RK Online, Gentatsu Eiji, to help maintain his site.
All of Rurouni Kenshin's characters shown on this site were created by Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the exception of
the fanart.