Dhruv Sharma
‘Rurouni Kenshin‘, also known as ‘Samurai X’, is simply one of those anime from the 90s that can be considered to be an absolute classic. Its entire of run has been divided into three parts where the first one, with close to 30 episodes, is more like an introduction to the whole setup and all the characters involved in the story. This is then followed by the second arc which goes to on till episode 62 and it’s this arc that unfolds the main story. It has tons of emotional moments, many different flashbacks of characters and also a whole lot of action. This particular arc of the story is simply perfect and in a way, the entire anime gets wrapped up by its end.
Coming to the final bit of the show, it is more or less of an unnecessary filler which just extends its runtime. This last fragment is not as good as the rest but is still quite entertaining if you have been following the anime all along. But skipping this won’t really make much of a difference.
Considering that it was made in the 90s, the animation of this shounen is just amazing with its incredible environments and smooth character movements. The fight scenes could have been a little better with a bit more detail but are still pretty good even when we compare these with some anime shows of today. Coming to the sound, the moody background scores fit in with its scenes and even the sound effects from explosions to swords clashing have been executed really well. Overall, ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is one of those classic shounen shows that were initially responsible for shaping up the world of anime as we know it today. Definitely, a must-watch for all anime viewers, especially the ones who are into samurai-centric stories.
Rurouni Kenshin Season 2 Release Date: When will it premiere?
‘Rurouni Kenshin’ season 1 premiered on January 10, 1996 and went on till September 8, 1998. During this span, it aired a total of 94 episodes with each one being 25 minutes long. This main season is actually a sequel of 4-episode OVA that aired from February 20, 1999 to September 22, 1999. Season one also has a sequel OVA that consists of 2 episodes and both of them released on December 3, 2001. ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is an anime from the 90s and it has been ages since it first came out.
Since then it has had many different spin-offs, side stories, and even live-action movie adaptations, however, a direct season 2 of the anime seems very less likely since it was released so long ago. While the anime might have come to an end, the entire franchise is far from over as two of its live-action films are scheduled for 2020. (For the moment, we are not counting on’Rurouni Kenshin’ season 2 release date.) So even if you have completed the main season one of the anime. There is a whole lot of content related to the anime that you can still watch. And if you’re looking for other similar classic shounen shows, then do refer to our list of anime from the 90s.
Rurouni Kenshin English Dub:
The English Dub of ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is available on Crunchyroll and also on Funimation.
Rurouni Kenshin Plot:
For a long time, during the Bakumatsu Era, the world knew a legendary assassin named Hitokiri Battousai. He was known to be a cold-blooded killer who never missed a single target and his abilities were unmatched. But strangely, he just disappeared from the face of Earth one day and was never seen again. Ten years have gone by since his disappearance but even know, his name still brings terror in the eyes of those who once fought against him.
Meanwhile, Hitokiri Battousai now chooses to live a very peaceful life and has left his bloodstained life behind him. He even feels sorry for his sinful past life and now tries to repent all of it by helping those in need using an alias name–Kenshin Himura. He is now a cheerful vagabond who only stops when he comes across someone who might need his help. During this journey, he runs into Kaoru Kamiya who runs her own Kendo Dojo. After finding out that her Dojo is being threatened by a fake imposter who claims to be Battousai, he decides to help her out. Kaoru now lets him stay at the Dojo and for a while, he decides to halt his travels.
But soon, the demons of his past start to resurface and collide with his present which brings him on a brink of picking up his old lifestyle all over again. Will he be able to hold himself back somehow?
Rurouni Kenshin Characters:
Kenshin Himura
Kenshin Humara, also known as the legendary hitokori of the Meiji Revolution, is the main protagonist of the series. He has spent more than 10 years traveling Japan as a ronin samurai with the vow of never killing anyone again. By doing this, he wishes to gain redemption for all the sins of his past. He looks quite young for his age and has a feminine appearance. Though he does not really fit the description of the typical badass swordsman that he is, he has certain notable features like his red hair tied up in a ponytail and an x-shaped scar on his left cheek that make him easily recognizable. The cross-shaped scar actually consists of two scars, one of which, would constantly bleed in the past as it was the mark of a curse for killing someone innocent.
Kenshin is a very soft-spoken and humble character who often puts others before himself. He calmly travels from one place to another and never holds himself back from helping the people he meets along the way. In a lot of situations, he even risks his own life for the well-being of the people he is trying to help. He still struggles to tame with the demons of his past when he was once a hitokiri (assassin) and now, after everything that he has been through, he has learnt to appreciate the importance of having a peaceful life.
Kaoru Kamiya
Kaoru Kamiya is the female protagonist of the series who after being rescued by Rurouni Kenshin, allows him to stay at her dojo to repay him for saving her from a bunch of goons. Initially, the two establish a very mutually respectful relationship and being with Kaoru helps Kenshin build his broken spirit. Eventually, the two get really close and fall in love with each other. Kaoru is a beautiful lady with long black hair and deep blue eyes. She is usually seen in a traditional white Japanese kimono and because of her regular training, she has a lean athletic build.
She is a young independent woman who carries herself with a lot of pride and confidence. When she feels insulted in any way, she completely loses her temper and even lashes out on those who try to disrespect her. She is also able to see the good in others too soon and always tries to encourage people in every possible way she can. Despite her obsession with swords and combat, Kaoru also has a very feminine side which inclined towards clothing, art and food. She avoids talking about romantic relationships but gets really jealous when some other woman tries to get close to Kenshin.
Yahiko Myoujin
Yahiko was once the only son of a not so well known samurai family and was later orphaned. He is then forced to become a pickpocket and is later rescued by Himura Kenshin who takes him to the Kamiya Dojo. After reaching there, the boy learns to live a bitter life and also starts studying Kenjutsu. Despite being a young boy, he learns quickly and becomes one of the most promising swordsmen at the dojo. He is much shorter than average and has cat-like brown eyes with short spiky black hair. Because of his rough past, even at a young age, he is ill-mannered and foul-mouthed. He tries to solve all of his problems on his own but really suffers when things are out of his own control.
Sanosuke Sagara
Sagara is the former member of the Seikho Army who spent his entire youth as a fight merchant under the name Zanza. But after he meets Kenshin, he brings an end to his fight merchant days and instead, joins Himura’s group at the Kamiya Dojo. He has long spiky brown hair and is quite tall with a very lean athletic build. He is also extremely strong and shows superhuman toughness during battles.
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