Episodes 9-12     Mar 07, 2009     reviewed by aklishak    

The Oniwaban group, elite ninja set to protect Kanryu,or so they thought. The group discover all the Oniwanban want is to prove themselves the most powerful group of men from the Meiji era. And also Yahiko sets to impress a girl by entering a foolish battle where he is highly outnumbered, and being who he is is to stubborn to ask for help. Great battles and funny moments. Kenshin has always been one of my favs. Id give 6 stars if i could.

aklishak also recommended: Yu Yu Hakasho, Louie the Rune Soldier, This ugly yet beautiful world.,
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OH MY, Good Filler??     May 30, 2007     reviewed by Tuttle    

Yes the filler is all good in Rou Ken. It is a great samurai series and the pasts of the characters are great. Everything is pretty much revealed too. All the Final Battles in the arcs are awesome. Its a must read.

Tuttle also recommended: Samurai Deeper Kyo,
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no me gusta     Jul 12, 2007     reviewed by hitachiin_love    
(Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 01)

I didn't like this one at all. It's just me, I guess, because most people like this one. There's so much old fuedal japanese history to understand in order to get the series. I didn't think that the graphics were the best either.

hitachiin_love also recommended: naruto, peace maker,
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Rurouni Kenshin Review     Oct 10, 2008     reviewed by ChocoMilkTea    

Based on the actual Meiji Period of Japan, Rouruni Kenshin is a Shounen, Action, Adventure about a wandering samurai, Kenshin. Even though he is a kind and friendly person, he carries a bloody past he wishes not to return to. This shounen anime starts of like any other as we are introduced to the characters the story revolves around (Kenshin) and we learn quite a bit about them. Also like the typical shounen anime, once all the main characters are together to form some kind of fighting team, it starts of with couple short random adventures. There's plenty of action and comedy here but it lacks substance and it is not until later on in the Kyoto Arc. That is when the story becomes truly interesting, with even more intense battles, drama and a decent array of characters to back it up.

The characters are great and well developed, which is the sort of thing you'll expect from a shounen action series, of this calibre. But the character that truly stands out is Kenshin, with his 3 contrasting personalities; dopy Kenshin, noble protector Kenshin and manslayer Kenshin and it is interesting how all of this is crammed into a single character. However there are a few brat-like characters that can get quite annoying at times but it doesn't take much away from the show.

There were two things I had to consider when looking into the quality of the animation; the time it was made and how well it depicted scenes. The animation quality of RK is exactly what you'd expect from something made in the 90s however when it comes down to it, it is really good especially during the action sequences. It is able to show the true intensity of the intense fights however those kinds of fights happen to rarely in RK.

The music on the other hand isn't all that special and there are only a few noticeable good tunes that go well, with the situations. The OP and ED themes are a range of catchy and annoying tunes however you'll definitely find some of them really enjoyable and hard to get out of your head. Another thing I just have to mention is that RK is one of those few anime that even a Sub anime fan like myself, actually prefered viewing the Eng. Dub version (uncut).

Overall RK is definitely one of the classic Shounen anime series that every shounen anime fan must watch. There a great deal of action, comedy and drama; with a superb story to back it up. The characters are also well developed and bring forth some really emotional moments but some are just plain annoying. Also little things like stupidly thought-up enemies and the huge number of cheesy moments reduce the overall quality of this fine anime. Another thing that badly affected the series was that it ended with a bunch of fillers but if you don't get bothered by all this, then you'll definitely enjoy RK.

^_^

ChocoMilkTea also recommended:
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An Instant Shonen Jump Classic!     Aug 28, 2007     reviewed by woundsthatbleed    
(Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 01)

Rurouni Kenshin has to be one of my all time favorite mangas. I love the way Nobuhiro Watsuki uses fiction and historial facts to create this samurai tale. You will love this series for the characters, battles, romance, and comedy. This manga will easily appeal to both males and females. The artwork is superb and the story is even more amazing. It will have you yearning to buy the next book as soon as you finish reading volume one. This series may be long, but trust me you won't mind.

woundsthatbleed also recommended: Naruto, Peace Maker Kurogane,
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no title     Aug 28, 2007     reviewed by KoolKat    

An engaging series with beautiful artwork, Watsuki describes RK as the 'Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story.' In other words, there is something for everyone. This is the only anime that captured my attention long enough to explore more anime and spark an interest in manga.

If you think you might become bored reading such a long series, do not worry! Several new characters and seemingly minor characters appear to bring fresh plot twists to very long arcs.

The only detractions in this series is Kenshin's tendency to monologue as well as the tangible romantic frustration between the two main characters. But some people might like that.

No matter what other series I read, Rurouni Kenshin will always remain one of my favorites, and you may find you feel the same if you give it a try. :)

KoolKat also recommended: Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo, Samurai 7, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Trigun, Trigun Maximum,
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Best edition for any manga in the US!     Feb 18, 2008     reviewed by Ricardo Peña    
(Rurouni Kenshin Big Edition Vol. 01)

The book is BIG as the name implies, it has lots of color pages, and the extras of the volumes... In fact is a replica of the volumes but with some colored pages, and lowered price, what else could you ask for? If you are a die-hard fan of Ruroken buy this! If you don´t have it (Ruroken manga) buy this! If you have it already, you might be tempting to buy this because of the color pages, so is up to you, I´d do it.

Ricardo Peña also recommended: One Piece, Buso Renkin.,
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rurouni kenshin     Jul 05, 2007     reviewed by sonia    

its a real tight sword fighting anime something like inuyasha and yu yu hakusho..its real funny and cool..it reminded me of outlaw star a little bit though.

sonia also recommended: bleach, inuyasha, naruto, yu yu hakusho, outlaw star,
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Battousai?     Aug 17, 2010     reviewed by Hagane_chibi    

Rurouni Kenshin was an assassin. He became infamous as the Hitokiri Battousai, killing many men. During an incident in which his face was scarred, he decided that he no longer wished to kill. Thanks to his bloody sword, the war, as well as the Bakumatsu era, ended and Japan entered the Meiji era.

The lovely thing about this manga, I think, is the historical background. It takes place in the Meiji era of Japan, as the people adjust to the Western influence in the country. Several characters have historical backgrounds as well.

The characters are [mostly] wonderful. Most of the characters have several different sides to their personality. For example, Kenshin is goofy and does most of the housework and cleaning. He is very cunning, shrewd and sharp. He is also a master swordsman who decided the outcome of the war.

The story is very long, and starts off pretty slow. We get to see the fun side of the characters, but not much of their serious sides. There are a lot of small stories to get us used to the characters. The second arc shows us just how serious the characters can be, especially with the fate of the world in their hands. The second and third arcs move much more quickly than the first, and are packed full of action.

Maybe I have a bit of a bias, seeing as I started watching and reading this series when I was nine, but this is my favorite manga. It is well-written and fun. It mixes comedy and action perfectly, just enough to keep you coming back for more. It's a pretty long series (With 28 graphic novels and over 90 episodes), which can irritate some (I know I hate long series), but it's worth it to watch and read the entire thing.

Hagane_chibi also recommended: Buso Renkin,
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Would you like a     Dec 27, 2007     reviewed by TheReviewer    

Where to begin? This is a beautiful anime in many aspects, and what's great is that it can be viewed by any age group and be found entertaining. It contains stunning visuals in animation quality (for being as old as it is) and character display. It's fluid and at times, detailed.

Aside from the art, its storyline is top notch, circling around Japan's history and samurai trying to find their place in the world with the evolving technology, military, and weapons. It follows a character by the name of Kenshin Himura, also know as the Battousai and his involvement with the characters he comes across and regards as close friends. The series looks towards the future of Kenshin while the OVAs focus on the past.

The English voice acting could use some work with Yahiko and pronunciation, and Kenshin's Japanese voice doesn't seem to... click. Otherwise, I have no problem with the Japanese acting.

Overall, this is a stunning anime from beginning to end. Those who enjoy action, sword fights, and romance, but don't mind a little blood. At times, the names can get confusing for those not accustomed to the Japanese culture. However, it can still be followed. This is one slice of anime that shouldn't be missed.

TheReviewer also recommended: Bleach,
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