Rurouni Kenshin: The Remembrance

Original Title: るるうに剣心
Romanized: Rurouni Kenshin OAV
Literal:

Plot Synopsis

Kenshin Himura is a young man who had been orphaned early in life. Raised and trained by a Mitsurugi sword-style master, Kenshin decides to take leave and fight for a new world when he reaches his teens. Soon, Kenshin becomes one of the most feared assassins of the Tokugawa era -- for beneath the boyish frame and face lies a merciless killer of unparalleled skill. But something changes within Kenshin the day he meets Tomoe, a beautiful young woman who seems to have dark secrets of her own.

Reader Review

Rating: 5 / 5
Reviewer: Jubei
Review Date: 2003-10-01

Whether you've watched the Rurouni Kenshin TV series or not doesn't really matter. RK the OAV series is awesome to say the least, and you can enjoy it without any RK background.

The tone is solemn, and there is never a comical moment. This seriousness is reflected from the color schemes and composition of the scenes to the way the characters speak. Even the music reinforces this mood. The fights are virtual bloodbaths. People are slashed left, right, and center. You'll definitely be seeing a lot of samurai action and a whole lot of red. For those who've watched the TV series or read the manga, you'll find that the Kenshin here never lectures his foes to submission. He just kills, kills, kills... and you'll come to understand how he gained the title of "Battousai." You'll also discover how he got that X scar on his cheek.

Characterization is excellent, as is always the case with RK. A lot of insight and depth is provided as to why these people are the way they are. You would really feel as if you knew them personally, which makes it easy to empathize with whatever it is that's happening onscreen. The cinematography is superb. The scenes were obviously composed with a lot of thought as to convey additional meanings and emotions in every frame.

The art and animation are very good, and a lot different from the TV art. The way the faces are drawn in particular reminded me of the style employed in "Serial Experiments Lain". The English dubbing is fine, I just can't stand their mispronunciation of "Tomoe." The original Japanese version features seiyuu Junko Iwao (also Mima in "Perfect Blue," Ceres in "Ayashi no Ceres"). RK the OAV series is easily one of the best OAVs out there, and that's coming from one whose fave genre isn't even action.

US DVD Review

The Director's Cut is no different from the regular except they put them together and it is cheaper in cost.

Content Guide

I would say 16 or 17 and up for very high violence and gore.

Violence: 4 - Strong violence.

Nudity: 2 - A little tiny bit no special parts of the body but very skimpy.

Sex/Mature Themes: 3 - A slow and powerful scene of love.

Language: 2 - Some strong words every now and then.

Notes and Trivia

Miscellanies: I don't know why they chose "Samurai X" as the official English title of the OAV series. You'll get a lot more out of RK if you also experience the TV series.

Availability

OAVs; Translated and released in US by ADV Films under the title "Samurai X".
Episode	Format
1 (30min)	Dub VHS - "Samurai X: Trust" (buy from RightStuf - only $8)	Sub VHS - "Samurai X: Trust" (buy from RightStuf - only $8)	Hybrid DVD - "Samurai X: Trust" (buy from RightStuf or AnimeNation)	Hybrid DVD - Director's Cut (buy from RightStuf or AnimeNation)
2 (30min)
3 (30min)	Dub VHS - "Samurai X: Betrayal" (buy from RightStuf - only $8)	Sub VHS - "Samurai X: Betrayal" (buy from RightStuf - only $8)	Hybrid DVD - "Samurai X: Betrayal" (buy from RightStuf or AnimeNation)
4 (30min)

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