I'm mostly writing this review to make people aware of Rurouni Kenshin, since after talking to many people, I found out that no one had ever even heard of the anime. I have decided to make the world aware of this great series. First of all, this anime came out in 1996 and was produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment, therefore expect that the show is high quality. Mostly because this show was produced after the release of the highly successful Playstation, Sony had a lot of money in their pockets to waste on the production of the show, so don't expect for a minute that you won't see some high quality animation. Second, the anime is also based on the manga by Watasuki Nobuhiro, and is a fairly good translation other then the fact that it is missing a few things here and there.

The plot of Rurouni Kenshin is what really makes it shine. The story takes place 10 to 11 years into the Meiji era. The main character, Rurouni Kenshin, as the title suggests, is the legendary Hitokiri Battousai or "Killer of Many." He used his fighting technique to help the Ishin Shishi who were running a revolt against the Edo government. After the war was over, Kenshin disappeared and the story then picks up in Tokyo, where Kenshin's travels have led him. Kenshin meats Kamiya Kaoru, the sensei of a Budo Dojo, who finds out he is the Battousai, but still convinces him to stay with her in her Dojo. Kenshin, despite his horrible past, then uses his unique skills to protect Kamiya and her friends as a sort of body guard. As the story continues, Kenshin's past catches up with him as he is thrown into many battles with old enemies, people who want the title of Battousai, and figures or legends from the Meiji revolt.

The plot is also well presented, where much of it is revealed through the conversations between characters. Despite the seriousness, though, the show delivers comedic relief after exposing you to sad or intense moments (of which there are many). Included in the plot is more action then you can shake a stick at. Since Kenshin no longer wants to be the Battousai, he uses a Sakabatou sword, which generally has a blade on the opposite side of the sword. Using this sword, he beats people with the blunt end rather then using the blade. Throughout the story, many of his old friends and many of his enemies try to convince him that he still is a Battousai and that the killer still resides in him. Therefore, throughout the story, Kenshin struggles to keep the Battousai tucked away and not to let it reveal itself. This struggle is so tough for him that sometimes he does turn back into the Battousai (which you can tell because his eyes glow orange).

Fight scenes, of which there are many, enjoy beefed up animation and unique perspectives, helping to create an intense battle atmosphere.	The tension created by such intense scenes or sad moments is often broken with some well timed comic relief.

Character design is great, there being hardly any two dimensional characters. Every character has some kind of background, especially Kenshin. The overall appearance of the characters is well designed, although costumes are not a big thing, since most the characters in the anime just wear traditional Japanese garments. Some characters, like Sagara Sanosuke, have different costumes and stand out, which adds a little variety to what otherwise would be oddly repetitive. The story includes 4 main characters and many, many secondary characters and villains. The main characters, other then Kenshin, are as follows:

Kamiya Kaoru - She runs her family Dojo where she teaches people Budo, the art of using a sword. She is a very outgoing kind of person, plus she is always willing to fight and won't back down if challenged. She also encourages Kenshin not to become the Battousai again, thus she helps him hold back if he becomes too enraged in a fight.

Myojin Yahiko - He is a young boy who comes from a long line of samurai. His ambition is to become as strong as Kenshin, and would rather use his sword to kill than just to protect as Kenshin does. His skills as a fighter are not yet all that great, but Kenshin believes that, with Kaoru as a sensei, he will grow up to become a great fighter capable of protecting those he loves.

Sagara Sanosuke (a.k.a. Zanza) - He is the gangster type, and wears the word "Bad" on his back. In the early episodes he carries around a Zanza sword (a huge sword that is bigger in comparison to Cloud's sword from FF7). He likes to be known as one who doesn't like to start trouble, yet he is a gangster and his reputation is quite the opposite. He decides to challenge Kenshin for the title of Battousai, but is defeated very easily. Despite his damaged pride, he becomes good friends with Kenshin, and does his best to help him fight.

The animation in Rurouni Kenshin is by far the best I've seen in a basic television series. You can really get a taste for the animation just from watching the opening sequence (first series), which is extremely well animated. During the show, the animation is quite mediocre; it's typically what you would expect from any anime, at least until a fight starts. It is a real animation treat when they do a fight scene, when they beef up the animation and amplify the mood. During decisive battles they do really interesting viewpoints and perspectives. For example, when Kenshin is getting ready to fight they do a close up of him exposing the blade of his sword by giving it a flick of his thumb. Whenever you see that, you instantly know what Kenshin is about to do. One thing though, even though Kenshin doesn't believe in killing people, don't expect that there won't be any blood spilled; there's lots of that. In fact, sometimes Kenshin manages to draw blood from his opponent even by only using the blunt end of the sword.

One of the most disappointing things about the anime is the music. For one, the music is extremely varied, and doesn't stay consistent. I'm still trying to figure out why they use techno themes for battles when the story takes place in semi-ancient Japan. Some themes work though, like the ones they use when the mood calls for a more downbeat song. Sad moments are enhanced by the music they chose, which is really what the music is there for. As for the theme songs, they don't stay constant. There are 3 or 4 opening songs and at least 12 different closing songs. They were done by actual J-Pop bands and solo artists, which is nice, but I don't really think they fit the show much. The first opening song is really upbeat and bouncy, and seemed kind of out of place. It's not that I don't like the song; I think it's really good; but it just doesn't do the same thing as, for example, the Neon Genesis Evangelion theme. One thing that really made me drop my rating on music is the little "dum, dum, duuuuuuummmmm" kind of sound you hear constantly. They use it when they show a villain watching from the bushes, when something surprising happens, or most annoyingly, when there is no reason to use it at all. It also has a high pitched squeakiness to it that makes it even more annoying. Sometimes they even use it twice in a row *shudder* .

Personally, I think you should try to get your hands on this series. It's really interesting, and it's fun to watch. I recommend watching it with someone else, because the humor is much funnier when with another person. Also, if you are anything like me, you'll probably get hooked on this series really quickly. It only took two episodes to get me hooked. It really is for people who are tired of seeing anime which drop plot for action (Dragon Ball Z), or where they drop action for plot (Patlabor movies). Kenshin keeps a good balance of fighting and plot, and you don't have to worry about one plot dragging on for the whole series. It moves quite nicely and keeps you interested the whole way through. It's a must see in my book!

-Melicion

Distributor: Media Blasters
Creator: Watsuki Nobuhiro, SPE Visual Works
Released: 1996

Plot: A+
Character Design: B-
Animation Quality: A-
Music: C+
Overall: A