Wednesday, May 17, 2006

samurai X
Rurouni Kenshin is like an exotic blend of coffee. It's a creative mix of comedy, action, romance, and Japanese culture. This series' popularity is still apparent today despite the fact it aired in 1997. An unique anime with it's own shortcomings, it should still be seen by all.

Rurouni Kenshin takes place during the Meiji Era of Japan, or the late-1800s of Japan. Sometimes certain meanings may be lost to the viewer if they are not adept in Japanese culture, but this occurs very rarely. The story revolves around Kenshin, a wanderer who used to be the legendary manslayer during the revolution ten years ago. During that time he slew many people to create the new era, but afterwards took up a reverse blade sword to represent his vow to never kill again. Throughout the first season (there are four) we are introduced to the characters who will play a large role throughout the entire series.

That brings up the category of characters. Characters with depth and personalities are vital to the success of a story and Rurouni Kenshin most certainly sports an interesting cast. A female swordsman, a street brawler turned freeloader, a skillful lady doctor who was forced to manufacture opium, and a young pickpocket turned apprentice are several the main characters introduced in the early stages of the story. All the characters have colorful personalities with good and bad traits. which them a realistic image the audience can relate with.

A major theme in Rurouni Kenshin are the interactions between Kenshin and all the people he becomes involved with. Some are ghosts of his past and others are the ones he now protects with his reverse blade sword. Concerning the story, like most long anime series there are ‘story arcs’ each with their own plot. The ‘first’ story arc is somewhat of a prelude, getting into the mood of the story and introducing characters at a somewhat slow pace. However, the story shifts to an engrossing plot during the ‘Legend of Kyoto‘ story arc, rapidly sucking the viewer in. I became wrapped up in the action-packed story which was where Rurouni Kenshin truly shone.

This leads to the major blemish on the shows excellency. It did the exact opposite of those series with abrupt endings- it just went on until it hit a total 95 episodes. True, some of the filler was genuinely entertaining, but some of the sub-plots we really could do without.

With that major fault aside, Rurouni Kenshin has many more redeeming qualities that aided it in it‘s mass popularity. After having rich, developed characters, the art of the anime pairs nicely with that. First off, character’s appearances more or less follow the original art style in the manga, but each of their distinctive appearances helped the audience identify the character. Next, The general feel of the art is very colorful and bright helping the show with it’s comedic elements. However, when the mood needs to be dark, the very versatile art matches by changing the characters‘ eyes, the lighting, and the background.

Another trait that helped build the emotional impact of the show are the music and action sequences. First off, the music for Rurouni Kenshin was incredibly well done, the background music enhanced the mood without drawing our attention away from the visual action. Next, any anime involving swords would need action sequences that will interest the audience. In my opinion, up until the end of the Kyoto story arc the battles were captivating and original. I have to applaud the animators and directors of the battle sequences for their skill.

Last, but not least, is the voice acting. I found the Japanese voices to be everything one could expect. Mayo Suzukaze, the voice actress who plays Kenshin’s voice was previously part of an acting troupe famous for the women playing male and female roles. Unsurprisingly, this became vital to Kenshin’s voice when it shifted from a gentle, slightly effeminate voice to a deeper, more masculine voice depending on the scene. The original voices for Rurouni Kenshin are a definite plus for the show, just avoid the dub like the plague.

In conclusion, Rurouni Kenshin is not a series to be missed. It has memorable characters, a captivating story line, a colorful art style, exciting battle sequences , and excellent musical scores. The historical detail give the series an unique edge. It‘s incredibly easy to fall in love with this series because of the action, drama, comedy, and romance that offer a little something for everybody.

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