Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen): The sheath of the Hitokiri Battōsai

As a line of poetry written with a splash of blood, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (Tsuiokuhen) takes place in the gruesome final years of the Bakumatsu and it will tell us the story of a young and ruthless Hitokiri Battōsai, Himura Kenshin. This story is the beginning of one of the most famous swordsmen in manga and anime history. This is a journey to the past of Kenshin, even before he was Kenshin.

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (Tsuiokuhen) is an anime of 4 episodes (OVA) and it is the prologue of Rurouni Kenshin (1996). It follows the story of Shinta, an orphan child who is saved by Hiko Seijuro from a mass killing. Seijuro, a lonely and skillful swordsman, decides to take Shinta (now called Himura Kenshin) as his student and change his life along the way. From this point on, Kenshin grows learning the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, the strongest style there is to become a splendid samurai, yet he grows grudging the fact that, although he is strong, he is not able to protect people in the real world. After discussing this with his sensei, Kenshin decides to leave his teachings and use the sword to help people. Nonetheless, he only becomes a puppet, killing for those who want to change the current conditions in which they live. Kenshin is their messenger of death, Kenshin brings Tenchu (天誅) to people.

This version of our friendly samurai is vastly superior in terms of storytelling to the 1996 version of the anime, it's faster, more impactful and captivating than the first entry of Rurouni Kenshin. Even though it tells the beginning of Kenshin in just 4 episodes, each one of them is filled with little nuances that develop Kenshin as a character in a more deep and psychological way. Each episode represents a part of Kenshin's evolution and they have a clear purpose in the grand scheme of things. There are no filler scenes and every moment is important, which is something the composition of images, movement and soundtrack let you know. Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) is violent but it's also very emotional since it provides some of the most gore moments in all entries, as well as with the most touching ones. A flower's petal falling on top of a man cut in half can be beautiful in essence and Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) understands it. This anime will allow us to understand Kenshin's mind at every moment; it will show us the consequences of Kenshin's decisions as well as his rage, grief, and sadness. Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) will create bonds and it will destroy them without being afraid of showing the emotions of each character. In this version, there is no space for comedy and it's a much mature take on our young samurai. Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) is drama, desolation, sadness, but most importantly, hope.

In the narrative aspect, Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) takes advantage of the silence in which Kenshin is constantly immersed. Those moments will be key since they are going to connect with us deeply, they will convey more emotions than any word in the anime. In terms of the cast, Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) might not be filled with endearing characters, but there will be some cool nods to some of the ones shown in the 96' adaptation. Characters themselves might not be captivating in their essence, but their connections with Kenshin will be highly important and will make us appreciate them along the way. On the other side, Kenshin will be exposed to different situations that, from time to time, will make the Hitokiri Battōsai come out in full force, making Kenshin look like just a nook of consciousness in this deadly assassin. This will represent an important contrast with the 96' anime since it will allow us to understand that aspect that seemed forbidden in Kenshin's mind.

Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) is visually spectacular and refines every bad detail that Rurouni Kenshin (1996) could have. The soundtrack is subtle and it brings a more dark aspect to the story, which perfectly fits with the tone that the artwork sets. The characters and landscapes' design manages to brilliantly capture the beauty of a feudal Japan, which often seems to be mystic and distant to our western point of view.

In Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) we will see Kenshin suffer and love, and it will bring out a side of Kenshin that we took for granted in the 96' version, but it will make it look odd and hopeful in such a cruel story. Rurouni Kenshin (Tsuiokuhen) is a story of revenge, trust, blood, and betrayal, but showing every element harmonically. From my perspective, it is without a doubt a superior version of the previous Himura Kenshin and, in just four episodes, gives start to an amazing journey. These four episodes are part of the essence of the samurai with the scar, they are the essence of Shinta and the essence of the Hitokiri Battōsai, Kenshin Himura.