The Boshin War left 8,200 killed and 5,000+ wounded people in its path. A truly devastating statistic that undoubtedly left ten times more that number impacted by the events. A war that was started over the dissatisfaction felt by many samurai and Japanese noblemen on how the shogunate handled trade issues when they opened Japan's trade to other countries, and the increase in Western influence on their economy. The series Rurouni Kenshin gives us a glimpse into the era that followed. Through the eyes of Kenshin, formerly the deadliest assassin during the war fighting for the Meiji government, now turning a new leaf, vowing never to kill another human again after helping turn Japan into a much more peaceful land. Or is it?
Nothing is ever as perfect as it seems, and I think that goes for the praise this series gets as well. I think this series really shines from episodes 25(the mini-pirate arc) - 70(a little bit after the kyoto arc). It’s this chunk, to me at least, that earns it its spot as one of the greatest shounen of all time. Amazing action, brutal backstories, virulent villains, moments where I was almost convinced the Kenshin might not succeed, and most of the “comedy” is sidelined aside from a handful of moments which I not only found refreshing, but actually managed to make me laugh more than before or after. Every villain introduced in this arc (save for Yumi) managed to fill me with an array of emotions from sympathy, hatred, astonishment, and respect. Adding a character such as Saito, who’s lawful neutral incarnate, to the mix, added a layer of unpredictability and weight to each situation he was involved in. Easily making him my favorite character. It’s a shame we never saw him again after this arc.
As much I enjoyed the first quarter of the series, and I really do mean that, since certain characters such as Udo, and Han’nya continued to permeate not only Kenshin’s inner-thought process, but also mine long after they died. It suffers from predictability and awkward pacing with these forced filler episodes that do little to serve the plot or my entertainment. Now I’m not trying to knock this series for having a sense of humor, because it just wouldn’t be Rurouni Kenshin without it. However I’d say that the jokes miss me 90% of the time. It can be very funny and endearing, as well as necessary to show the kinship between the cast, but many of the jokes are repetitive. Heck, sometimes the funniness of a joke comes from the out-dated nature of it. Namely the “comedy” surrounding Kamatari. Which is all about him being a “cross dressing queer”.
Aside from those qualms, the rest of the first quarter is filled with harmless introductions to the world of Rurouni Kenshin. Which is another reason I love this show, it’s historical fiction. With it taking place in the Meiji era of Japan and a majority of the plot coming from characters coping with life after the Boshin war, for better or worse. Even certain characters being based off of real people. Throughout Kenshin’s encounters, he’s always dropping facts of life and proverbs that can apply not only to the situation he’s involved himself in, but to many of the situations we find ourselves in our own personal lives. From staying humble, putting yourself in others shoes, to not letting your past actions define you, and never forcing your beliefs onto others. I find myself reminding myself of these lessons to myself in times of doubt. (something I’m sure the creator reflected on after his fiasco.) Aside from that, the last quarter of the show suffers from many of the same problems as the first quarter, so to not sound like a broken record I’ll just say that it’s hard to take the stakes seriously after everything that happened in the kyoto arc. As interesting and slightly terrifying as the christianity plot was, it still wasn’t anywhere near as interesting as what transpired before. With both Shishio and Saito out of the picture by this point, it’s hard to convince me that there’s anyone strong enough to hold their own against the ‘Battousai’.
In summary, I think that aside from the repetitive nature of certain aspects of the show, it’s ultimately one of the greatest shonen ever conceived. I even think some of the filler episodes were great in their own right. The artist one comes to mind, as does Yutaro’s redemption arc, and any involving Megumi. But when the show chooses to make shit real, it does not hold back. It’s ballsy, fun, and has that late 90s aesthetic and whimsy that gripped me into watching this series into the first place. I think this is a must see for any fan of shonen at least once, or at least read the manga which has amazing illustrations to boot.
