Rurouni Kenshin

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Whoa did Saito fuck up Usui. I don't remember the uncut anime version being anything like that. I thought he just nailed him to the wall.

Yeah, in the manga he cuts him in half in addition to pinning him to the wall. The thing is, manga is generally allowed to get away with a lot more than televised anime, even when it comes to shonen series.

[gunswordfist]

Whoa did Saito fuck up Usui. I don't remember the uncut anime version being anything like that. I thought he just nailed him to the wall.

Yeah, in the manga he cuts him in half in addition to pinning him to the wall. The thing is, manga is generally allowed to get away with a lot more than televised anime, even when it comes to shonen series.

So shonen actually can be censored

A few more things:

I have no clue what Aoshi's problem was. Kenshin's explanation just confused me.

Did Shishio's sword have a flame on the tip when he sliced Usui's eyes....that would not make sense seeing as how it was in the past.

[gunswordfist]

I started volume 17 yesterday and finished it today. I also started and finished volume 18. Both are very important RK books.

Volume 17 is the end of the Shishio battle. I thought Shishio vs Kenshin itself wasn't all that great but Shishio defeating the others wasn't too bad. Iirc, I think the battle in the manga is better. I remember Shishio's fights with each of the four being a bit longer...well except Sano. He got toasted fast in both. A few significant changes in the anime were Shishio catching Gatotsu Zero instead of blocking it and stabbing Saito with his fingers and Shishio dodged "The Secret" (I'm not spelling the final attack's real name) instead of blocking it. I thought the latter was too big of a change because Shishio blocking the first strike of the attack actually created some of the force that sucked him in.

Useless notes aside, Kyoto Epilogue is so much better in the manga, excluding seeing the Juppongatana doing their government jobs in the manga.

The beginning of volume 18 wrapped up the rest of the Kyoto Epilogue and then I finally got to see Enishi. The guy looks a bit goofy imo Anyway, the rest of the book was a real page turner even though it seems only the first two Comrades will hold my interest (What a twist! came to mind for the second)

Anyway, coming into this arc mostly blind is what really makes me excited about it. I got two small hints from the author in the Secret Life Of Characters and/or Free Talks and even though I love those, I decided during volume 17 that after I'm done reading it, I won't read any more of those so I can avoid spoilers.

[gunswordfist]

I read volume 19 yesterday. Some surprising facts were shared when Kenshin finally met Enishi. Also, one fact about Kenshin's past when he was talking about was the most shocking. I am on the Rememberance chapters now. I should reread the start of them at the end of v. 19 before I go on to 20 since I kept on dosing off during reading due to lack of sleep. It was great seeing what I remember from Trust & Betrayal in its original form. I love seeing Kenshin's past getting expanded on.

[gunswordfist]

Time to ask the question. How the fuck did Usui not know Gein was inside of Iwanbo? Yeah I know this is just an inconsistency but I've been wanting to say that anyway. It would be funny to see Usui freak out the first time Iwanbo walks into a room.

[gunswordfist]

As I was re-reading RK I just noticed this and had to post it:



Its worth noting that Eichiro Oda was in fact one of Nobuhiro Watsuki's assistants as he was working on Rurouni Kenshin's serialization. I just find little tid-bits like that pirate logo that eventually made its way into One Piece showing up on a bomb in this scene to be a really interesting piece of trivia.

Damn, I'm going to love actually reading through this thread now since I've finished the series.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Same concept as with the YYH and HXH anime threads:

Tokyo Arc- 8/10 (This time I decided to just group the mini-arcs, which encompassed this entire first major part of the story, all into one because this is one of those cases where everything kind of just blends together for me, and I found each of the mini-arcs to be pretty consistent in quality, and overall this was a fun start to the series, IMO)

Kyoto Arc- 10/10 (And this is where I realized that this was the best manga I ever read; HOW the flipping hell did Watsuki even write material this good when he doesn't have the ability to do it WITH any of his other series? This guy clearly had some insane talent at one point in his career that he apparently lost after this series was done; I mean, holy crap is this an amazingly good arc)

Remembrance- 11/10 (Holy mother of GOD is this some amazing freaking writing; Again, HOW did Watsuki just lose all of his talent after this series was done? I mean, seriously, this goes leaps and bounds beyond what anyone would expect of a shonen series, and this single story is honestly my favorite part of the entire manga, to be honest; its a very classic-style tragedy, yet its so carefully written and so beautifully conveyed in this manga)

Revenge- 9/10 (This used to be my favorite arc, but I have come to prefer the Kyoto arc on re-reads; on the whole, though, this is still a freaking amazing arc, and definitely a worthy conclusion to my personal favorite manga of all time)

[Spark Of Spirit]

Before you say anything, just remember that RK is my favorite manga next to Monster.

Tokyo Arc- 9/10

There is no better way to start this series. Every character is introduced through short vignette arcs that range from serious to comical and give us every side of the main characters, some side characters, and some villains. It's highly entertaining to read and VERY welcoming to newcomers as the best place to start.

Kyoto Arc- 10/10

This is when it goes from being excellent to being a classic. Every character is put to the test from hero to villain, certain characters are not as weak or as strong as you originally thought (in more than one way), and the central plot is basically centered on why Kenshin couldn't keep being the Hitokiri Battousai any more and why it probably is a good thing that history would move on from people like Shishio who emphasized exactly the result of where such a life leads you. I consider the ending of this arc and Shishio's defeat one of the high points in shonen period showing you who Shishio's biggest enemy really was.

Remembrance Arc- 10/10

There's not much to say if you've read it. This is not the sort of thing you see in shonen much anymore (IE; weight) where Kenshin's life completely and utterly fails him and he has to struggle with building a new one.

Revenge Arc- 10/10

This is the culmination of everything mentioned before. We've seen characters erasing their past, using it as a weapon, putting it on a pedestal, deriding it, regretting it, idealizing it, throwing it away, and absorbing it. The Revenge arc is about accepting the past for what it is and keeping it with you as you move toward the future. The good, the bad, everything you missed, and everything you might not like. It's part of who you are, and you will always carry it with you, from life to death and beyond. Einishi might not be as good a villain as Shishio, but he doesn't need to be because he's not the villain but a misguided bad guy. The real villain died with Shishio when it burned itself out in pure hatred and malice; Einishi is the ghost of the past that can never be defeated or conquered, it can't be reasoned with or brushed aside. It must be confronted face on for what it is, and it must not be allowed to roam free let it takeover the present, it must be faced and understood, but it can never really be killed or else you become like Seta Soujiro was. And as we learned in the Kyoto arc, that is not something anyone wants. On that aspect, the Revenge arc is probably the best arc in any shonen period to me.

So yeah, pretty straightforward, huh? 

[LumRanmaYasha]

I'm not finished with the manga yet, but I see that I have A LOT of great stuff to look forward to! 

[Spark Of Spirit]

Oh yeah, I was blown away while reading it. I enjoyed the anime (well, most of it), but the manga just did everything so much better and is easily one of the most well crafted works out there.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I watched the Tokyo arc in the anime, and compared to the manga, it fell really, really flat to me, baring the stuff involving Saito serving as a prelude to the Kyoto arc (Kenshin v. Saito was a fantastic fight, truly.  ). I'm not going to watch the Kyoto arc in the anime until I finish it in the manga, but I hope it's better adapted than the Tokyo arc stories were and has less filler episodes.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Tokyo really was much better in the manga, I'm not really sure why they stuffed the filler in the anime like that.

I hope one day they do another anime, though disappointingly I know it won't have Freckles as the theme song which would be a massive step down. 

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I watched the Tokyo arc in the anime, and compared to the manga, it fell really, really flat to me, baring the stuff involving Saito serving as a prelude to the Kyoto arc (Kenshin v. Saito was a fantastic fight, truly.  ). I'm not going to watch the Kyoto arc in the anime until I finish it in the manga, but I hope it's better adapted than the Tokyo arc stories were and has less filler episodes.

I'm in the minority on this one, but I honestly felt that the Kyoto arc was made even better in the anime than it was in the manga. Its still an excellent story, either way, but the anime doesn't change anything of significance up, while also having perfect pacing, excellent music, and terrific animation for the best fight scenes. There is no filler in it whatsoever, and I found that certain fights were made even more intense in the anime version. That's just my opinion, though.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I agree that it's a pretty good adaption, but it's really the only part of the anime I feel is up to par with the manga. It's still worth watching, but it just doesn't stack up as a whole to me.

But not adapting the Revenge arc is unforgivable. Whenever I hear people go on about "I saw the RK anime it wasn't that good! Why is is considered a classic?!" it gets a bit annoying. You're not getting the full story if you just watch the anime.

[Foggle]

Sounds like I really need to read Rurouni Kenshin. I kind of like the TV series, but I love Trust & Betrayal. If the manga's even better than that... damn.