Rurouni Kenshin for Me (Part 2)

*If you haven't read the first part, I recommend reading that first.

The Heisei anime wasn't all good

In the first part, I described how much of an impact the Heisei anime had on me as a child. However, it did have its flaws.

First of all, the quality of the anime-original stories was hit or miss. The self-contained episodes were relatively interesting, but the multi-episode arcs, while not all bad, had some noticeably boring ones. It wasn't just that they were boring; I hated it even more when they ruined the world-building. The 'Feng Shui Arc' was the prime example of that. After the 'Kyoto Arc' ended, it was all anime-original content, and perhaps because viewers lost interest, the series was cancelled.

The only theatrical film (1997) was also terrible. The animation was poor, and I thought the depiction of Yahiko listening to the philosophy of the enemy Kenshin was going to face and then trying to side with him was problematic. Even if that enemy was still driven by righteous indignation and there were other truly evil people involved, it was still wrong.

Then there is the controversial OVA 'Reflection' (2001/2002). Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi did a great job, especially with the TV 'Kyoto Arc' and the OVA 'Trust and Betrayal.' However, he seemed skeptical about Kenshin's vow not to kill, and I think 'Reflection' contains an implicit message that Kenshin's atonement could not be achieved without going that far. Even so, I still think there was no need to put Kenshin and Kaoru through all that. The only good point was perhaps the portrayal of Enishi, who is nothing but a scumbag in the original work, as a solitary avenger.

The final entry of the Heisei era was the OVA 'New Kyoto Arc' (2011/2012). This features a brilliant performance by the second Saito, combining the cast's 'I'm doing well' enthusiasm of the time with elements reminiscent of Hirotaka Suzuoki (who passed away in 2006) and a unique acting style. Other than that... yeah, I don't even want to talk about it.

As you can see, there are good points and bad points. Even so, I have no intention of denying the magnitude of the influence it had on me or my feelings of gratitude. I will continue to keep the software by my side.

Thoughts on other media

1. Original Work (Manga)

Everything started here. Serialized from 1994 to 1999. Despite the belief that period pieces wouldn't sell, it gained popularity, especially among women, thanks in part to Watsuki-san's beautiful art at the time. Not only Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Aoshi, but even Captain Sagara, who only appeared for a few pages, and Okita, who only appeared in two panels, made it into the top 10 in popularity polls. After entering the Kyoto Arc, it pursued the classic Jump battle route, gained mainstream popularity, and climbed to become a flagship Jump title. The introduction of his greatest rival, Saito, the great and strongest master Hiko, and the most evil villain, Shishio, was likely very significant. After all, without the original work, the Heisei anime would not have existed, so it is a great work. I myself have the entire comic collection, albeit in the complete edition format. However, I rarely look back at it in recent years. Lately, I only take pictures of appropriate panels to post along with daily anniversaries or events on X.

I don't know, I've started to think that the Heisei anime is enough. If you exclude the boring anime-original stories, the movie, and 'Reflection,' you can enjoy it just with the anime. The anime also has minor changes, like how only the younger brother of the Hiruma brothers, who were trying to take over the Kamiya Dojo in the beginning, appears, but personally, I don't really mind. If you turn a blind eye to some of the rough edges, you can enjoy the 'Tokyo Arc' of the anime just fine.

The reason I say this is because I think the 'Jinchu Arc' of the original work is a failure, and because of my antipathy toward Watsuki-san's recent words and actions. I'll talk about the words and actions later, but let me explain why I think the 'Jinchu Arc' is a failure.

First, most of the enemies are trash. Enishi, the leader, is a broken character. It is true that his desire to avenge his sister Tomoe is genuine. If so, he should have challenged Kenshin to a duel by himself instead of forming a gang and dragging innocent people into it. It is said that he was taken in by a couple after Tomoe died, but the fact that he killed that couple made my already non-existent favorability for him even more negative. As I mentioned above, he should have been depicted as a solitary avenger like in 'Reflection.'

The other characters also claim they want to avenge their masters, friends, or comrades, but that's just a pretext; their true motives are simply to test their own strength or for the pleasure of hurting others. It really makes you feel like they are just trash. Gein and Kujiranami were not boring enemies, but the puppeteer and the excessive gun user—their respective appearances just don't fit the world of 'Rurouni Kenshin.'

Also, there is the scene at the end considered a masterpiece, 'Betting sword and heart...' I wonder if that was even necessary. Although it was unavoidable given the era, Kenshin killed many people at the end of the Edo period. In the peaceful Meiji era, he fights for the peace of people in trouble without causing victims as atonement for his own sins. Kenshin's principle of action was already established in the early stages. If Saito existed as an antithesis to Kenshin, there was no need to do anything extra. So, I will probably never read the 'Jinchu Arc' again.

I was also disappointed by the 'Trust and Betrayal' arc inserted between the 'Jinchu Arc.' Part of it is because I saw the OVA first, but the gags were completely unnecessary. I suppose they wanted to show that the roots of Kenshin and Battosai were the same, but I wanted Kenshin in his Battosai days to be a different, more mysterious person than he was as a wanderer. Regarding the completion of the cross-shaped scar, it would have been better if Tomoe had carved the scar on Kenshin's cheek with her own will as she died, but in the original work, it was a coincidence (sigh). Iizuka and the Yaminobu group were also small-time villains in the original work. The desperation of Iizuka to live in the OVA and the greatness of Tatsumi, the head of the Yaminobu, were the gifts of the anime staff. As I mention in later text, Watsuki-san has not been able to create great villains or enemies since Shishio (at least in 'Rurouni Kenshin').

So, the original work is by no means perfect. If it's not perfect anyway, I'll choose the Heisei anime's 'Tokyo Arc,' 'Kyoto Arc,' a few anime-original episodes, and the OVA 'Trust and Betrayal' (1999).

2. Live-action films

Between 2012 and 2019, a total of five live-action films were produced. I have checked them all. My overall impression is that they did their best as a live-action adaptation. Since there are time constraints, it's inevitable that there would be changes or that character depictions would be somewhat thin, and there is a limit to how character reactions can be expressed in live-action versus 2D. In that context, I think they depicted the world of 'Rurouni Kenshin' well in their own live-action way. The one that can be said to have come straight out of the original work or anime is Tatsuya Fujiwara's Shishio. Personally, I think it is one of the few perfect castings in the Japanese live-action adaptations of existing works that I have seen.

Of course, there are changes I don't like, such as killing off Okina, or the fact that since there was no prior connection between Sanosuke and Anji before they fought, the Futae no Kiwami never appears. The fight itself felt light, the monk's greatest backbone—the Haibutsu Kishaku (abolition of Buddhism)—was missing, and the way he was defeated felt like a gag. Since the monk is one of Watsuki-san's favorite characters, it wouldn't have been strange for him to be furious, but I haven't heard anything of the sort. I'm just amazed that while he complained so much about the Heisei anime, he didn't have those same complaints about the live-action version. Also, Fuji was too small and felt like a minor character.

The story corresponding to the 'Trust and Betrayal' arc followed the flow of the OVA. It has been revealed that when Kasumi Arimura played Tomoe, she used Junko Iwao's Tomoe as a reference. For me, the myth of the 'Trust and Betrayal' OVA has become even more solid.

Although I have complaints about the live-action series, I don't think it's a waste of time to watch.

3. 'Hokkaido Arc'

In 2017, the manga version of the 'Hokkaido Arc' also started. However, it's different from what I expected, and I am very disappointed.
Old guidebooks mentioned a Western-style touch. Since the government was sending Tondenhei (settler soldiers) to Hokkaido at the time to develop the land, the story was supposed to have a Japanese-Western flavor where Tondenhei, immigrants, drifters, and outlaws intertwined. So, I was expecting a story with a mix of exotic sword fighting and gunplay that wouldn't break historical accuracy, but...

The actual story involves a group called the Kenkaku Heiki, who claim to be descendants of Kamakura-era samurai from the time of the Mongol invasions. They plan to engage in sabotage under the guise of gaining combat experience in Hokkaido in preparation for an upcoming war with a foreign nation (presumably the First Sino-Japanese War), and Kenshin and his friends try to stop them.

However, personally, I find almost no appeal in the Kenkaku Heiki group. They feel exaggerated, unnecessarily large in scale (more so than Shishio's group), and they use special abilities and out-of-place combat techniques that ruin the world-building. I was disappointed because I wanted them to follow the concept in the guidebook, and the fact that it didn't become an appealing story to replace that is a fatal flaw. Watsuki-san said Shishio was his masterpiece of evil, but I guess he really couldn't create a villain or antagonist better than Shishio. To begin with, you could tell as much by the time of the 'Jinchu Arc.' The painful part is that even if they aren't better than Shishio, most of them are just small-time villains...

It's not just the enemies; I don't feel any appeal in the allies, like those 'three idiots.' They just feel like a nuisance. Shinpachi Nagakura is about the only good new character. He's calm, but his swordsmanship is top-class. He's a character that even Saito respects.

Yes, Saito and Kenshin run into each other. In the final stages of the original manga, Kenshin had lost interest in a Kenshin who would never return to being Battosai, so he left Kenshin's side in the form of a transfer and they never met again (there is a monologue by Kenshin saying, 'He disappeared from my sight forever'), so it feels like they're creating contradictions. Couldn't they have just had a near-miss? It would have been better if they had different beliefs and didn't meet, but were fighting the same enemy in different parts of Hokkaido. I wanted them to cherish the settings left in the original manga. The fact that he went as far as to overturn that to draw the current 'Hokkaido Arc' makes me feel Watsuki-san's limitations.

However, I would like to praise the fact that Kanryu reappeared, his former small-time persona faded a bit, and his own beliefs (like his obsession with money) were firmly depicted. But while even old characters like Kanryu have charm, most of the new characters are just... yeah.

And so, this 'Hokkaido Arc' hasn't finished even after nine years. It's partly because it's a monthly series rather than a weekly one like the original, but more than anything, it's the frequent hiatuses due to Watsuki-san's own poor health, and in recent years, his involvement in the story composition for the Reiwa anime has also had an impact. I understand that he doesn't have a strong constitution, but if that's the case, I wish he hadn't started with such a grand, sprawling setting in the first place.

In conclusion, the 'Hokkaido Arc' isn't very interesting. It taught me that if an author draws without considering the limits of their own abilities, they naturally won't be able to draw anything good. It's a problem that the story isn't interesting, but more than anything, the world of the early Meiji period, where 'Japanese' and 'Western' were fused without being excessive, was wonderful, and it's truly a shame that the author himself destroyed it. I still feel that he should have definitely gone with the initial concept from the guidebook. However, since I've been reading it for nine years, I'll see it through to the end out of habit.

4. Reiwa Anime

In 2023, it was re-adapted into a TV anime with a completely new production staff, studio, and cast. (Though I was annoyed by Watsuki-san's comment at the time of the production announcement. Details later.) 'Rurouni Kenshin' is now a 'classic' existence. If the appeal is to be conveyed to the younger generation, it's unavoidable to produce it with fresh, modern technology and a completely new cast. A voice actor lineup familiar to the younger generation will likely be more ear-catching.

To be honest, the direction is weak. This is particularly evident in scenes like Kenshin vs. Saito at the Kamiya Dojo or the scene where Kenshin and Kaoru part ways for a while. I think the voice actor lineup is fine for this era. However, even with the same lines, the Heisei anime characters speak calmly, yet their killing intent and irritation are off the charts. In contrast, the Reiwa version is unnecessarily loud or shouting. I think the Reiwa cast could convey the intent even if they spoke calmly. This is likely a problem with the sound director's ability.

The anime adaptation has reached the point where Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Saito depart for Shishio's hideout in the 'Kyoto Arc.' The biggest misstep occurred in that 'Kyoto Arc.' The episode preventing the Kyoto Fire was unnecessarily long.

For some reason, Aoshi is on the Rengoku and faces off against Kenshin.
→ If you make them fight again at this point, doesn't it lose the weight of their rematch at the hideout?

Even Sanosuke boards the Rengoku and has a scuffle with Hoji.
→ Like in the original manga or the Heisei anime, couldn't he have just sunk it with the grenade he got from Tsunan? Thanks to that, the sense of speed was lost. Hoji should also use his bayonet properly.

Inattentive Shishio
→ He should have been paying attention to Sanosuke instead of nonchalantly watching Kenshin vs. Aoshi.

Soft-hearted Saito.
→ If it were the Saito I know, he would have pierced Shishio along with Yumi. The strange, excuse-like parting words were unnecessary. Also, if Yumi protects Shishio here, doesn't it make the weight of the final battle lighter?

Depiction of unnecessary mobs.
→ They probably wanted to convey that even nameless people have struggles in battle, but fans aren't looking for that. If that's the case, they should have done something about the fatal flaws mentioned above.

Also, personally, in addition to the aforementioned unacceptable issues, I felt that having Megumi-san come to Kyoto early was a bit off. Megumi-san is my favorite female character, but that doesn't mean I think it's okay to have her abandon her role of looking after the dojo while Kenshin and Kaoru are fighting in Kyoto. This is an example where increased screen time isn't necessarily a plus.

One point that is praised is the changes to the 'Raijuta Arc.' The fact that Raijuta had never cut anyone wasn't just because he lacked experience, but because he couldn't bring himself to do it from the heart. Honestly, this was unnecessary. I assume Watsuki-san intended to fix it since he mentioned in the original volume's commentary at the time that it was a failure, but it's unreasonable for someone who possesses a technique like the Iizuna to be unable to cut someone from the heart. He was a character who worried about swordsmanship in the Meiji era while simultaneously looking down on it, so I think it would have been fine to leave him as he was.

If these issues were all the fault of the Reiwa-era staff, that would be one thing, but as I touched upon earlier, the story composition is by Watsuki-san himself. From Watsuki-san's perspective, there were probably many things he looked back on and wished he had done differently. He realized those things in the Reiwa version, but he missed the mark on every single one. What is he doing, even putting the 'Hokkaido Arc' on hiatus for this?

As of now (July 2026), there is no information regarding an anime adaptation of the continuation of the 'Kyoto Arc.' Since the very last broadcast was in late March 2025, it has been left untouched for over a year. It's hard to blame people for thinking it hasn't turned a profit. I personally don't have any emotional attachment to the Reiwa anime, but since there are people looking forward to it, if they are going to do it, I want them to conquer the original source material for those fans. I am a little curious about how the 'Trust and Betrayal' arc would turn out in the Reiwa version. If it continues at this rate, I don't think it could ever surpass the OVA version.

A word to Nobuhiro Watsuki

I've finally reached this point. I'm just going to say what I have to say.

'Rurouni Kenshin' actually had a drama CD before the TV anime adaptation. It was voiced up to the battle with Jin-e. Kenshin at that time was played by Megumi Ogata. Watsuki-san was very fond of this casting. When it changed to Mayo Suzukaze for the anime, and considering that Suzukaze-san had no voice acting experience at the time, it's no wonder he was disappointed and anxious.

In reality, neither Suzukaze-san nor Miki Fujitani (Kaoru) were very good at first. But they improved with every episode. Kenshin's transformation into Battosai at the dojo after entering the 'Kyoto Arc' was very frightening, and the scene where Kenshin and Kaoru part ways for a time was moving. That just goes to show how much effort Suzukaze-san and Fujitani-san put in. The fact that Yuji Mitsuya served as the sound director was also a major factor.

Well, even so, Watsuki-san probably wasn't satisfied until the end. That's fine. He complained about it in the volumes at the time (perhaps during the broadcast of the 'Tokyo Arc'), but Watsuki-san was young, in his twenties, so it was inevitable that he would end up writing about it publicly.

However, when the production of the Reiwa anime was announced, Watsuki-san commented, 'The Reiwa version will have auditions without favoritism...' This made me very angry. The complaints during the Heisei anime were forgivable because Watsuki-san himself was young. To still be saying things like that in his fifties—I felt straight up that he was acting like a child. I could understand if Suzukaze-san and Fujitani-san had remained unskilled, but they ultimately mastered their roles, so I felt real anger as if their efforts had been trampled upon. He should have just said that it was a new form for a new generation; he really said something unnecessary.

So, it's fine if the Reiwa anime has a different way of acting or directing than the Heisei version, but the crucial story composition is handled by Watsuki-san, and yet we have the sorry state of affairs described above. Also, he complained at the time that the 'Jin-e Arc' was reduced to only two episodes, but even with Watsuki-san involved, the Reiwa anime also used a two-episode structure. Who is he to talk?

I wonder, does Watsuki-san think he has reached the level of the late Akira Toriyama or Takehiko Inoue? Those two have successfully produced 'Dragon Ball Super' and 'THE FIRST SLAM DUNK,' respectively. I was dissatisfied with the total cast replacement in the latter, but it still produced results.

But Watsuki-san, you haven't made the Reiwa anime a success, have you? In fact, aren't you inviting ridicule by adding unnecessary elements? You talked a big game about 'no favoritism,' so I wondered how good it would be, only to find this mess. The 'Hokkaido Arc' is also nowhere near the original. It would have been better not to draw it at all. It's no wonder. Up until the 'Kyoto Arc,' you were drawing while exchanging ideas with your assistants (Eiichiro Oda, Hiroyuki Takei, etc.). Your partner, Kaoru Kurosaki, is collaborating on the story for the 'Hokkaido Arc' and the Reiwa anime, but it seems there are times when you complain about Kurosaki-san's suggestions. I assume this is just speculation, but if you had accepted all of Kurosaki-san's suggestions, wouldn't the 'Hokkaido Arc' and the Reiwa anime have been a little better? Just like when you were cooperating with your assistants back when you were young.

In summary, even if Watsuki-san has talent for drawing, he does not possess the ability to construct a high-quality story almost entirely on his own like Toriyama-san, Inoue-san, or Yoshihiro Togashi. You can tell by the quality of the 'Jinchu Arc.' On top of that, the current Watsuki-san has reached the limit of his ability to create good characters. Despite that, even at his age, he disses the Heisei anime, and despite talking a big game, he gets involved in the Reiwa anime only for it to become something boring, failing to surpass the Heisei anime. In other words, the results don't match his words. It shows a lack of capability. Let me be blunt. You have no right to criticize the Heisei anime. The Heisei anime is more interesting than what you are currently drawing and involved in (excluding the boring original arcs, 'Reflection,' and 'New Kyoto Arc'). If you want to criticize it, please do so after you have surpassed the Heisei anime. I think that's impossible, though. While the Reiwa anime has been silent, the previously sealed Heisei anime has been released on subscription services. What this means is the defeat of Watsuki-san and the Reiwa anime. In the end, the label has been placed that the Heisei anime is more interesting and the Reiwa anime is unreliable. Watsuki-san should honestly accept his own defeat and make an effort so that the Reiwa anime can be at least a little better in the future. Also, you are the original author, for better or worse. I have read through the 'Hokkaido Arc' from the beginning to the present. As I mentioned earlier, I will see it through to the end, even if it's out of habit. After all, I do have some respect for the original author. Please take good care of your health.

Conclusion

I never thought it would be this long, including the first part. I guess that just means I had a mountain of things I wanted to say.

Well, I said some very harsh things to Watsuki-san, but at the end of the day, if Watsuki-san hadn't drawn 'Rurouni Kenshin,' my beloved Heisei anime wouldn't have been born, so I am truly grateful for that. That is why, even if there were dissatisfactions, I think it would have been better to show some level of respect for the fact that the cast and staff were working hard to create something good, even if there were some rough edges. It's too late for that now, though. For now, I want you to see the 'Hokkaido Arc' and the Reiwa anime through to the end. I would like to see you show at least some pride as the original author.

And I will continue to cherish the Heisei anime (focusing on the 'Tokyo Arc,' 'Kyoto Arc,' and the OVA 'Trust and Betrayal'). Even after experiencing various media formats, I was able to reaffirm that the Heisei anime is the ideal 'Rurouni Kenshin' for me. I would like to express my utmost gratitude to the staff and cast of that time, as well as the artists who performed the theme songs. That is how much of a major influence they had on me when I was a child. That is precisely why, as a way of giving back, I want to continue to pass on the legacy of the Heisei anime.

The End