questions about rurouani kenshin
 

i was just wondering is kenshin actually a samurai because if he is how come he doesnt wear samurai armor like real samurais do or is kenshin just a person who knows a samurai fighting style.

It's an anime..... plus his a ruroini (a lone samurai, no shogun to serve) so he doesnt has to wear that gear, because his not in any army

Generally, its not considered very practical to walk around doing everyday things in full battle armour

that, and he was probably too poor to afford any. besides, who needs armor when you can kick that much ass

Did the ishin shishi even wear traditional armour?

Speaking of which, we dont see anyone wearing armor in the Kenshin series, is it because it has became obsolete by that period or is there other reason?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that period is when Japan start to open up and modernise themselves. The constables are even wearing westernised uniforms by then. And remember the law where no-one except the military is allowed to carry a sword openly? The code of bushido is probably still revered, but I guess they have abolished the samurais as a military position already.

Maybe someone who knows more about Japanese history can comment? :p

Please forgive me if I get this wrong.

The time period is about 1868. It is about 10 years after the Meji Restoration took over from the Tokugawa Shogunate. During this time is when the rebellions took place where the last of the Samurai fought the new modernized Army.

This is the same subject of the new Tom Cruise film coming out called "The Last Samurai"

I thought there was also an episode of Ruroni Kenshin dealing with the battle and Kenshin being involved somehow.

After that battle you very rarely if at all see Samurai in armor. The modern Army with guns and cannons and western style uniforms became the norm.

Kenshin has a reputation as a good guy and there are few that would or could take his sword away. Besides if they looked at it they would notice the reverse blade.

Kenshin was never a samurai.

The Shinsengumi and those who worked for the Shogunate could be considered samurai, but they rarely if EVER wore big bulky armor (that's generally a holdover from the 1600s and the Sengoku Jidai.)

This didn't keep them from wearing chain-mail underneath their clothing (if they could get it without arousing suspicion) which would make a swordfight a little more challenging for one side.

As to answer one of the questions in the first post.
Kenshin is NOT a samurai, not even a ronin (that is a former samurai that has lost his master). The samurai of old japan was a bit like the nobles in europe, you had to be born a samurai to be a samurai (there are examples of daimyos giving a non samurai samurai status as a reward for something but it happend very seldom). Even today most japanese people know if their family was a samurai or a farmers family.

It took something like 30 years (don't quote my on the number of years) before japan got the first primeminister that was not from a samurai family and he was assassinated.

Kenshin came from a farmers family and there is no indication that katsura ever gave him samurai status. Kenshin was "just" an assassin who were very skilled in the use of the katana, the traditional samurai weapon.

thats funny, i never noticed that he's not a samurai before. i kinda just accepted it. i guess that explains why they call him "the legendary assasin" or whatever. he only fights with the samurai style

by the way, "ronin" doesnt necessarily mean "masterless samurai." it can also be used to describe an unemployed person, or (as we all know) a highschool grad who hasnt yet passed a college entrance exam.

um..i beleive, before the 1600's it iddnt matter wheather or not u were born a samuri, you could be one...then something changed...a peasant i belive took over, and changed the law.