Kenshin and Kaoru ** SPOILERS **

[Grey land]

Hmm, well, speaking as someone who's read the whole manga series through buying available volumes and reading scanlations and transcripts online, and who's seen the entire anime as well as the movie and all three OAVs, I can definetly say that Kenshin and Kaoru are a canon couple. At the end of the manga they are shown married with a son, Kenji (though why Watsuki would make Kenji "hate" his dad, I don't know... Maybe it's just a toddler thing?...) who's also featured at the end of the memorial box set and shown as an older teenager in the last OAV. However, as much as I like Kenshin and Kaoru as individual characters, I can understand why allot of fans dislike them as a coupling; I feel Kenshin needs someone who's seen and been through the same things he has, someone he dosn't have to worry about protecting or rescuing, someone who can stand and fight by his side. Hmm... in spite of the gender issue, perhaps Sano would be a good choice if the manga were Yaoi. After all, Yahiko stated in the Revenge Arc that Sano was the only one in the group Kenshin didn't need to protect, the only one who could fight by Kenshin's side http://wintrace.50megs.com/cgi-bin/i...shin21-089.jpg
As for Kaoru, I feel she needs a good, stable man who would agree to practice spar with her and encourage her potential in kendo and Kamiya Kasshin style, a man who wouldn't walk away and leave her crying on her hands and knees on the ground without even looking back or shedding a tear, a man who would never give her a reason to doubt his feelings for her or be so caught up in his own guilt and self depreciation that he barely pays attention to her except when she's in danger or kidnapped, a man who would be a loving and devoted husband to her and father to her children instead of the absent husband and deadbeat dad we see in the third OAV. Ahh well! Just my two cents!.

[Ambience Blue]

Hey! Please learn to use spoiler tags where appropriate. If you don't know how to use them, it goes like this:

Spoiler for how to make a spoiler:

[spoiler*] Your message goes here [/spoiler*] Just remove the two asterisks (*) and your tag should work.

As someone who has yet to finish reading the manga and has only seen several sparse episodes of the series, I can tell that your post contains some serious spoilers. This is not to flame you or anything, it's just a little caution ^^.

Spoiler for a real spoiler:

I stopped reading when you mentioned Kenshin & Kaoru's child. Had I not accidently seen the Reflections OVA I would certainly have been very pissed

[hunterx]

nah he should just put a spoiler in the thread topic. Since the discussion itself is about the entire kenshin series it would suck to have everything in spoiler tags. I mean you wouldn't want to read the the thread in the first place if you havent seen it all.

anyways, I disagree with the original poster. Without kaoru the last arc wouldn't have had any meaningful effect. It only made sense that they hook up in the end after all that they went through together. Kenshin has been living with her since the beginning of the manga. Their marriage gives even more meaning to the last arc when you compare what kaoru to Taome. Anyways they hooked up at the end of the manga and kenshin stopped fighting and they lived happily ever after. That is until you watch reminisense and the death of kenshin himself but I think for the most part they had a happy marriage until kenshin died.

[AnimeOni]

Kenshin is about relationships in the war-torn Japan. It is not a Samurai fighting such as SDK or Peacemaker. A lot of people go into watching it with the wrong attitude so that's probably why they did not like it. There's a good level of blood and gore to support those who need it but overall, it's a story about relationships.

The saying, "Behind every great man is a great woman." - anonymous, is appropriate.

Being a man and having a strong woman beside me, I understand where they are coming from. If you take a look of what a woman will do for you.

You will see these themes repeat over and over again. (sorry, I have a Liberal arts background)

If you ever taken any human psych/relation class, you will see these points.
1. Loyal - a woman will go to war for you. She will be faithful and support you whenever you are in trouble or in turmoil.
-> Beginning of the Kyoto Arc.

2. Challenge - a woman will push you otherwise you will get lazy.
-> Cooking and Laundry :P (I know this firsthand)

3. Inspiration - makes you think at a deeper level. Love? Wisdom?
-> Kenshin imparts this to Kaoru but Kaoru also imparts this through the Kamiya Kasshin (protect the weak) style.

4. Grounding - keeps the ego in check.
-> Kaoru kicks Kenshin down over and over again. Look at all the Kenshin *oro*s

5. Sacrifice - she will do anything for you. She will travel great and far for you.
-> First example was with the first assassin sent to kill Kenshin. Kaoru didnt want Kenshin to revert back to the Battosai and was willing to die for it.
-> Kaoru sets of to Kyoto to support Kenshin knowing full well that he doesnt want to see her.
-> See Kyoto and Shimabara Arcs.

6. She loves & cares for you - A person who can help bring you out of dispair.
-> Good example was the SHIMABARA arc where kenshin lost and had to depend on Kaoru

OK. Enough of my lecture - you get my point. This story is based upon mutual needs. Kenshin needed someone to support him emotionally since he had no emotions. Everything he had, he lost. He wanted to atone for his deeds as the Battosai and was wondering around until he met Kaoru. Kaoru needed to soften up from her " I can do anything" attitude.

Overall, I think it's a well matched couple.
________
Volvo D5 Engine History