(CR) Rurouni Kenshin (new TV series)

[Stark700]

Rurouni Kenshin New TV series got announced today. Studio is Liden Films.

Teaser PV

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...-films/.180766

[Stark700]

Opening is out

[SidVicious]

I miss Judy and Mary.

[AP24]

Spoiler for Info from pre-screening:

First 4 episodes covered the first volume

[Mad Pierrot]

Originally Posted by AP24

Spoiler for Info from pre-screening:

First 4 episodes covered the first volume

So basically

Spoiler for content:

1. is how Kenshin meets Kaoru. 2. Is Yahiko while 3. and 4 focus on Sanosuke? At least my concerns of a rushed pacing seem gone

[AP24]

Spoiler for content:

Saito is confirmed to appear and based on the pacing this season will end at Kenshin saying goodbye to Kaoru and leaving Tokyo.

[Frontier]

Spoiler:

Of course you HAVE to open up a new adaption of Rurouni Kenshin straight into the Bakumatsu era with Hitokiri Battosai slicing dudes up and facing off against Saito Hajime, now voiced by Satoshi Hino .

The OP is pretty rocking and action-packed, with showing off the contrast between Rurouni Kenshin and his domestic and dorky behavior with the serious and solemn Battosai Kenshin. We also get to see Kenshin fighting his future adversaries and some domestic scenes of him and the gang, with most especially Kaoru's smile standing out. I almost wonder if this is too hardcore an OP for Rurouni Kenshin, but I'm probably just too caught up in "Freckles" .

Look it's Wein and Ninym! No, I mean it's Kenshin and Kaoru! Honestly Soma Saito is so well known for playing slimy, duplicitous, and sleazy guys that it's almost hard to believe him playing a sincere and earnest hero like Kenshin, albeit one with plenty of baggage. Meanwhile Rie Takahashi is the perfect choice for Kaoru's spirited, caring, and cute personality and their chemistry together is as on-point as ever !

It's funny how a fake Battosai is dragging Kaoru's family dojo through the mud and she just happens to chance upon the actual Battosai in her attempt to catch him, which ends up resolving the entire case. But for Kenshin he found someone who is kind and dedicated, and willing to accept anyone despite their past, which is something he could really use at this point in his life. And they just look really cute together .

I see bribing police is still an effective solution to problems. Although would they have still arrested Kenshin after seeing his sword and knowing it couldn't kill anyone? Granted considering how they reacted to Kaoru standing up for him, probably .

It's always about the land grabs, huh? I guess you can't always trust kindly old men voiced by Cho, especially when they have hulk-sized little brothers acting with them .

I love how Kenshin just dragged Nishikawa all the way back just so he could fall down and let him make an entrance. And what better way to resolve this then with the real Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style beating down all the bad guys ?

Kenshin knows full well that swords are nothing more than tools used to kill people, and they aren't designed to save lives, yet all the same he finds himself wanting to believe in the naïve ideal that Kaoru and her family's dojo believes in. And Kaoru can't help but want the man who saved her and believed in her to stay with her. Though she also can't help but wonder how old he is, heh .

ED is pretty serious and determined, with plenty of visuals of Kenshin and the gang, but the final scene of Kenshin with Kaoru is super sweet .

Next week: Yahiko !

[Blaat]

Wait doesn't Kaoru supposed to have a little brother... oh no wait that's Gintama.

I think the music department both opening and OST is a massive downgrade compared to the original, when Kenshin entered the dojo my mind was automatically playing the Kenshin theme and well it wasn't there. New voices are fine.

Still looking forward to the rest though.

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by AP24

Spoiler for content:

Saito is confirmed to appear and based on the pacing this season will end at Kenshin saying goodbye to Kaoru and leaving Tokyo.

Spoiler:

That’s exactly what I’m thinking the season will end on. It’ll be a harsh cliffhanger for the newcomers, but with Saito confirmed to be in this season, that’s the most likely ending point.

Then S2 will cover the Kyoto arc, or maybe they’ll even split that into two seasons if they want to take their time with it…….

And then hopefully……FINALLY…….the Jinchuu arc!

[EroKing]

Pretty normal first episode. Like I feared, Battousai looked "cool" and not fearsome like the image he is supposed to carry. When you look at him, he should be sending chills down your spine. Felt lacking in few but important bits like the music and the voice acting too. Every time Kaoru talked, all I heard was Megumin. Takahashi Rie in way too many shows...

Episode 1 doesn't have the big fight as those are later on in the series but it just didn't seem to excite me in any way. The live action was leagues better. You know when that music hit, shit was about to go down. This might be good for those new to the show and not having watched the older one.

[Huh...?]

So, the Reboot is more true to the Original Manga, compared to the 1996 Anime adaptation.

[AP24]

Remakes are often more faithful to the source material

[Amarantine]

I for one enjoyed this introductory episode quite a bit. If left me feeling relieved and a lot more optimistic about this adaptation. Yes, the music won't match that of the first anime, but I was already expecting that, since the original had one of the greatest soundtracks in anime history. And I still enjoyed the music in this episode, even if Kenshin's entrance theme couldn't hope to match that iconic track from 1996.

I like the new voices too so far, though I'll need to hear more of Saito's. And man, there were so many veteran seiyuu with secondary roles in this first episode. Wataru Takagi voices the first episode bad guy, a role he seems to get a lot haha, while the old guy was played by Cho, and last but certainly not least, the narrator turned out to be none other than Toshihiko Seki! Made me wonder why they didn't use him in the opening scene if they got a name like him.

Originally Posted by Huh...?

So, the Reboot is more true to the Original Manga, compared to the 1996 Anime adaptation.

Yeah, that's what struck me the most about this episode. Other than the opening scene, it was incredibly faithful to the first chapter of the manga. But well, it's actually not too surprising that it's more faithful than the 1996 anime, since that one meddled a lot with the Tokyo arc in general. The older of the Hiruma brothers didn't even exist in that version.

Originally Posted by AP24

Spoiler for content:

Saito is confirmed to appear and based on the pacing this season will end at Kenshin saying goodbye to Kaoru and leaving Tokyo.

That's what I'm expecting too.

Spoiler for Speculation for season end:

And it would make sense since the Kyoto arc is too big for a single 24 episode season (it took the first anime 35 episodes to cover it). So it would make sense to for this first season to include the beginning portion of it (which obviously takes place in Tokyo still with Saito's introduction), especially since they do have that perfect cut-off point of Kenshin's farewell to Kaoru and departure.

Originally Posted by Shinji103

And then hopefully……FINALLY…….the Jinchuu arc!

The opening as well as the first episode itself already included some nods to it, so I think it's safe to hope that will finally happen now.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Amarantine

I like the new voices too so far, though I'll need to hear more of Saito's. And man, there were so many veteran seiyuu with secondary roles in this first episode. Wataru Takagi voices the first episode bad guy, a role he seems to get a lot haha, while the old guy was played by Cho, and last but certainly not least, the narrator turned out to be none other than Toshihiko Seki! Made me wonder why they didn't use him in the opening scene if they got a name like him.

I see they're subscribing to the Urusei Yatsura logic of casting a high profile seiyuu for practically every character, even the bit parts. I didn't realize that was Wataru Takagi though .

The opening as well as the first episode itself already included some nods to it, so I think it's safe to hope that will finally happen now.

I don't see the point of the remake (other than for the sake of a remake) if they don't finally adapt the Jinchu arc.

[magnumcyclonex]

So this is a remake/retelling of the story?

I did not read the manga, only watched the 90s anime, for which I absolutely love the OST and most of the OP/ED - playing Sobakasu and TACTICS at the moment of writing this.

First episode was nice. A good reminisce of the nostalgic anime I watched in my younger days.

The art and color scheme seems...a bit lighter, comical or younger looking. Even Himura Battousai's "serious" looks are a bit more rounded, compared the sharper angular art style from back then.

Nevertheless, I'm happy to see Rurouni Kenshin no longer be a rurouni. Here's to the start of the classic gang!

[Kanon]

It was faithful to the manga and that was about it. So far everything about this remake feels average.

[grecefar]

As someone that never read the manga and only saw the 1996 anime, I'm looking foward to a faithful adaptation and I'm reading that it was pretty faithful.

I enjoyed the first chapter.

[Master_Yoma]

Well seeing Kenshin before and after the war and he just sheds a lot less blood

[MeoTwister5]

I'm perfectly fine with this. The first episode approach for me is clearly meant to ease new viewers in rather than cater to those who grew up with the show in the late 90s, not that a lot of anime enthusiasts don't have at least some passing awareness of the story.

[serenade_beta]

Spoiler for ep1:

I think it was a fine first episode
Compared to a lot of "old anime's new anime" stuff these days, at least it was satisfactory and watchable
Definitely can't beat the atmosphere and nostalgia goggles for the old anime, but... sure. I'm okay with the first episode.

Kenshin's voice does make me itchy though. Too manly. Need to get used to that one.

Also, I really do not like the rapping at the beginning of the OP.
Come on, this is Meiji Japan. I don't want to hear that the first thing into the episode.
Of course, I'm skipping it from now on though anyways.