Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido Arc

[Tenken's Smile]

Coming out very soon as a sequel! http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-12-01/nobuhiro-watsuki-launches-rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-in-spring-2017/.109370

So excited :D

[Mad Pierrot]

I wonder if Ashitaro and Yahiko will fight more than Kenshin after what Megumi told Kenshin about his body.

[Mad Pierrot]

Just read the Ashitaro prequel

Yahiko is a teenager but he doesn't have the sakabato yet. Yutaro might appear. Ashitaro has the Mugen Jin (Shishio's sword). Kenshin and Kaoru are married and have Yutaro but Ken still has long hair.

[Mad Pierrot]

Sasaki reveals that Kenshin will be the protagonist of the new series, and that the new series will have five "arcs."

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-03-10/jump-editor-sasaki-discusses-new-rurouni-kenshin-manga-in-subtitled-video/.113247

[Sixth]

Milkingggggggg!

[wuhugm]

Keep milking that bull! :heh:

[dragon1412]

I'm fine with milking actually as long as the story is good enough. And I really love Kenshin style of non killing over most battle manga these day

[Mad Pierrot]

Actually, it's not milking. Watsuki conceived the Hokkaido arc back in the 90s but he was to tired to make it and ended the manga with the Jinchu arc. It's basically the Crisis Core FFVII of the original FFVII which was written early in the 90s

[Superstars]

I wonder if Ashitaro and Yahiko will fight more than Kenshin after what Megumi told Kenshin about his body.
What's wrong with Kenshin's body?

Also this new series is with Kenshin as the main caster right?

[germanturkey]

chronologically, when does this take place?

[iko_uwais]

chronologically, when does this take place?

After Ashitaro Ibun, which is after the end of the original series. Kenji is still a kid, just like in the ending

[Guardian Enzo]

Actually, it's not milking. Watsuki conceived the Hokkaido arc back in the 90s but he was to tired to make it and ended the manga with the Jinchu arc. It's basically the Crisis Core FFVII of the original FFVII which was written early in the 90s

Absolutely.

Honestly, while I'm very much looking forward to the manga and in no way consider it extraneous or "milking", for me the most important element may be that it increases the odds of a full anime adaptation. Reboot, continuation, whatever - it's inexplicable and inexcusable that one of the greatest, most popular (East and West) and most influential manga of all-time has never received a full adaptation. Inexcusable.

[Mad Pierrot]

What's wrong with Kenshin's body?

Also this new series is with Kenshin as the main caster right?

Read the manga. It is explained in volume 28 during the epilogue chapters. Can't spoil it

[Requiem-x]

Actually, it's not milking. Watsuki conceived the Hokkaido arc back in the 90s but he was to tired to make it and ended the manga with the Jinchu arc. It's basically the Crisis Core FFVII of the original FFVII which was written early in the 90s

That is very interesting, actually. Guess we CAN get hyped for this one.

Absolutely.

Honestly, while I'm very much looking forward to the manga and in no way consider it extraneous or "milking", for me the most important element may be that it increases the odds of a full anime adaptation. Reboot, continuation, whatever - it's inexplicable and inexcusable that one of the greatest, most popular (East and West) and most influential manga of all-time has never received a full adaptation. Inexcusable.

Not unheard of, though. Look what happened with Negima. No, I'm not implying it is nearly as good or influential as Kenshin, but for how well known it was back in the day, that series got cursed with awful adaptations. Just reading what happened in that last movie makes me want to laugh.

[n0m@n]

I wasn't that eager in the continuation not only because it's been so long ever since the original ended. But also because of the fact that Jinchu arc wasn't as satisfying as the Kyoto arc. Don't get me wrong. I used to love this series since it is one of the few series which was being serliased when WSJ went from Golden age (Reigns of the big 3 DB/SD/YYH) → Dark times (End of all big 3) → Restoration period (Series which would later become major really quickly were introduced. Series such as OP, HxH, Naruto, and Bleach).

It was actually the most popular and best series in WSJ during the dark times which almost lasted for two years. The Kyoto arc was really epic and ever since Slam Dunk ended it always ranked 1st in ranking till the end of the Kyoto arc. But soon as the Jinchu arc started it wasn't hype as the previous arc due to the fact that the other Six Comrades besides Enishi wasn't fascinating or didn't do so well in capturing the attentions of the readers as Shishio and Juppongatana did. It still did well in ranking but not as good as before since it dropped from being ranked 1st. By the time Jinchu arc started OP was introduced in WSJ and it pretty much stole the 1st rank from RK in a matter of a month or so after being serialized (a feat even HnS nor DB was not able to do). So most people started to shift their attention to OP.

Wakatsuki did mention about Hokkaido arc in the past. But if Watsuki is really serious about it (which he is since its going to start in few months) then he needs to make it more interesting than the Jinchu arc. Not saying Jinchu arc wasn't good. It was good. But not as great as Kyoto arc (saying for the 2nd time). There has been great series where their last few arcs didn't do too well compared to their primes and even once a great series like Bleach where the final arc became utter shit to the point that it was actually axed.

[DragonOsman]

^Yeah, hopefully the Hokkaido Arc of Rurouni Kenshin won't do as bad as the final arc of Bleach. That was an abysmal performance and I really hope Watsuki can do better than that.

Also, hopefully, the Hokkaido Arc will be scanlated so that those of who can't read Japanese can also read it. Though I guess if there's no scanlated verison but Viz Media offers it on their site as a Digital manga for free, we could just make do with that.

[Guardian Enzo]

I love the Jinchu Arc, personally. Kyoto is maybe my favorite shounen arc ever along with Chimera Ant, but Jinchu isn't that far behind it.

[Sixth]

Jinchu arc is horrible. It is so bad I want to stop reading it at one point.

Also, I really doubt that he can write a proper story for Hokkaido arc considering how mediocre his previous works was, and if I not mistaken, wasn't some of them got canned? It is clearly that he is unable to replicate his previous success with his newest work and decided to ride back on his old cow.

Even though I am sceptical here, but I am going to read it either way, just doesn't have high hope on it.

[DragonOsman]

I'll also read it. I haven't read his other works, though, so I wouldn't know what you mean.

I was fine with the Jinchu arc (if it's the final arc of the original series). I mean, we also got to know some more of Kenshin's past and also found out that he had a wife (whom he'd killed with his own hand and bore an emotional scar for it due to blaming himself - though he didn't do it on purpose and she actually sacrificed herself on his sword to save him). We didn't know much about Kenshin's past before that, so it was great to finally learn about it. That's why that arc got bonus from me.

I don't remember what Megumi's diagnosis was on his body, but yeah.

[Guardian Enzo]

You really ought to put that in spoiler tags as a courtesy to those who haven't read the manga that far.

[germanturkey]

You really ought to put that in spoiler tags as a courtesy to those who haven't read the manga that far.

it's a 20 year old spoiler and featured in what's considered one of the best OVAs ever made. lets not get carried away now. :p

[Random14]

I'd love to see the Jinchu arc animated, although not sure if some parts of it would be too much for regular TV (late night should be fine). Not like Rurouni Kenshin was ever that that bloody or gory but Kenshin's past is one of the darkest parts of the manga. There was that OVA decades ago that covered Kenshin's past, but then there was that awful kind of finale OVA too.

Although the Kyoto arc was the high point of the series, so I'm glad that part got animated at least. Some series never even make it that far, much less get decent adaptations that cover those epic fights.

I'm cautiously optimistic, Watsuki's usually pretty good, guess it depends on how much Kenshin does or whether Yahiko will play a big role. There were a couple of post-series chapters that had grown up Yahiko. Although Watsuki's never had another hit like Kenshin (probably one of my favorite series ever), but most of his stuff has been decent at least. I kind of wish Gun Blaze West had lasted longer, but that western theme wouldn't landed with most readers probably.

[Guardian Enzo]

it's a 20 year old spoiler and featured in what's considered one of the best OVAs ever made. lets not get carried away now. :p

Hey - how hard is it to use a spoiler tag?

Anyway, many manga fans consider that OVA to be a bastardization of the material (it's hardly connected to the Jinchu arc in substance, irrespective of whether one likes it or not), so it's hardly unanimous that it's "one of the best OVAs ever made". Watsuki himself hates it.

[Xellos-_^]

Hey - how hard is it to use a spoiler tag?

Anyway, many manga fans consider that OVA to be a bastardization of the material (it's hardly connected to the Jinchu arc in substance, irrespective of whether one likes it or not), so it's hardly unanimous that it's "one of the best OVAs ever made". Watsuki himself hates it.
he hated it because it was too serious.

and while i won't say it was the best ova ever, it was imo very good.

[germanturkey]

eh, not hard at all to use a tag. it's like talking about star wars though.

i guess saying it was one of the best ever is a bit of an over exaggeration, but i remember it being praised a bunch when it came out. i think i was blown away by it when i watched it. granted, it has been a looooooooong time though. and it's by no means an absolute metric, but it's ranked 23rd on MAL.

[Guardian Enzo]

LOL, I agree about that last part.

For me, the production values are superb, and I certainly don't disagree that it's widely popular. But I just feel as if it totally misses the spirit and substance of Rurouni Kenshin - As if it was written by someone who either didn't "get" the series or just didn't give a damn about trying to be spiritually faithful to it.

[germanturkey]

i thought it was purposefully written that way. kenshin's back story was by no means a light topic, and OVA did a great job at portraying how serious it was. you have to understand the darkness behind the character to truly appreciate his motivations in the series.

[Xellos-_^]

i thought it was purposefully written that way. kenshin's back story was by no means a light topic, and OVA did a great job at portraying how serious it was. you have to understand the darkness behind the character to truly appreciate his motivations in the series.
read the manga, the author put a lot of gag faces and light heart moments in there.

[DragonOsman]

Yeah. Well, I don't remember since I read more than 2 years or so IIRC, but I manga authors do that often (putting in light-hearted moments and gag art in the middle of dark moments in the manga). It's meant to do as the term implies - lighten the reader's mood.

[germanturkey]

read the manga, the author put a lot of gag faces and light heart moments in there.

you're missing my point. the whole premise of Kenshin deciding not to kill anyone is based on the events with and around Tomoe. without the that dark past, the rest of the series doesn't make sense, since a major plot device for the first two arcs is trying to get Kenshin the hitokiri back.

Full Metal Alchemist also has a lot of gag faces and light hearted moments too. that must mean that series is all sunshine and rainbows.

[Guardian Enzo]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but when the author himself rejects something, doesn't that make the whole question of interpretation moot?

I mean, that has no bearing on whether one likes an adaptation (like Samurai X) or not. Everyone will make that call based on their own tastes. But how can one debate the question of whether something is faithful to the material when the material's author says it isn't?

[DragonOsman]

That's not what the author said, though, is it? He just said it was too serious for his liking. It could just be that he meant that it followed the material "correctly" but in a too serious way.

[Malicre]

didn't kenshin and his girl die in the anime or was that not cannon? iv never read the manga so im curious as to if the anime/manga ending were different?

[DragonOsman]

Not canon. Did that even happen in the anime? I don't remember. But yeah, the manga definitely didn't go that way because Kenshin and Kaoru are still alive. They also have a son.

[Malicre]

so would u guys recommend me to watch Rurouni Kenshin but skip the samurai x reflections OVA (this is the one he dies in and people seem to really hate)?

[DragonOsman]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Do that. Read the manga first, though, please. I think it's better to read/watch (whichever applies better) the original first, then the adaptation.

[Xellos-_^]

didn't kenshin and his girl die in the anime or was that not cannon? iv never read the manga so im curious as to if the anime/manga ending were different?


ep5 and 6 of the oav which is non-canon. Most people ignore it.

Considering the whole series has been translated for a long. Why not just go read it?

[Guardian Enzo]

Yeah, read the manga. That's the one and only definitive version.

That said, Gallop's take on the Kyoto Arc really is superb and shouldn't be missed. Watch the TV anime afterwards. You can stop after the Kyoto Arc, but there all-original 3rd season has some good moments interspersed with the mediocre ones.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

I'm glad Tsuiokuhen OVA being "unfaithful" to the manga by creating a masterpiece of cinematic proportion. Let's admit it, the manga is not perfect. It was too rosy for that kind of people in (Bakumatsu?) era in that kind of situation (for me, at least). The manga even made the part where Kenshin fighting his enemies to save Tomoe felt like video game stages where each opponent that he faced took away his senses bit by bit before facing the final boss. I'm so glad the Tsuiokuhen OVA cut that and the other shonen-y parts out and concentrate more on contemplative moments between Kenshin & Tomoe that felt deeper than what I experienced reading the manga.

Oh, and not all parts in Gallop's take of the anime TV series are great either (let alone perfect). Many of the filler episodes are (beyond) annoying (oh my god, that circus episode & others). DEEN's filler arcs like Shogo Amakusa & Feng Shui are a lot better compared to those. And now that I've recently rewatched it, I notice that the fight animation between Kenshin & Shishio's final duel is underwhelming. It has many stills, and stilted animation. No wonder I don't remember it much. From visuals alone, it's nowhere near a masterpiece, but thank god the music helped to carry those scenes. I'd even go as far as saying that the live-action adaptation of Shishio's climactic battle is more exciting, more visually-arresting and more memorable. Still, I agree that RK TV series shouldn't be missed, but skip the episodic fillers if you can (not the filler arcs).

Speaking of being different or "unfaithful" to the source material in order to create a better anime, here's an interesting video on that topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DtAjwJZugQ
If this one has been brought up before then I'm sorry for the repetition.

[germanturkey]

so just as an aside, i'm rereading the remembrance arc now. there's very little light hearted-ness there. its possibly not as dark as the OVA, but it's still pretty darn dark. the mangaka even put in the interlude chapter just to lighten the mood.

kind of pointless to argue though.

[DragonOsman]

@Obelisk: You're entitled to your opinion on the manga. And yeah, it's bound to have its bad moments. But the adaptation is still an adaptation and the fact the said adaptation did take liberties to change stuff is already bad IMO. All that stuff about whether the anime made it better or not comes afterwards (to me, at least).

By the way, I love the YGO theme.

[Mad Pierrot]

I think every adaptation of Kenshin has their plus and their cons. Watsuki admitted he originally planned to kill Kaoru as part of Enishi's revenge but Kyoto's happy ending made him change that. While Watsuki noted this consecutive revelations about Kaoru's state some readers feel disappointing, I felt it at least gave Enishi more humanity because he was still suffering from posttraumatic disorder.

Meanwhile, while the last two OVAs had nice tones about Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship (especially that deleted scene), I felt Kenshin leaving Kaoru and Kenji felt out of character considering the whole point about his training with Hiko was about Kenshin obtaining his will to live (which is further reinforced in the Jinchu) and that there people who care about him, most notably Kaoru. The prequel OVAs was probably one of the best OVAs I've seen, they still have flaws like Kenshin getting his ass kicked in the four episode and somehow surviving despite how much blood he lost.

[grecefar]

oh reading the commentaries is good to know that the reflection OVA don't matter and the manga is going in another direction.

[Mad Pierrot]

oh reading the commentaries is good to know that the reflection OVA don't matter and the manga is going in another direction.

Reflections is quite controversial, but if you haven't watched, I still recommend you to give it a look. It has some strong points.

[Guardian Enzo]

Has there been a status update on this that I missed? Haven't seen anything official for months.

[Arabesque]

Has there been a status update on this that I missed? Haven't seen anything official for months.

Nothing as of yet, it seems like it is going to be some time before we get another update on the status of the series sadly :/

But man, the wait is a killer ...

[Arabesque]

haha, its been less than a week and now we got some news again lol

Serialization for the Hokkaido Arc will be starting in Jump SQ Oct. issue, which is out on the 4th of September.

Since September 4th is a Monday, that means that the Viz edition of English Shonen Jump should announce it being picked up an issue before (so August 28th), so we will be having a reliable English translation as well.

sorry for the double post, but figured folks want to know when the manga will start.

[grecefar]

Well it give me an excuse to watch/read kenshin again and recall~

[Sixth]

haha, its been less than a week and now we got some news again lol

Serialization for the Hokkaido Arc will be starting in Jump SQ Oct. issue, which is out on the 4th of September.

Since September 4th is a Monday, that means that the Viz edition of English Shonen Jump should announce it being picked up an issue before (so August 28th), so we will be having a reliable English translation as well.

sorry for the double post, but figured folks want to know when the manga will start.

Thanks for the update. So i guess this is monthly?

[Guardian Enzo]

Indeed, thank you very much for that update.

As far as I know it's been scheduled as a monthly since it was announced.

[germanturkey]

ugh. monthly. i went through that nightmare with Claymore. freaking 6 years of my life was dedicated to reading a chapter a month.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

ugh. monthly. i went through that nightmare with Claymore. freaking 6 years of my life was dedicated to reading a chapter a month.As someone who follows (good) mangas with slow releases like Arpeggio of Blue Steel and Break/Broken Blade, monthly manga is not a big deal. Life itself will provide enough distraction while waiting for new chapters to come.

[Arabesque]

Thanks for the update. So i guess this is monthly?

Indeed, thank you very much for that update.

As far as I know it's been scheduled as a monthly since it was announced.

No problem :)

Yeah, it had been announced to be a monthly series since the start.

Which makes sense considering that Watsuki's health wouldn't allow for him going weekly ever again, his relationship with the magazine (he had been one of their hard hitters from day one), that every Kenshin spin off in modern times was published in SQ.

So at the very least, the Hokkaido Arc serialization should be getting the prime time treatment.

The only odd thing is that it skipped the Spring window when it was announced and by the time it is out it would be late Summer/early Fall. Though I guess it might have just been that they needed some more time to prepare.

Well it give me an excuse to watch/read kenshin again and recall~

Always a good excuse for more Kenshin :V

[Guardian Enzo]

I may already have rewatched Kenshin more than any other anime. I've kind of resolved not to do it again until a continuation/reboot is announced.

[germanturkey]

As someone who follows (good) mangas with slow releases like Arpeggio of Blue Steel and Break/Broken Blade, monthly manga is not a big deal. Life itself will provide enough distraction while waiting for new chapters to come.

i exaggerated a little. it was actually a great way to keep track of time. i was in undergrad and grad school at that point, and every chapter meant a month closer to finishing.

when Amanchu went quarterly though..

I actually reread most of kenshin earlier in the spring to prep myself for this. i don't think i need to rewatch much of the show though.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

I actually reread most of kenshin earlier in the spring to prep myself for this. i don't think i need to rewatch much of the show though.Yeah, Hokkaido arc is manga continuation so the manga is the one that matters. And for me it's easier to re-read the manga coz I just need to take the volumes from my shelf and read it rather than playing the anime episodes yet again.

[Mad Pierrot]

So from Ashitaro part 2 this takes place after the final chapter of the manga but Yahiko just gives Kenshin back the sakabato like nothing?

[Mad Pierrot]

A little offtopic but what would you call Kenshin's Hiryusen move he used to weaken Enishi's senses? Is it some kind of asspull or do samurais often practice Nuttou?

[germanturkey]

i don't think samurai typically practice sheathing their swords really fast.

[Arabesque]

Since September 4th is a Monday, that means that the Viz edition of English Shonen Jump should announce it being picked up an issue before (so August 28th), so we will be having a reliable English translation as well.

Just a small update, but Viz's August 28th issue preview confirms that they will be picking up the series.

[LKK]

Just a small update, but Viz's August 28th issue preview confirms that they will be picking up the series.
Thread prefix has been updated to Licensed. The licensed manga rules are now in effect.

[Mad Pierrot]

Wait, so Hokkaido started already?

[n0m@n]

It's coming up in the next SQ Jump which will be released in less than a week from now.

[n0m@n]

The heck...

Chapter 1

Kaoru's dad was alive all this time??? The hell with this sudden change...

And wow, Ashitarou. He used Shishio's move, Homuradama.
And Karou described Shisho as Kenshin's strongest and greatest foe!
I so want to laugh at those guys who had been saying Enishi was stronger than Shishio all this time.

[Mad Pierrot]

A little offtopic but

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-09-03/newspaper-new-live-action-rurouni-kenshin-film-in-the-works/.120897

While Shishio nearly killed Kenshin, Enishi actually managed to ruin almost all Hiten Mitsurugi techniques except for the nuttou and the true Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki

[Random14]

Its such a nostalgic thrill to see the Kenshin gang together again, well, almost all together.

Kaoru's father?! Never expected him to pop up, though as Kenshin immediately realizes, a supposedly dead relative showing up alive is a bad sign, and I expect Kaoru's fond memories of her father are probably going to take a beating. Though the foreshadowing is clear now (Kaoru's prayer, that book, etc.).

Heh, Sanosuke reference. When he does show up in person, wonder how large his debt is. Ah, and that explains why someone supposedly adverse to violence was with the Shishio rebels. Huh, I'm reminded a bit of Nami from One Piece, though probably nicer. And I do hope Yahiko gets to take action soon, rather than just giving the sakabato back to Kenshin all the time. That special when Yahiko went to teach elsewhere was a good start.

Yeah, I would rank Shishio above Enishi. Personally I'd say Kenshin's guilt over Tomoe's death was slowing him down, which is why for their final duel they said Kenshin had found his "answer". I'm curious what direction this series will go, but wherever it goes, I'm looking forward to it.

[n0m@n]

A little offtopic but

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-09-03/newspaper-new-live-action-rurouni-kenshin-film-in-the-works/.120897

While Shishio nearly killed Kenshin, Enishi actually managed to ruin almost all Hiten Mitsurugi techniques except for the nuttou and the true Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki


Enishi felt like he could pull out twice his true strength when he fights Kenshin. But against others it doesn't seem like he could pull out such brutal strength. Kenshin was like his doping drugs lol.


Its such a nostalgic thrill to see the Kenshin gang together again, well, almost all together.

Kaoru's father?! Never expected him to pop up, though as Kenshin immediately realizes, a supposedly dead relative showing up alive is a bad sign, and I expect Kaoru's fond memories of her father are probably going to take a beating. Though the foreshadowing is clear now (Kaoru's prayer, that book, etc.).

Heh, Sanosuke reference. When he does show up in person, wonder how large his debt is. Ah, and that explains why someone supposedly adverse to violence was with the Shishio rebels. Huh, I'm reminded a bit of Nami from One Piece, though probably nicer. And I do hope Yahiko gets to take action soon, rather than just giving the sakabato back to Kenshin all the time. That special when Yahiko went to teach elsewhere was a good start.

Yeah, I would rank Shishio above Enishi. Personally I'd say Kenshin's guilt over Tomoe's death was slowing him down, which is why for their final duel they said Kenshin had found his "answer". I'm curious what direction this series will go, but wherever it goes, I'm looking forward to it.


I sure do miss Sanosuke.
Saitou also appears at the end. Wonder if we can watch the rival match between Saitou and Kenshin in this arc. I can't see Kenshin beating Saitou now.

[Mad Pierrot]

Was Kaoru's father ever mentioned in the manga? I think only the anime and the Seisohen OVAs featured him

[n0m@n]

Havent read the original for so long but Im sure it was mentioned that...
he died in war (briefly).



I wonder if Ashitaro will become Yahiko's rival?

[Mad Pierrot]

I haven't read the Hokkaido chapter yet, but I remember in the Ashitaro's chapter, Yahiko wanted to teach him if they ever entered the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Dojo. Still, I think Watsuki said Yutaro was Yahiko's rival.

[Random14]

I doubt Yahiko would be Ashitaro's rival, whoever his main rival/enemy will be will probably be someone new, while Yahiko is "previous generation" as it were. Especially with Yutaro back in Japan already.

Was Kaoru's father ever mentioned in the manga? I think only the anime and the Seisohen OVAs featured him

If my memory is accurate, the anime and manga said that he founded the Kamiya sword style, a sword that protects rather than a sword that kills. I'm pretty sure the first chapter has a scene with the villains mocking that "silly" idea, and even Kenshin admitting that its false, but he'd much rather believe that sweet lie rather than the harsh truth.

So basically back then he sounded like a nice guy who had died, standard background for someone's parent, but never expected he would play such a bigger role. And to be targeted by some mysterious group.

I don't think Kenshin and Saitou would duel again. At the end of the original manga Saitou gave up on their rivalry, even when Kenshin called him out (before he declined from his peak). He basically didn't recognize Kenshin as Battousai anymore.

[Diluc]

So is Hokkaido prequel or sequel?
I read somewhere Hokkaido supposed to be arc before the ending but the raw i read i saw the new MC Ashitaro in the raw.

[Mad Pierrot]

So is Hokkaido prequel or sequel?
I read somewhere Hokkaido supposed to be arc before the ending but the raw i read i saw the new MC Ashitaro in the raw.

it's a sequel based on Kenshin and Kaoru having a child,
Yahiko being a teenager among other stuff. However, Watsuki apparently didn't like Kenshin's short hair from the manga finale so it grew up again.

[n0m@n]

Oh, shit. I had forgotten about Yutaro lol.
Hijikata appearing was already confirmed but the other character I want to see the most now is Soujirou. Seijuurou on other hand is too OP and I think Watsuki himself said Seijuurou is a character who is hard to handle due to his strength. Though I would love to see him appear too.

[Mad Pierrot]

Oh, shit. I had forgotten about Yutaro lol.
Hijikata appearing was already confirmed but the other character I want to see the most now is Soujirou. Seijuurou on other hand is too OP and I think Watsuki himself said Seijuurou is a character who is hard to handle due to his strength. Though I would love to see him appear too.

The real Hijikata Toshizō?! Isn't Hijikata supposed to be dead?

Also, I remember that Watsuki said was difficult to write was Hiko (at least vol 12 says that) while he views Sojiro hard to develop in the same way as Anji due to their tragic backstories

[n0m@n]

oh shit. I meant Saitou lol. Not Hijikata. What have i been smoking...

[Diluc]

I always have under impression Hijikata Toushiro was Saitou..

[Mad Pierrot]

Lol, Saito's characterization was so dark that Misao and Cho couldn't believe he was a good guy. Even Kenshin once said Saito got in his nerves as much as Hiko. The real Hijikata would have taken that personality considering he was "vice demon" or something like that.

[germanturkey]

someone let me know where they're reading this? thanks!

[Diluc]

Chapter 1
Generally Ashitaro is acceptable character being MC or not but his random cliche power up able to mastered Shishio technique is irking one also i don't recall Shishio sword was cursed at all. There is trick from his flame sword ; that flame came from incinerated fat of death people which has flaked to Mugenjin.
Karou father was the big plot twist of this arc, i think the reason why Kaoru father never returned is not because he was involved with something but he probably became amnesiac thus he forgot his past and Kaoru. That photograph pretty much explained it if he was under pressure or something there is no way he would able to do funny pose like that.

I am not going to surprise if Kaoru turn out has another sibling now XD

[AntonKutovoi]

oh shit. I meant Saitou lol. Not Hijikata. What have i been smoking...

Probably Gintama volumes, since Saitou and Toshi are somewhat similar :p

[DragonOsman]

Where are you guys reading it, if it's okay to ask?

[ellifeedn]

I read it on the Viz website as part of the digital Shonen Jump line-up.

[Mad Pierrot]

From what I read so far, Kenshin keeps saying "Oro". Still, why does he keep using the "dono" towards Kaoru? She is your wife now!

[n0m@n]

Lol, Saito's characterization was so dark that Misao and Cho couldn't believe he was a good guy. Even Kenshin once said Saito got in his nerves as much as Hiko. The real Hijikata would have taken that personality considering he was "vice demon" or something like that.

One of the few times which he was laughable was when Kenshin and Misao was shocked to find out he had a wife lol
Probably Gintama volumes, since Saitou and Toshi are somewhat similar :p Lol, most likely.

[Mad Pierrot]

When Mumyoi was impaled by Saito's Gatotsu Zero, I think even Kaoru and Megumi were shocked by how violent he was. Even Watsuki stated in volume 7 that the readers initially hated Saito for his personality. I guess it got better considering he appeared in most top tens of the popularity polls.

Anyway....
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJEFqqsVoAAzLwR.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJEFrPSUEAEj5-x.jpg

[Mad Pierrot]

Finally read the chapter. I think Yahiko will be an extra considering he needs to train so many students now

[seiftis]

After sooo many years, please dont blame me not remembering stuff that happened in the original manga. To me, this new serialization came as a surprise. But I wasn't feeling excited, not sure why. It's just been too long

[zztop]

What's interesting is how the new arc's designs of the Kamiya Dojo and Akabeko follow the live-action movie sets. Watsuki must've liked them enough to incorporate the movie's designs into the series.

[grecefar]

What's interesting is how the new arc's designs of the Kamiya Dojo and Akabeko follow the live-action movie sets. Watsuki must've liked them enough to incorporate the movie's designs into the series.

well the movie was great you know...

[Mad Pierrot]

Found this image. Feels legit even though the anime never got here

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/35600000/-Ruroni-Kenshin-rurouni-kenshin-35600800-349-500.jpg

[DragonOsman]

Might be original art by the anime artist. As a bonus, maybe?

Anyway, I read the chapter just yesterday. Liked it. I wonder if Kaoru's father really has amnesia like some people were speculating earlier? If that's really the case, it be really sad. I hope he doesn't have amnesia, although that would make his pose in that photographer stranger than it already is.

That being said, I'd like to know how he survived even though his family thought he'd died.

Ashitaro is bad for bribing Kenji. Hopefully Kaoru can still raise him into a good guy (read: not troublesome or with bad morals or whatnot).

[Mad Pierrot]

Did a bit of research about Hokkaido in this series' year. Kaoru's father could be related to the Ainu people and Saito's mission could be related to the Russian's appearances in Japan. Hokkaido is also quite big as it was divided into 3 sub-prefectures so finding Kaoru's father might take quite too much.

[Superstars]

Nice intro to the new arc! Glad everybody seems to look the same. I smiled when I saw the best character in the franchise show up at the end.

[DragonOsman]

@Perriot: Thanks for the info.

Man, I really want to know why Kaoru's father never came home after surviving the war. Did he really get amnesia somehow, or is there some other reason?

[Mad Pierrot]

New chapter is out in raw

I don't get Japanese but this is what I get:
*A lot guys with cool designs are fighting the police
*Saito faces the apparent leader
*It then moves back to Tokyo with Asahi and Ashitaro learning how to read apparently
*Kenshin appears to remember Megumi's advice about how he should stop fighting due to the strains of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu
*I don't know what Yahiko says but it amazes both Kaoru and even Kenshin

[Mad Pierrot]

Now Viz released the chapter

Yahiko challenges Kenshin to a one-on-one to see if he can take care of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo while Kenshin and Kaoru leave to Hokkaido

[DragonOsman]

Who does Yahiko challenge? How will Kenshin and Kaoru leave if Kenshin is sparring with Yahiko, who doesn't seem to have gone?

[Mad Pierrot]

Who does Yahiko challenge? How will Kenshin and Kaoru leave if Kenshin is sparring with Yahiko, who doesn't seem to have gone?

He challenges Kenshin who plans to leave Tokyo with Kaoru.
Yahiko wants to show they can leave the dojo safe with him through their fight stating he will be stronger than in their final fight from chapter 255 from 90s

Also

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLtXxrIUEAAKsdZ.jpg:large

[DragonOsman]

That's some interesting background info there in the pic. Thanks for posting it.

And thanks for the explanation in the spoiler tag.

[Mad Pierrot]

I wonder if Kenshin will perform a new fighting style considering what happened in chapter 2

[Diluc]

^Time to embrace his wife swordstyle.
Hello father my name is Kenshin and i can do better Kamiya kashin sword style better 1000x than you :D

[Mad Pierrot]

Some spoilers are appearing

If it's true, then Sanosuke returns.

[AP24]

I just remembered that Seta Soujiro was last seen heading north. Maybe we will see him again in Hokkaido.

[Mad Pierrot]

Dang it

Yahiko returns Kenshin the sakabato. Not happy with this development.

[DragonOsman]

Didn't that already happen in an earlier chapter?

And what chapter have the online translations come up to?

[Mad Pierrot]

Well what I mean is that the Sakabato was Yahiko's genpuku and the message feels a bit ruined now that he quits the sword. Yahiko states it would take him too much time to handle the Sakabato but he is only 15. We don't know how much time did it take Kenshin to handle the original Sakabato but even in this chapter he feels like he lost a lot of strength.

[Mad Pierrot]

Something about this chapter...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOCdXKUVoAE1eWy.jpg

[Diluc]

Something about this chapter...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOCdXKUVoAE1eWy.jpg

wtf that does even mean also i don't mind Sakabato return to Kenshin since he will need that to Hokaido.
It right choice for Yahiko to return Sakabato to Kenshin.

[DragonOsman]

^Agreed about Sakabatou. Kenshin is still the main character, so he'll need that sword when he fights.

But yeah, he needs to stop using the Hiten Mitsuruki-style soon and adopt Kaoru's dojo's style. Or he'll die just from using swordsmanship one of these days.

[Random14]

I have mixed feelings about that development. I’m disappointed Yahiko’s done so little. I know Kenshin is still the main character, but Yahiko’s grown strong enough to be a strong supporting character/fighter. But then this way there’s a built in handicap and Ashitaro is the new young star. Rare to see Yahiko actually flirt with Tsubame for once. And about that last page...

I wonder what are the odds that Sanosuke will get so lost he’ll end up in Hokkaido? And probably help out at the right time.

[Yorae_paladin1]

^Agreed about Sakabatou. Kenshin is still the main character, so he'll need that sword when he fights.

But yeah, he needs to stop using the Hiten Mitsuruki-style soon and adopt Kaoru's dojo's style. Or he'll die just from using swordsmanship one of these days.

agreed kamiya kashin suits his new life style and vow of never killing plus isn't as demanding of the body as hiten mitsurugi which is a killing style

[DragonOsman]

The Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu is more taxing to his current body which was said to be past its prime already. If it was Kenshin in his prime, he would've been completely fine. That's what Megumi's (if that's here name) diagnosis meant. Kenshin and his master look much younger than they are, all because of what using the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu does to a swordsman.

[cyberdemon]

The Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu is more taxing to his current body which was said to be past its prime already. If it was Kenshin in his prime, he would've been completely fine. That's what Megumi's (if that's here name) diagnosis meant. Kenshin and his master look much younger than they are, all because of what using the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu does to a swordsman.

The difference being Kenshin is rather small and doesn't have the body type of his master that allowed his master to keep using it longer than Kenshin can.

[Mad Pierrot]

Already in the manga's last arc, Megumi could note how the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki took a lot of stamina even using the only first blow from the ogi to defeat the last Iwambo. Now, I wonder if he could even use it again considering he is a worse shape. That's why I said Kenshin needs to rely on another style or Ashitaro might need some development

[Sixth]

http://comicbook.com/anime/2017/11/21/rurouni-kenshin-nobuhiro-watsuki-sex-crime-arrested-anime/

Don't bode well with this manga resurrection.

Got it from other forum:
He was arrested for "possession of several DVDs that included a video of a naked girl in her early teens in his office in Tokyo"

[AntonKutovoi]

Most likely manga will be canceled because of that. And any chance of anime remake has now probably died as well. Ugh... Just... why, Watsuki?

[BladeMancer]

Oh. Why watsuki? Now everyone is going to hate kenshin for this

[DragonOsman]

^Yeah. Why, Watsuki. T_T

But as for chapter 3 of Hokkaido Arc. When Yahiko tested Kenshin's strength, he said that only his stamina is bad. And they wondered how Kaoru noticed it even though she's never fought him before. [My theory is that it's because she's also a master swordsman.]

[Kazu-kun]

Well, I wasn't all that enthused about this sequel. The only thing I'd regret if they cancel it is we won't get to see anything of Yahiko and Tsubame living together. Other than that I don't care.

[SidVicious]

Hiatus:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-11-21/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-goes-on-hiatus-due-to-charge-filed-against-creator/.124313

[Diluc]

The question is how the hell he could be arrested? His porn stash literally hidden in his office room, there is no way police came except someone reported. Did Watsuki happened to have enemy?

Anyway Shueisha not release any respond yet so manga status is unknown being cancelled or not,them probably are taking care the issue although i doubt Watsuki has his same spirit again to recontinue his work after this problem over.

[BladeMancer]

The question is how the hell he could be arrested? His porn stash literally hidden in his office room, there is no way police came except someone reported. Did Watsuki happened to have enemy?

Anyway Shueisha not release any respond yet so manga status is unknown being cancelled or not,them probably are taking care the issue although i doubt Watsuki has his same spirit again to recontinue his work after this problem over.
Dunno. Could be he's framed, and Japanese cops are known for their spectacular ability at acquiring "confessions". It happened with a foreigner once and for weeks they screamed at him for a confession despite there being no evidence of him doing the crime.

[Kazu-kun]

Shueisha not release any respond yet.

Apparently they did and the manga has been put officially on hiatus.

[foxbox360]

There goes the neighborhood....

[Mad Pierrot]

No Watsuki why? You are already married for crying out loud! ;_;

I wonder how Shueisha let Toriko's author continue his manga

[zztop]

No Watsuki why? You are already married for crying out loud! ;_;

I wonder how Shueisha let Toriko's author continue his manga

Toriko's author IIRC only started Toriko after he was released from jail.
The previous manga he worked on before he solicited that underage prostitute got cancelled.

[Guardian Enzo]

If you can get past the bitter disappointment (which is not easy for me, as RK is as fundamental for me as a fan as any series, ever) it's weirdly ironic. Manga and LNs are full of series that implicitly endorse romance with underage girls. Shamelessly so. Watsuki never does that - hell, in RK Tsubame is the only underage female character of consequence (apart from Misao, who's about 16) and she's not objectified.

This is just surprising and depressing, any way you slice it. Hokkaido-hen is toast, and so is any chance to see the original manga fully adapted. But as serious as this is, it shouldn't change the fact that RK is a classic, because it is and always will be. The art stands on its own, irrespective of the sins of the artist.

[ellifeedn]

Yeah, I can't believe this is happening. Why, just why?

No Watsuki why? You are already married for crying out loud! ;_;

I wonder how Shueisha let Toriko's author continue his manga

Considering his connection to the two, I sure hope Oda hasn't done anything wrong.

[cyberdemon]

^Yeah. Why, Watsuki. T_T

But as for chapter 3 of Hokkaido Arc. When Yahiko tested Kenshin's strength, he said that only his stamina is bad. And they wondered how Kaoru noticed it even though she's never fought him before. [My theory is that it's because she's also a master swordsman.]

She wasn't talking about his stamina as a swordsman :naughty:

[Mad Pierrot]

I wonder if this will affect the release of the franchise's fouth liveaction

[Guardian Enzo]

Hard to see how it wouldn't.

[kuromitsu]

The question is how the hell he could be arrested? His porn stash literally hidden in his office room, there is no way police came except someone reported. Did Watsuki happened to have enemy?
He wasn't reported, it's mentioned in the articles that he came under suspicion of having purchased child porn DVDs during the course of an unrelated (still child porn) investigation. So they searched his office and there it was. The most likely explanation is that the police was investigating the company that produced the DVDs or a website that sold them or somesuch, and as they were looking over the records they came across his name and purchase info.

This is pretty terrible and even as I'm able to divorce artist from his creation I feel really sad and disappointed. And I guess the Kenshin franchise is pretty much done for... indefinite hiatus instead of outright axing seems to point towards Shueisha holding out hope that the franchise can bounce back eventually but... yeah, probably not going to happen, considering that this is Watsuki's single hit manga and this happened right during its grand revival.

[Hata]

The question is how the hell he could be arrested? His porn stash literally hidden in his office room, there is no way police came except someone reported. Did Watsuki happened to have enemy?
reading news report:

Watsuki got caught as a collaborate case, meaning the Japanese police caught someone owing naked young girls DVD, (softcore, not actual kiddieporn), and trace that Watsuki had either bought or trade DVD from those people, so they conduct a search of his studio and find those DVD.

caught redhanded, Watsuki had already admitted to police he likes “high elementary to middle jr. high girl” (10-15 years old), so this is a clean cut case that shouldn’t last long, Japanese law for such offense is max one year in prison and/or a fine under one million yens($10,000), which is nothing to Watsuki, the question is would the publisher gives Watsuki another chance? he being a high publicity person it wouldn’t surprise me if they want to make an example out of him for a light offense.

typical comments from the net? Japanese AV viewing is still much DVD oriented, they should change with time to online viewing or USB storage :heh:

this makes Watsuki's endorsement of Armed Girl's Machiavellism that much more "revealing".

[Ligerleon89]

...Man...that's as much as I can say about this.

[Mad Pierrot]

I'm not sure but earlier this year there were comments about how Watsuki's wife was writing a novel about Kenshin's and Kaoru's wedding. Guess if it's not fake, it might be cancelled too

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Wouldn’t it be funny if Shueisha actually allow Watsuki to continue writing the RK sequel after serving time in prison only to have him go ape-shit on the manga by writing a more depressing story for Kenshin & co that’s even worse than the OVA’s ending? Kinda like Tomino when he made Victory Gundam under depression (not that Tomino is a lolicon or anything like that). That’d be quite amusing :heh:.

[Mad Pierrot]

Wouldn’t it be funny if Shueisha actually allow Watsuki to continue writing the RK sequel after serving time in prison only to have him go ape-shit on the manga by writing a more depressing story for Kenshin & co that’s even worse than the OVA’s ending? Kinda like Tomino when he made Victory Gundam under depression (not that Tomino is a lolicon or anything like that). That’d be quite amusing :heh:.

Watsuki said that while like tragic endings, shonen series need a happy based on their demographic. That's why he changed Kaoru's fate in the final arc even if it meant jumping the shark. At least that's what he said in volume 24. Also, the bigger focus on Yahiko in the Jinchu arc was made to focus on a upbeat tone similar to how he introduced Misao in Kyoto.

[Superstars]

Hiatus:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-11-21/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-goes-on-hiatus-due-to-charge-filed-against-creator/.124313

:heh: This is an epidemic.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Watsuki said that while like tragic endings, shonen series need a happy based on their demographic. That's why he changed Kaoru's fate in the final arc even if it meant jumping the shark. At least that's what he said in volume 24. Also, the bigger focus on Yahiko in the Jinchu arc was made to focus on a upbeat tone similar to how he introduced Misao in Kyoto.What I mean is, his mind could change after being exposed as a literal lolicon to the masses and put to jail for a year or so. That might influence his writing, just like how Tomino's depression influenced his Victory Gundam show back then (hint: the show was a bloodbath :heh:).

[DragonOsman]

I really hope that doesn't happen. If he's really allowed to continue the series, I hope he'll take a break of his own to get his thoughts in order so that his depression (if it's there) doesn't influence his writing too much.

And does he really count as a full lolicon given that his wife is probably closer to his age (if she is)? And I wonder what his wife thinks of this. Did she already know he's also a lolicon?

[dragon1412]

It's not really a place to said this, but as long as we don't know about the content of the supposed CP, we don't know, if it's just nude pic or gravuve idol, Japan has it all over the place back in 2000s, we only have them removed and law against them very recently in Japan. So from Japanese POV, as long as the media don't exaggerated more than it should, there is no issues

[Diluc]

It's irritating if japan society will give cold shoulder to Watsuki over this, if there are to be blame then anime industry should be blamed. They tirelessly shove the audience with cute girls doing cute things and any fetish shit that lure people to interested with loli. Watsuki nothing more than victim of their perversion morale. If cops so thirsty to capture the immoral perverts then just go to akiba and they can catch plenty otaku whom hide his lolita and incest stash whom more worst than Watsuki.

[BladeMancer]

It's irritating if japan society will give cold shoulder to Watsuki over this, if there are to be blame then anime industry should be blamed. They tirelessly shove the audience with cute girls doing cute things and any fetish shit that lure people to interested with loli. Watsuki nothing more than victim of their perversion morale. If cops so thirsty to capture the immoral perverts then just go to akiba and they can catch plenty otaku whom hide his lolita and incest stash whom more worst than Watsuki.
Are you one of those guys that are like "Video games are responsible for Violent behaviour" by any chance?
Also it wasn't 2D shit that he was busted over, it was real children. As long as people can control their desires in reality, I don't mind what they do.

[kuromitsu]

It's not really a place to said this, but as long as we don't know about the content of the supposed CP, we don't know, if it's just nude pic or gravuve idol
But we do, the articles mentioned it: video footage of nude young girls. I assume they were the sort of sleazy gravure videos which have the "idols" being naked/barely dressed but feature no actual sex acts, except in this case the "idols" we're talking about are children. (Hell, even "just" nude pics would have been damning enough.)

, Japan has it all over the place back in 2000s, we only have them removed and law against them very recently in Japan. So from Japanese POV, as long as the media don't exaggerated more than it should, there is no issues
No, not at all? I seriously don't know where people are getting that Japanese people are OK with this sort of thing. Something not being technically illegal doesn't mean that society thinks it's OK. Yes, child "gravure" videos have been around for a long time, but no, they were never treated as anything other than a niche fetish that perverts indulge in and which is very much Not OK. This kind of thing was never treated as being on the same level as 2D loli/shota.

[Sixth]

It's irritating if japan society will give cold shoulder to Watsuki over this, if there are to be blame then anime industry should be blamed. They tirelessly shove the audience with cute girls doing cute things and any fetish shit that lure people to interested with loli. Watsuki nothing more than victim of their perversion morale. If cops so thirsty to capture the immoral perverts then just go to akiba and they can catch plenty otaku whom hide his lolita and incest stash whom more worst than Watsuki.

Pretty sure it will applied the same to US. Wasn't that there was a movie director had tried to remove/reshoot all the actor's part in his movie after the very said actor was in sexual scandal? Same goes to the admin of the certain game forum where the posters and moderators boycott the entire forum.

Apparently, 2017 is not a very good year. So many sexual scandals flying from everywhere.

[dragon1412]

But we do, the articles mentioned it: video footage of nude young girls. I assume they were the sort of sleazy gravure videos which have the "idols" being naked/barely dressed but feature no actual sex acts, except in this case the "idols" we're talking about are children. (Hell, even "just" nude pics would have been damning enough.)


No, not at all? I seriously don't know where people are getting that Japanese people are OK with this sort of thing. Something not being technically illegal doesn't mean that society thinks it's OK. Yes, child "gravure" videos have been around for a long time, but no, they were never treated as anything other than a niche fetish that perverts indulge in and which is very much Not OK. This kind of thing was never treated as being on the same level as 2D loli/shota.

ah, the word issues here was mentioned meaning affecting his career hpermanently, not meaning that's he getting scot free or anything like that. Basically, what I mean was that the punishment or judging isn't going to be as extreme as many people think

[Cosmic Eagle]

The question is how the hell he could be arrested? His porn stash literally hidden in his office room, there is no way police came except someone reported. Did Watsuki happened to have enemy?

Anyway Shueisha not release any respond yet so manga status is unknown being cancelled or not,them probably are taking care the issue although i doubt Watsuki has his same spirit again to recontinue his work after this problem over.

Who dafuq takes porn of ANY kind to work..... And in this case, said person is already under investigation to boot...


It's irritating if japan society will give cold shoulder to Watsuki over this, if there are to be blame then anime industry should be blamed. They tirelessly shove the audience with cute girls doing cute things and any fetish shit that lure people to interested with loli. Watsuki nothing more than victim of their perversion morale. If cops so thirsty to capture the immoral perverts then just go to akiba and they can catch plenty otaku whom hide his lolita and incest stash whom more worst than Watsuki.

Not this 2D influences people to become threats to society thing again..... And BTW, you realize how silly this whole idea is? "successful, middle aged mangaka ruined by cartoons" need anyone say more?

[Sixth]

Does this sounds suspicious to you guys? How do those police managed to track him down so fast and efficient? Was there a traitor, mole or whistle blower in his office or among his peers? Maybe someone was jealous at his glory?

[kuromitsu]

Does this sounds suspicious to you guys? How do those police managed to track him down so fast and efficient? Was there a traitor, mole or whistle blower in his office or among his peers? Maybe someone was jealous at his glory?

He wasn't reported, it's mentioned in the articles that he came under suspicion of having purchased child porn DVDs during the course of an unrelated (still child porn) investigation. So they searched his office and there it was. The most likely explanation is that the police was investigating the company that produced the DVDs or a website that sold them or somesuch, and as they were looking over the records they came across his name and purchase info.

There's nothing suspicious about it, he bought the videos that means leaving a trail an investigation can notice. (Also, what glory. :heh: Watsuki is a one-hit wonder, Kenshin is his one and only success. A huge success, but his only one.)

[Sixth]

There's nothing suspicious about it, he bought the videos that means leaving a trail an investigation can notice. (Also, what glory. :heh: Watsuki is a one-hit wonder, Kenshin is his one and only success. A huge success, but his only one.)

I see. Thanks for your clarification. I must have missed that line. :D

[Guardian Enzo]

This is really getting away from the main point, but it's wrong to call Watsuki a one-hit wonder since the vast majority of all mangaka would kill to have one series as successful as Busou Renkin. It sold 3 million volumes and had an anime adaptation, and both the manga and anime were licensed internationally. We could debate the artistic merits of the series but that's not what's being argued here.

In any event, the thing that stands out about RK's success is its longevity - it didn't just make a big splash and disappear. It remains a multi-medium commercial powerhouse (or did until a week ago, anyway) two decades after it appeared on the scene.

[Malicre]

So question, did he actually have child porn or did he have loli manga/hentai and they confused that for child porn?

[MCAL]

So question, did he actually have child porn or did he have loli manga/hentai and they confused that for child porn?Child porn.

[DragonOsman]

He bought a DVD, which the police traced back to him while they were on another investigation. Then they came to his office and found child porn.

[Blueknight78]

Omg, i really can't believe peoples are defending a guy which bought "real life little girls porn????", i can get over the 2d thing which i still think is wrong but i still can get it but, peoples being anger over the police to arrest a guy which was legit arrested for real life child porn???? at this rate i can see famous mangakas raping girls or guys and having the "support of they fanbase" because they "can do that" based on what i'm seeing here.

He is taking what he diservers and it was still "soft" just one year and some money, if it was others countries specially western he could have lost almost his whole life in jail, even if he didn't really have sex with under aged girl having that material still wrong and passive of punishment, if he want be a "happy lolicon" go buy his lolicons hentai animes don't go for "real life production" which this means someone is doing it to real life little girls to gain money on them.

To be clear i do love his work, i grow with samurai x, i loved it and still love it lke dragon ball or saint seyia but still don't means which i will "forgive him" or think which he is not getting what he diservers, real life child porn is crime don't matter if just watch dvd or have sex specially "old guys".

While i can support a better "range of age" to have sex with teens like a 16 teen being able to have relationship with 18 to 20 years(which is close to they age), have a 40 or 50 or + years old guy wanting to go for real life 10 to 15 years old teens is totally out of my bar.

[Sixth]

if he want be a "happy lolicon" go buy his lolicons hentai animes don't go for "real life production" which this means someone is doing it to real life little girls to gain money on them.


You mean buying "loli hentai/doujin/fiction" is OK as long as it is not the real child porno? :twitch:

That is how it works in Japan?

[Blueknight78]

You mean buying "loli hentai/doujin/fiction" is OK as long as it is not the real child porno? :twitch:

That is how it works in Japan?

Yeah, for the most crazy its looks, for what i hear, 2D it's legal in japan, they only consider child porn if using real childrens, anime/novels/manga and others hentais no matter how ugly and disgusting they are, they are considered legal, the only thing which can happen is you being looked as a "disgusting/perv person, but you not gonna be "jailed for "having it or watch or read or whatever, they are just for "adult only".

I can be wrong ofcourse but in japan you can be the most disgusting, crap person and watch the most sick hentai doujishin as long you don't do anything wrong or is not using "real peoples material".

If instead of real life dvd movies he was with "hentai animes" then nothing could had happened with him, at best he could ending being labeled a disgusting sicko but not arrested.

While i'm also "hate/dislike it too, and feel which in many cases they als where supposed to count to jail peoples (specially the ones about "rape/humiliation), they are "not for japan laws.

[Diluc]

Are you one of those guys that are like "Video games are responsible for Violent behaviour" by any chance?
Also it wasn't 2D shit that he was busted over, it was real children. As long as people can control their desires in reality, I don't mind what they do.

Pretty sure it will applied the same to US. Wasn't that there was a movie director had tried to remove/reshoot all the actor's part in his movie after the very said actor was in sexual scandal? Same goes to the admin of the certain game forum where the posters and moderators boycott the entire forum.

Apparently, 2017 is not a very good year. So many sexual scandals flying from everywhere.

Who dafuq takes porn of ANY kind to work..... And in this case, said person is already under investigation to boot...




Not this 2D influences people to become threats to society thing again..... And BTW, you realize how silly this whole idea is? "successful, middle aged mangaka ruined by cartoons" need anyone say more?

Look Watsuki is guilty, I admit that he deserved for this for his own action however I dislike if Japanese society or for being specific the otaku society/anime society being saint to alienate Watsuki for this matter.
They are not different than Watsuki himself. There are lot media in japan featured lolicon pandering mainly in LN/manga and anime industry which happened the industry Watsuki working on. The Lolicon itself has become iconic nature for japan to us foreign that a lot of us learned lolicon fetish from japan itself where them allure us with featured under age girl in nude or half nude (infamous onsen scene, mahout shojou transformation scene, infamous beach scene and any ecchi scene). Do i need to count how many manga/LN/anime are featured naked loli? They are absently admited to enjoyed see nude under age girls.
Really,If them disgusted to Watsuki then them being hypocrite to their own environment.

[Blueknight78]

Look Watsuki is guilty, I admit that he deserved for this for his own action however I dislike if Japanese society or for being specific the otaku society/anime society being saint to alienate Watsuki for this matter.
They are not different than Watsuki himself. There are lot media in japan featured lolicon pandering mainly in LN/manga and anime industry which happened the industry Watsuki working on. The Lolicon itself has become iconic nature for japan to us foreign that a lot of us learned lolicon fetish from japan itself where them allure us with featured under age girl in nude or half nude (infamous onsen scene, mahout shojou transformation scene, infamous beach scene and any ecchi scene). Do i need to count how many manga/LN/anime are featured naked loli? They are absently admited to enjoyed see nude under age girls.
Really,If them disgusted to Watsuki then them being hypocrite to their own environment.
japan laws are weird on that, having or making 2d material is not considered pedo you are at best called disgusting but not arrested, they only consider pedo having material with "real life kids, they laws are crap.

While i also think it is bs and they just being hypocrite and the only reason the country started to ban "real life material was because the "ONU" and others countries high pressure over then, otherwise they could keep accepting it as it was accepted in the past.

[Arabesque]

zPQlerYtk6A

So, after time passing and the initial shock had subsided, all what I am left with is this sickening feeling of betrayal, anger, disappointment and sadness. RK is a series that is tied deeply with my childhood, a series I loved most of my life and had been placing in such high esteem along with its author. For it all to end up like this ...

Why Watsuki, why?

I will say that, for as heart breakin as this news is, it is at least reassuring that he had been caught. I shuddered to think about what other revelations are there about this situation, but so long as a predator is caught, that’s what will matter in the end.

Considering his connection to the two, I sure hope Oda hasn't done anything wrong.

Ugh. Oda and Shimabokuro’s connection was already suspect enough (the anniversary chapter he did talking about the past made me raise my eyebrow a few times) but them workin under Watsuki already makes me queasy about what dirt there might be about other mangaka connected to them. A few people I talk to told me that not only did RK read much differently now in light of this revelation, but even stuff like Shaman King feels suspicious as well given Takei’s friendship with this clique.

Then again, Takei left Shueisha and is now with Kodansha along with Shaman King, so who knows.

I hate this so much.

caught redhanded, Watsuki had already admitted to police he likes “high elementary to middle jr. high girl” (10-15 years old), so this is a clean cut case that shouldn’t last long, Japanese law for such offense is max one year in prison and/or a fine under one million yens($10,000), which is nothing to Watsuki, the question is would the publisher gives Watsuki another chance? he being a high publicity person it wouldn’t surprise me if they want to make an example out of him for a light offense.

Christ, that honesty D:

I guess him admitting to his guilt would pretty much get him off lightly of any more serious charges, but the point about any publisher giving him a chance again seems close to nil at this stage. Shonen Jump had already removed the series from their sites and issued a statement distancing themselves (cause what company wants to be actively associating with someone admitting openly to liking CP?).

The English publisher (Viz) had also taken steps to remove listing for the original manga, the spin offs and the Hokkaido Arc from not only their website, but also their app. I doubt they can remove the physical books, but any further printing will be unlikely.

On a tangent. bit that hits hardest for Viz is that not only were they really pushing for the Hokkaido Arc each month during its brief run, but a lot of people working there truly loved the series and franchise. Some people on the English side had only joined the company because it was the English distributor of RK. Listening to the Shonen Jump podcast over the years, whenever they talked about the live action films, the spin offs and the franchise as a whole, it came from a place of love rather than duty.

Their twitter isn’t taking questions for this week podcast, so I suspect the next episode will be something like a wake.

typical comments from the net? Japanese AV viewing is still much DVD oriented, they should change with time to online viewing or USB storage :heh:

I guess the Japanese AV scene is concerned about how easy it is for digital footmarks might make it easy to discover where the filming/production takes place, hence the archaic storage and distribution methods.

Online viewing is pretty much impossible without getting caught, especially for the content that Watsuki was interested in, given how much law enforcement agencies keep a look out for sites that distribute CP. And hopefully it stays that way forever, no need to make it easier to get this stuff.

this makes Watsuki's endorsement of Armed Girl's Machiavellism that much more "revealing".

I looked into that, and yeah, a lot of his actions and words now take new meaning after this revelation.

Most likely manga will be canceled because of that. And any chance of anime remake has now probably died as well. Ugh... Just... why, Watsuki?

To do this right in the middle of his grand revival was something else. The anime return went from being likely next year to being impossible forever because of this.

I will forever ask why did it have to be like this, Watsuki.

This is really getting away from the main point, but it's wrong to call Watsuki a one-hit wonder since the vast majority of all mangaka would kill to have one series as successful as Busou Renkin. It sold 3 million volumes and had an anime adaptation, and both the manga and anime were licensed internationally. We could debate the artistic merits of the series but that's not what's being argued here.

In any event, the thing that stands out about RK's success is its longevity - it didn't just make a big splash and disappear. It remains a multi-medium commercial powerhouse (or did until a week ago, anyway) two decades after it appeared on the scene.

I might be more generous and not call him a one hit wonder like kuromitsu did, but I think that when looking at his resume (since I don’t think it isn’t likely he will be adding anything of substance to it going forward) RK stands out as being the one mega success among a collection of respectable to meddling run of stories. Busou Renkin might be the one series that he might have had a close chance for another breakaway hit, but a combination of bad luck and circumstances led to it never managing to do so.

That said, there is no denying that Watsuki’s biggest success is RK. It’s the series that put him on the map, and many years later, he kept on coming back to to add and continue its story. By comparison, every other series he worked on ended up concluding and him moving on either to work on something new and RK.

But that’s the past now. Watsuki’s reputation is in the mud now, along with RK by association. Even in the off chance he does comeback (unlikely) he isn’t going to end up with something bigger than RK in his life again. Maybe the idea that the franchise is able to make a come back is on the table like kuromitsu mentioned, but even then I don’t think it can happen.

Watsuki signed his own death warrant. And for what ...

[Sixth]

Yeah, for the most crazy its looks, for what i hear, 2D it's legal in japan, they only consider child porn if using real childrens, anime/novels/manga and others hentais no matter how ugly and disgusting they are, they are considered legal, the only thing which can happen is you being looked as a "disgusting/perv person, but you not gonna be "jailed for "having it or watch or read or whatever, they are just for "adult only".

Thanks for your information. Didn't knew about that. I always thought that possessing loli hentai/doujin/manga/fiction was illegal in Japan but those people were just so good in hiding from the law enforcement. :heh:

[Ligerleon89]

It's bad when somebody uses the Why clip from the First Knight movie, and I loved that movie as a kid. I don't even want to get why. Well there goes a manga to series that I would have loved to enjoy, now there's no chance of it hitting home for everyone to read. We've already had plenty of unpleasant news so far, why, OH WHY!? Did we have to get this bad news as well?

[Magin]

Well, the end of 2017 is really sucking. On this side of the ocean, you have all of Hollywood getting destroyed by sexual harassment scandals, and then you have this in Japan. Even worse is that someone I once considered a close friend is in jail because of this same.

Which makes me think... we're dealing with a subject and taboo that is as old as humanity. Here the West, we have the terrible jokes associated with catholic priests and altar boys, and some of you may have heard the phrase "old enough to bleed, old enough to breed". Not to mention that honestly speaking, the traditional views of sex in the East such as japan versus the West are very, very different (think geisha, or more specifically, their predecessors that I forget the name of). Hell, let's be real: back in the days of B.C. and the Roman Empire, this kind of thing was very real, and we simply like to think we've advanced, but it's cases like this that show for all the laws we might create, there are some very dark things that still course through humanity.

[n0m@n]

If Elvis Presley was still alive he would be considered a pedophile or had been called as such. Though he died much before this whole age-thing so he remains as the king of rock.

[Diluc]

Maybe someone need to report Miura Kentaro too, he should has a mountain stack of child porn video too in his secret room.
That way we can free at last from his endless torment of berserk hiatus.
Also Watsuki can happy to has comrade in same boat.

[bakato]

So I take it the charges have been dropped? Chapter 3 is up.

[DragonOsman]

Hadn't we already read that chapter before? I'm having a serious case of deja vu reading it.

[cyberdemon]

So I take it the charges have been dropped? Chapter 3 is up.

Chapter 3 raw was out before the charges.

Has anyone heard what is going to happen? Even if he doesn't go to prison there is a chance he could get fired by his publisher so I am curious.

[n0m@n]

Well, last time I checked he's still married to his wife. His wife recently uploaded a picture of her cat and she was still wearing her wedding ring.

Haven't seen or heard anything besides that.

[Hata]

Japanese law for such offense is max one year in prison and/or a fine under one million yens($10,000)
verdict: 200,000 yen fine (~<$2,000), no prison term.

no words from publisher, yet.

[DragonOsman]

So it's basically up to publisher's choice now? The author is scot-free aside from the fine?

[Diluc]

So it's basically up to publisher's choice now? The author is scot-free aside from the fine?

What do you mean?

[DragonOsman]

Watsuki (if that's his name) doesn't have to serve jail time and only has to pay a fine, if what Hata said is correct. So wouldn't that mean that whether we can still read this series or not is up to publisher? Not the authorities anymore?

[Sixth]

Found it at other forum:

The publisher says that "once we are ready to resume the Hokkaido arc, we will announce it". The source is in Japanese.

[dragon1412]

yeah, i'm pretty sure it can be resumed, how long is another matter though.

[DragonOsman]

One possibility is Watsuki himself deciding to end it soon due to depression from this whole thing.

[Kazu-kun]

He had to paid a fine, meaning he was found guilty. Not sure of the publisher will take him back.

[Nivek von Beldo]

He had to paid a fine, meaning he was found guilty. Not sure of the publisher will take him back.

They accepted Toriko one even paid jail time, as long the manga sell, WSJ and Shuseia don't give a damn.

[Mad Pierrot]

If the arc is going to continue I'm happy, but I wonder how his wife is dealing with it. I heard that she was even writing a novel about Kenshin's marriage.

[Guardian Enzo]

Well, apparently Shueishia has decided that Watsuki is repentant enough, and they're going to resume publication of the Hokkaido Arc in June.

Does this mean a Jinchuu-Hokkaido anime reboot may finally be in the cards? We'll see.

[Mad Pierrot]

I'm glad Kenshin returns but now I feel that there is an elephant in the forum

[n0m@n]

Good to hear. Wonder if its resuming from next issue.

[Random14]

As a Kenshin fan, initially I'm happy. Then I remember everything else that's happened, and um, not sure how I should feel.

I want to read more Kenshin, of course, but I don't know how I should feel about the author anymore. I wonder if the English SJ will resume publishing it. I'm still surprised they're continuing it so quickly, I was expecting it in 2019, or at least late 2018.

[Sixth]

Good news. I am surprised that he was given a chance to continue his work.

[DragonOsman]

I'm happy to hear it'll continue. Can't wait. I just hope the English WSJ will continue to publish so I can continue reading it on Viz's website as it comes out (free).

[dragon1412]

Good news, now to continue waiting

[thefreakmike]

This is really a case where we must learn to separate the work and the author, that is just the only way right now IMO

[DragonOsman]

And is the author really that bad of a person to begin with, even given his fetish? It's just an anime fetish (i.e. it doesn't seem to also extend to real life). He does have an adult wife which means he isn't just limited to being a lolicon even in real life. Also, the reason he's being allowed to continue the story so soon is also probably because it didn't seem like that big a deal to even the Japanese people and authorities.

[Sixth]

And is the author really that bad of a person to begin with, even given his fetish? It's just an anime fetish (i.e. it doesn't seem to also extend to real life). He does have an adult wife which means he isn't just limited to being a lolicon even in real life. Also, the reason he's being allowed to continue the story so soon is also probably because it didn't seem like that big a deal to even the Japanese people and authorities.

Pretty sure that he had a real child porn, not your average loli doujin or hentai.

[kuromitsu]

Ugh, seriously? They didn't even wait one year? To at least make it seem like there's some sort of punishment going on? How desperate is Shueisha to keep the franchise afloat? I was all set to separate author from work, but this is definitely giving the whole thing a very bad aftertaste that doesn't make me want to cheer for anything Rurouni Kenshin ever again. :/

And is the author really that bad of a person to begin with, even given his fetish? It's just an anime fetish (i.e. it doesn't seem to also extend to real life). He does have an adult wife which means he isn't just limited to being a lolicon even in real life. Also, the reason he's being allowed to continue the story so soon is also probably because it didn't seem like that big a deal to even the Japanese people and authorities.
We're not talking about 2D, he had actual child porn, with real girls. And he admitted being into elementary school age girls. He might have gotten off with a slap on the wrist, but that doesn't change the fact that what he did was illegal (it may not have been illegal years ago, but since 2014 it very much is), and that he financially supported a business built on abusing real children. Rest assured that even as lot of people are cheering for the return of the manga, there are also a lot of Japanese people shaking their head. 2D is one thing, real children is an entirely different thing, even in Japan.

The reason he's being allowed to continue the story so soon is most likely that Shueisha doesn't want the franchise to fade out of people's minds, they have too much money riding on it (last time I checked there was even a new movie in the making, that was put on hiatus when the scandal broke - obviously they sank too much money into it to just give it up). I'm pretty sure that from now on Jump will officially "forget" that this incident has ever happened. Bleh.

(A comment I saw I think on Twitter sums up my feelings pretty nicely: "If this was me I would be too ashamed to even raise my head. Watsuki-sensei's mental fortitude is really something." <- this is not a compliment.)

[dragon1412]

This might not be the 1st time someone said this, but considering the obscure of the words, things might not be the way you think, CP is actually being a problem in Japan, and children even have security buzzer and stuff, being charged with CP can easily resulted in years in prison. Back to Watsuki, beside knowing it is called CP, what else do we know, if you are talking about underage teen idol, then those video was kinda all over the place in 2000s era in japan. Of course, if he was fined and released, and Shueisha continue to hire him, then it's might not be such a big deal, these companies actually care about their image a lot, Watsuki being hired back might actually indicate the true seriousness of the issues

[kuromitsu]

This might not be the 1st time someone said this, but considering the obscure of the words, things might not be the way you think,
Oh, it is very much what it looks like. (https://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=6167135&postcount=145) (If you don't believe me look up articles from the time the scandal broke out.) From what we know of what was on the DVDs, and the guy's own admission of being attracted to "girls from elementary school to middle school age" (considering that elementary school starts at age 6 even if we assume the "best" the strike zone is still from prepubescent to age 14, pretty much), and the fact that he came under suspicion in the first place during the course of an unrelated CP investigation, I think it's pretty obvious that this is not some sort of an underground teen idol thing. It's child porn, even Japanese authorities are calling it such.

Of course, if he was fined and released, and Shueisha continue to hire him, then it's might not be such a big deal, these companies actually care about their image a lot, Watsuki being hired back might actually indicate the true seriousness of the issues
It doesn't, not really. Even among the people who are cheering now many are surprised at how short the hiatus was. It's just that Shueisha really really wants RuroKen, so they can't afford to let it slip now. Especially with the movie in the making. Many people who are fans of the movie are likely not very familiar with the manga and aren't following news on it, so I guess they're hoping that even if the manga has a stain on its name it wouldn't reflect on the movie.

Also, "not a big deal" is like... I mean, the guy has admitted to being basically a pedophile. This is not something that gets magically cured after paying a (ridiculously small sum of) fine and 6 months of "reflection" after getting caught.

I love Rurouni Kenshin and it will always be an important part of my anime/manga "career", no scandal can take that away from me. But this whole thing now is turning me off the sequel.

[Sixth]

(A comment I saw I think on Twitter sums up my feelings pretty nicely: "If this was me I would be too ashamed to even raise my head. Watsuki-sensei's mental fortitude is really something." <- this is not a compliment.)

Wow..that was harsh. :heh:

So the japanese readers aren't that happy with this news? What else do they said, if you got any interesting tweet or line to share with us?

[foxbox360]

Man they should of wait another year before continuing the series, the wounds still fresh.

[dragon1412]

Oh, it is very much what it looks like. (https://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=6167135&postcount=145) (If you don't believe me look up articles from the time the scandal broke out.) From what we know of what was on the DVDs, and the guy's own admission of being attracted to "girls from elementary school to middle school age" (considering that elementary school starts at age 6 even if we assume the "best" the strike zone is still from prepubescent to age 14, pretty much), and the fact that he came under suspicion in the first place during the course of an unrelated CP investigation, I think it's pretty obvious that this is not some sort of an underground teen idol thing. It's child porn, even Japanese authorities are calling it such.


It doesn't, not really. Even among the people who are cheering now many are surprised at how short the hiatus was. It's just that Shueisha really really wants RuroKen, so they can't afford to let it slip now. Especially with the movie in the making. Many people who are fans of the movie are likely not very familiar with the manga and aren't following news on it, so I guess they're hoping that even if the manga has a stain on its name it wouldn't reflect on the movie.

Also, "not a big deal" is like... I mean, the guy has admitted to being basically a pedophile. This is not something that gets magically cured after paying a (ridiculously small sum of) fine and 6 months of "reflection" after getting caught.

I love Rurouni Kenshin and it will always be an important part of my anime/manga "career", no scandal can take that away from me. But this whole thing now is turning me off the sequel.

It pretty much what i was talking about, i mean, when you are going to a police that found Child porn and they ask you about sexual preferences, would you, or anyone, ever admit to attract to young girls ???? It's what iffed me from reading the article, he admit too easily. Even in normal case, i sincerely doubt people would ever admit having interest in "girls from elementary school to middle school age" .

Again. like i said, the same issues is with Jump and the way Watsuki is released, too fast, they could let it rest for a year and then continue with it after the issues died out, but they didn't. What does that mean, it mean that the effect isn't that great, Shueisha is a company, they want money, sure, but they aren't stupid enough to try to test their company image over legal case and crime. DOn't assuming that money is the motivation for everything, and don't assume that everyone can only see 1 things either. People are smart, and those who actually sit and make the call for it to continue at the time they decide is even more so. Again, we actually don't have enough information to make the call for the issues

[Mad Pierrot]

On a second note, I will read the manga with pleasure. Watsuki's actions have nothing to do with Kenshin's story. The only thing that changed to me is Watsuki, not Kenshin.

[GendoAizenPig]

As a big fan of the original series I have to say this entire situation is just sickening. If he had actually suffered any substantial consequences, I may have been a little more forgiving, but this is just a joke. It's good to know that if you write a story that people like, it's not that big of a deal if you pleasure yourself to children in Japan.

The manga should've been cancelled. It's really just that simple. No company should be supporting an aspiring pedophile. Either way, any interest I had in picking it up is completely gone now.

[kuromitsu]

Wow..that was harsh. :heh:

So the japanese readers aren't that happy with this news? What else do they said, if you got any interesting tweet or line to share with us?
I wasn't looking too deeply (I was at work, I'm not going to look up CP related things at work! :heh: ) so I have no concrete links or comments, aside of the one I quoted, and that got caught in my head because it was just so on point. But from what I saw there's lots of "yay" and "good for you" and "finally" type reactions, mostly from people who seem to be fans. But there's also a fair amount of "the hell" and "couldn't you have at least waited a bit longer ffs." Many people are shaking their heads at the too-fast return. Also many find the "反省と悔悟" ("reflection and remorse", as in what Watsuki is supposedly doing) part in the Jump SQ announcement ridiculous, because it sounds unsincere and pointless - does doing that now make him a better person? what does this change about his sexual preferences? There are also remarks that they don't expect to see young girls in the manga any time soon. Many people also don't really seem to be aware of why the manga was on hiatus in the first place - I've seen comments like "oh hey, it's back but why was it off again?" "Mangaka had CP" "WHAT????" and "but maybe he just accidentally stumbled on some loli porn manga!" "actually, he had DVDs with real children" "WHAT????"

(Then there's the usual otaku whining over "omg this fascist country is trying to dictate even one's sexual preferences!!" and the "get over yourselves you disgusting freaks" reactions, along with the usual "I'm into lolicon but real kids are NG" disclaimers. Also, endless puns on the title. :heh: )

It pretty much what i was talking about, i mean, when you are going to a police that found Child porn and they ask you about sexual preferences, would you, or anyone, ever admit to attract to young girls ???? It's what iffed me from reading the article, he admit too easily. Even in normal case, i sincerely doubt people would ever admit having interest in "girls from elementary school to middle school age" .

Again. like i said, the same issues is with Jump and the way Watsuki is released, too fast, they could let it rest for a year and then continue with it after the issues died out, but they didn't. What does that mean, it mean that the effect isn't that great, Shueisha is a company, they want money, sure, but they aren't stupid enough to try to test their company image over legal case and crime. DOn't assuming that money is the motivation for everything, and don't assume that everyone can only see 1 things either. People are smart, and those who actually sit and make the call for it to continue at the time they decide is even more so. Again, we actually don't have enough information to make the call for the issues
I don't think there's any reason to read too deeply into this and speculate about what there might be that we don't see. Likely there's nothing more to it.

If this wasn't RuroKen maybe things would have been at least a bit different, but it is RuroKen. Shueisha wants its money, Watsuki (I suppose) wants his money, and most of people won't care either way as long as they have the manga to read. Even in this thread there are people saying they don't care and/or are even already looking forward to potential new content. There are many people out there who are the same, and there seem to be many who don't even know what exactly happened and why the manga was put on hiatus. Most fans of the movies likely don't follow the manga and have no idea that this even happened, so I guess they're judging that branch of the franchise completely safe. Jump SQ put up a nice disclaimer saying, pretty much, "we did this out of duty to you, and also sensei is totally regretting everything and is reflecting hard on his life choices, so it's all OK" and that's probably going to be the end of it. (Hell, give it some time and people will be shouting down anyone who dares to mention this incident.)

If someone doesn't care and just wants more Kenshin to read and more movies and potentially anime to watch, that's on them, they're free to do as they please. Me though, my personal and entirely subjective stance is that I can't really get over the fact that he possessed CP (with all that this implies, including supporting businesses built on abusing real children), admitted to being attracted to children, and got away with a slap on the wrist - especially that he himself seems to be fine with continuing, and especially that it's so soon. For me this has a bad aftertaste that I can't get rid of, and that's not something with which I want to associate characters I love and have fond memories of. (Also, I'm not giving my money to a guy like this.)

[DragonOsman]

Dragon1412 does have a point, though. I mean, yeah, having CP and all that it implies is horrible, but again, why did he admit to it so easily? What do we not know?

Honestly, it's better to keep the author's personal life separate from his work. And not judge him on things we may not have full knowledge of. IMO.

[kuromitsu]

Dragon1412 does have a point, though. I mean, yeah, having CP and all that it implies is horrible, but again, why did he admit to it so easily? What do we not know?
Correction - he didn't admit to having CP, they searched his office and found it. What he admitted is that he's into young girls, and as far as I'm aware there was nothing written about how and when he said that, only that he said it at one point. I'd presume it was during questioning or something. I don't think there's anything complex or mysterious going on here.

(And I'm sorry but I'm totally judging him for having child porn, I mean, I think this is fairly high on the list of things a person is allowed to be judged for... )

[rladls2121]

But will it be the same manga?
I wonder how this author will make this series to its end at this kind of mindset.
Will somehow the series he continues from now on might reflect on his feelings?

Stressful, so stressful, and with all those hard work up to now.

[Mad Pierrot]

The news said it was still the Hokkaido arc. I doubt it will change into something else.

Still, remember to use this thread https://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=150017

to talk about Watsuki. The subject here is just the Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido arc

[Yye1]

With that's it?! only a 2 grand fine and no jail time....

[DragonOsman]

Yeah, as Mad Perriot said, let's keep this thread limited to talking about only Rurouni Kenshin Hokkai Arc (and yeah, hopefully the manga from now on won't reflect his mindset or sexual tastes too much). And if his sexual tastes aren't reflected in the manga too much from now on, I'll still continue to read it. I like Rurouni Kenshin too much, so I'm willing to keep Watsuki's personal life separate from his work.

[AP24]

Finally the series is back on track. In the 4th chapter, Kenshin and Sanosuke are reunited. It's funny Kenshin doesn't recognize Sano at first because of his beard. :heh:

[Mad Pierrot]

I haven't seen the chapter yet, but does Sanosuke look that different?

Just read the RAWs. I guess the only character who changed is Yahiko. Sanosuke looks the same without his beard.

[Mad Pierrot]

One of the villains is an ex-Shinsengumi

[Kuroageha]

This revived, though I don't know how, how it keeps the pace.

[Nivek von Beldo]

One of the villains is an ex-Shinsengumi

Umm...who come first? GK or this?

[Mad Pierrot]

Umm...who come first? GK or this?

What?

June's chapter was when Sano met Kenshin again. July's chapter centers around the new villains with one of them being an ex-Shinsengumi.

[Nivek von Beldo]

What?

June's chapter was when Sano met Kenshin again. July's chapter centers around the new villains with one of them being an ex-Shinsengumi.

Who came first? an ex-shinsengumi in hokkaido? seems Golden Kamui pulled the idea first...

[Mad Pierrot]

Who came first? an ex-shinsengumi in hokkaido? seems Golden Kamui pulled the idea first...

Jin-ei from the original series was already an ex-Shinsengumi.

[Mad Pierrot]

https://dosbg3xlm0x1t.cloudfront.net/images/items/9784088813240/1200/9784088813240.jpg

[Mad Pierrot]

Update so....
*Sanosuke's reaction to Kenji is hilarious. He believes there are now two Kenshins, one small and one big.
*Saito's adopted son, Eiji Mishima (the kid from the village that Shishio once conquered), has grown up and became policeman too.
*There are mentions of the real Hijikata Toshizo but it is kind of ambiguous.
*Saito was defeated by the guys from Hokkaido and is undergoing treatment. His sword was destroyed while even his left arm was severely wounded
*Kenshin's group go to interrogate a rebellious soldier from Mt Hokkodate.
*Asashi disappeared.
*The latest chapter still hasn't been translated but it appears there will be a big fight.

[Shinji103]

Saito actually adopted Eiji? Dang it I need to get cracking on reading this manga. >.<

Somebody actually beat Saito, and badly?! These guys must be some serious monsters.......

[n0m@n]

Soujiro and Anji are back. Nice. We did see a bit of Anji few chapters ago but only in one panel so this would make it his proper reintrocution to the story. And Soujiro's debut.

[Mad Pierrot]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dyi22g5V4AADhm8.jpg

[Mad Pierrot]

So a bit of a summary of recent chapters


*The new girl, Asahi, used to belong to the Yaminobu who in the past used the Yukishiro siblings to kill Kenshin
*Anji left prison and joined a samurai apparently related to Saito.
*The same samurai faces Sojiro but their duel is interrupted by Anji.
*Kenshin meets the leader of the new antagonists but so far we don't know much about him other than he plans to turn Hakodate into a battlefield.
*Megumi might appear in a next chapter as Kenshin seeks to stop the Hakodate warriors.

For the ones wondering, I only found these chapters in Spanish. I have no idea where there are English chapters

[AP24]

Damn, I can't believe I didn't realize before that it would be bad for Eiji and the Juppongatana to be in the same place

[Mad Pierrot]

Okay, so the new antagonist who could stop the Gatotsu three times in a row is named Itekura Byakuya. He is complete fictional but he is related to an invasion in Mount Hakodate. He could have defeated Saito if he wanted but he allowed himself to be imprisoned. Also, Saitou recruited ex Shinsengumi Nagakura Shinpachi.

[Superstars]

Yo! We are up to chapter 25 on the Hokkaido arc!

[Mad Pierrot]

Yep. Been reading. Nagakura's appearance is so funny due to the way Kenshin and Saito are annoyed by whatever he says. With so many characters it really feels like Kenshin will respond to Byakuya's declaration of war but they made it quite redundant that Kenshin can no longer fight after making so many Kuzu Ryu Sen. I really wonder what are they gonna do about it. Guess I would be beating a dead horse if I commented about the lack of Yahiko who was meant to succeed Kenshin in the original series.

[Diluc]

I am still waiting for Sojiro and others respond after learns Ashitaro wielding Shishio sword.

I wonder why Watsuki didn't included this scene yet, huh?