A warrior who used godlike speed and strength to fell whole armies now wants to live a peaceful life as a wandering samurai. That is the tale of Rurouni Kenshin.
The trailers promised action and iconic moments, and the first episode more than delivered.
Episode 1 — “Kenshin・Himura Battosai”
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present — Kenshin & Kaoru Meet
There are differences between the 1996 series and the current 2023 adaptation, but they don’t detract from the overall story. For instance, Kaoru isn’t narrating the first episode of the 2023 adaptation, unlike in the original we all know and love.
At the beginning of the first episode of the new series, Hajime Saito confronts Kenshin during the Bakumatsu, something we don’t learn of for a good few episodes in the 1996 series. I was excited to get a good look at a younger Saito, though. I hope they pay the scene off and give us an actual duel between Kenshin and Saito in their prime.
Another change occurred when Kaoru first confronts Kenshin. In the 1996 series, Kenshin leaps up to avoid her strike, and lands on an unstable wooden platform, then crashes to the ground. Additionally, Kaoru had no idea what a sakabato was in the old version, but she immediately recognized it in the 2023 iteration.
On the one hand, we can easily assume that 1996 Kenshin knew that platform was weak, and he intentionally did it to make himself look silly, but no ordinary human is leaping like that. 2023 Kenshin played the scene better, but we’ll discuss that in a bit.
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present — Hiruma Arc
Kihei Hiruma makes his first anime appearance in the 2023 version. We all know his brother Gohei, the fake Battosai, but we never got to meet the brains of the duo. Gohei played both the muscle and the mastermind back in 1996.
Gohei changed the most in this 2023 adaptation. He was a student of the Kamiya dojo back in 1996. Koshijiro Kamiya permanently injured his right thumb after an argument. He could never use a sword with his right hand after that. His anger and resentment towards his teacher prompted his criminal activities. He subsequently became a left-handed fighter while impersonating the Battosai. Kenshin broke some of his fingers on his left hand, completely thwarting his plan and rendering him unable to wield a sword.
The 2023 version does not include any of Gohei’s background. Kaoru doesn’t even recognize him when he unmasks himself. He fights with his right hand, and Kenshin strikes either his head or his shoulder. He made no attempt to cripple Gohei and prevent his further use of a sword.
Gohei’s connection to the school made it more of a personal battle. Without that connection, it’s just plain greed. They took the time to add Kihei to the story, but they removed Gohei’s connection to the Kamiya dojo.
Also, Kenshin didn’t call out his sword technique, which just bothered me.
These changes don’t have me too worried, the plot moved along fine. I will be wary of future changes, however. Though these are minor plot points about minor characters, they were still plot points.
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present Audio Edition
We won’t look at the audio every week, but it’s worth doing at least once. Perhaps it’s nostalgia, but I prefer the older opening and ending themes. The newer themes seem to focus more on Kenshin as the manslayer he was, rather than the rurouni he is now.
“Sobakasu (Freckles)” by Judy and Mary is iconic. It’s more laid back than Ayase×R-Shitei’s opening theme “Hiten“, but the animation for “Hiten” is definitely epic. It moves from battle to battle and hypes viewers up.
“Tactics” by The Yellow Monkey is slower and muted, and it’s not my favorite ending theme from the 1996 version. That honor belongs to “Heart of Sword ~Before Dawn~” by T.M.Revolution. In this instance, the 2023 ending theme “Kissaki” (“Edge/Sword Tip”) by Reol might be better than the original.
Even though the voice actors have been replaced, the new actors have fitted into their roles just as well.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Rundown
Red from the wildly popular YouTube channel Overly Sarcastic Productions coined a term for a well-known anime trope: Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass. It’s a character archetype whereby a seemingly average character, perhaps one who is known for being silly or dull-witted, is secretly incredibly strong and powerful. Like Himura Kenshin. He sought peace after the horrors of the Bakumatsu, and hid his incredible strength and skill. He acted silly and weak to avoid conflict and hide his true nature.
Kenshin will drop this act and take up his sakabato to defend people when the situation calls for it. We’ll keep a counter of these times when Kenshin draws his sword to prove why he’s a legend.
The best “crouching moron” scene has to be the first one in the series. Kaoru famously confronts Kenshin and accuses him of being Hitokiri Battosai early in the episode. Kenshin easily evades her attacks while pretending to be weak. He defuses the situation by intentionally hitting a wall to prove his innocence. No Battosai would be so weak as to trip and fall, you know. Kaoru leaves and he gains a more serious expression. He briefly drops his guise when he decides to look into the imposter Hitokiri Battosai.
Kenshin keeps this act up when the police try to detain him for carrying a sword. He’s face-first in the dirt, and looked more bored than anything when Kaoru and Kihei Hiruma help him out. He could have swept all of those officers aside and made a quick disappearance, so one wonders if he even felt the slightest bit scared.
The best “hidden badass” scene happens at the end of the episode, when Kihei and Gohei invade the Kamiya dojo to steal the land. Kaoru still assumes that he’s weak, and she urges him to run. Rather than listening to her, Kenshin gets to work and completely devastates the brothers and their men. He takes out multiple enemies with single swings of his blade. This startles Gohei when he realizes that he’s facing the real Hitokiri Battosai.
Episode 1: Plot Connectivity
We’ll discuss how well episodes of Rurouni Kenshin connect to the overall plot.
It’s the first episode, and we get the series’ setup. Kenshin meets Kaoru and defeats the first named enemies of the series. We’re introduced to two of the main characters, their backstories, and their roles in the story.
Seeing Kenshin go from a blood-soaked samurai to a goof was definitely a funny turn. Those new to the series would definitely be thrown by it. However, fans of the original series and the manga can just get a good smile out of it. His quick change back into serious mode after Kaoru leaves is a good reminder of who he is on the inside.
The Sword Abolishment Edict (Haito Edict) is referenced twice in the episode. Kaoru (correctly) suspects Kenshin of being the famed Hitokiri Battosai because he carries a sword in violation of the edict. The police even pin him to the ground later in the episode and threaten to arrest him for carrying a sword. But this law is never referenced again. No one hassles Kenshin again, and the police never try to stop Sanosuke when he carries the giant zanbato. That seems odd.
Overall, watching this episode brought me back to 2003 when I watched the original Rurouni Kenshin on Toonami. Despite the changes, this is the Kenshin I knew back then.
This is definitely a must-watch episode. It has to be, it’s the first episode of the series.
Next time, we’ll be taking a look at Episode 2 — “Tokyo Samurai Yahiko Myojin.” Yahiko is Kaoru’s first new student, who would rather learn from Kenshin.
Few anime and manga swordsmen can challenge Kenshin. If you’d like to think over possible battles, the J-List shop can suggest some opponents, like the Cloud Strife BRING ARTS Kai Action Figure from the Final Fantasy section. My money’s on Kenshin.
Did you watch the first episode of Rurouni Kenshin? How do you think it compares to the 1996 series? Would you like to see more anime series get new adaptations? Let us know in the comments below.
