We’ll have to break with tradition for at least the next couple of weeks. This episode and likely the next one have no corresponding episodes in 1996. This week’s episode is an adaptation of Act Zero from Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, a manga reboot Nobuhiro Watsuki made to promote the live-action movie in August 2012. This reboot changed a few plot details from the main story and lasted for only two volumes. So, let’s look at this brand-new episode of Rurouni Kenshin.
Episode 20 — Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Act Zero, Part One
Back to the Past, Samurai Kenshin
This episode is going to lean way into a flashback framing device. It opens with Sanosuke narrating Kenshin’s past as a hitokiri while using clips from Episode 7 and Episode 1. A discussion about tea leads to Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Megumi asking Kenshin for a story from his past. They want an unusual and fun tale that includes a villain’s defeat.
It’s a fine setup because learning more about Kenshin’s bloodstained past is always fun. I’ve always assumed that they were trying to stick closer to the manga than the 1996 adaptation despite slight differences. It’s oddly weird and unexpected for them to adapt the Restoration prologue chapters. I’m all for it, though, because I enjoyed the series. At this rate, I demand to see the original pilot for Kenshin, where Kaoru, Megumi, and Yahiko are siblings. That’s right: Megumi’s first appearance saw her as Megumi Kamiya.
Kenshin Dodges a Rickshaw and Makes a New Friend
Kenshin’s reminiscence takes him back to Yokohama some years ago. Some might be disappointed, but this is long after Kenshin became a rurouni. I hoped this story would take place at a point when Kenshin was still a hitokiri, the same guy we saw during Sanosuke’s narration. That guy, but with some hints that the kind-hearted rurouni we know and love is in there, waiting for his turn.
Over in Yokohama, Kenshin plays that “should I move to the left or right to avoid a collision” game with a guy pulling a rickshaw. We haven’t done a “crouching tiger, hidden badass” section in a while, but this is a game very few can avoid anyway. The kind, fast rickshaw driver Dankichi was transporting a doctor. This is convenient because a woman nearby collapsed and is in dire need of a physician.
Dr. Elder is a foreigner, and whoever is voicing that character does a commendable job. It’s hard to describe, but otakus know the tone of voice a foreign character has when speaking Japanese. It’s grandiose, with those raised pitches and dramatic closes to their sentences. Kenshin, thinking he’s suspicious, then the doctor declaring that he’s not despite the beak mask is just funny. Everyone says he’s a guy, but that’s a feminine voice, and the truth is revealed later. The bit about Kenshin assuming that doctors in masks are a common sight in Yokohama and a nearby guy telling him that’s a misunderstanding is hilarious.
Medical Emergency: Wandering Doctor Meets Wandering Samurai
A new foe enters the fray. Well, a few enemies show up where they’re not wanted. A big guy slams Dankichi around when he rushes to get Dr. Elder’s stuff. The boss, Deian Ishizu, is a greedy and cruel doctor who treats only wealthy Western patients. He intends to monopolize the practice of medicine in Yokohama, and people like Dr. Elder, who treat patients regardless of bank accounts, are apparently unacceptable. It’s a classic good doctor versus bad doctor scenario.
Ishizu wouldn’t dare strike a westerner in Yokohama, but beating down a sick woman was apparently acceptable. Watching Kenshin beat the tar out of these guys and make an example of them was very satisfying.
The Good Doctor
Dr. Elder is shown to be a caring and compassionate physician. He treated Dankichi’s broken foot for free because a rickshaw driver needs at least both feet working to earn a living. Dankichi offers no such kindness to Kenshin when he offers a ride and subtly suggests that free riders get driven to the cops. Yeah. The man who saved you and single-handedly stomped out bad guys has to pay, too.
Kenshin and Dankichi are treated to afternoon tea. They’re also briefly introduced to a creepy guy with a Western sword who holds the door open. Dr. Elder points out that Kenshin’s inability to smell tea is due to his mental exhaustion. We all assumed that Kenshin’s endless wandering might take its toll on him somehow, but to have a kind doctor point it out was welcome.
Dankichi’s assumption that Kenshin was in the Shinsengumi, and Kenshin’s spit-take, was hilarious. The repeated janken ties were funny, too. It was much-needed levity after the doctor befouled the mood. There’s no way Kenshin didn’t do it on purpose, though. His speed and reaction time should enable him to win each janken match. A game of straws would see Dr. Elder pull the rickshaw, but he lacked the strength to do so. That Dr. Elder is a one-shot character is a shame. Nobuhiro Watsuki, Rurouni Kenshin‘s author, said Elder is a distant relative of Hildegard Peaberry from Embalming: The Another Tale of Frankenstein.
The Truth Comes Out
Dr. Elder’s time pulling the rickshaw ended as part of a funny montage of historical Yokohama. First, he pulled it, and both Kenshin and Dankichi pushed it. Then Dr. Elder sat down in exhaustion, so Dankichi resumed his work. Dr. Elder offered to let Kenshin stay with him for the night. This is when the classic anime trope of walking in on someone plays out. In a more ecchi anime, we would have seen gold. When Kenshin asked if he got shorter after taking off his shoes, the good doctor insisted it was just a westerner thing.
Then it all came together when Kenshin opened a specific door with a message from downstairs, and he saw Dr. Elder in only an undershirt. Yep, the doctor is a pretty lady. She tried to play it off and insisted that Westerners change gender. To repeat, it’s a crime that Dr. Elder is only a one-shot character. Rurouni Kenshin needs more cute doctors in the cast.
Instead of a cute doctor in her undershirt, we get the evil doctor and the creepy swordsman closing out the episode. I know they were trying to leave viewers on the edge of their seats, but come on. The cute blonde doctor was right there.
Rurouni Kenshin Ep. 21: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Act Zero, Part Two
We’ll see more Dr. Elder next week, so we have something to look forward to. The creepy swordsman Espilar with the drill sword will get his wish to fight a powerful samurai.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Were you surprised they incorporated a plot from the short reboot manga series? Is Dr. Elder Best Girl/Doctor/Waifu material? Let us know in the comments below.
No fantasy match-up this week. Dr. Elder gives a great need for more cute blonde doctors. Thankfully, J-List has one such girl in stock. The Tearju Lunatique 1/4 Figure Swimsuit ver. from To Love-ru Darkness is available for pre-order.
