Last week’s episode ended the climactic battle between Kenshingumi (unofficial) and the Oniwabanshu. Megumi was saved, and Kanryu was arrested, but Aoshi was left to bury his friends. Kenshin and his friends returned home to resume their regular lives. However, normalcy will have to wait. It’s Yahiko’s turn to save his princess in this week’s episode of Rurouni Kenshin.
Episode 14 — Yahiko’s Battle
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present — Tsubame, the Unwilling Thief
Like a couple of Oniwabanshu members, Tsubame has seen her color scheme change between iterations. In the past, she had brown hair and eyes. In more recent times, however, her hair and eyes are bluish-black.
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present — Yahiko’s Excursions
Then and now, the episode begins with Yahiko training on his own. However, this entire beginning part is different between iterations. The 1996 episode saw him practicing a lunging swing on a wooden board tied to a tree. That grand strike completely missed its target. This practice session was held near a river far from the Kamiya Dojo. His second swing saw the board hit back and knock him flat. This was when he met a cute girl who returned his sandal and then fixed it for him. The 2023 version has him swing his wooden sword at the dojo, and that’s it.
Instead, Yahiko is noted to disappear at odd times, prompting Kaoru, Kenshin, and Sanosuke to spy on him. They uncover his job as a day laborer at the Akabeko for unclear reasons. He works with Tsubame, the cute girl who fixed a sandal in the previous adaptation. They also don’t reunite at the Akabeko while Kenshin and his friends are eating, and she arrives to serve them drinks. We also miss the scene where Yahiko spits rice on Sanosuke when he’s surprised to see Tsubame again.
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present — Yahiko vs. Thieves, Round 1
In either case, Yahiko meeting Tsubame at Akabeko became a mere coincidence. Whether it was because he was taking a break from work or to track her down to thank her for fixing his sandal, he uncovered the plot to rob the restaurant with a copied key. As before, he appears like a samurai hero and does quite well to take down some bad guys. His streak ends differently between iterations. In 1996, someone got the drop on him from behind and struck him with a wooden sword. In 2023, the thieves’ leader, Mikio, uses a wooden sword to trip him. Both instances lead to Yahiko getting beaten by the group.
Yahiko declares that he will stop Mikio and his men from robbing the Akabeko. He even figures out when they will strike in the 2023 version. Back in 1996, he needs Tsubame to tell him the time.
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present — Training for Round 2
Here’s where things line up more, but not all the way. Yahiko redoubles his training by fighting planks of wood. In 1996, he returned to his tree by the river, whereas in 2023, he apparently built a structure to hold the planks at the dojo. Kaoru dismissed his plan by pointing out the flaws, prompting him to visit Kenshin for advice. Kenshin was still doing the laundry in the newer version while strolling by the river with Suzume in 1996. Kenshin also gave Yahiko the line about Kamiya Kasshin-ryu being a life-giving sword, but Kaoru gave that speech in 2023.
Guys, I don’t think we’ll see Ayame and Suzume in the new Rurouni Kenshin adaptation. We lucked out with Dr. Gensai, but our luck ran out.
Rurouni Kenshin: Past and Present — One-on-One
The chase down the alley that forces Mikio’s men into a one-on-one scenario plays out the same. However, the battle in 1996 had them draw genuine blades after Mikio gave them the order. Kenshin also threw a stone at them to draw their attention to him and Sanosuke to make them run. In 2023, the men hesitated after getting the order, and their attention was naturally drawn to Kenshin and Sanosuke.
An odd change comes from Mikio himself. In 1996, he used a style called Kogen Itto-ryu. However, he used a self-named one known as Nagaoka Mikio-ryu in 2023. He did way better with the old style in 1996 since he landed some hits back then. He missed every hit and went down in a single strike in 2023.
Rurouni Kenshin Ep. 15: That Man・Raijuta
We’ll meet another memorable samurai villain, a vile man who uses brute strength to crush dreams next week.
For the next round, let’s pit a fiery redhead against another fiery redhead. The Erza Scarlet 1/6 Figure Flame Pattern Swimsuit Gravure Style from the Fairy Tail section is now available. Even in a bikini, Erza is still a fierce warrior.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Do you like Yahiko having more time to shine? Would Tsubame make a good fit for Best Girl? Let us know in the comments below.
