Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins (2012)

As someone who loved the anime, I have to say that the movie was a bit disappointing. Call it bias, but what can I do, the anime set the standards high. Soundtrack was overused it was sometimes misapplied. Also, Samurai X, as in most animes, incorporate some comic dialogues which unfortunately this movie tried and it was just as it is..it tried. And failed. Rurouni Kenshin, the anime, was a serious one. I don't even know if the director really intended the movie to be laughable at some scenes which supposedly, should be a serious one (I'm not even going to talk about that Kanryu Takeda battle with that money confetti scene). There are some things which are better left untouched..leave it to the series if you can't successfully pull it off.

I think I was even more frustrated with their choice of saga, so to speak. Takeda was just a minimal, episode-filler type of opponent. Yet, he was built up to appear like Kenshin's reputation depended on him. I even think half of the movie centered on him. Jin'e was even forgettable a character in the series but at least insofar as the movie is concerned, he was someone not to be taken lightly. Or so I thought. And so it was supposed to be. But he was taken out of the limelight at times. I even came to the point of forgetting him and then when the scene includes him, I go, Oh yeah..there's Jin'e, he's still alive. Now if they're aiming for a sequel where they could emphasize on the bigger opponents Kenshin had (like Makoto Shishio for example) then I think they were a bit successful seeing how most watchers who were not able to watch the series was enticed by the movie. But I won't dwell on that because despite these downsides, I have to give credit where its due. Credit goes to the team for the effort.. The effort to at least impart the story of Kenshin Himura, aka Battousai, and synthesize his colorful life in just one movie. That's not an easy task. Especially with just much time, one cannot successfully fill in everything. But kudos to the movie for still being able to somehow include the highlights of Kenshin's life, especially on the past he wanted to erase and a reformed life he wanted to live. I also have to give it to the cast (and the director of course) for pulling off well how the characters were in the series. I mean, everyone of them was just the way they were portrayed in the series. Of course, its not how perfectly one imagined, but hey, they were the closest they could get. Now I think the greater burden is on Takeru Sato who played Kenshin. And good news for him, if he reads this, good job! He was just the Kenshin Himura in real-life form. Baby-faced, handsome, medium-built, even the way he stood, his signature moves..everything just felt right. Well-executed, well-prepared. Perfect.

Still, I'm not giving up on this. I even have to thank them for giving life to such well-loved anime. If ever a sequel comes on the way (and yes I'm still watching it despite my disappointment), I would love to see one whole movie with only the Shishio saga in it.

Fmovies: Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy is the best anime based live action movie ever! All three of it are the best. I didn't really appreciated the anime series when I was a kid but then I grew up and I saw the first movie. I was like, "Wow, even live action movies based on an anime is possible!" Because of this movie, I'm now interested to watch the anime series.

The story was great, the characters were also great, even the setting. This is the movie that made samurai battles more realistic. As anime fan, I also like this movie from start to finish. The sequels were also great and I might review those in the future.

In conclusion, Rurouni Kenshin is a must watch especially to Samurai X fans and other anime fans out there.

I went to see this film last night with absolutely no knowledge of the manga upon which it was based, which was both a good and a bad thing. Good, because I understand how the average movie goer like myself will feel about this film. Bad, because I feel like as a fan of the original comic, I would have taken a lot more out of this film.

I'll start with the positives - this movie is beautifully filmed. There is not a single unattractive shot within it. I really feel like this movie was made for fans, by fans, because it is so lovingly crafted. The sets are gorgeous, the lighting and colour palette lovely, and the choreography of the fight scenes? FUN. It's actively enjoyable to watch Kenshin dance around with his sword. You actually believe that he is this extraordinary swordsmen, agile and swift.

Which brings me to Sato Takeru, who plays Kenshin himself. Again, I feel like he was a fan of the series, as he seems to be so invested in the role. I've no idea what the character of Kenshin was like in the manga, but Sato's portrayal is so layered and believable, I can't imagine it strays far. On that note, I felt like all of the actors did quite a good job. I've a friend who assures me the personalities of all the female characters do not line up with the manga, but I was actually completely satisfied with them! I was particularly enamored with Aoi Yu (whom I don't think has ever disappointed me in a role) who did her best with the script given to her in the role of Megumi.

But this brings me to what I felt were the weak points of the film. First, was the over inclusion of bit characters. I said this to friends afterwards, I'm sure if I was a fan of the series they would have been charming cameos from beloved fan favourites. As it is though, to me their inclusion seemed pointless, and stole time that could have been better spent on plot development.

And honestly, the plot for the film? A bit weak, and never properly fleshed out. A lot of characters who seem important to the story are never given proper motivations, leaving them seeming 2 dimensional - and the story as well, as a result. Particularly at the end, I feel like the storyline fell to pieces in a series of rushed character inclusions/fight scenes. This is the problem with a film made by fans for fans - while you can feel the love that's been poured into it, you can also see that they're trying too hard to put EVERYTHING in to a two hour film. These sort of films really suffer because they don't have someone ruthlessly eliminating the excess, and making the film more accessible to the public at large.

I read that they're hoping for an international release for this film, and I'm not terribly convinced that it will succeed. Fans of the original anime overseas will be at best a niche market (at least for the domestic release, there's a good chance the majority of the audience will have at best a passing familiarity with the series) and I feel like the rapid inclusion of bewildering useless characters will leave many in the audience feeling somewhat alienated.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film, don't get me wrong, and I intend to seek out the manga as a result. However, I feel like they've pigeonholed themselves somewhat with their audience, if not so much domestically, then definitely abroad. However, if you can manage to be like me and just sit back and let the beautiful cinematography and Sato's truly excellent portrayal of Kenshin wash over you, you'll derive

Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins fmovies. Relying on the familiar narrative of a warrior who tries to shed his violent past in pursuit of a peaceful existence, this live-action adaptation of the highly popular manga and anime series (sometimes known as 'Samurai X') based on the well-known Civil War hero Himura Kenshin makes one wonder why there aren't more of such films coming out of Japan. To say it is good is an understatement, because director Keishi Otomo's film really is a rip-roaringly entertaining samurai movie that packs a riveting punch.

We'd have to admit that we aren't acquainted with Nobuhiro Watsuki's original shonen manga nor the anime series that followed, so we won't be able to inform fans of the former or the latter if this adaptation stays close to its source material. From what we have gathered though, Otomo – who co-wrote the screenplay with Kiyomi Fujii – has taken from the first two story arcs of the series, namely Kenshin's vendetta with an opium dealer during the early years of the Meiji Restoration as well as his harrowing past during the Civil War that led to the cross-shaped scar on his face.

When we are first introduced to Kenshin, it is already the deciding battle of the revolution - the battle of Toba-Fushima in 1868 – and amid stark sobering scenes of bloodshed and death, Kenshin, better known as the fearsome 'Battosai the Killer', slices the last remaining cohorts of the Shogunate. As news spreads of the Emperor's victory, Kenshin is content to ditch his sword for the solitary life of a wanderer – even as his fellow samurai, Jin'e (Koji Kikkawa), warns him that a samurai lives and dies by the blade.

Ten years later, Kenshin has pretty much managed to live his choice of seclusion, before running one day into Kaoru (Emi Takei). Kaoru runs the fencing school left to her by her father, a school whose name has however been vilified for being that of 'Battosai' widely believed to be responsible for a string of murders around Tokyo. A psychopathic warrior who manages to escape death from Kenshin's blade in the battle has assumed the name of 'Battosai' and now goes about doing the bidding for the ruthless businessman Kanryu (Teruyuki Kagawa).

Rapacious for power, Kanryu amasses his own private army of ex-samurai, most of them he wills into his service by getting them hooked on a special brand of opium he develops with reluctant pharmacist Megumi (Yu Aoi). Kenshin is forced to revisit his deadly ways when Kaoru, whom he develops an affection to, is threatened first by a sudden run-in with Battosai and later on when Megumi seeks refuge from Kanryu's men at the dojo. The only difference? Kenshin now fights with a 'reverse sword', or simply one with the sharp edge reversed.

Truth is, you can pretty much guess where the story is headed, but what makes the movie so enjoyable is the exhilarating fight choreography from action director Kenji Tanigaki. Indeed, the best parts are when we see Kenshin wielding his sword against numerous other opponents, even without the benefit of a lethal blade. Tanigaki ensures that the action is never repetitive, and each sequence boasts its own balletic rhythm to keep you engrossed. Unlike some wuxia films, Tanigaki also opts for a realistic style even with the requisite wirework, offering his audience the spectacle of fluid and furious swordplay without the exaggerated embellishments.

In between the clashing of swords, Otomo stages confidently the bond that develops between Kenshin

I have heard of "Samurai X" but I have not really read the manga or seen any of anime about this character named Himura Kenshin. This live action movie had come with very high recommendations or else I may have just given this a pass. I am glad I made time for this movie.

Himura Kenshin is an assassin of the highest skill during that transition between the Imperial/Samurai Age and the New Age adapting Western practices. After a particular assignment plants in him a massive guilt-trip, he decided to "disappear" and become a wanderer, using his fighting skills to defend the helpless WITHOUT KILLING.

In this story, Kenshin meets and helps a young lady named Kaoru, whose fencing school was vandalized. They then get entangled in the affairs of a notorious ruthless drug dealer Kanryu Tanaka, when his drug chemist Megumi escapes and seeks shelter in Kaoru's school. On top of all this, there is a mad killer on the loose with mad sword skills calling himself the Battosai, a title bestowed on Kenshin in his murderous past which he would rather disown.

With all of these stories and more that the movie tries to tell, the running time is about two hours. However you will not feel the time at all as you get enthralled by the fantastic look of the movie and its spectacular fighting scenes. Either with sword, bare hands or firearms, the fights were choreographed with excitement. The cinematography, color palette and visual effects were impeccably executed.

I did not know how the anime drawings of each character before I watched, so I could not comment on that. It is sort of odd looking that with lead actor Takeru Sato, a highly skilled sword fighter looks so androgynous. Afterwards we see that he really does look like that in the anime series. So did the cute Emi Takei (as the feisty Kaoru), Munetaka Aoki (as the rash and brash street fighter Sanosuke)or even Yosuke Eguchi, the samurai turned police chief Hajime Saito.

As someone who had no prior knowledge about Samurai X, I was completely taken by this very good-looking film, enough that I may even seek out the animated TV series. This is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and Japanese culture. Catch it only in SM Cinemas, as this is being locally shown exclusively there.

...you will love this live action version. The actor portraying Kenshin was perfect. So are Saito, Sano and Megumi--so perfect in fact, that I recognized each of them at first sight. And was filled with all sorts of warm/fuzzy feelings as if I was seeing long lost friends again for the first time in years.

I am not sure how people new to the Kenshin franchise will respond, because the film's creators leave out a lot of character development that we get in the slower paced manga and anime TV series in order to jump straight into the action. Since this is one of the best manga/anime series to come out in a long time, I suggest reading the manga, seeing the anime and THEN watching the live action film for maximum enjoyment.

"Oro!"