I feel ashamed that I only recently found this out. I mean after all, it is one of the most loved manga and anime to come out of Japan, and this is a major news item.
Rurouni Kenshin, a manga created by writer/artist Nobuhiro Watsuki, defied a lot of the expectations that people held regarding shonen (boys) manga. The plot was historical, the tone occasionally got really dark, and there were lots of romantic and tragic elements mixed in. And yet, this story which ran from 1994 to 1999 and spawned a hit anime series, is one of the few genuinely loved things across all sorts of fandoms.
The story followed the tale of Kenshin Himura, a former assassin during the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, who helped usher in the Meiji period of Japan. Taking the path of a rurouni or wanderer, he attempts to atone for his murderous paths by using his sword skills to protect people without taking life. To this end, he is armed with a reverse-blade sword, so that his incredible killing skills are kept in check. He ends up staying with Kaoru Kamiya, a young female kendo instructor, and builds a small but loyal group of friends. But his past is constantly catching up with him, and can such an efficient killer truly defend everyone without taking life?
The new live action film (currently slated for a release on August 25, 2012) is hoping to release internationally and become a series of adaptions of the manga. It probably helps that Warner Bros. is helping produce the movie alongside Japanese based Studio Swan. The film is going to be directed by Keishi Otomo and stars Takeru Satoh (from Kamen Rider Den-O) as Kenshin. Here’s hoping for a fun, action-packed ride.
On that note, let’s close with the teaser trailer for this film.
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