For a medium that was created in Japan, and often pulls from the country’s folklore, mythology, and history, anime about samurai are surprisingly few and far between. Samurai warriors, Ronin, with their signature armor and katanas, all feature heavily across the medium, albeit alongside supernatural forces, magic, dark powers, giant mech suits, or all of the above. Of the few historical samurai anime available, there are a few that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Shinichiro Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo is a classic, but it’s incredibly difficult to find on streaming. But, one of the greatest samurai anime, Rurouni Kenshin, is about to find a new streaming home for new fans to enjoy.
Rurouni Kenshin, written by disgraced writer and artist, Nobuhiro Watsuki, is set in the Meiji era of Japan (1868-1912) and follows Hitokiri Battosai, a former assassin of the Bakumatsu, who abandons that life, starting fresh as a Ronin, and calling himself Kenshin Himura. Rurouni Kenshin has received two anime adaptations so far. The first was released in 1996 to great acclaim from fans, while the reboot anime was released far more recently in 2023. It is this latest version that has found a new streaming home.
Season 1 of Rurouni Kenshin (2023) will stream on Netflix starting Feb. 4. All 24 episodes of the first season will drop at once. The reboot anime received similar praise when it was released two years ago, and the second season is still ongoing (and can be streamed on Crunchyroll). The official plot description reads:
“In the era known as Bakumatsu, there was an ishin assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai; eleven years later he returned as a wandering swordsman, Himura Kenshin.”
‘Rurouni Kenshin’s Legacy
Rurouni Kenshin is one of the most beloved and best-selling manga of all-time. The series stands shoulder-to-shoulder with ’90s classics like Trigun, Sailor Moon, Slam Dunk, and Cowboy Bebop. The manga is the 34th best-selling series of all-time, coming in behind Fairy Tail and Gintama, with approximately 72 million copies sold to-date.
The original 1997 anime is also considered to be a cult classic. While the animation quality leaves a lot to be desired, especially by today’s standards, the incredibly captivating plot and timeless redemption arc has kept fans going back to the original series time and time again.
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Rurouni Kenshin’s legacy isn’t without some major controversy, though. We previously mentioned that the creator, Nobuhiro Watsuki, is disgraced, and it is for good reason. In 2017, Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography, which he later admitted to after being arrested.
In an attempt to make up for Watsuki’s actions, Rurouni Kenshin voice actor, Howard Wang, promised to donate much of his salary from the show to charity. In a statement (via ComicBook.com), he said, “To address the elephant in the room: Yes, I’m fully aware of the crimes of the author, and I do not condone or support those actions in any way. As such, a portion of all my earnings for Kenshin are being donated to charity.”
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Rurouni Kenshin
Release Date
July 7, 2023
Seasons
2
Number of Episodes
36+
Studio
Liden Films
Creator
Nobuhiro Watsuki
You can view the original article HERE.
