Rurôni Kenshin: Meiji kenkaku romantan

Consider Full Metal Alchemist. The first anime adaptation was pretty good. Then after it ended, they came out with Brotherhood a few years later, and I think a lot of people were questioning why a remake was necessary, especially since the first few episodes seemed a bit too rushed in comparison to the original adaptation. But by the time you get to the point where the original adaptation diverged from the manga, hardly anyway says they prefer the original anime to Brotherhood.

I'm predicting it will be the same case with this new adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin. The original 90's anime was very good, especially for its time, and I can see why a lot of people are still preferring it to this remake. But unfortunately, after the Kyoto arc, it ran out of manga material to adapt, and the quality of the anime storyline really took a nosedive as it divulged completely into filler content. Plus, the final Enishi arc from the manga is arguably the best part of the whole story, so the fact that we never got to see this represented through the anime, and live out the true conclusion of Rurouni Kenshin is a tragedy. I'm really hoping this new adaptation will be able to produce the entire manga storyline.

For now, with the earlier parts of the story, it's hard to see much of an improvement. The animation is really very beautiful, but not a great deal better than the original which was kind of ahead of its time. Fight scenes are good but not necessarily as detailed or as exciting as the original ones. The focus seems to be more on sword slashes and light streaks than actual footwork and movement. I'm hoping this will improve as the story goes on. Characterizations are much better though, which I think is currently this anime's biggest strength. They made some weird choices with the original anime and while the filler episodes weren't completely terrible, they disrupted the flow of the story and kind of messed up the motivations and actions of the different characters. Karou in particular and Yahiko are much more accurate and likeable in this version I think.

The Jin-e arc was really the stand out moment so far. The final fight scene where we see Kenshin revert to his Battousai persona was chilling. Very good acting and animation there. The differences between Rurouni and Battousai were much more apparent in this adaptation I think. I remember feeling like Battousai in the 90's anime was just an angrier version of the regular Kenshin. This Battousai seems like a completely different character though.

I was also pleased that they did the Raijuta and Yutaro arc closer to manga cannon this time. The changes they made in the original were a bit bizarre and pointless. I'm also glad to see they didn't cut Maekawa and his dojo this time around.

I'm really excited to see where the rest of the story goes. I think a lot will be riding on the fight with Saito, since I know that's a favorite moment from the original anime. As long as they don't screw that part up and give the moment the gravitas it deserves, I think this adaptation will be golden.

This is a classic to me, growing up as a 10yr old watching toonami and watching this orginally gave me chills and further developed my love for anime. The first episode is real nostalgic and made me remember when I used to pick up a broomstick and act like a samurai. To see this captured in modern animation is flawless. They played it safe in episode one with some minor changes in story but I'm happy they did. There will hopefully be a new generation of watchers seeing this for the first time and I hope it tells the story wonderfully. I will a major watcher of this show. I cannot wait to see what is coming next! A must watch!

The text is more coherent but very explanatory, almost obvious.

Kenshin is definitely more haughty, in the first episodes he is even a little arrogant, taking away the charm of the super humble wanderer.

Animation slightly updated but without surprising improvements.

But the biggest loss of all is the soundtrack. In addition to the completely dull opening and ending (when the originals were outstanding), you don't hear anything during the anime. No classical Japanese music or instrumentals demarcating the era, and nothing exciting. I don't like the acceleration of events, it also gives in to a generation Z culture, taking away the charm of shifting time and space to a historical era. It lacks the soul of the Japanese flute, the cuts of peaceful scenery and water fountains.

Another loss is the voices, especially for Brazil. It's not too bad because Kenshin hasn't changed that much but he's very youthful. Sano's voice was iconic. For now we await greater cohesion in the main arc of Kyoto hell, and the animated sequel to the manga. Maybe the remake of Seiso-hen.

This is a fantastic looking new appearance of an old friend. The updated graphics are incredible and I love how faithfully that are sticking to the story. I can't wait to see each and every episode. And I am ecstatic that Kenshin is available to this new generation. I hope they will love him and his story as much as I do. I'm super excited to see the new animation take on some of the more fantastic fights and storylines! I'm so glad Kenshin and the gang is back!!

It definitely kinda sucks that they're releasing one week at a time, but it also gives me something to look forward to, so I can't complain too much!

My dad always said, "Oh, Kenshin, Kenshin is awesome," and stuff like that. But I never had the patience to watch the old series. But I saw that this remake was released by an unknown studio, Liden Films, and I decided to watch it. I'm not kidding when I say I almost had a breakdown when I saw how good the anime is. Great animation, one of the best openings I've ever seen (the second one almost made me have another breakdown because the music was so addictive), good script... Did I mention the animation? Anyway, everything in this anime gives me enormous joy, especially the fights, because the satisfaction of seeing Kenshin beating everyone up is priceless. I would like everyone to watch it without fear, because besides being really good, it's an extremely competent reboot and a great alternative to study Japanese history, because the plot is literally centered on Ancient Japan. Thank you guys at Liden for the masterpiece.