Whenever I have time for myself, sitting around and lounging, I usually have books and coffee at hand. They are my best therapy. And a little music in the background, what more can I ask for? I rarely have moments like these though. And I really try to make the most of it when I have those times. I would read a good book or write a blog post (though only half part of the post would fit in most times). But today, I tried a different thing. This time I am reading a manga! Yup, those comic books from Japan. It's only online though. I haven’t seen a real manga so maybe when I have the chance to go to a bookstore, I will definitely check it out. But for now, the online manga would do.
So, how did I end up suddenly reading an online manga? It was because I stumbled upon my favorite anime of all time on Netflix! I was so ecstatic when I discovered that Netflix has the complete episodes of Rurouni Kenshin anime in its app and I can watch it for free! Well, I have a free 1month subscription and after that, I need to pay. If I remember it right, ABS-CBN aired Samurai X sometime in 1998. But for whatever reason, the series was canceled. If you are an anime lover, you would be able to understand when I say I got heartbroken when the show was halted! Just when you’re all hooked up in the series and then all of a sudden they stopped airing it. How cruel! I was so sad because I was left hanging in the story. You know that feeling, it’s like you’re reading a book, totally engrossed with the story and then when you turned to the next page, there was none! Imagine the frustration! And also during that time, my internet connection at home was only DSL so researching for the series online was impossible. And there weren’t a lot of websites uploading videos/tv episodes, you gonna have to be contented with what’s in Youtube. Even so, DSL connection won’t allow you to load the videos.
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| Manga cover grabbed from Google |
Rurouni Kenshin Anime
So I was so delighted when I found my favorite Rurouni Kenshin at Netflix! At last, 94 full episodes! And of course, improved internet connection, thank you, Technology! I watched to my heart’s desire every episode. One or two episodes per day only because I don’t have the luxury of time but I am most contented ... until I reached the last episode. Seems like the last episode was missing because there was no ending in the anime series. And so, Google, our very reliable friend where you can find all the answers to your questions, informed me, that the last episode (95th) was not really aired on TV. But, it was included in the VHS/DVD collection if you buy it. And thank you again to the one who uploaded it on the net, I was able to watch the final episode. Still, I crave for some more Rurouni Kenshin stories because the anime was so cool and at the same time interesting. The writer was obviously a comedian but the story was kind of dark and serious. Also, a lot of moral in the story if I may say so. |
| Images grabbed from Google |
After finishing all 95 episodes, I thought is that all there is in the story? Especially with the ending episode. For me, it does not suffice at all. And so I consulted Mr. Google again and voila, the whole manga can be found online. It comprises of 28 volumes and 255 chapters or in the manga it is called “Acts”. Curiosity got the cat and I read the first chapter through my cellphone, and little did I know I was already on the tenth chapter! Oh boy, the manga was so good! Its on a whole different level than the anime. Its my first time to read a manga and another first for me this 2018. And so, I succumbed to my first ever manga addiction.
Rurouni Kenshin Manga
When I read the manga, I discovered that a lot of the episodes in the anime series were just fillers. The first few episodes were taken from the manga but the others were not. It was only in the 2nd season that the series stayed true to the manga story. The third season was purely fillers. For me, I was more satisfied reading the manga because the stories were longer and detailed. Also, the writer, Nobuhiro Watsuki, put his whole heart in this manga making it really a classic for the Japanese anime culture. He tried to make it realistic by researching about the Meiji Era and referencing the main character to a real samurai during that time. I was able to discover the real ending of the story and it really filled the lacking ending in the anime series. Another thing, the manga was really fun to read because of the drawings and Nobuhiro was such a comedian. There's also a page for Nobuhiro's "free talk" where he can address some of the letters he received from his fans or just talk about anything under the sun. I’ve read a lot of books but never a manga. But manga is also cool! If you have some time maybe you can try reading it too. A lot of it online, my only problem is that I’m not into “reading using a tablet/celfone”. But if its so good a story, why not? By the way, you can read the Rurouni Kenshin manga online at mangarock.com
With regard to the anime version, I must say I loved watching it. Because with the manga, though the story was more detailed and complete, it still lacks the emotion you can somehow feel when you’re watching the animated version of the comic book. In the anime series, I laughed a lot because they adapted many funny scenes in the manga. And knowing Japan anime, you will really laugh at the exaggeration of their cartoons. And of course, I was able to feel more the emotions of the characters in the anime series because of the expressions, spoken words, music background, etc which were factorial in the series’ success. By the way, I loved the music incorporated in the anime series, the opening and ending songs, as well as the background music playing. I was particularly moved by the scene where Misao was waving goodbye to Kenshin and Kaoru while they were riding a train going back to Tokyo. The background music was kinda sad and it left me feeling heavy after that scene. Of course, you cannot get such emotions if you are just going to rely on the manga. Another one, the battle scenes in the manga were difficult to imagine, so the anime really helped in those parts of the story. It is also a fact that the anime doubled the popularity of the manga. Just a side note, if you intend to watch the Rurouni Kenshin anime episodes on Netflix, I suggest watching it in Japanese language and just read the English subtitle. I prefer the Japanese dub, it has more emotions than the English voices, but that's just me.
And because Rurouni Kenshin story has been praised by many worldwide, it was also adapted into a film. Yes, a movie, I mean a trilogy!
Rurouni Kenshin Movie
Seeing your favorite anime character come in flesh is really something. I am so glad they have adapted this into a movie. I watched all of the three movies online. Again, praises for the Japanese people for being all-out in everything they do. The Rurouni Kenshin movie was done with such passion. You can see from the production, the actors, the storyline – everything was done in such a way that it would really give you the feeling you were in the Meiji Era. Imagine the pain of the actors and directors in perfecting the moves during the battle. The actors played well and I think the casting team of this film did a great job in choosing the perfect actors for each of the roles. The actor who played Kenshin Himura (Takeru Satoh) looks like a real gentleman and he was also handsome, depicting the perfect Kenshin Himura. Sanosuke and Saitou portrayed their roles very effectively with reference to their roles in the manga. Shishio was also a great villain. The girls in the movie, I think, were somehow lacking in their acting, but it must because their screen time was limited. I didn’t like the portrayal of Yumi, Shishio’s woman. Kaoru and Megumi were given just enough screen time but given the time constraint of putting everything in 3 movies, one cannot expect that everything in the manga would be shown. Don’t expect a lot of romantic scenes though, because there was very little of it(same as in manga and anime). I would like to say the movie was a work of art and thank you to all those who contributed because it made me very happy as a fan of Rurouni Kenshin.
You can watch each Rurouni Kenshin full movie film at KissAsian.sh
Rurouni Kenshin movie list: Rurouni Kenshin: Origins, Rurouni Kenshin Kyoto Inferno, Rurouni Kenshin Legend Ends.
You can watch each Rurouni Kenshin full movie film at KissAsian.sh
So there you have it, an unrestricted opinion of this one’s favorite anime of all time! About time to end this post because my draft is already 3 pages! Whoa, my first ever 3-page blog, can I now qualify for The Guardian? LOL! The main reason why I loved this anime is because the story revolves around friendship, love, and forgiveness. There are a lot more, but those 3 for me have made the biggest impact on the story. Also, Nobuhiro captured my heart with the setting of the story which was during the Meiji Era. Add up the main character’s life as a samurai, step into that time and you can relate how difficult living in that era must be as a samurai. Still, life is beautiful, so always have the will to survive. That is what this one has gained from knowing my favorite anime character, Rurouni Kenshin.
Stay positive and pass it on!
P.S. I'm claiming it! One day I will visit Japan and see Tokyo and Kyoto, the places where Kenshin Himura lived. And of course, the best place to visit if you're an anime lover!
Stay positive and pass it on!
P.S. I'm claiming it! One day I will visit Japan and see Tokyo and Kyoto, the places where Kenshin Himura lived. And of course, the best place to visit if you're an anime lover!
