As a Kenshin fan who has read the manga, I can say without a doubt that Seisouhen is the most heinous betrayal of a manga by its anime counterpart that I've ever seen. The manga has a happy ending, where Kenshin stays with his wife and raises his child. There is never any mention of him leaving again to wander, getting a disease or any of this other garbage.
Everything in this OVA beyond Kenshin giving Yahiko his sword is filler and is in no way canon. The characters are bastardized beyond words. Kenshin becoming a deadbeat dad and negligent husband, Kaoru as this whiny, weepy woman who tells him it's OK to walk out on her and their son and "walk the spiritual path of atonement" and that she'll "wait as long as she has to" for him to return and then when he does return, asks him to infect her with his disease so she can follow him into death. Yeah, right! Really in character, really canon!
The background animation is well done, to be fair. But the characters themselves! They all have these weird, sunken, haggard features. Their eyes have no emotion in them. Kaoru's eyes are brown! What's up with that?
The supposed animation of the Jinchuu Arc is such a ripoff, it doesn't deserve to be called that. If it's the Jinchuu Arc, where are Gein, Banjin, Kujirinami, Otowa and Mumyoi? Where's the doll? Why doesn't Kenshin go to Rakuninmura? Where are all the others when Kenshin goes to the island to get Kaoru? They're not there because all of that, and thus the whole meaning of the story, was butchered out!
Kenshin's fight with Enishi is complete crap too. Kenshin actually allows Enishi to kick his face into the dirt and offers his life in exchange for Kaoru's? I can look through all my manga volumes and say that that is most definitely not canon!
It seems like the message of this OVA is Kenshin was never able to let go of his grief and guilt over Tomoe, Kaoru never gained the strength and resolve needed to keep Kenshin stable and that Kenshin became self-destructive after giving the Sakabatou to Yahiko. Again, I can look through my manga volumes and say that this is not canon.
This OVA betrays the message of Watsuki's manga, which is that one can best atone for one's sins by living instead of dying. The message of the OVA is that peace can only be found through death. Uh-huh. Really canon. My only prayer is that someday the real Jinchuu Arc will be animated and this betrayal, this blasphemy will pick up dust on the shelves.
Ken wa kyoki. Kenjutsu wa satsujinjutsu. Donna kiregoto ya odaimaku wo kuchi nishite mo sore wa shinjitsu. Kaoru-dono no iterukoto wa ichido mo ono re no te wo kekashita koto ganai monogaiu, amatsu choroi zare goto de gozaru. Kerdomo sessha wa sonna shinjitsu yorimo Kaoru-dono no iu ama choroi zaregotgo hou ga suki de gozaru yo.
heartyum_cupcakeemotion_bigheartgaia_crownemotion_bigheartyum_cupcakeheart Love your avatar. HUGE Kenshin fan myself!!!!!!!!!! heartyum_cupcakeemotion_bigheartgaia_crownemotion_bigheartyum_cupcakeheart
The live action ones? I have seen the first. Then I heard the second was coming out followed by the third. I wanted to try them at the same time. I am sure they are both out there by now though.
The first one was really good. I wish it was more like the manga, but heck those action scenes are pretty amazing.
I remembered Rurouni Kenshin as an anime in my childhood when I seen they actually had it an a manga section at the library. I don't remember if I ever watched the entire series, but I did read it. Wasn't at the best place in my life, and boy did this turn it around. I REALLY enjoyed the read so much. I even took hundreds of pictures of the pages. It was so great. Now I have CrunchyRoll on my PS4 and am watching the series. Plus there are OVA's and movies out there. You just reminded me of a great time, that's all.
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