RUROUNI KENSHIN: MEIJI KENKAKU ROMANTAN - TSUIOKU-HEN

DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionRurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
MANGA ActionRurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan

REVIEWS

• 

  PlatinuMan

  70/100
  Trust and Betrayal is a fine example of a samurai story that balances brutal action with artistic emotion

  Arguably the most well-known element of Japanese culture and history is the samurai. Wielding a katana while maintaining allegiance to the honor code of bushido, they are known for their honor skill and skill at fighting. As such, many manga and anime have references to these swordsmen, whether it be for comedic purposes or to serve as a piece of historical fiction. With how many of these samurai stories are out there, what makes one stand out from the rest? What are the elements to make a successful samurai story? Trust and Betrayal answer those questions with ease, making for an enjoyable OVA series that aims to tell a story of romance and violence in under 2 hours.

  The year is 1864 and rebellion has bubbled against the military government of the Tokugawa shogunate. In the midst of this action is the protagonist Shinta, renamed as Kenshin Himura, who is an excellent assassin who’s wish is to protect the innocent. Despite his brutality against his targets, Kenshin is a soft-spoken man whose cold exterior hides a rather caring individual. The OVA oversees his development by having him interact with characters that serve as guiding forces. Seijuurou Hiko and Kogoro Katsura are leaders to Kenshin, recognizing his strength as a swordsman through training or missions but worry about his ferocity. Tomoe Yukishiro serves to balance out this very nature, as her role is eloquently described as being the “sheath to his sword”. Other characters introduced in the series serve as a way of providing more strength to Tomoe and Kenshin. These minor characters are successful as their behaviors and reasons are believable, tying in directly with the central plot without interfering with the story’s focus. All of this encapsulates a drama that flourishes, a story that tells of the prices paid for good ideals.

  The story itself, despite the ominous title, is rather standard. Tales such as this have been told in older manga such as Lone Wolf and Cub. Though the “trust and betrayal” is the key element in the tale, it is not as explicit as one may believe. This is because the series is more inclined to show rather than tell. Dialogue blocks are still present, but they play a subservient role to the atmosphere the show develops. It is this silence that often speaks more than the characters themselves. Yet despite this atmosphere, the show never feels swallowed by lethargy. The pacing of the show is perfectly matched to all the key scenes, making the action build the viewer’s adrenaline and allowing the sensual portions to burn slowly yet gracefully. The OVA plays out like a string arrangement, adjusting tempo to draw out the emotions of the piece.

  Speaking of music, the score for the OVA is superb. Though it is sparse, they are all wonderful instrumentals that serve the animation well. Perhaps the moodiest of these is “Quiet Life” by Taku Iwasaki, a beautiful string piece that only adds to the wistful feeling of the series. The seiyuus (save for one I’ll mention later) all adhere to the emotional qualities of the show very well. Sound director Shouji Hata should be very proud of his work on this OVA. The studio behind it is Studio DEEN, one that has a bit of infamy behind their production quality. Despite this, the OVA’s animation is well done. I adore the look of cel animation and it’s done very well here. The desaturated colors and painted backgrounds are wonderful and add to the serious tone of the show. Though the animation is well done, the overall visual appeal stems from the various editing tricks that DEEN have done. Rotoscoped imagery and filtered images are present at times in the show. This allows DEEN to avoid having to animate these scenes while avoiding a stylistic clash. Sometimes DEEN’s editing tricks don’t always work, like when a strobe effect is used to emulate quick action, but for the most part they are successful.

  There are a few minor problems I have with the show. As focused on pacing and presentation as the show is, I can’t help but feel some cuts were a bit erratic in the first half of the show. Scenes could often be interrupted by other moments that were occurring or by flashbacks without much lead in. It is to be expected, as the series wishes to promote a more subtle narrative while keeping good pacing. Still, it can lead to some confusion early on when organizing characters and events within time. The second problem I have is another contradictory issue – the voice acting of Kenshin. Kenshin’s design and character (at least, in this OVA) is designed to be soft-spoken and rather cold. As a result, the seiyuu Mayo Suzukaze plays this role to a tee. However, these limits to Kenshin’s range hinders the character during more critical moments, taking myself away from proper immersion into how the character feels. Again, this is more minor, as for the most part the acting is fine. The visual qualities of the character more than make up for this, so Kenshin’s current state of mind is expressed even if the voice doesn’t seem to match.

  Overall, I give this show a 7/10. I must admit that I was more indifferent starting out, but over time the series’ qualities began to enthrall me. If you’re a fan of samurai stories or historical shows in general, I recommend this title. I also recommend this show if you are looking for something a bit more atmospheric. This is a series that had a lot of love put into it, wanting to show the artistic integrity of the Rurouni Kenshin to its fullest. I can definitively say DEEN succeeded with their mission.

  Do you like or dislike this anime? If you haven't watched it, are you encouraged to watch it or not? Leave a comment on my profile telling me what you think of the anime and/or my review.

  Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

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• 

  Juliko25

  90/100
  Dark and gritty, yet full of heart, pulling no punches in its depiction of a samurai's brutal backstory.

  (Caveat, 2/11/2021: For anyone wondering, yes, I did watch and like the Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal OVA. I had even considered reading the manga at some point. However, I wrote this review two years before it was revealed that Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Kenshin, was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography. And faced absolutely zero jail time for it. Because of this, while my feelings on the OVA remain unchanged, I have absolutely no desire to have anything more to do with the Kenshin franchise as a whole. Why the hell would I want to read or financially support anything made by a pedophile???)

  I have a confession to make: I've never seen Rurouni Kenshin. I've known of its existence for a long time, but I haven't seen the 90 episode anime. I did see one episode of it dubbed, but that was because my college anime club showed it for historical fiction week, along with three other shows. It never interested me, and in a way it still doesn't interest me now. I don't think I can commit myself to a 90 episode anime, especially if its full of pointless filler. But one of my favorite bloggers was praising this up the wazoo and said that I didn't need to know about the show or manga in order to enjoy it, and I kinda wanted to watch something dark and mature since I hadn't seen any dark and mature shows for a while. I can't believe I'm saying this...but I absolutely adore Trust and Betrayal despite not knowing anything about Rurouni Kenshin at all, neither anime nor manga (I might read the manga when I can. I'll probably just rent it at the library).

  On a cold night, a band of warriors kill slave traders, leaving a young boy as the only survivor. A swordsman named Seijuro Hiko takes the boy in, renaming him Kenshin, and teaching him the ways of the sword. Kenshin grows into a killer who kills people in order to defend the innocent in a world infected by corruption, disease, poverty, malice, and greed. One would think that his humanity is as good as gone, but when circumstances force him to pair up with a woman named Yukishiro Tomoe, Kenshin gradually realizes that life without the sword can actually be good for him, and that the world isn't all evil. But the awful truths still remain, and not everyone can be trusted.

  I have to admit, the animation, for its time, was absolutely sumptuous, especially in the fight scenes. They are all well choreographed, there are so scenes where characters just fly faster than the speed of light to hit their enemies, the blood and gore (yes, it is very bloody and not for the faint of heart) actually serves a purpose instead of just being there for the sake of being dark and edgy, the gore itself is realistic, and the characters move believably. The anime also takes a lot of care in showing both the good and the bad of feudal Japan, especially in regards to dress, customs, food, etc. I love an anime that does its research. But if there's one thing that bothers me, its the fact that sometimes for no real reason, the scenes switch from 2D animation to live action scenery, such as candle flames flickering, snow falling, sunbeams through the trees, etc. It really doesn't fit well here. I don't get why they didn't just draw those scenes out, as putting in live action scenery just really takes you out of the atmosphere. Also, I have a very hard time believing that someone is actually capable of slicing a person's entire head in half, right through the skull and all, let alone slicing an entire person in half with just a katana. For the most part, the fight scenes are realistic and well animated, but I do think some of the feats Kenshin pulls off, such as the ones I mentioned above, kinda push my suspension of disbelief VERY much.

  The music really does its job well. There's no opening theme song, and the ending theme song is mostly an instrumental piece, but I don't really have much to say about the music except that it's plain awesome and the assigned pieces fit their assigned atmosphere well. When it wants to be creepy, the music is creepy. When there's battles and sword fights going on, the music is epic and bombastic. Quiet moments have quiet music. Every single piece of background music is used very well, and they all fit their assigned scenes. It knows when to be subtle and when to really go all out.

  The main characters are the ones who steal the show, and since the story is centered completely around them in a span of just four episodes, they develop wonderfully. Even the romance between them is beautifully and subtly executed, and nothing is forced or artificial between them. The side characters, on the other hand, don't have much to go on. Some of them I even hate because of their actions. Kenshin and Tomoe are the stars of this OVA, and the OVA knows it, and it fleshes them all out in great detail. They pretty much make the OVA what it is, a tale of two lovers learning from each other and learning about new sides of life and each other, even in the face of tragedy. I don't think this OVA would be good if they weren't in it.

  I have to admit though, I saw the English dub first, and while normally I don't like to be negative about English dubs, as I prefer to be someone who gives things a fair chance as I've seen many good dubs that people hate for no real reason, but...Trust and Betrayal's English dub isn't very good. Granted, the scripting is faithful to the sub, the dialogue fits with the setting and the time period, and the lip flaps match the lines just fine. It's just...the voice acting. Either the characters' voices don't fit or the actors clearly CANNOT emote for the life of them, the worst offenders being Kenshin and Enishi. I may not have seen the TV series in its entirety, but I know that in the show, Kenshin was voiced by Richard Cansino, but in the OVAs, he's voiced by someone named J. Shannon Weaver, who...makes Kenshin sound like an emotionless emo kid who smoked too much crack. And that's not his only problem! During emotional and epic scenes, Weaver absolutely cannot emote or raise his voice enough to make his performance convincing in any way whatsoever, which really kill the moments for me. Everyone else is the exact same way. The actors don't seem to care about their work here, and don't seem to want to give their all in their performances. Say what you want about the Attack on Titan dub and its scripting problems, but at least the actors could emote and put their heart and soul into their performances. Also, Enishi. GOOD GOD, Enishi's voice is the worst in the entire dub! He's supposed to be a preteen kid or something, but he sounds like a 40 year old man who's trying way too hard to sound like Carl from the Jimmy Neutron cartoons, it's THAT bad! I've heard bad voices, but Enishi's...is pretty much the worst voice I've ever heard. You want to know what the sad thing is? Even though ADV licensed this in their early days, they picked Monster Island studios to do the voice casting, and Monster Island is usually known for producing very good dubs for anime such as Nadia and Petite Princess Yucie, among other titles. Clearly, Trust and Betrayal was not one of their better dubbing efforts. And who was the casting director responsible for giving Kenshin and Enishi terrible voices?!

  But yeah, if you want a genuinely good story with great build up, intense scenes, and a well executed romance, definitely put this on your list, especially if you're into period-anime. Just don't watch it in English. And there's a lot of blood and gore, so it's not for the faint of heart.

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• 

  Kuma187

  92/100
  "You really do make it rain."

  This is the typical case of a change in audience leading to a sudden and tremendous improvement in the storytelling. Rurouni Kenshin - Tsuioku-hen is a prequel to the original series Rurouni Kenshin, going in more detail over the past of Kenshin during the Meiji Revolution and what made him give up on his life as a killer.

  To make a very relevant comparison, Tsuioku-hen is to Rurouni Kenshin what the Patlabor movies (and more accurately, the second movie) were to the original series and OVA: the story told through episodic content with various degrees of humor poured in gives way to a continuous and darker story where humor is utterly nonexistent. The production values, originally stretched over a large amount of episodes, are now focused on a shorter production to offer consistent and beautiful animation and more realistic character designs, going as far as making characters hard to recognize for some. And the directing takes on a whole new level, offering a cinematic experience enhanced by the soundtrack.

  Beyond the disclaimer as soon as you start episode 1, the opening scene itself makes very clear whom it is meant for, and this goes beyond the opener: very slow pacing, many graphic depictions of characters slaughtering one another, slight nudity and some hinting at sexual relationship are the highlights that make Tsuioku-hen a work for mature audiences who aren't scared of seeing blood run red in the streets of Japan.

  The action scenes are quite numerous and they definitely show how beautifully ruthless and cruel swordfights happen: breaking away from any concept of "ultimate sword technique" or powerlevel that weighed the original series down, Tsuioku-hen gets inspiration from jidaigeki movies for the treatment of the choreographies, and you can be sure that when blades are drawn, the stone pavement will be tainted red after a few moments, displaying a stark level of cruelty very much suited to samurai stories.

  This OVA is definitely beautiful. Beyond any questionable technique used in the making (I have identified some use of 90s CGI for water, one brief IRL footage for a bonfire, and some backgrounds passed through a weird computer filter), it's almost fully animated and it is one of those rare "show, don't tell" type of works where what is shown on-screen tells a more important story than what the characters says, thanks to a particular care put in the character animation. You can read dozens of things on Tomoe's face and her silence is basically a confession of those feelings she harbors.
  A lot of backgrounds are also very beautiful and I'm sure you will pause at times to admire like I did.

  The musical aspect is also a point where the OVA decides to make things different compared to the series by removing any electric guitar and choosing a fully cinematic, orchestral soundtrack for pure emphasis on the elements on-screen, leading to one of the most poetically beautiful endings to a Japanese work I have seen to date.

  Tsuioku-hen is of course not without its flaws. Without counting the few... "interesting" animation techniques I have spoken about above, episode 1 and 2 show awkwardness in how some scenes are cut, as if they were meant to go on for longer originally but some choices had to be made to fit within the allotted timeframe of the OVA. Also, I cannot deny it can be a bit too slow in some later parts that drag on for longer than they should. The studio probably didn't manage to reach a balance when it come to those things.

  Overall, Tsuioku-hen plays it with its cards on the table and gives it to us raw. It's a powerful depiction of the brutality of samurai stories played with a very strong tragic side that doesn't even hide itself. Its sincerity, its brute force and its genuineness makes it much more emotional and powerful than the original series ever was, and it's thanks to these that it's nowadays still one of the best Japanese OVAs to date.

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