Return of the Battosai, Kenshin Himura!
by hanxanth
Ok, it's not really the return of everyone's favorite former samurai, more like a retelling of his story. But that doesn't make Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, a 2-volume set, any less enjoyable!
Back in 2012, Japan released the first in a trilogy of live-action Rurouni Kenshin movies, an adaptation of the 28 volume manga series written by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The series is about Kenshin Himura, a former assassin who was known as the infamous Hitokiri Battosai (or Battosai the Man-Slayer) at the start of the Meiji period of Japan. After the wars are over, he devotes himself to wandering and protecting people, hoping to atone for all the blood he spilled while trying to bring about a better future for Japan. Along the way he meets Kamiya Kaoru, a swordswoman in charge of the Kamiya Dojo, as well as other friends who eventually convince him to stop being a wanderer. This reboot of Kenshin's story doesn't cover all of the material in the original series, but serves as a tie-in to the first film. That means that while some of the story is different and Kenshin is portrayed a little younger, we still see Kaoru confront the corrupt merchant Takeda Kanryu, and end with Kenshin having to take on another former assassin known as Udo Jin-E. It is in this climactic fight, present in the films, manga, and anime, that Kenshin has to make a choice: keep to his code and not kill Jin-E with his reverse-blade sword, or once again drown himself in a pool of blood in order to save the captured Kaoru.
See Kenshin in a new light with more of his feelings and emotions presented in this reboot, but still keeping the awesome action and speed of his deadly Hiten Mitsurugi fighting style, and read some of the author's thoughts on the film and reboot spread throughout the second volume! Whether your an old fan or a new fan of Rurouni Kenshin, you'll want to give this reboot a read!
You can also check out the library's volumes of the original series here (the library doesn't have all of the volumes though), or Nobuhiro Watsuki's other series Buso Renkin. And if you're in the mood for more historical samurai fiction, check out Kaze Hikaru by Taeko Watanabe!
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