Rurouni Kenshin

The inner tragedy and betrayal that motivates Sanosuke Sagara (Zanza) are told for the time. We quickly come to understand that the rakish, violent swordsman has a great deal of genuine worth. Kenshin uses both his ability to fight and his ability to reach past barriers to find this value and turn the bitter warrior into a friend.

The next tale is the counter-story to Sanosuke's. This time another killer in the Imperial cause has let the joy of killing and bloodshed overwhelm him. Jinei has lost his humanity, and goes about killing politicians and public figures. When Jinei discovers the presence of Kenshin he issues his challenge, one that endangers Kaoru and threatens to turn Kenshin back into the killer he once was.

In the final episode, a cliffhanger, we meet the beautiful Megumi. Sought by the city's Yakuza, Megumi literally catapults herself into Kenshin's arms. Hardly an innocent herself, Megumi maneuvers Kenshin and his friends into a deadly confrontation with the Oniwaban, a group of ninja and esoteric killers. With spectacular results.

For all the violence that is a part of this series, they touch a deep chord. Kenshin's fierce determination to never kill again is matched by the close bond he forms with his friends. We see a man at peace with the arduous process of remaking himself, with little of the false pride that marks many of his fellow swordsmen. This combination of strong characters, a good story, and excellent graphic work makes this a must series.

Episode 8, "A New Battle," is the opening chapter of a larger storyline, introducing Megumi Takani. Descended from a long line of doctors she is now involved in an opium ring and seeks the protection of Kenshin. We also meet Aoshi Shinomori, the former master spy and assassin, who is now the chief enforcer for the opium ring. This ups the ante for "Rurouni Kenshin" in a couple of ways, not only because the subject matter is more serious, but also because Megumi seems intent on coming between Kenshin and Karou. What makes this rather interesting is that the "cutesy" anime sequences, usually provoked by any notion of romance between our hero and young Karou, are really starting to seem out of place. The strengths of this anime is that it is intent on developing a series of characters with some depth involved in stories set against the historical period of the Meiji Restoration. Young viewers are being brought up to the next level of anime story telling and the more serious the subject matter becomes in these episodes the less appropriate we find the kiddie stuff to be. Still, the ambitious nature of "Rurouni Kenshin" is clear at this point, which makes it a notch above most of its competitors.

In terms of the Extras this time around the Liner Notes continue our education on Japanese language and culture as to the meaning of "sessha," who the Shougital were, what constitutes a Battojutsu, and the correct usage of ore; however, be aware that these vocabulary terms are not in alphabetical order and that the writing is pretty small. The character provided on Volume 2 are of Megumi Takani and Aoshi Shinomori, as our little group continues to expand. There are even some faux "Outtakes" which show that these extras are limited by fan friendly.