Customer Reviews

Rurouni Kenshin - TV Series Season One

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm reviewing the economy boxset season 1 of Rurouni Kenshin. So to start off, what's an economy boxset? It's a boxset that is manufactured to be sold cheaper. Instead of having to buy it for $139.95, you can purchase it for $79.95. All 6 dvds are contained in one dvd case. They still have the japanese and english audio tracks. Some people complain about the subtitles not fitting the english dub. The reason is that the subtitles were made ONLY to fit the japanese audio track. The extras are the same as the $139.95 boxset. There are no custom sleeves for each dvd and no deluxe box to hold them in. That is what makes this one cheaper.

NOTE: THIS IS THE SAME AS THE Rurouni Kenshin Wandering Samurai - Premium Box 1. I think the economy boxset is the better buy because the only difference are the collectable sleeves and box.

This is another of the great classics of Anime. It combines several major elements (love, philosophy, and action) to form a story that is entertaining while still captivating and profound.

While there is some violence, this is a rare gem among anime in that there is nothing perverse or offensive thrown in to water it down. It sticks to its purpose and doesn't pander to baser interests.

The story spends the right amount of time developing its characters, keeping the cast relatively small so the series isn't devoted to constant introductions, but large enough for variety. It then leaves itself plenty of time to explore its characters and their past, and does a good job of moving between them.

Perhaps most interesting is the philosophy. Samurai are famous for being "poet warriors", possessing both a fighting spirit and a sense of deeper truths. This is expressed beautifully in Kenshin's persona and behavior, not merely in speech, but in his methods and actions.

This is one story that made me feel I had truely gained something of value by watching it.

Kenshin is among the best animes ever produced. The story is epic and it has plenty of side story humor. The characters for both the good guys and the badguys are not generic typical people. Most of them have a complete past and a story behind them that makes all of them unique.

I gave this Anime a rating of 5 stars for the following reasons:
1.)Completed story
2.)Character uniqueness
3.)Side story humor
4.)Believability (I admit the sword fighting can seem over the top but I am refering to the stories.)
5.)Knowledge (it may seem somewhat silly but this anime is packed with excellent qualities. plus the characters make mistakes and work to correct them, nobody is perfect and it points that in their constant vigilance in making up for what they have done wrong.)

I strongly recommend Season one and Season two of Rurouni Kenshin. Season 3 has the lowest rating becuase the storyline is somewhat generic and the characters are not particularly amazing. This is amazing work and I would advise adding it to any anime collection. Worth every penny.

Hails,

Ok So theres several good things
-great show 10 out of 5(haha)
-party educational
-watsuki(creator) rocks
-keeps you watching through all three seasons
- 40 dollars for this is good

Bad things
-Shipping... this is the only anime set including the other 2 seasons that ships like crap
-discs get scratched
-inside dvd holders break
-if this happens to anyone try to get amazon to do something

This is a great series to spend your money; it is worth it! It has action as well as romance and comedy. It keeps the watchers really entertained and wanting to know what happens next. The characters each have a distinct personality. They are all well rounded characters. Iam an anime fanactic especially when it comes to story lines that has a little bit of romance and comedy but I'm don't like much action... it seems to boring and serious... but this is different. I really recommend this series. You won't regret it!

Picture this: a feminine-looking, goofy swordsman who has vowed not to kill, but is secretly a lethal ex-assassin known as Battosai the Manslayer.

Yep, the title character of Nobuhiro Watsuki's "Rurouni Kenshin" is a pretty unusual lead for an action series, but then this series is really rather unusual -- a meditation on changing times, and on fighting to preserve peace and life rather than to bring death. "Rurouni Kenshin - Season One" is a brilliant combination of sword-swinging action, delightfully wacky humor and a teeny hint of romance. Okay, more than a hint.

Searching for the legendary manslayer Battosai, a young dojo owner named Kaoru assaults a sword-carrying stranger whom she assumes is the one she's searching for. Turns out his sword blade is upside-down, and he insists that he's just a wandering swordsman who won't kill anybody. Unfortunately someone using the name Battosai is disgracing Kaoru's dojo -- and they have their eyes on revenge for an old wrong.

It's only then that the mysterious Kenshin shows what he's really capable of, and who he really is -- the true Battosai. Kaoru asks him to stay on, and they're soon joined by Yahiko and Sanosuke, a teenage ex-pickpocket and a young "fight merchant."

Among the other problems: a corrupt assassin who is murdering officials, corrupt police, a bogus faith healer, a sumo wrestler being bullied by his peers, a teacher being forced to take up his sword again, a band of treacherous pirates who capture Kenshin, train robberies, circus sabotage, an old friend of Sano's who is bent on vengance, and a fanatical swordsman who wants to make a warrior kingdom. On the grimmest note, they clash with an amoral businessman who is forcing a young doctor to create a super-potent opium... and has hired the Oniwaban Group (ninjas) to enforce his will.

Based on Nobuhiro Watsuki's manga, "Rurouni Kenshin" has become a classic for its story about overcoming the past, fighting for the sake of peace, and for the setting of the early Meiji era -- when Japan awkwardly leapt forward technologically and socially. But on a less epic scale, it's about one young man with a terrible and bloody past, who is now atoning for his past deeds by using his sword to protect instead of to destroy.

The first season starts off fairly light-hearted, but gradually gains some darker shadings (the whole opium subplot) and explores the sociopolitical corruption and strife of all these sweeping changes (Sanosuke's tragic captain Sagara). And obviously any series with a swordsman is going to have some action, and these scenes deliver a whirlwind of sword blows and superhuman leaps, which can do anything from smashing an opponent's arm to hammering a crowd of people to the ground.

But there's also plenty of comic relief in here, usually supplied by Kaoru's short fuse (and her perpetual spats with Yahiko and Sano), and Kenshin's sheepish space-cadet attitude and tendency to get in trouble by doing the right thing.

Kenshin is a lovable, rather odd hero -- he's goofy, spacey, eager to please and polite to a fault, with rumpled red hair and threadbare clothes. But when he fights seriously, he gets creepy empty eyes. Kaoru is blunt and strong-willed but also quite kind, while Yahiko is a sharp-tongued, good-hearted kid. And Sanosuke makes a good addition to round out the cast -- he's got a tragic past as part of the unjustly-maligned Sekihotai "false army," but with Kenshin's influence he begins to move on.

The first season of "Rurouni Kenshin" is a mixture of more lighthearted filler and darker, bloodier arcs from Nobuhiro Watsuki's manga. A brilliant classic anime.

I was very impressed by the quality and the depth of the plot of Rurouni Kenshin! The scene is set in an era of Japan when Imperialism was on the rise while the dreams of Capitalism is in the minds of the common man. Several conflicts arise between the Patriots and the Traditionalists, and bloodshed is spread throughout the land. In this land, the legendary assasin, Battousai, carved the way for the Imperialistic ways, but disappeared immediately after the revolution. Assistant kendo instructor,Kaoru Kamiya, is distressed when a man begins killing innocents in her father's sword school's name. The man claims to be Battousai. Kaoru begins searching for this 'Battousai' and stumbles upon Kenshin the Wanderer. After a rough encounter, she realizes that 'Rurouni Kenshin' is just a kind simpleton, and has nothing to do with the killings. She invites Kenshin into her home after saving her life, but soon discovers he is the true Battousai! Kenshin assures her that he has changed his ways, and now will devote his reverse-bladed sword to save lives instead of taking them. The action, humor, and growing romances are not to be missed! Rurouni Kenshin was a great buy!

I bought this season because I loved it as a kid on Toonami and I wanted to completely and fully rewatch it, which I still will be but purchasing it from Rightstuf as they have much cheaper prices for this season and the second one.

I rate the anime itself 5 stars but I give the packaging/case a 2/5 at the most, my reasons being I received my copy brand new, I opened it up the day after it arrived in the mail to the surprise that all 6 of the discs are literally stacked on-top of each other in the set which I thought was absolutely ridiculous because it can and did damage the discs themselves, it is annoying if I want to watch say the 5th disc, I have to remove the 4 discs above that one to get to what I want, didn't like that. I took out the first disc to watch it and I noticed the 2nd disc was incredibly scratched up on the top side of it (it was a different type of DVD disc too unlike the other five, it seemed to be the 'older' type of disc if that makes any sense, like a "first print" type of thing) and the bottom of the disc seemed to have slight finger marks like someone was handling it before me. But as I said, this was a brand new copy I bought from an official website, not a bootleg or anything like that. This only really effected my rating for this item because I like all of my anime/manga items in perfect condition.

Media Blasters / AnimeWorks just seems to take no pride in their items packaging I guess, I looked it up and others seem to have problems with their cases and whatnot. The dub of the anime is fantastic though, and a classic series which I would suggest to anyone who likes samurai/action animes.

...Although when I bought it, the price was much higher.

To tell the truth, almost eighty percent of my admiration for the Rurouni Kenshin anime centers on season two. But season one is a fun series of episodic adventures that adequately introduces the characters and themes that the second season's epic story arc centers on, and watching it will help you appreciate that second season all the more.

My biggest complaint with this season is that the artwork and animation tends to be somewhat lackluster, especially early on, which is a shame when you consider that one of the highest points to the source manga is its fantastic artwork.

That said, many of the story arcs that appear in the manga have their events and even character motivations greatly altered for the anime, something that may be consider either a positive or a negative. While in some cases I consider the manga rendition more pleasantly down-to-earth, the anime holds its own in the storytelling department and offers a refreshing alternative take on the stories that keeps reading the manga *and* watching the anime from being terribly redundant. Of particular note are the first episode and the late-season Raijuta story-arc, both of which are almost completely different from the manga originals.

There are also a fair number of extra filler episodes, most of which occurs in the time between the "Megumi" story arc and the "Raijuta" story arc. They're fun episodes and give a little character development to some of the supporting cast, but don't really lend much to overall theme or plot.

While nowhere near the best anime out there, season one of Rurouni Kenshin is a charming and entertaining choice. It was an especially nostalgic experience for me, as I remember watching this show back when it showed on Toonami (you know, when Cartoon Network was actually decent). I recommend it to any anime fan who doesn't have a better anime series to blow money on at the moment.

A few gripes, though. First off, there's no indication on the disc labels as to what order they should be viewed in--no numbers, just the titles of the individual DVD releases the collection contains. This shouldn't be a problem unless you're stupid enough to take more than one disc out of the case at once for no reason at all. Also, I found it jarring how they just stopped using the English versions of the opening and closing songs for no discernible reason about three-quarters through the season, reverting to subtitled versions of the original Japanese songs. It's a shame, 'cause I think the English versions actually sound better--but that's just me.

Have never been a big fan of anime in the past, though I think the images from Pokemon were the limit of my experience. Rurouni Kenshin is awesome! It has really serious themes, but deals with everything with lots of humor. I especially like the emphasis on repentance and reparation as being superior (though also more difficult) to despair and suicide.

Even though Kenshin is the focus of the series and is way cool, all the characters are well developed and important. I highly recommend this fun series!