Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 3 [Paperback]

Nobuhiro Watsuki (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 2004

After a night of gambling, Kenshin and Sanosuke return with an unexpected prize - a woman. Beautiful and mysterious, Takani Megumi, the daughter of a famous family of physicians, has unwittingly been participating in the production of a super-powerful, super-profitable form of opium. Hot on her trail is shady industrialist Kanryu, and Sanosuke may not be her best protector after the death of one of his friends from an opium overdose. But Kenshin has looked into her eyes and seen her sadness. He knows he must act - but will he be able to save her from the wrath of Kanryu, or for that matter, from Sanosuke?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

He won an honourable mention prize in the Shonen Jump. "New Manga Hop Step Award" with the work Podomakku. Later, while he worked as an assistant, he presented works such as Sengoku No Mikazuki (Crescent Moon in the Warring States) and Rurouni-Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (Meiji Swordsman Romance Story). The serialization of Rurouni Kenshin started in 1994 and concluded in 1999. His hobbies are to draw, read, play video games, read American comic books, and make model figures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (January 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591162505
• ISBN-13: 978-1591162506
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga > By Series > Rurouni Kenshin

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And so we come to Aoshi..., February 12, 2004

By 

Simon Gao "ssg98rg" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 3 (Paperback)

With the Jinne incident over, Kenshin and his friends have become a bit closer. Defeating a mass murderer usually does that... Soon enough though, Kenshin meets Megumi, who's running from her own problems. Kenshin, being a kindred soul and sensing goodness in her, decides to protect her.

When Megumi's "employer" sends his posse to retrieve her, they encounter some difficulties. In their attack on the dojo, we see a little more into the relationships between the characters. Kenshin inspires great loyalty with his kindness and willingness to stand in harms way for the sake of others. He may act clumsy and aloof, but he actually sees much and understands and appreciates much. Because of this, Karou, despite knowing him for just a short time, has great faith in him and as with the others, will stand by him. Megumi came to Kenshin just because she saw he was wearing a sword, but through this incident, she begins to see him in a new light.

Things, however, get a little more complicated, as they always do, but I'll leave that alone. The story moves forward and remember that the whole Kenshin story is ten times better than any individual part.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More kenshin for us to love!!, April 20, 2004

By 

dem_3 (everywhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 3 (Paperback)

These novels have kept my attention sinse I first picked up #1 at the store. Kenshin is a true feel-good comedy that is NOWHERE near corney. I just fell in love with the wandering samurai from the very beginning, and I have yet to be disappointed with him!
This novel moves right along with the plot that the second volume left off on. It's all about the mysterious and somewhat annoying Miss. Megumi. She may get press all the wrong buttons with everyone else, but Kenshin still refuses to abandon someone who needs his help, AND THAT'S WHY WE LOVE HIM!!
At first Ruroni Kenshin may seem the same as other dime-a-dozen manga series. Only by reading it can you fully realize just how different and refreshing this series really is. It provides you with characters that you like, and storylines that dont insult your intellegence. In my opinion, Kenshin is the best new manga around. Ken-chan definatly has raised the bar of manga standards, and I'm sure glad he did!! If the story keeps going like it has, theres no telling what new levels of greatness it will reach, so don't be left behind!! READ IT!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars The onmitsu, June 29, 2009

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 3 (Paperback)

Poor Kenshin can't even go out for an innocent night's gambling without something major happening. But that's only the start of the problems in "Rurouni Kenshin Volume 3," in which our goofy yet lethal rurouni finds himself enmeshed in a very unusual situation -- there's a femme fatale in need of help, a lethal superdrug, and a squad of lethal onmitsu. Think "ninja" with a cooler name.

Kaoru is understandably upset when the guys bring Megumi home, especially since Sano claims that they won her in the game. But it's soon obvious that there are more deadly layers to Megumi's troubles -- she's involved with an amoral industrialist and his band of onmitsu, lead by the deadly Aoshi. They're forcing her to produce an ultra-potent variant of opium, for the sake of money.

Of course, it doesn't take long for a few of the onmitsu to make it to the dojo -- one is a masked martial-artist, one throws poisoned darts, and the last is a behemoth with flaming breath. When the industrialist forces Megumi back into his mansion, Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko all set out to free her -- but not only will they have to fight an entire private army, but the onmitsu as well.

And then there's a one-off story about Kenshin, from before the series -- basically about him saving a small family from a creepy man who wants to turn their dojo into a casino. Megumi, Kaoru and Yahiko all show up as siblings, and the art is much more immature, but you can see the roots of the final series.

"Rurouni Kenshin Volume 3" is a pretty grim piece of work -- it's a dark story about drugs, murder, blackmail, greed, and a young woman forced to do something she hates or face the death of her friends. Nobuhiro Watsuko splatters plenty of blood and wild-eyed swordplay into the story, and even Yahiko gets to demonstrate his abilities in battle (picking the holsters of a line of gunmen).

The one downside is the fight between Kenshin and Hyottoko -- frankly the "deflecting fire by spinning a sword" thing just doesn't work. Fortunately, Watsuki doesn't allow the grimness to remain too grim. There's a healthy dose of comic relief in here, especially from Kaoru, who's basically there for the comedy -- her motorboat impression ("But-but-but-but...") and teary puppy eyes are hilarious, as is Yahiko trying to kick down Sano.

This volume also introduces Aoshi, a cold-as-ice onmitsu who elicits intense devotion from his few followers -- he's rather aloof and a bit frightening, but he seems to be stirred to anticipation by the arrival of Kenshin. And his little group is a rather mixed bunch -- giant fire-spewing blowhards, a masked martial-artist, and a creepy little vaguely rodental man. Their employer, the creepy industrialist is a lot less intriguing -- he's nasty enough to leave slime trails on the pages.

And Megumi is revealed to be far more than an average femme fatale, despite her cocky attitude and attempts to cozy up to Kenshin (even when he's beaten-up and goofy-looking -- "Aie!"). Tragic background, and an even more tragic present.

"Rurouni Kenshin Volume 3" takes the titular character into a particularly nasty fight, and sets him against a deadly band of assassins. And the fight isn't over yet.