Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 5 [Paperback]

Nobuhiro Watsuki (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Rurouni Kenshin | Publication Date: June 16, 2004

In this volume, Yahiko tries to save a waitress from a yakuza gang, the incredible fighter Raijunta Isurugi defeats the school's master, and Kenshin must use his antiquated swordsmanship to battle Raijunta.

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 (June 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159116320X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591163206
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga > By Series > Rurouni Kenshin

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Grade A series, but this volume in particular is a bit of a tease..., February 5, 2006

By 

Eleven High (LA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 5 (Paperback)

I give rurouni kenshin on the whole 5 stars. Given the nature of the beast (This is a series, and you are going to end up buying all the volumes, no matter how good each individual one is), it seems a little pointless to write an individual review for this one volume in the series.

However, I feel the need to proffess that both vol's 5 and 6 have a nice bit of character development, but in terms of plot, it just doesnt FEEL like it goes anywhere. Watsuki himself states that this volume is slow and that the series will pick up(Boy, does it...).

The volume takes us through a story involving Yahiko first. This is a nice story, as it really does show us how little yahiko is evolving as a swordsman (He just seems useless compared to the uberpowerful baddies sanosuke and kenshin are always schooling) through Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Yahiko was in need of some panel time, as he always seemed from the beginning to be a gimmick character created by Watsuki. It also shows that Kaorou is not the wimp she's made out to be (Again, she suffers the same problem as Yahiko, she just doesnt seem strong compared to the Sano and Kenshin calibur).

So a little over the first quarter of the book is devoted to some character development. After that, we have the entrance of the next arc, the Raijuta arc.

The Raijuta arc is particularly interesting, simply because it causes a further linkage coming up. And it introduces Yutaro, who becomes Yahiko's rival. Their exchanges are particularly funny. Anyway, Raijuto is a high calibur swordsman who just seems to go around bullying dojo masters into accepting challenges from him, for no other reason than to be a jerk and get said masters to shut down their dojos. Yutaro seems to be his annoying twerp of an apprentice. Of course all of this makes an odd twist midway through, which I wont spoil for you. While not really left at a cliff hanger (Unlike volume 7, grr), you will still want more (and i mean more than usual) because this volume seems to not tell much in its 200 pages. The overall plot moves along maybe an inch as we see the little sub plots of yahiko's battle, yutaro v. yahiko, etc move. It's simply unfulfilling by the end. This is easily avoided though, by purchasing volume 6 with 5. Volume 6 "suffers" from the same problems (takes a while to get somewhere, but we do get a conclusion, a satisfying one at that), and it delves into a rather interesting side story involving sanosuke.

In essence, volumes 1-6 are all just the calm before the storm. They compromise the first main arc (there are 3) of the RK series, the Tokyo Arc. The Tokyo Arc is personified by the little individual adventures that dont seem to have much relation to each other. Volume 7 is where the series really picks up, as it goes full blown into the Kyoto Arc, one full of awesome political intrigue, awesome sword fights, and more revalation into Kenshin's mysterious past. The Kyoto arc will connect all these little stories the Tokyo Arc told you, and it will get the MAIN plotline chugging along.

But I really digress. 5 and 6 seem almost meant to be purchased in a pair, so i recomend you do as such. This one vol by itself isnt filling enough to satiate your RK needs, trust me.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aoshi-sama is the best!!!!, August 6, 2004

By 

Rose Kurama "^.~ Rose" (Sunny Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 5 (Paperback)

I love the Kenshin manga and the Kenshin anime. It's my favorite next to Yu Yu Hakusho. I seriously recommend for evryone to read this even if have seen the anime because it is different and certain characters look better in the manga.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impossible to resist!, June 22, 2004

By 

Sarah Goldberg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 5 (Paperback)

Seriously, how can anyone not like Rurouni Kenshin? I mean, it's got something for everyone-romance, comedy, action, history-what's not to like? The plot of these books is extremaly interesting, you never get bored and I am DYING to get the next one as soon as it comes out!
This series is about the swordsman Himura Kenshin, formerly known as Hitokiri Battosai (Battosai the Manslayer) As a hired assasin, he helped bring about the Meiji age and end the Bakumastu. Now, however, he uses no sword but a sakabatou (reverse blade) that can't kill anyone. He took to living as a rurouni (wanderer) but all that changed as he was confronted one day by Kamiya Kaoru, female instructor of Kamiya Kashin-ryu. Want to know what happens? You'll need a lot of commitment and a lot of money to find out, because the only downside to this series is that the whole story totals into a whopping 28 books! But if you're going to get into manga at all, this is definately a series worth buying!