Customer Reviews

Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 2

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4 star:		(2)
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Rurouni Kenshin is great a series that really grows over time and becomes incredible in a few more volumes. I've read all 28 of the fan translated volumes and can't wait to buy the rest of the volumes as they're released by Viz. I have to wait for so long!! Vol 1-6 = Tokyo Arc, this is where the introductions of main characters are made. It sets the stage for a much bigger picture. Vol 7-17 = Kyoto Arc, the arc that made the anime series so popular. It's a great arc with an amazing story and great fights, and you just can't put it down. It also has much character development, and you love Kenshin and his group all the better. The saga is so well planned out that it's perfect. Vol 18-28 (end) = Jinchu(Revenge arc, human judgement) arc, just when you think Kenshin will settle down, the story gets better! We finally learn about Kenshin's famous scar and his past. People from Kenshin's past are back to haunt him and carry out their long-awaited revenge. This saga is the best of the series and was unfortunately never animated except in an OVA, which only showed how Kenshin got his scar. In the manga this is the end of vol. 19, all of 20, and the first few chapters of 21. Kenshin's past is a true tragedy, but he finally finds his answers in this arc. I can't believe that they left this incredible story unanimated. The TV series had nothing to do with the manga story after episode 62, and the OVA is dramatically different from the manga also.
Anyway, Kenshin really grows in art and storytelling throughout the series and never gets weak nor drags like the TV series after the legend of Kyoto.
It's the best series ever! You have to read it to experience all the humor, drama, fighting, and romance. It just grows on you!

After such an amazing first volume, I had no idea what to expect of number two. But just as I hoped, it was even better than the incredibly awesome first installment. Kenshin is a wonderfully worked, and developed manga masterpiece. With the amazingly intellegent mix of suspense, action and romantic comedy that always leaves you craving more. With a cast of charactors with their own deep and interesting backgrounds, kenshin truly is a work of art.
After all the revelations of the first novel, we find Kenshin in the middle of a fight with the future friend, Sanosuke. They obviously work things out and the end result is another main character to love!! We learn many things about Kenshin's rather shady past as a killer pops up for Kenshin to capture. during the fight he almost turns killer himself until Kaoru's voice stops him from reverting back to his old ways. With all that happens, your left loving the series, and Kenshin himself even more!
There is also obviously more of that hillarious Kenshin comedy that is just to die for!! This book is soo funny!!! No matter how dramatic this series will get, it will only take one "oro?" to lighten the mood. And of course there are more of his adorable facial exspressions that will leave you giggling like you just got out of a mental institution.
With all there is to love about Rurouni Kenshin, it's almost a crime not to read this series!! So just stop hurting yourself, GO READ RUROUNI KENSHIN TODAY!!!

Okay, I am an avid Kenshin fan so this is highly biased. now that that is out of the way, here it goes. Kenshin starts off with the battle between Zanza and continues on all the way through the fight against Kurgosa (the Blak Hat) until we meet Megumi-dono and Sano (formerly known as Zanza) and Kenshin kick the butts of those persuing her when she enters into the gambling hall where they are situated.

So MUCH content.

So that's 9 CHAPTERS or Acts, as they are known in the manga.
GREAT fighting scenes and emotional pull.

A BIG PLUS is that they keep the Japanese honorifics. -san, -chan, -dono, -sama.

As well as certain parts as the Hiten Mitsurugi style (with translations below it)
Battousai, Hitokiri..... It even provides a glossary for historical events that took place in japan; since this IS a Historical Fiction series.

AND.....

The drawings are very well done, normally in manga you can see some over exaggerate figures. Faces that are slightly warped, and such but in here they are very nicely done.

While Kenshin's appearance it diff than in the anime that is because his character is continually being devloped and you'll recognize him as he is in the anime in the next book or one after.

WOW, it even get's better in the art section as it goes along, and that is an awesome bonus.

I think the translations are okay as metioned and I love the fact that they kept everything intact, from the comments of the Watsuki to the Character background that is intertwined in the manga.

The best, EVER!

In the second volume, we learn a bit more about the nature of the hitokiri. What it means to be hitokiri is to give into killing, to become a murderer. In a sense, it's like the dark side. All the dark side is, is giving into anger and one's desire for power... Kenshin was a hitokiri, but his ideals kept him from turning into something like Jinne, the other hitokiri mentioned in the title.

So with Jinne comes Kenshin's first "real" opponent. Kenshin's oath not to kill makes this fight more difficult because holding back against such a skilled opponent could mean his death. But Kenshin finds strength within his new friends and their shared friendship, but is it enough to defeat Jinne and still keep his vow? Well, you'll find out by reading it...=)

In this volume, we also see a new technique from Kenshin's sword style, and it's freakin' awesome. Hehe.

I just feel I had to review this book. I know people are worried about the translation job, but as in the first book, this one has also been wonderfully translated (I think this is the most accurately translated series I've seen so far). Kurogasa is stilled called Kurogasa, not the black hat (Which I think is what it means). And of course the proper suffixes are still kept (Kaoru is called Kaoru-dono by Kenshin). And there's also a nice glossary in the back in case you are unsure of what something means.
This book is also great in the fact that Viz has had, what seems to be everything, translated. From Nobuhiro Watsuki's beginning comments on the manga (how he calls himself a liar is hilarious), and to his little comments throughout the story (like where he comments on drawing the one picture left-handed). I don't see anyway that they could have possibly done a better job :)
(Sorry for making my review all about the translation, but if you want to know what happens then buy the book :D It's definently a worthwhile read, I have read through it twice already).

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It finishes off the battle between Kenshin and Sanosuke, moves on to the creepy arrival of the assasin Jine Kurogasa, and ends with the introduction of Takane Megumi. Nobuhiro Watsuki pulls off more good script and illustations that include intense bloody battles, moving scenes, and comical antics that make it so popular. No other graphic novel really interested me as much until I read "Rorouni Kenshin", number one, because the show rocks, and two, I was familiar with the characters and plot. Now I've moved on to buying the other volumes, which are just as good.

Rurouni Kenshin is fun, epic and informative about Japan during the Meiji era. I may be new to collecting manga, but Rurouni Kenshin has won my heart and I will definitely be buying more! Plus, for $.50 a book, who could complain?

Kenshin Himura seems to be a magnet for bad guys of all stripes -- minor terrorists, unhappy ninjas and a megalomaniac obsessed with swords. "Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 2" brings together a seemingly endless stream of problems for the redheaded rurouni and his friends, as well as some darker, bloodier storylines than what's come before.

Kenshin and Sano pit their skills against the deformed martial-artist Han'nya and the hypermuscled Shikijo. But the greatest fighter is Aoshi himself, and the echoes of the past war have left him striving to find honor for himself and his four remaining onmitsu -- and as Kenshin pushes himself to the limit to fight him, the treacherous Takeda takes matters into his own hands.

Kenshin's friends have some problems of their own: Yahiko comes to the defense of a girl he's crushing on, and Sano encounters an old friend from his days with the Sekiho army, who is now determined to destroy the Meiji government. And a trip to a friend's dojo goes horribly wrong when an old friend of Kaoru's is taken down by a vast savage-looking man, Isurugi Raijita. He insists that he wants to give kenjutsu back its "purity" and strength -- and after a brief bout with Kenshin, Raijita is determined to have the powerful rurouni as part of his movement.

The VIZBIG "Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 2" really swings to action extremes -- sometimes we've got lighter battles with bombs and a preteen swordsman, and sometimes we have bleak, bloody battles where there can be no happy ending. But there's an uplifting message to the stories overall: no matter what you should live your life to the fullest and atone for whatever misdeeds you may have committed.

And along the way, Nobuhiro Watsuki mingles spiky slashing action scenes with bittersweet subplots, especially during the gore-soaked climax of the whole "omnitsu" story. But fortunately Watsuki still maintains some humor ("Something SPICY?" teases Kenshin at the art kiosk) and more fun brawling between Yahiko and Yutaro. The one downside: the ending of the whole Raijuta arc is... well, massively anticlimactic.

Though Kenshin's warmhearted buttkicking still takes center stage, even for his enemies, Sano and Yahiko get some much-needed attention in this volume. Yahiko (who's mostly been comic relief) gets a love interest and starts showing his skills as a swordsman, as well as getting a similarly loud'n'brash rival; Sano finds himself torn between his new buddies and a friend from his old life who wants to overthrow the government in Captain Sagara's name.

The VIZBIG "Rurouni Kenshin Volume 2" is a pretty solid collection of the fourth, fifth and sixth manga of this classic series -- it's a bit up-and-down, but still very enjoyable.

Things get a lot darker in the second volume of "Rurouni Kenshin" -- a character is introduced who might drag the former Battosai back to his old killing ways. While the series is still getting its footing (the main cast is still forming), Nobuhiro Watsuki does an expert job mingling bloody razor-edged action with unabashed comic relief -- and more than a little romance as well.

Kenshin continues his fight with Zanza (aka Sanosuke), and quickly discovers that while the zabato is a limited weapon, Sanosuke's frightening strength and even more frightening willpower make him a formidable foe. The younger man's terrible past as part of the Sekiho army is revealed, along with the rage that leads him to be a "fight merchant" -- and his hatred of "patriots" like Kenshin drives him to the brink. Oh yeah, and the Hiruma brothers try to cheat... big surprise.

Then the government asks Kenshin to help bring down a murderer of horrifying skill and sadistic personality, who is carving his way through the government. But when Kenshin and Sanosuke work as bodyguards for a whiny little official, they face a hitokiri almost as lethal as Kenshin -- and even worse, capable of hypnotizing people with his voice. He's also obsessed with getting a deathmatch with the legendary Battosai.. and will kill Kaoru to get it.

Finally, Sanosuke drags Kenshin out to a friendly gambling den, in an effort to get the older man to cheer up. Of course, it doesn't last -- the game is interrupted when a strange girl rushes in with a couple of thugs after her. And of course, she's not what she seems... how boring would that be?

"Rurouni Kenshin Volume 2" is when we get a really good look at Zanza/Sanosuke, previously established just as a really aggressive guy with a freakishly large weapon. In just a few pages of flashbacks, Nobihiro Watsuki reveals all the hidden pain, sorrow and rage that fuels his fighting, and the terrible injustice that makes him so gung-ho to fight Kenshin and other "patriots." And he turns out to be a good addition to the cast, once he calms down enough!

And Watsuki packs all the stories in here (except the last chapter) with plenty of deadly tension, especially since Kenshin starts becoming more Battosai-ish as he fights Jin-e. Lots of bone-breaking, ultrafast sword fights with amazing techniques (Kenshin intercepting a bullet with his sword) and a truly ghastly death scene ("Keep playing rurouni. I'll watch you... from hell!"). It really shows that there's a hard core in this lovable series, and illustrates just how dangerous Kenshin is.

But Watsuki never lets things get too grim, by including plenty of gentle slapstick (poor Kenshin's face gets stuck in "battle glare," and Kaoru and Yahiko forcibly snap it to normal) and funny dialogue (Kenshin's ability to predict dice).

There's more hints of romance for the goofy ex-hitokiri and the feisty Kaoru, especially since he shows himself willing to even kill if it saves her life -- and Kaoru willing to do anything to save him from that. Kenshin also gets some prime male bonding time with Sanosuke, a nice touch since he finally has another adult male around to talk to (since Yahiko is a bit young for that). As for Megumi... well, it remains to be seen what she's going to be like. But a connection to the opium trade is not a good sign!

"Rurouni Kenshin Volume 2" takes the series into darker territory, and explores some of the darker facets of Meiji Japan -- drugs, violence, lies and corruption. Definitely check it out.

This series started in a very auspicious fashion, and in this second volume it already reaches an excellent level. When we left the story last time, Kenshin has just started his confrontation with Zanza, and now comes the time to see the conclusion. Those that like action will not be disappointed by the fight, but once again we get to see how Kenshin's past affects his current way of living and fighting. Later in the volume though, our hero will have to face a tough decision in this respect.

One of the things I like about the series is the time it spends going back and informing us about the history of important characters. In this volume we find out more about Zanza's past, and thus, understand the reasons behind his hatred for imperialists. Regarding other important characters, in the last chapter of this volume we meet Meugmi, a female doctor that is surrounded by a suspicious aura and who will be a key part of the story in the next volume.

This installment already shows the progression in terms of the skills of Kenshin's opponents, which will continue in volumes to come. Kenshin and his friends come across the deadly killer Kurogasa (means black rain hat), who is looking for a challenge, and therefore, wants Kenshin to become his old self and partake in a fight to death. You already know about Kenshin's promise regarding not killing again, so Kurogasa has to resort to messing with Kenshin's friends to enrage the Battousai. The question is: will Kenshin break his vow and kill again? You cannot afford to miss this! It is a delight to be able to read a series with such a compelling plot, great character development, effective humor and proficient graphics.