Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 1, 1

This story will always hold a place in my heart. Wether it be the manga anime or live action movies it is such an amazing story that I revisit often.

Okay, I've noticed a pattern with these reviews. These are reviews for Kenshin vol. 1, not volume-whatever. Anyways, Kenshin vol. 1 is a good starter for the series. Unfortunately, I now have to battle with my little sister for it. (>_<) But that's beside the point. <br /> <br />Kenshin starts out with a flashback of the Meiji Revolution and a very handsome red-headed man.(*_*) But that ends shortly (It's only a page long). <br />It then proceeds to the 11th year of the Meiji era, and the first time we meet Kaoru. She seems pushy throughout the book and it's debatable whether she's a weak fighter or a strong fighter, but the truth is she's very strong. After we see Kaoru, Watsuki introduces us to a handsome young swordsman (*_*) with no destination, a rurouni. At first, I was a little confused. I mean, why would a rurouni who just arrived have to do with a hitokiri (assassin)? After reading further, I saw why the poor rurouni was accused of being the hitokiri. (Stupid sword-banning act >_<). But I soon realized that there was something strange about this guy...he looked kinda...feminine in his facial features. (^_^);; Why I thought that, I don't know. Anyways, the rurouni reveals himself to Kaoru (after much pressuring, I should say) as Kenshin Himura. But I'm pretty much giving a book report here! (>_<) <br /> <br />Moving on now. <br /> <br />Kenshin was a good book. The fight sequences weren't drawn out like Silly Putty stretched between your fingers. Althought Kenshin's facial expressions are very adorable, he never broke into cute little boy mode during a fight. His fight to save Kaoru or whoever was his goal, not flirting with the girl or going into chibi-Kenshin. <br />A couple things that impressed me about Kenshin was that fact that he referred to Kaoru as Kaoru-dono...and that he did chores!!! There are a couple pages where he's out shopping with Kaoru or doing laundry. Who wouldn't love a handsome guy who does work around the house, eh? The Kaoru-dono thing got me because it showed that he had respect and humility toward her. He seems perfect...too perfect. Ah well. No need to look a gift horse in the mouth. Read this book if you haven't already. I promise, it won't be a waste of your time.

FINALLY, the Kenshin manga is available in English! If you're coming in blind, this is a story set during the Meiji (late 1800s), Japan's restoration period after the Bakumatsu revolution. If you're already confused, that's one of the few drawbacks about this title: being a partially historical period piece, it relies on some familiarity with Japanese history. However, all pertinent events are explained in the story, and Viz has included a short glossary of terms and events in the back. The only other setback might be a concern over how appropriate this is for younger children. I would say that Kenshin is best for ages 11+, due to the occasional violence and political tone. The focus of this story is more about finding peace than fighting, so the violence is coupled with lessons about the meaning of true strength, etc. If you're okay letting your child watch samurai dramas or kung-fu movies, then Kenshin is fine. I felt it best to start with concerns since I've heard them from parents. But if you're coming into this series after viewing the anime, or are like me a long-time manga reader, you know that Kenshin is worth reading for the endearing characters and gripping story. It manages to be equally dramatic and humorous with telling ease, and doesn't skimp on the romance OR the action. Even when you know it's dipping a bit too far into martial arts cliche, even when you know what's going to happen, Kenshin's story is always worth following, and has garnered a huge worldwide following since the manga first started in 1996. It's almost 10 years later, and fans still get choked up, excited, and laugh out loud when they see either the book or the show. To new fans, it might be fun to watch the anime AND read the manga to note the differences in how the stories are presented, but neither is dependent on the other. The manga is probably a fuller Kenshin experience due to the added depth. The anime follows the book through the Kyoto story arc (season 2 in the show), but then departs from the original material, so around volume 10 in the manga starts all new storylines that make this piece of work even richer.

This is a great original for Rurouni Kenshin. I ordered the first three volumes of the manga. Well....ordered 1 & 2 then pre-ordered 3. I haven't gotten #3 yet but have 1 & 2, I've read #1 and am now reading #2. Made before the animated series was released I'm sure, due to the fact that the book is slightly different from the series (which is cool because you don't know what is gonna happen next). There is blood ,of course, and a little gore when they show manslayer sceens or the Battousai sceens..nothing too bad though. Beautiful artwork and storyline gets you fixed on the story and the fights and comedic situations won't allow you to put the book down. This basically sums it up...(all except the translation which is excellent...only a few mistakes but everyone talks about the translation so I thought I would mention something new). I give it a 5 out of 5.

I am a very large fan of the Rurouni Kenshin series, and I've found this to be a very good translation. It certainly could have been a lot worse. For instance, they've kept the right-to-left format and didn't flip the images, meaning Kenshin's scar is still on the proper cheek. Also, they've kept the names in the surname, given name format as well. That might not be as important, but it makes me appreciate the translation more. Also, they didn't translate every single word. For example, Battousai is referred to as "hitokiri" Battousai rather than "manslayer" Battousai. The honorifics were also kept, which would have seriously hurt the translation if they were taken out. There's a big difference between "Miss Kaoru" and "Kaoru-dono in the level of formality. "Miss Kaoru" could just as easily be "Kaoru-san." But "Kaoru-san" is certainly _not_ the same thing as "Kaoru-dono," and shows a good deal about the personality of the rurouni through his humility. They also kept Kenshin's "oro"s, which made me very happy. If you're looking for this manga to be exactly like the anime, its not. Its better. It has the elements of the anime- the seriousness and dark themes punctuated by silly humor and lighthearted romance- but a continuing storyline. This is Rurouni Kenshin in its truest form, other than the original manga published in Japan. The manga will also go into the Revenge Arc, which was never animated. If you've never seen it before, it is a wonderful series dealing with a turbulent period in Japanese history. Themes of decisions and consequences ring through its pages with storylines that occasionally become very dark. But the darkness never lasts too long as Watsuki manages to incorporate plenty of lighthearted humor and romance. So try it out, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

And cheering me is what this manga has done. "Rurouni Kenshin: The Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story" has a long subtext, but certainly has an engaging potential. I, for long, have waited for an English version of this manga, as many anime-literates say that the anime version of Rurouni Kenshin isn't completely true to the creator's original work. Now it's here in all it's beauty, thanks to VIZ.Speaking of beauty, the artwork is full of it. The characters, while a little cartoon-ish at times, are very expressional and it proves that each well-made character has a sense of personality. It's a little unpolished since this is the 1st volume, but the artwork will get better with future releases, and its charm will definitely sets in.The first volume consists of 6 irresistible chapters that were from the first four episodes of the anime series, and as a special bonus, it contains the creator's first work which is a precursor to the RuroKen saga, simply titled "Rurouni". It's good to know how the series was made, and having this so-called 'side-story' as an extra was the right move for VIZ to kept intact for the US release. It wasn't a right move, however, for VIZ to translate the sound effects, but since I was so engage with the story, I hardly care about that.On the subject of translations, some people were peeved with the translation of the manga not being literal. What's their beef? So what if it's not as accurate as its import counterpart, I checked the actual translation notes and I think the manga's English translation is just fine and it's good for VIZ to jive it up a bit so the story doesn't sound boring. Be satisfy that Kenshin's famous catchphrase "Oro?" was kept in the English version; he never says it dubbed.Manga readers of any kind should not miss out a classic like "Rurouni Kenshin". it has heart, action, laughter, perversion, stupidity, etc. Be warned, though: the manga series ran for 28 volumes in Japan, so this is a big investment to own the whole set, but believe me, it's worth it.