010 4 I have seen this movie as well as the series and the OVA's about 8 times total and I still have yet to see what is wrong with this movie besides the fact that you need some knowledge of the series to understand it . The writers did a good job into not potraying the two opposing sides ( kenshin and takimi ) as either good or bad as we see that the main point was that although killing was necessary to create or defend a government during what is potrayed as the Dark Ages of Japan which was during the time of the Tokugawa Shogunate there is no such thing as a perfect government thereby making all that bloodshed very much pointless . The animation is a little better than the series and it is good for it's time . The music is by far the best with the exception of the intro song . The music provides a melancholy tone and makes the listener feel pitiful with the events that are going on . I do somewhat agree with some reviewers that the plot is predictiable but this movie is supposed to reinforce the fact the eventhough kenshin has seen the light and is bound by his will to keep the promise he made after killing another man slayer named Gentatsu who's death haunt's Takimi constantly and is portrayed as such in the movie by a constant flashback of that moment . For the reviewer who did not see the artistic side of the fact that the same scene was repeated over and over you need to understand that if you were to see a loved one die in front of you while you could not do anything about it you will have the same exact harsh memory in your head it's part of the human mentality . Since I am cutting it close to 1,000 words I will just say that the movie is Worth buying if you are mature enough to understand the plot .
005 4 I don't find it very fare to call this Samurai X the movie , cause when you think of Samurai X , your first thought is the 4 part OVA series . This isn't it . This is the movie based on 98 episode TV series Anime Works is currently producing . That doesn't mean you shouldn't see this film however . Just make sure you see Rurouni Kenshin from Anime Works first before you see the movie .
007 4 First thing that came to my mind when I first watched the movie was : It's the TV series ! I thought the motion picture was going to take place when Kenshin becomes a wanderer , but it doesn't . In fact , the viewer should only watch this movie after the OVAs and the TV series . I have watched the first two seasons thus far and the series gets better and better each time I watch it . The motion picture's animation is similar to the TV series and the character designs are still as extensive . I personally didn't enjoy the opening song but the end credits song is pretty good . You really become concerned about the characters in the movie which is a sign that the direction of the character development is excellent . This motion picture explains further about Yahiko's father's clan which I like a lot because even in the TV series , the young samurai's life has never really been explored . In all , I highly recommend this motion picture to anyone who loves the story and character development in Rurouni Kenshin TV series and in the Samurai X OVAs .
015 4 Samurai X the movie or Rurouni Kenshin the movie . It's actually the later of the two . When I first saw the title , Samurai X , I was expecting to see a new addition to the OVA 4 part series . This film , however , is based on the TV show . I was not as impressed with the animation , but I got over it eventually , and started to enjoy the film . There were several well done fight scenes , especially the climatic battle at the end . It reminded me of the Kung-Fu style filming you see in Hong Kong flicks . I had to give this movie 4 stars , however , mainly because of the misleading packaging . If your going to call a movie Samurai X , and use the same logo as the 4 part series , then that should be the movie you put out . Now I have to go back and watch the Rorouni Kenshin series which is long and extensive . I'm not putting the movie down . I'm just warning those of you who are expecting a Samurai X style movie . It's got the same charcaters , but it's not OVA's Samurai X .
028 4 After watching the Samurai X OVAs and the two seasons of Rurouni Kenshin , I knew I had to get the Samurai X TMP . I just finished watching it and I loved it ! Needless to say , I was not disappointed . The movie was drawn in the same manner as the tv series , along with the same characters , so please watch the series first before watching this ! Trust me , it will be even more enjoyable and watching the OVAs first is even better . I love this storyline and it ties both series together rather nicely . My only complaints are that there is a skimpy offering of trailers ( none that I really want to watch ) and the really bad opening song . Trust me , none of those things are important once you start watching the movie !
029 4 I was suggested to buy the OVA's by my friend and i did on DVD . I have since watched them each over 7 times and am still amazed . Then I started purchising the Show DVD's and though it took some getting use to after seeing the OVA's . I have grown to love the show . Finally I bought THE MOVIE . I was blown away . It takes place after the show i believe . In the begining its a little light-hearted but soon becomes indepth with a plot that i fell in love with . I very much enjoyed the final battle . The music is very imprssive . In the end it puts the best qualities from the OVA's and the show into one must but movie
041 4 Rurouni Kenshin is one of the best anime you can possibly get plus it passes the time . This motion picture is titled Samurai X but it has nothing to do with the OVA's . This takes place right after Legend of Kyoto there on vacation from all the cammotion from Kyoto . They run into a person that was involved in the Tokugawa Shoganate ten years ago . Listen I'm not going to ruin the story but it is good . But the bad thing about this DVD is the idiotic dubbing , Kenshins voice is okay but Sanosuke , Yahiko and Kaoru have ugly voices that don't fit them at all , plus there is nothing special besides the trailers so you might as well get a subtitled VHS version .
044 4 This movie might fit between almost any of the series chapters . Its just like a long one of them . It was the first Kenshin thing I watched in full - having tried to see the preludes once , I got stuck with all the violence of the first scenes - so this worked out fine for me in my path to becoming a Kenshin fan . There are a couple of scenes that they abuse in showing them over and over again , but it's ok . As it was for me , it would be useful to give someone who has never seen the series or OVAs a taste of what this is all about .
049 4 i have actually watch the movie , what i think its that this movie is really not related to the series or the OVA . I like the series so i bought the whole set of it , including the OVA and Movie . What i actually wanted to know is that , does this Movie have a Director's Cut version ? as i would much prefer to watch the Director's Cut version rather then the normal one . Well , If any One knows please do e-mail me at SHARONTKT101 @ HOTMAIL.COM
Thanx a Million ~ !
062 4 I like kenshin i really do but this movie just . . . upset me . I like the funny cracks and jokes but it just kept on with the flashbacks . Alot more gore . . . if I wanted to see that I would have watched the OVA version . I don't like the way it jumped around . . . sigh .
084 4 Kenshin is one of the best animes I have ever seen ( and I have seen a lot ) . This movie keeps the animation of the series , and spins off a very nice story . The dubbing isn't the best , but if you're like me , you whatch it in Japanese anyway . Trust me , if you liked Trust and Betrayal ( the OVA's ) you like this one .
011 4 I've read many reviews on this film at Amazon , and it seems that OVA lovers hate it , and the Kenshin TV lovers accept it . I happen to appreciate BOTH series . I like the OVAs ( Betrayal / Trust ) for the more cinematic / artsy style and non-googly face scenes of the TV series , plus the harsh , dramatic story ( though quite bloody at times ) and the dark style treatment for dark times . The TV series ( episodes 1 - 95 ) I appreciate because the violence is not as extreme and the stories are filled with drama , morals , and humor .
Now for Samurai X , the motion picture . This , I believe , is a perfect blend of the OVA series and the TV series . The artwork is more consistent with the TV series , as you see Kenshin's friends like Yahiko Sanosuke , and Kenshin has the vibrant red hair purple outfit . It seems suitable to me because he is trying now to rid of his dark past ( which had a darker look to it ) . The only thing that made it difficult for me to get into this picture at first was the English dub ; though I like BOTH the English and Japanese voices on the TV series , this movie , I thought , was TERRIBLE in the English voice department . So I switched to the original Japanese track and was very happy to find the voices from the Japanese TV version .
The story of the film is great , the characters are dynamic and the action is excellent . I read someone complain that they reused the open of the film 7 times throughout the picture . . . I was relieved to discover that each time they repeated they were not in their entirety , only mere images so it was fine and worked with the story . . . how could I FORGET about the OPEN ? ! The open to this film is what made me purchase it right away . Though the rest of the film doesn't have much of the feel or look as the open does ( kind of like an OVA open , slightly watered down - but VERY well executed ) it WAS a flashback of a different era . I cannot rave enough about the opening sequence , but I'll stop to spare you .
I think each Kenshin series has something good for anime lovers . The goofy faces / head bumps of the TV series is the only thing that has ever bothered me , but I get used to it . Fortunately , Samurai X , the Motion Picture doesn't have that element . Anyone think Toki Kaoru look VERY similar ? Anyway , this was an excellent movie - give it a chance ! ( Watch it in Japanese w / subs ! ! )
008 4 ah samurai x , the blood the guts the . . . . . HORRIBLE ENGLISH DUBBING ! ! ! ! seriously I dont know what ADV was smoking when they picked the voice actors for this movie . . . . but it makes the english version unwatchable , watch in japaneese .
as the title of this review tells you this is a steaming turd compared to the ruroni kenshin show and manga and the samurai x ova . . . in fact the first half of the movie is downright bad , but after the people start to fight . . . . then it gets good , the action is well animated , all the main characters from the show are present ( hagime saito is the best by the way )
if you are a diehard ruroken fan then by all means get this , if not then there are better anime movies out there .
also I find it interesting that the amazon reviewer ( charles solomon ) liked this movie . . . . he usually gives all the anime he touches bad reviews . . . . . although to me it seems like a crime to give this a better review than last exile , I guess its a matter of opinion .
013 4 This review is from :
Samurai X - The Motion Picture ( Rurouni Kenshin ) ( DVD )
This movie , if you buy it , you should watch the TV series up until the beginning of the Shishio saga , at least . If you watch this movie before that you'll just end up confused , saying who is that Cop Dude and so forth . It was just meant to be a quick episode that probably didnt fit into the timing of the regular series . . . . . still worth getting tho if your a BIG fan like me ^ . ^
as for the Trust / Betrayl OVA's YOUR BETTER OFF NOT GETTING THEM OR WATCHING TILL YOU FINISH THE ENTIRE SERIES . . . . . trust me it'll just be better than . It answers some of the questions you might have had during the series . . . . if you watch them first than you'll just spoil the entire series for yourself .
IN CONCLUSION : TV SERIES FIRST , KENSHIN MOVIE SECOND , AND OVA'S LAST is the order in which you should watch them .
~ TenKen ~
014 4 This movie , if you buy it , you should watch the TV series up until the beginning of the Shishio saga , at least . If you watch this movie before that you'll just end up confused , saying who is that Cop Dude and so forth . It was just meant to be a quick episode that probably didnt fit into the timing of the regular series . . . . . still worth getting tho if your a BIG fan like me ^ . ^
as for the Trust / Betrayl OVA's YOUR BETTER OFF NOT GETTING THEM OR WATCHING TILL YOU FINISH THE ENTIRE SERIES . . . . . trust me it'll just be better than . It answers some of the questions you might have had during the series . . . . if you watch them first than you'll just spoil the entire series for yourself .
IN CONCLUSION : TV SERIES FIRST , KENSHIN MOVIE SECOND , AND OVA'S LAST is the order in which you should watch them .
~ TenKen ~
017 4 The storyline in this movie is pretty good ( not as good as the first 2 seasons of the TV series ) . The characters are just as good as the ones in the TV series in that they developed very well and they're not annoying . The video is OUTSTANDING I wish they did the TV series swords and weapons like this . The only problem with the video quality is that they make Kenshin's hair look very orange when it's red but that doesn't really matter . Just so people know this movie is a stand alone which means that it does actually have anything to do with the main storyline . I would recommend this to ANY Rurouni Kenshin fan or just an anime fan . The DVD has quite a few trailers that are eye candy for anime fans . The disc does not contain many movie related special features .
023 4 All right , I have to tell you im obssed about Kenshin and this was a good movie
In the beginning of the movie , they show a scene . . . all right ?
then during the first thirty minutes , Kenshin , Kaoru , Sanoske , yahiko talk . . . then they show the the scene at the beginning of the movie again .
Then Kenshin and his group meet this new person with really THICK eyebrows , then they show the scene at the beginning again .
They just kept on showing THE FIRST SCENE ! I was like ! OKAY THAT S ENOUGH NOW ! YOU DONT HAVE TO KEEP ON REPEATING IT OVER AND OVER !
but toward the end it got interesting , there was action and it was really good then romance then drama .
Although , this movie is more like a T.V . series compared to Reflection , Trust and Betrayal , they drew them a little different .
The songs were good too , Oh and watch it first in english , cause if you watched it first in japanese , you wont be able to stand the english dubbing.That's what I always do .
089 4 DO NOT BUY THIS ! ! ! ! !
I bought this on pay-per-view not to long ago , . . .
It started out GREAT ! - The story is good , - The syle is nice , - The art style is good , - The art itself is GREAT - The movie - . . . . IT'S - DOWN-RIGHT BORRRINNNGGGG - - - - ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The movie almost put me to sleep ! - is simply mind numbing ! - _ - zzzZZZ
I thoght the story was eehhh . . . ok . I give the story 3 stars , but the movie . . . . Negative-onecentillion stars ! ( centillion = 303 - 700 zerros ) WHHHAATT KIND OF MOVIE IS THIS ? ? ! ! ! ! - I couldn't even pause it ! ; _ ; |
076 4 good movie , can get boring after a while . Not a good as the ova or series . choice between series or this ? series . . . .
079 4 this movie is of fantastic quality and idea ; but it seems more of an episode serial than a real , live movie . For instance , characters like saitoh just keep popping up , having so significance stability to the movie ; but all in all it is impressive .
When Kenshin Himura was Hitokiri Battosai , he happened to kill a man named Gentatsu of the iwano group opposing the meiji government . Kenshin ; after his reformation meets a man named Shigure Takimi ; Gentatsu's friend who takes care of Gentatsu's siter , Toki . Shigure blames himself for Gentatsu's death having not listened to him and sent him for another mission and feels even more horrible having witnessed Gentatsu's death ; but Shigure doesn't recognize Kenshin . Shigure , meanwhile in order to honour all those who died , like Gentatsu for the cause commands a band of rebels . Th rebels oppose the corrupt Meiji government and consist of either those who lost loved ones in the Bakamatsu or those who survived it ; but his right-hand man conspires against him with the captain of the Japanese police ; Tamano . Meanwhile , during a fight with the police , Kenshin has no choice but to fight Shigure and Shigure identifies his fighting style as the one which , killed Gentatsu . Hence , later after the rebels ' defeat , Kenshin goes to meet Shigure and settle the score bloodlessly . Shigure and Kenshin fight ; and end up wounding eachother before Kenshin menitons Toki , who loves Shigure and how he has made her cry . He mentions also that Gentatsu would not want Toki to cry . This seems to get to Shigure , who gives up ; and lets Toki tend to his wounds while promising her to give himself up to the authorities . But his right-hand man's fellow conspirator , Tamano betrays him and shows up with a bunch of cannons and starts killing the defenceless fighters . They aim at Toki and in order to save her , Shigure jumps in front and takes five bullets and dies .
Kenshin is outraged and has that yellow gleam in his eyes to indicate he is battosai mode . He attacks Tamano just when General Yamagata comes to command the troops and we last see Toki crying over Shigure's dead body .
The ending is quite nice , really . Toki goes to Shigure's hometown to bury his belongings and she wants her schoolchildren ( Shes a teacher ) to dream like Shigure of a world without bloodshed and we see Kenshin looking up at the sky and saying , So what about it , Gentatsu ? The sky should always go high and be blue , no matter waht .
001 4 To get it out of the way first , I thoroughly enjoyed this movie - - I am huge fan of the Rurouni Kenshin series , and the movie , while not quite as good as the series ' best parts , succeeded in giving me more of the same stuff I love so much ( as long as you don't watch the horrific English dub - - even compared to the series ' English dub it's horrible ) .
Now on to the important part - - the confusion that has been steeped upon this release . Here's what everyone should know , but seems to ignore ( at least in reviews ) : Samurai X is the American title used to replace the Japanese title , Rurouni Kenshin , when this movie and the OVA's were released by ADV . The original series ( it came first , only after the comic ) is being released under its original title by Anime Works . The Kenshin OVA's ( under the American titles Samurai X : Trust and Samurai X : Betrayal ) were made later as a prequel to the series , chronicling the early days of Battousai the Manslayer / Hitokiri . By the time the series begins , 10 years later , the main character Kenshin has given up his past role of Battousai in order to somehow make up for his evils , so he lives as a wandering swordsman ( note : not a samurai by any means , ever ! ) who refuses to kill . The Rurouni Kenshin movie takes place around the time of the series - - as in , the same supporting cast appears , and Kenshin is currently a wanderer . Not only does the movie's story occur within the context of the series , but stylistically it fits as well .
Comparing the RK movie to the OVA series , in terms of story or style , is useless . They are two completely different works based on the same series , one made to portray the dark and violent aspects of Kenshin's early life , and the other meant to act as a direct companion to the material in the series . One reviewer relates the series and OVA's as being two seperate universes , and the movie an amalgamation of the two . Well , that is just flat-out wrong . All three works have been created along a timeline in terms of story , and in the case of style , have been created to reflect the period of Kenshin's that is being chronicled . The only reason the name Samurai X was given to the OVA's and movie was to make them look cooler for an American audience by Sony & ADV after they acquired the rights . The American name says nothing about the contents .
002 4 The timing of this film is after the ' Samurai X ' OVA's . The year is 1879 , sometime during the progress of the ' Rurouni Kenshin ' television series . The bloody overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate has been followed by the Meiji restoration , but all is not well . Samurai led by Takimi Shigure regret the passing of the old days and plan to start a counter-revolution . Himura Kenshin , one of the samurai who fought to overthrow the Shogunate , finds himself forced by destiny to oppose Shigure . In the past , a mistake by Shigure left his closest friend , Takatsuki Gentatsu without sufficient resources for a raid . Unknown to Shigure , Kenshin is the samurai who killed Gentatsu . Both men were deeply affected by this , at the restoration of the Meiji , Shigure was sworn to vengeance . And Kenshin had his sword blade reversed , determined never to kill with his sword again .
Now , in Yokohama , Shigure plots the death of the British Governor . When Kenshin helps protect Takatsuki Toki ( Gentatsu's sister ) Shigure befriends Kenshin and eventually asks him to take care of Toki if something should happen to him . In the meantime , forces in the government intend to use Shigure as a means for achieving their own ends , creating a multi-layered scenario of betrayals that will culminate in the final battle between the two honorable opponents .
Despite ( or perhaps because of ) the highly romanticized depiction of samurai behavior and swordmanship , this becomes a dramatically engaging story instead of a simple tale of blood and swashbuckling . Kenshin's youthful appearance and the antics of his friends keep the film from being overwhelmingly tragic . Thus it is a well-balanced plot with many subtexts to add to its richness .
Artistically , the film is first-class . The battle scenes are cleanly detailed , and the choreography of the sword fights is beautifully done , if a bit fantastical . The scenes have a fluid grace that will cause the viewer to stop action often , just to admire the illustration . This film , and the related tales of Rurouni Kenshin set a new standard for Samurai based anime , that is rarely equaled . Watching the OVA series before seeing the movie version will provide the viewer with useful background information , but the film stands quite well on its own , making it a fitting introduction to this popular and long-running series .
004 4 Let me start first by saying that RK is currently my favorite Anime - I think the Trust / Betrayal set and the entire TV series so far are FANTASTIC and worth 5 + stars . Unfortunately , Samurai X - The Motion Picture is neither here nor there .
The Trust / Betrayal series takes a little getting used to ( because it's different from the TV series ) , but the pair is a masterpiece - the quality of the Anime , the music , and most of all , the storyline , are all first rate . At first , when I saw the cross scar on Kenshin , I thought the Anime may be somewhat cheesy , but the Trust / Betrayal series totally dispelled that idea . . .
The TV series from Media Blasters isn't as deep or dark as the pair , but the storylines are tight , the action fast , and there's a great mix of lighthearted situations along with deeper tales - you'll care about the bad guys as much as the good !
Now , we get the Samurai X - TMP . The animation is in the style of the TV series , but it's as long as a movie . The story is flabby and doesn't get anywhere until the second half ( not as well written as the TV series ) and the animation quality tries to be more than the TV series , but doesn't quite do it . If you are an RK fan , there's nothing I can write here to convince you of anything , but I would just suggest that you RENT this one first .
So far , I have purchased ALL the RK DVDs and I intend to purchase the entire TV series on DVD . The one exception is this one - I've cancelled my order after having rented it . It truly deserves 3.5 stars - suggestion : rent it first , before you buy .
006 4 I'm a HUGE fan of Rurouni Kenshin , and this my favorite movie . After watching the TV series and OVAs , I needed some more Kenshin , and I bought this movie , and it was excellent . The animation is superb , the soundtrack ( which I'm listening to as I write this ) is a masterpiece and the story is very good ( altough it has some flaws . . . ) . We all know the characters , Kenshin , Kaoru , Sanosuke and Yahiko , and we are also introduced to Shigure Takimi and Takatsuki Toki . These two characters play a big roll on this movie , specially Shigure . There's politic involved in this story , and some good ( but somewhat cliched ) plot twists , with the usual greediness , betrayal and last-minute realizations that you were walking the wrong path . The fighting scenes are pretty cool , involving Kenshin , Saitou ( something on this later ) , Sanosuke and Shigure . Near the ending , Kenshin does a new move , one never before seen thats pretty cool and I don't wanna spoil it . The chronological order is a little confusing if you want to put it within the series , but it is safe to watch after seeing the second season . What I mean is that , like some other reviewers have said , Kenshin after the second season has suppressed or overcome his hitokkiri nature , and in this movie he was possesed once again by his anger . Also Saitou . . . well . . . something happens to him on the ending of the Kyoto Arc , and he still appears here , so this has something that put it after the Kyoto Arc ( knowing the Amakkakeru Ryu no Hirameki and Sano's Futae no Kiwami ) and other things that put it before the Kyoto Arc ( the appearance of Saitou and Kenshin's manslayer nature emerging ) , so we'll never know for sure . Still , this is a pretty good story , with a sad but satisfiying ( to me at least ) ending , pretty good animation and extremly cool fighting scenes . A must buy for Rurouni Kenshin fans and fans of anime in general .
009 4 This is divided into two parts , the first part pertains to those who are Kenshin fans , the second part pertains to those who are not familiar with Kenshin .
Let me start by saying that if you are a Kenshin fan , you'll want to have this movie . It shows an aspect of Kenshin's character we rarely get to see - the results of his prior days as the manslayer . While in the t.v . series Kenshin suffers in a more generic , non-specific kind of way for his past sins , that is , he doesn't see the direct results of his actions , such as the suffering of the families of those he killed , in this movie he is slapped in the face with it . He learns of the suffering first hand , from the relatives of one he had previously slain in the name of justice . This is much the same as the first movies , Trust and Betrayal . The only thing I could complain about was the difference in the voices of the English dub of the series and the English dub of this movie . While most of the changes weren't distracting , the voice of Sanosuke was absolutely horrendous to the point of distracting me . Other than that , kudos to this film for being entertaining and giving a little further development into the Kenshin character .
For those who are not Kenshin fans , this movie might be confusing . It is chock full of history and characters that are prevalent throughout the series but are not exactly things you would hear or be able to relate to in every day life . The movie is rather violent if you are not used to Kenshin , but no more so than any of the other animes out there that contain violence . Again , I would suggest watching the series first , and then trying the movies out .
Finally , Kenshin remains true to the ideal of the series , trying to resolve differences , atone for his sins and make up for the hurt he has caused in the past , to the point where he is willing to die to even the score . Kenshin is a man who is gentle and full of compassion , but can also kick butt and protect those who need protecting . He rocks in the movies just like he rocks on the series .
012 4 Samurai X the movie is an amazing film but the voice actors are terribly weak and any true fan of the series will realize this as soon as they start talking . They take so much away from the film , Kenshin sounds like a young and inexperienced child , Kaoru's always whining and I mean way more than she does on the series , Yahiko might as well have grown a few feet and a beard cause he sounds like a grown man , and Sanosuke's new voice isn't deep enough .
The Samurai X Movie is just another story of how Kenshins past catches up with him . Of course once again Kenshin is faced against a furious man obsessed with revenge and confused of how the deadly Battousai that once took someone from him could turn into Kenshin . I suggest watching Samurai X - The Motion Picture with the Japanese audio and English subtitles because it will hurt your ears to hear these amazing characters with these horrible voices .
016 4 When the Rurouni Kenshin OVA came out in 1998 , people were stunned . The animation , the gorgeous music , the fantastic plot which finally revealed how Kenshin received his cross-scar . . . everything . When it was released in America a year ago , people were again stunned . With its increasing popularity , ADV Films released the motion picture , which takes place after both the OVA and TV series . And is it comparable ? With its amazing animation , marvelous music , incredible plot , and talented voice actors , you cannot complain .
The animation is very fluid , and in no way could I complain . Okay , maybe I can a little . The battle sequences are similar to the TV series , with mere cuts being slashed on a still frame . What's bad about this is that the sound effects are still going with all the slashes and grunts . A few times ( namely the beginning and end ) were drawn in the OVA's type of fighting ( where you can actually see what's going on ) . These were extremely enjoyable , and a few were even more action-packed than the OVA .
Fortunately , the original company that produced this decided not to use any CG effects . Thank God . They came off poorly in the OVA , due to the mixing of artistry and special effects .
According to the back cover , the movie got a remastered VHS source . Comparing it to the Rurouni Kenshin OVA , you can indefinitely see a major difference . But on its own , the movie looks fairly nice . There weren't any major rainbows or any line noise that I could detect .
During the entire viewing session , I listened to the Japanese audio . There are no real flaws here , technically . Unlike Endless Waltz ' s 5.1 mix , this one only received a 2.0 ; it still sounds good , though . What's my complaint ? The opening and ending songs . Ugh . . . they're just so . . . terrible . It's basically a man singing with some background music , but it doesn't fit at all with the actual movie's mood . The composer , Taro Iwashiro , seemed to copy the OVA's composer , Taku Iwakasi ( who did the best job that could have been done ) . The only thing Iwashiro did wrong was that he made the songs too repetitive .
Packaging was extremely nice for this one . It's simplistic and very cool . The front cover sports Kenshin with the opponent yelling ( extremely lame , might I add ) in the background . The back cover is much nicer , though ! There is a black background with a greyscale image of Kenshin blended in . The image of Kenshin holding Kaoru is stamped on and looks marvelous . In addition , there are nice little screenshots that are decorated in a nice white border work very well , as they mix beautifully . Nitpicks ? Heck yes . The last two screenshots are , at closer inspection , very blurry and poorly captured . The top two of Toki and Yahiko must not have been screenshots ; but rather scans . The listings of the cast and crew enhance the feel of it being a movie .
While many people hated the Samurai X title ( as do I ) , ADV actually gave us a nice looking X . The actual DVD disc looks incredible . It has the picture of half of a 3D blue X , with three signs of ADV Films , DVD Video , and Dolby Digital . The insert is amazing . Though it first is terrible , once you flip it over you seem something much cooler . The colors ( black , grey , red , and white ) work extremely well . A greyscale modified image of Sanosuke screaming in the background , with a sharp full-color image of Kenshin about to slash his sword , layered over works on so many levels . ^ ^ ;
Extras ? What extras ? The only . . . * ahem * extra was the trailers for the movie and OVA . Extremely weak . ADV could of at least shown us some effort ! Even textless versions of the opening and ending themes would have satisfied me ! Bah . . .
Nothing new here : the same cast did the same magnificent job . After hearing Mayo Suzukaze's serious role in the OVA a million times , it's nice to hear her go back to the wackier Kenshin . All the others are on par , as well . A definite A + job .
In Media Blasters's production of the domestic TV series , they list attacks as their pronunciation ( for example : do-ryu-sen ) . However , ADV decided to list their translations and I had to resist the urge to break out in laughter . In the middle of the last fight , Kenshin yelled out the battle cry , Dragon Hammer Flash ! Come on , people ! This is turning into Pokémon , for crying out loud !
Content-wise , the movie is humorous , dark , and at the same time , dramatic . Though I've only seen the OVAs and 20 - or-so episodes of the TV series , I can definitely say that this was an attempt to combine the two together . The result is incredible . While it does have a few chuckles here and there , the main theme is fairly dark ; it deals a lot with Kenshin's past ( a definite plus to all the people that hate this wimp version ) as Hitokiri Battousai . We even learn that there are more hitokiris than just Kenshin ! Cool !
Kenshin's opponent is just like many of the television episodes ; a former Bakumatsu samurai , wanting to destroy the new Meiji government . But this one actually ties in with everything , if not a bit cliched .
Believe it or not , I enjoyed it just a bit more than the OVA ( although watching it about thirty times might have helped ) . I've heard many people complain about it , but I rather enjoyed this 90 - minute presentation .
018 4 I watched this movie in english and thought the english dubbing sucked , but when you change it to japanese dubbing with english subtitles it was a good movie . I've rented this movie from blockbuster 4 times in the past 3 months and if you like anime and swords , can take seeing blood spill out of people suprisingly fast , and are 10 or older ( or so I think ) then you should give this movie a try .
019 4 I love Rurouni Kenshin , ( the TV series , I haven't seen Samurai X ) First of all , you should know that this movie , allthough called Samurai X , has nothing to do with the OVA's . It deals with Kenshin , Kaoru , Yahiko , and Sanosuke from the TV series and a couple other characters . Though it does show a bit of Kenshin's past , in the Bakumutsu . Anyway , I would give this movie 5 stars if it wasn't for the horrible dubbing ! They don't even use the lovely character's voices that we've come to love in the TV series . And that threw it off alot , but it's a good plot if you can kind-of ignore the voices . I plan on watching the japanese version , since they're voices haven't changed on there , and it's much better to hear Kenshin shout out his Hiten Mitsugri techniques like they're so supposed to be rather then translating them into what they mean . Anyway ! This falls in line somewhere with the TV series , so I suggest you watch the series to the ending of the Kyoto Arc and you'll be okay to watch this movie ! ^ _ ^
021 4 I saw the whole Kenshin series before buying the movie , and let me tell you the voices from the series were terrific ! However in this movie , they changed all the voices ! I could tolerate Kenshin's new voice since it sounded a little similar to his old voice , but everyone else's just plain sucked . I watched it in English first and didn't like it , but then I watched it in Japanese to find it much better ( even though I watched the whole series in English ) . If you want to give it a chance in English , go ahead but you will probably just end up hating it . Watch it subbed .
Anyway now that I'm done with my rant , let me review the actual movie . It wasn't that special , just an extremely long Kenshin episode . There's waaay too much talking and not enough action , but the few times they fight are pretty cool . The quality of the animation seems sloppier than in the series , which was a suprise since this is a movie . It doesn't seem that much more fluid than the series either , but the series was done very well so I'm not complaining that much . All of the music was the same from the series ( other than the opening song and ending song ) so that was a bit of a dissapointment .
The extras are lacking as well . The only extras are a trailer for the movie , a trailer for the Samurai X OVA's ( or OAV , whatever you wanna call it ) , and some trailers for other ADV Dvd's . Nothing exciting .
Overall this is a pretty average movie . I had very high expectations for it since I'm a huge fan of the series , so I was pretty dissapointed when I first saw it . Don't think very highly of it when you first watch it and you probably won't dislike it as much as I do .
By the way , this movie does not have anything to do with the Samurai X OVA's . This is a movie that takes place during the Kyoto arc of the Kenshin series . Why they decided to name it ' Samurai X the Movie ' and not ' Rurouni Kenshin the Movie ' is a mystery to me , but keep this in mind so you won't be confused when / if you decide to watch it .
022 4 In a mood to see some anime and samurai swordplay , I picked up this DVD having not seen any of the series . I am reviewing this film independent from the series .
From a basic standpoint , Samurai X gave me what I wanted to see :
- a compelling , unique , and initially mysterious main character
- some excellent fight scenes
- better than usual art work
- adequate English dubs and music
- a story that did not get in the way of the action
The initial fight scene , which takes place years before the rest of the story , really gripped me and made me want to continue on with the film . Gripping tension and excellent fighting action .
After that there was a lot of story setup where I was lost for the most part . This is probably because I never saw the series . Basically there was a civil war but some are angry with the new regime and wish to overthrow it . There is much intrigue that unfolds throughout the rest of the story as characters chose a side and then in some cases betrayed that side in the struggle .
In some cases I thought the double-crosses became too many , but the plot advanced just fine and brought about enough fight scenes .
One thing I will admit to admiring about this movie was how it moved me emotionally at some points . I felt tension when young Yahiko got trapped by the rebels . I felt a bit of sorrow in the end for Takimi and Toki . I could understand Takimi's rage at Kenshin . This was one of the strong points of the movie , and the music did a decent job of adding to the emotion .
All in all , maybe not one of the greatest movies of all time , but certainly entertaining and superior within its own genre . I recommend this to anyone with an interest in anime set in a historical samurai time period .
025 4 A good movie for anyone who is a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin series . Taking place after the Kyoto arc ( check out the series if you are unfamiliar with this ) , this is much better than what happens afterwards in the anime . Check this out if you like the series .
026 4 Samurai X : The Motion Picture follows the journeys of Kenshin Himura , the wandering samurai , as he , Sanosuke Sagara , Miss Kaoru , and Yahigo travel to Kyoto . After rescuing a woman from a band of British Sailors , Kenshin is haunted by visions of his past as a man slayer . He even comes against an old adversary who is bent on exacting revenge on the Meiji government for crimes against him and his soldiers . Kenshin must now fight to maintain the peace , and keep a promise .
This movie is well done , but requires knowledge of the Kenshin series . If you have never seen Kenshin before , the various references to characters will make no sense at all . There are even moves used by Sanosuke that make absolutely no sense , unless you had prior knowledge of his character and how he was trained . I could not decipher where this movie fits into the whole Kenshin universe . Samurai X : The Motion Picture features techniques learned after the second season as well as inexperienced fighting from before the second season . This unbalance hurts the movie for those who have not been watching the Rurouni Kenshin series from the beginning .
Fights are definitely well drawn . They do suffer from the preverbal announcing your attack syndrome as seen in most fighting video games . This can get annoying the first few times you watch the movie , but once you get past this , Samurai X will be just like any other anime .
I recommend this movie for Kenshin fans . If you are new to the series , it still is a good anime , but there are some parts that may be difficult to understand . See a few episodes of Rurouni Kenshin before seeing Samurai X , otherwise you will find yourself at a lost for some of the important characters .
027 4 RK is currently tied for my first favorite anime ( Escaflowne is its competition ) The movie i thought was pretty good , but it falls short of the TV series and the OAVs . But definetly worth checking out . Its a little slow going , but it takes the time to develope the story line nicely , and there are some pretty cool fights . So my virdict is definetly check it out , its up to u though if u will think its up to par with the OAVs and TV series . If your a RK fan , im positive u will like it either way though .
030 4 I thought the movie was really good.I mean , it had everything I loved from the show.It didn't however , have the same English voice actors.I know almost everyone loves watching anime in the original Japanese . I dont like reading the subtitles , not because I'm lazy , but because it draws me away from whats going on.I did watch this one in the original form because it was so terrible.I would have given it a 4.5 star rating , but I cant.Well thats my opinion I hope someone will agree w / me .
031 4 At the start of Samurai X : The Motion Picture ( Rurôni Kenshin : Ishin shishi e no Requiem ) we are clearly in the same bloody world of Samurai X : Betrayal and Samurai X : Trust . But then the titles come along and we are back to the world of Rurôni Kenshin the series , with Kaoru Kamiya , Sanosuke Sagara , and Yahiko My。jin on the train to Yokohama . Apparently the violent prologue was only a reminder of Kenshin's life as the Hitokiri Battousai ( the man who slashes even as he draws his sword ) .
Within the context of the character's history the point of this story is to contrive a situation in which Kenshin Himura might break his vow and actually kill somebody with his reverse blade sword . As is often the case in the series although the war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years earlier with the Meiji Restoration there are those who are not happy with the new world order in Japan . Shigare Takimi is haunted by the death of his friend Takatsuki Gentatsu and now leads a band of desparate rebels who intended to kill a foreign ambassador . But when Kenshin helps to protect Takatsuki Toki from the brutality of foreign sailors , the two men become friends . Shigure asks Kenshime to take care of Toki if anything should ever happen to him . Of course it is a small world even in Japan Toki is the sister of Gentatsu , who was killed by Kenshin ( in the prologue ) .
Still , there are plans within plans in Meiji Japan as someone else is trying to use Shigure to his own ends and in the end it seems inevitable that Shigure and Kenshin will cross swords . This is another example of a Rurôni Kenshin story in which the stranger with a past whose path has crossed our hero before ends up being the most interesting character . It also remind those of us who enjoyed the anime series that things had ended there with Kaoru and Kenshin finally getting together and now we have apparently reset to an earlier time ( the trip to Yokohama ) and we can only ask , what is up with that ? Still , you have to admit that this is movie version is representative of the series , where a long string of former foes cross Kenshin's path once again .
I accidentally started watching the movie with the English dub and the English subtitles and kept it going just because there were so few times when they came close to matching . So if you are not enthralled by the sword fighting and the human drama you can check out the dueling translations .
032 4 To date ( 12 / 2 / 02 ) , this is the only theatrical film based upon the story and characters of the Rurouni Kenshin series . I will skip a summary of the plot , since this will have been covered adequately in other reviews .
ADV , not AnimeWorks , produced this American release , and the dubbing team is the same actors who voiced the OVA miniseries ( i.e . , not the main series crew ) . This is one of the chief problems with the film ( insofar as its American release is concerned ) ; for while the dubbing crew did an outstanding job for the OVA , in my opinion , they had a hard time shifting to the occasionally light-hearted and comic tone required for the theatrical film . ( They do much better when the tone shifts to drama . )
The dubbing writers chose the odd tactic of representing the antagonist ( he isn't really a villain ) as being someone who can mimic and improve upon other people's fighting styles - - in this case , Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi . It's a novel notion , and almost works ; but it doesn't really match what is happening on the screen , and certainly doesn't match the original dialogue ( so far as I know - - the subtitles say he's using his own style , and that fits the series psych-philosophy of dueling much better . )
The storyline takes place during the continuity of the main series . Exactly when , is a matter of debate . Internal evidence ( as well as production characteristics ) indicate that it should be placed after the main series Kyoto arc , but before the concluding feng shui arc of season 3 ( when most of the government buildings in Tokyo are wiped out ) . There are some secondary thematic similarities to the 3rd season Shimabara arc ; but the film has a more dramatically satisfying conclusion , in my opinion . ( At least the fight scenes are better - - so far as they go ; they aren't better than the majority of fights during the Kyoto arc . . . )
Artistic values are fairly high 3rd-season level , although not yet at the level of the final main series ep nor the OVA . I found no music in the movie ( or on its soundtrack , which I've bought ) from the 1st or 2nd seasons ; it's all from the 3rd season . ( Or it may be that the 3rd season borrows music liberally from this movie , the 2nd season , and a little from the 1st season . . . The ' new ' music first appears in the aforementioned Shimabara arc . )
Although the ep isn't strictly canonical ( it isn't borrowed from the manga , so far as I know , and other eps don't reference it ) , I still recommend it as part of a series watch-through .
Personally , I prefer to watch it just prior to the beginning of the Kyoto Arc ( essentially the whole of the 2nd season ) .
There is nothing too far out of line for shifting the order this early , except for Sano's one use of the futonokiwami move : but in English this is ignored ( I don't remember if he says the name of the move in Japanese ) ; and all throughout the 3rd season he is unable to punch with that hand ( having broken every bone trying to use the punch on Mikoto Shishio ) . Besides , as is common for ' strong man ' characters in most fictional stories , the RuroKen writers tend to ramp Sano's strength up and down however necessary for the situation at hand : he's splitting huge trees in half with one punch in season 2 , partly for comedy-value , _ before _ he learns the futo ' , for instance ! Punching a blockade out of the way is in the same vein , I think .
Hajime Saito's involvement with the story may seem problematic ; but I argue that it can still fit a pre - 2nd season ' ep ' . We know from season 2 that Kenshin knows Saito is alive ; that Saito has been keeping an eye on Kenshin ; and that Kenshin wasn't expecting Saito to come after him in _ this _ fashion ( maybe come after him some day , but not like _ this _ ) . This is commensurate with Kenshin meeting Saito briefly in this film . Nothing in season 2 indicates that Kenshin is surprised to learn Saito is a police officer . Saito meets virtually no one in the film who has any bearing to the Kyoto Arc . Saito's involvement in the film is admittedly abrupt , in terms of a ' plot introduction ' ; but if the film is screened right before Kyoto starts , then the hanging question Who _ was _ that guy ! ? is satisfactorily answered right from the beginning .
Thus , my recommendation of view order : Season 1 ( skipping the False Prophet DVD 4 , as to taste ) , temporarily skip the train robbery ep ( DVD 5 ) , then do the short arc introducing Sano's friend ( DVD 6 ) , then do the train robbery ep , which the theatrical feature could be seen as beginning with . ( The ' modern day ' majority of the movie begins with Sano and Kaoru doing their steam / ghost argument while riding the train to Yokohama . Title credit song is highly annoying , btw . | g | ) Then after the theatrical , go straight to Kyoto Arc and play out from there . ( The coastal pirate arc of Season 1 can be skipped , or put in earlier , as to taste . )
033 4 The Samurai X Motion Picture , sometimes known as the Rurouni Kenshin movie , takes slivers from both parts of the Rurouni Kenshin universe and combines them . This can be a surprise if you're not expecting it and can be a disappointment if you're not prepared .
For the most part , the animation style is based on that of the TV series , which is characterized by brighter colors and spiky hair . In addition , the characters are drawn from their incarnations in the TV show . This means that Kenshin is no longer the Battousai but rather a ' rurouni ' or wanderer who will not kill , quite different from his OAV personality .
There are some portions where the animation resembles that of the OAV but this turns out to be merely one fight , inserted a number of times into different parts of the movie . There is little else that resembles the OAV though , which can be a disappointment for its fans . The movie takes place well after the OAV , with even the flashbacks to Kenshin as the Battousai coming after the events in the OAV . No set time is given for where it takes place in the TV series , if it even happened according to the series timeline at all .
The plot takes a while to get off the ground , struggling through the first 30 minutes or so . It does draw you in eventually , if you let it , but it feels like a bit of a let down from what you've come to expect from the TV series or the OAV . Kenshin has one serious fight at the end , leaving you feeling cheated . The plot resolution feels a bit weak as well , though they do manage to tie up the loose ends .
For those who are used to the voices in the English dub of the TV series , the voices in the English dub of the movie are not the same . The DVD offers the movie in Japanese with English subtitles or in English , which gives the viewer a choice . The art is slightly different from that of the TV series , though clearly based on it . It is more gory than the TV series however .
All in all , as a fan of both Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X , I found the movie to be a little bit of both . It didn't rate 5 stars because of the problems I felt it had , but it is still worth getting if you're prepared for the differences . The film still manages to present Kenshin with some beautifully done emotional conflicts and it's worthwhile to see how he reacts . It's not the perfect movie for either series , but it does share a little bit of both .
034 4 For those who Watch The Rurouni Kenshin for the first time , let me tell you that you don't know what you're loosgin by not knowing the original anime serie . I watched the whole 95 chapters , for me it is the best anime i've ever seen , i even felt very unhappy with the serie finale , anyway , Requiem fot the Ishinshin , is a very good movie but a i dare to say that the could've done better , it is a Battousai Movie , of course they could've done better than that , buttttttttt , no matter what it's Rurouni Kenshin , and just beacuse of that it deserves 5 whole stars
035 4 I love the Rurouni Kenshin series and I loved all the Samurai X movies . . . except for this one .
With a totally political story line and a single good action scene that they flash back to it seems like every 15 minutes , I can safely say that this is not a good Kenshin movie , or a good anime movie for that matter . I recommend Samurai X : Trust & Betrayal , and Samurai X : Reflections . Don't waste time or money on this unless your a real die hard Kenshin fan .
PS . The voice acting is terrible in this .
036 4 This review is from :
Samurai X - The Motion Picture ( Rurouni Kenshin ) ( DVD )
Very poorly done ! The motion picture did not even use the same English voice actors as in Rurouni Kenshin . The voice actor for Kaoru did not even know how to pronounce Sanosuke . It is best to watch in Japanese with English subtitles . This movie is a waste of time and money .
038 4 I thought all the Samurai X Anime were slow and tiresome , I dont think they are worth paying over 20 dollars for . Fight scenes were few . . . . dialog was plentiful .
039 4 this movie takes place midway between the series , before the shishio saga , after sanno meets his artist friend . its a stand alone story and is quite like an extended 4 episode part of the series itself .
there is some getting used to the voice actors as only a few of the voices returned for it .
if you have the series , its wrtht getting
the animation is not like the samurai x movies , it is like the series .
its worth seeing at least once . . . i would however reccomend having seen the series first to help in the points of reference
040 4 The motion picture set a few years after the end of the series is a nice look into the continuing saga of Kenshin and his gang . This anima is always at it's best when they bring in people from Kenshin's past and the era of the Meiji Restoration .
My one gripe about the anime , in general . After learning the Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki ( the Hiten Ryu's final attack ) it's suddenly become the only way Kenshin can defeat enemies . I can see that being the case against Makoto Shisio , but against everybody ? C'mon .
Otherwise a wonderful anime .
042 4 After seeing most of the Kenshin series i thought to myself that I want more kenshin . Then I see Samurai X : The Motion picture in a store and buy it . Trust me , If you haven't seen or bought the movie then buy it . Its action packed all the way . The blood , the effects , and the romance tie together to make one of the best anime movies I've seen in ages .
043 4 Samurai X is more of the anime series instead of the ova and the title was just created by A.D.Vision so don't get confused with the title . Samurai X ( Rurouni Kenshin ) The Motion Picture is about Kenshin Himura Dealing with his own past back during the revolution . When Kenshin and his go to Yokohama for a little vacation they run into a swordsman that was alaso in the revolution that wants to have revenge against the man that killed his best friend in the revolution . This movie was alright but the story was kinda boring and I had to see the same scene about 6 times during the movie . Get this if you want to if you are a real RUROUNI KENSHIN fan because this may not satisfy you .
045 4 Samurai x the motion picture is alright , the only reason I bought it was because I am a big rurouni kenshin fan and because I needed some to waste my money.The story starts out with a backround of kenshins life during the revolution ( CAUTION : this scene comes out a few times so you might get tired of seeing it ) . Then later Kenshin and his friend's meet up with a guy named Shigure that was also in the revlution 10 years ago.My favorite scene was when Kenshin fighting shigure in the last battle in the whole movie . This feature is preety much about revenge and making a name for them selves , it's actually very stupid.Like I said in my review the story is alright the fighting was alright the movie is alright I just did not like the dubbing it was just horrible I just had to ger used to it.Only get this if yu are a true rurouni kenshin fan like I am .
046 4 Samurai X The Motion Picture is an interesting movie that features some of the better post Kyoto fighting but other than that the movie itself in fairly unremarkable . The movie begins with a flashback of Kenshin as the Battousai in the waning days of the Tokugawa Shogunate . He fights and kills a rival clan and one of its master swordsmen . It is a good fight , short but well done . This segment is done in muted colors with the exception of the blood which looks almost neon red . The movie features most of the characters we have come to expect throughout the Kyoto story arc-Sano , Kaoru , Yahiko , and Saito . The movie revolves around Takami , a central figure of the rival clan featured in the opening sequence . He is man riddled with guilt over the death of his friend . Now he wishes to topple the Meji government to bring a true restoration . In the end the movie has some great fight scenes , a few comical moments , and a solid enough story that keeps the movie rolling along . The English voice cast is different than that of the Series , so if you prefer the English dub , well suffice to say it leaves ALOT to be desired . The anime purists will tell you watch it in Japanese with the subtitles anyway . The reason I did not rate it higher was that this movie lacked some of the charm of the Series and the fights , while very well done , were not that numerous and the movie does plod a bit because of the lack of action . If the characters inroduced in this movie were also better developed then the action could have been absent but not missed . As it is the movie is good but not great . Hope this helps .
047 4 In my opinion , Rurouni Kenshin is in my top 3 anime series of all time . Filled with humor , action , lovable characters , great storylines ( although the sumo wrestler from season 1 was odd ) . So hearing of this movie , having watched the pre tv-OVA's , decided to watch this . Despite certain things that nagged me , this is a very good film to watch .
It starts with a flashback as a man named Gentatsu is killed by Kenshin , otherwise known as Hitokiri Battousai , a feared assassin and master swordsman . Back to present day , Kenshin and his 3 friends from the series ( minus Megumi ) are in a city . There they meet Takimi , an equally good swordsmen . Kenshin later finds out that Takimi is haunted by the death of his friend Gentatsu and wants to get rid of Japan's government . Kenshin finds himself in a predicament as not only does he have to stop Takimi from starting a war , he's got to stop Takimi and not kill him over the wishes of Toki , a woman who secretly loves him .
Phew . It's easier to watch . Bit of storyline details . This takes place during the Kyoto Arc after Kenshin has met Saito , and after Sanosuke learns a new punch . It was rather sad to not see Megumi but you do see Ayume and and Sazume so that's a plus . Animation's great ( although the blood looks odd in some parts ) and Kenshin oddly looks a bit different here .
Now for some bad stuff . The killing of Tentatsu is repeated many times throughout the film . While it is a reminder of the problems of Kenshin and Takimi , you don't have to have it 5 times , literally . Another thing is the dub . I watched the English dub and it's rather bad . One thing that made Rurouni Kenshin funny was Kenshin having a darker voice when he was about to fight and a more lighthearted voice during the slapstick moments , then of course there's oro . And Sanosuke has a bit of an australian accent which doesn't sound right . However , Kenshin's english voice is good despite him not saying oro once .
If you're a big Kenshin , you might as well check it out , won't hurt . If you're not , I recommend the watching the series up until the first half of Season 1 and if you want to know about Saito , watch some of Season 2 but I recommend watching it .
048 4 After getting pretty deep into the TV series , I searched out the rest of Kenshin's world . Fortunately , the manga is being released here . I have also seen the OVA , which explains Kenshin's past before the TV series and the manga . Then I got into the movie .
This - - is - - awesome ! Like the OVA , it moved me in a way that few ( if any ) anime ever have . Unlike the OVA , there are many funny parts in addition to the depressing parts . I love it when Yahiko is told to grow up to be an honorable man worthy of respect , and he thinks of his two role models , Kenshin and Sanosuke . The look on his face when he thinks of the older pair in some of their goofier aspects is great !
The focus , however , is on the dramatic rather than the humorous . Kenshin is forced to relive a part of his life he would in all honesty rather forget , even erase . His past once again taints a relationship that otherwise would have gone smoothly , and in the end he and his new ally are forced to fight on opposite sides . Again . However , this time it ends , not with the reconciliation of the pair , but in tragedy .
The fight scenes in this movie are of the same quality you've come to expect from this incredible series . The fight between Shigure and Kenshin is just jaw-dropping ! I actually said Wow ! the first time I saw it .
Oh , and there is something I should mention . One fight is shown several times through several different angles . This fact may turn a lot of people off , but it IS important to the story . And that is ( understandably ) the only time he fights this particular man , so they have to keep showing the same small battle . It certainly didn't hurt me to see the same fight three or four times .
Like the series , the English dub SUCKS ! I hate it ! * imagines taking the dub track from the people at the studio and stomping on it * The Japanese is SO much better ! Kenshin as a character is supposed to have one of those voices that could be either male or female - - that is part of the whole joke surrounding the character . He is supposed to be mistaken for a teenage boy at best , a young woman at worst . However , in the English dub , he is given a definite male voice . That alone is worth burning the tape with dub track on it . But combined with the questionable talents of the other English actors . . . Anyway , I prefer the Japanese version , not just for the ( correct ) voices but also for the correct pronounciation of the names . And for the excellent subbing . The subbers actually translate the names of Kenshin's attacks . This is both good and bad , as I love to hear him say the names , but on the other hand I get to ( finally ) learn what those attacks really are .
In keeping with the somewhat darker tone of this movie , much of the action takes place at night or in dark buildings . What scenes are done in daylight are very well-done - - these are often the more humorous scenes . Except for the battle scene : there wasn't supposed to be anything funny about that . However , when I showed it to two of my friends , they found that scene really funny for some reason . But they were also laughing during the climax of the battle between Shigure and Kenshin . Grr . . .
I fully recommend this to any and all Kenshin fans , though if you don't know at least a little of the backstory than this probably won't make much sense .
050 4 Kenshin , Kaoru , Yahiko , and Sanosuke take a trip to Hokohama . This is a place of trade and Westerners . Anyway , the movie was overall pretty good . However , there are a lot of flashbacks in this movie . Kenshin flashes back to the Bakumatsu . We see him killing the same guy , over and over . It is very redundant . The fights in the end are fantastic . A very cool Battojutsu technique is seen only in this movie . The music is very fitting as well .
051 4 I've owned this movie for a while and it is a very good one to pick up . Basically Kenshin has to stop a revolution plot started by a clan member from one of his victims during the Meiji revolution . I don't want to tell too much of the story , but the animation is excellent and the story is gripping . If possible rent it if you're not too sure of the Samurai X series , but if you're a fan you'll enjoy it .
052 4 I don't know much about anime , but I loved this movie so much as I bought it . Though the plot is a little confusing at first , I rated it a four . It has vivid samurai fight scenes ( where the blood is bright red , it's like fireworks ) and likeable characters . It really shows the honor of fighting at the time . This is good for teenagers accustomed to violence but still sensitive to a nice storyline . Watch it in the dark .
053 4 If you're an anime lover this is a great movie for you to see ! I think Rurouni Kenshin ( Samurai X ) is one of the best anime's out there ! If you like fight scenes with a bit of romance then you'll love this . Its basically about a guy who is battling within himself about killing people . ( Conscious is taking over ) Really good ! Recommended ! TOTALLY !
054 4 This was my first Samurai X experience . I was very impressed with the deep story line and the top notch animation . However , the plot was rather predictable , the movie was too short , and too many flash backs ( maybe to make the movie longer ? ) . This would have received a 5 if it wasn't for those 3 things . Make no mistake , this movie was still BADASS . . . excuse the language : ) I loved it , and I think all anime lovers should take a look . BTW . . . I just started to collect the TV series and watched all the DVDs up to Ice Blue Eyes . I am also eagerly waiting for Trust and Betrayal to come home
055 4 The style of the movie is closer to the TV series Rurouni Kenshin than to its 4 - part OVA ( Samurai X ) . I totally love the TV series ( 5 star ) , and IMHO , the OVA is the absolute number 1 in ALL anime . In every aspect : story , music and fighting scenes , this movies falls short of my expectation .
( 1 ) Story : very predictable . ( 2 ) Length : tooooo short . ( 3 ) Music : not as good as OVA's , but still very good . ( 4 ) fighting scenes : only some cool ones in the beginning . But these scenes are shown too many times during the movie , which feels like these scenes are just used to fill the already very short length . Unlike the OVA where nothing is redudant . ( 4 ) I do not like the high-pitch voice of the main female character beside Kaoru ( whose voice , BTW , is good as usual ) .
Do not get me wrong , the movie is still better than 99% anime out there ( believe me , I have see a lot ) . So buy it , you would not be disappointed , unless you have already seen Samurai X and the TV series like I did .
057 4 This movie is great . The d.v.d . has an incredible sound and picture but it falls short on the extras , thats why I give it 4 stars and not 5 . But besides that there is nothing bad about this d.v.d . If you are not a fan of samurai X ( a.k.a . Rurouni kenshin ) you will be after you see this movie .
058 4 The Samurai X Motion Picture basically continues from where the Rurouni Kenshin series ended or continues . Kenshin , Kaoru , Sano , and Yahiko travel to Yokohama for a vacation and later spot a raid of drunk sailors , which comes the entrance of a new character , Shigure Takimi , to help them get rid of the sailors . Takimi then befriends with Kenshin and begins to trust him , little does Shigure know that Kenshin was the one who killed Shigure's friend , Gentatsu Takatsuki .
Meanwhile , Shigure leads a tribe of warriors who took part in a war in the time of the Tokugawa Shogunate , reason being is that they aren't happy with how the Revolution ended . He and the warriors plan to attack and destroy the british commander who started it all . But Kenshin comes in to stop Shigure's plans , who soon finds out that Kenshin killed Gentatsu . Shigure's plan fails , but his new goal is to kill Kenshin . ( Can't tell you what happens after that , spoiled )
This movie is rated . . somewhere over the ages 13 mainly for the violence and the really odd colored blood in the beginning . ( plus some old characters are in this movie such as Hajime Saito , who comes in quite a lot in the movie )
060 4 Okay , first off , this has nothing to do with the Kenshin OVA . The Kenshin OVA is only 2 DVDs long , no more . ADV films has made this confusing by giving the dubbed versions of the OVA and the movie the same title . ( Which I shudder to every time I hear it ) .
First off , I'd like to state that I'm a huge Kenshin fan and I'd have to say it's the best animé series I have seen ' thus far . ( And I've seen many in the past 3 years ) . But for some reason the movie didn't live up to the TV series potential .
Why ? Well , in my opinion it was to much related to the OVA , plot twist wise , and there was to many politics . Which brings me to another point . If you watch the movie in spurts it doesn't seem to be that bad . I watched it in one sitting the first time , felt in different , watched the movie a 2nd time in 2 or 3 sittings and actually liked it better . Why ? I think it was because I wasn't having a political over load .
Over all if you're a huge Kenshin fan it's worth a peek , but I don't suggest buying it on DVD , maybe VHS ( subbed o ' ' course ^ ^ x ) . Stick to the OVA and the TV series and you'll be alright ~ , ^ x
061 4 On the first minutes of the movie Rurouni Kenshin and gang are traveling in a train and the trip is around five to ten minutes after that is pure action with a great art work and a lot of fun . If you saw Samurai X and Rurouni Kenshin you will love this motion picture , but if this is your first time watching Rurouni Kenshin well you will find youself into a new way of watch true anime .
063 4 I saw Samurai X on Cartoon Network . So I picked up a copy . The DVD come with front end trailers . Kenshin must take up his sword once again . To stop the fall up the Meiji Government . The uncut version of this movie is even better . There are many swords fights in this movie . If you love Rorouni Kenshin this is the Movie to get .
064 4 I don't care what anyone else says this movie was cool ! The voices were cool.But I wish there wasn't the same cuss word like five times.This movie takes place after Kenshin fights Lord Shishio ( I like to call him king of the living mummies ) . What worries me is that Kenshin gets hurt so bad.Rurouni Kenshin is the first and only Anime series I like.I like it so much that if I miss one episode I get realy mad.Anyway buy it now !
066 4 I think this movie is pretty cool . I wouldnt give it 5 stars becuase of a few quirks , like dubbing , and other things . The sotry line is great because everytime kenshin says that he is repenting for the people that he killed , you can never put a face to it . In this movie we are able to take a glimpse into the pain that his assasin days cause in the maji era . We now have an idea of what kenshin put people through . And for that i beleive that all kenshin fans should get it . But if you havent seen the seriese you can watch it too , and it will still be a great story , but then i suggest you should get the other samurai x movies trust and betrayal , then there are rourouni kenshin boxed sets you can buy if you are curious about his days as a wonderer . If you dont want to buy the seriese you can buy relfection , which has short flashbacks on the seriese and concludes the kenshin saga .
Here you have it . I think this movie is great , expect for the voice changes ( like yakkio sounding like he's 20 , and Sanoske sounding like a cali surfer boy / midwest farmer )
but dont let that bother you b / c the japanese version sounds ok
happy watching ! !
068 4 Samurai X , The Motion Picture , is by far one of the most beautiful works of art I have ever seen . It shows the world through young sword master Kenshin's eyes , who fights for justice in hard times for Japan . But it is not easy for Kenshin , who vowed long ago never to kill again . Althought the movie is a bit gory , it shows what evil violence can bring , and only staying true to your heart can you bring an end to corruption and injustice .
Nudity : none Language : some , but no f-words Blood : lots and lots , ( which , interestingly , changes from bright orange to deep purple . ) I would personaly rate this 15 and up for violence .
069 4 It's not bad nor superb but it has nothing to do with trust and betrayal which I Admit were good as well
070 4 I love the TV series . I've seen nearly all of it awhile ago ( I seen the fansubbed version - - now I'm collecting the DVDs ) . The four episodes OAV is awesome as well . I would give them both a perfect score . So why does the movie just get 3 stars ? Simply because it's not as good as those two series . The only thing I like about the movie is the picture quality of the DVD version . The quality is higher the the TV series version . It's very crisp and clear , but it's still not as good the the OAV .
Here's a few things that makes it just an okay anime movie .
First , I don't like how everyone seemed to have lost 10 pounds . Everyone in the movie looks skinny compare to the TV series . The movie is more like the TV series , so I won't compare it with the OAV series .
What happened to the cool fighting scenes found in the TV series ? There is no good scenes here at all . The fighting is really lame . I got irritated that they used the same boring fighting scene over and over again .
There isn't one memorable tune . The TV series has lots of awesome musics , but the movie has none .
Okay , there are more stuff that I don't like about the movie , but I won't say ( actually type ) anything anymore . If you're a fan of the series , I'm sure you'll definitely buy it , just like I did . You can then check it out for yourself and see how good ( or bad ) the film is .
Oh yeah , I forgot to mention this . The movie actually takes place sometime in the TV series . Just thought you'll like to know . Some of the other reviewers said it takes place after the TV series and the OAV , but that's wrong .
071 4 if you hate action you'll hate this , but action fans get it . the begining is over did . Himaru Kenshin , Sagara Sanosuke , Yaheako ( yahiko ) , & Karou ( Karu ) . Images when he was Bat'tosai ( over did part ) ! ! I liked the japanese voices . Uncut it is . 17 + for EXTREME violence , Alchol & Tobacco , Blood & Gore , & Minor Profanity . ( Internet lies , trust me , I rented it . )
072 4 After fathfully watching Rurouni Kenshin on TV I decided to check out this DVD . It lived up to the tv program . The animation was same as the cartoon on TV , but the voice cast was diffrent . It was very odd and I dont think I got use to it but it wa still good . If I could I would give this movie 6 out of 5 ! ! !
073 4 Let's get this out in the open : I love Kenshin , I've read the whole manga , own the first 2 arcs of the anime , and both OVA's . This movie had high potential to be good , but poor subtitling and voice acting ruined it for me .
Plot was good , and the movie gave some good fan-service to avid watchers . It was very self contained , but you get to learn alot about Kenshin if you had never seen the series before . I love the intro scene , it's one of my favorites in all anime .
I have a big problem with the English VA cast and the script , because there are huge differences between the 2 English and Japanese scripts that do not need to be there . To top that off , many of the voices sound too dissimilar to their series counterparts . The subtitling were good , but they decided to translate the attack names to English , which was very different from every other Kenshin dvd I've seen . Not bad , but I found myself wondering which move the ' dragon hammer flash ' was .
If you love Kenshin and must own this , buy it . However , for a quality product , I'd have to reccommend against it , hence the 2 stars . Go spend your money on the OVAs or manga instead .
074 4 Samurai X is now my favorite anime movie . It is action packed and the animation is MAD GOOD ! ! ! ! ! I garentee that you will love it , you will want to buy it yourself . So go get your copy before they run out .
Roku Saki
075 4 this was a great movie . but i was surprised that they changed the voices . it would have been nice if they kept the same ones . there was blood shed . but u should predict that knowing samurais .
what surprised me is , that there was a rating 17 + . i dont know why they did that . there is no swears in it . but it could be because of the blood shed . i dont know .
i would recomend this to any kenshin , anime , or sword fan
078 4 This was an utterly ridiculous movie . . . . First of all , the movie and the series are very different from one another . So much in fact , that the two have almost nothing in common . This story takes place a little after the second arc of the Rurouni Kenshin series . If you've seen the second arc then you know Kenshin has already conquered the manslayer within him , Saito is supposedly dead , and Sanosuke Seighara has mastered a punch called the Tio-fukenoki-wammi ( however you spell that crap ) . In this movie , however , Kenshin allows the manslayer within to emerge , Saito reappears and Sanosuke has no knowledge of the tio-fukenoki-wammi ( however you spell that crap ) .
This storty , plainly putting it , makes no sense whatsoever . Do not get this movie . If you do , you will surely regret it .
083 4 You can read the Editorial Review to see what the movie is about .
- - - - - - - - - - - - On to the more important part - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you are a big fan of the Rurouni Kenshin tv series it would be greatly advised that you NOT see this movie . For the most part it would be a great waste of your time money . All the voices are different except for maybe Karou . The plot is as thin a piece of rice paper . There is only ONE decent fight scence that you see in the beginning of the movie , but it gets really boring after the fifth time they run it . The characters do things in the movie that are uncharacteristic of what is already set for in the series ( i.e . Kenshin trying to stab a guy in the face with his reverse-blade sword while they fight ) . The movie really has no bearing on the series or the OVA's so you won't be missing much . The OVA's and the Series are AWESOME , so purchase those , but if you totally have to see it , don't say I didn't warn you ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
085 4 The two Samurai X videos released last year by ADV Films , titled Trust and Betrayal , are two examples of an anime gone right - great story , great animation , great characters , etc . The story of Kenshin , a great swordsman , assassin , but more importantly , a kid . Literature could take a clue from this display of innocence to experience . This 4 episode series is perhaps my favourite of all time .
Enter Samurai X - The Motion Picture , a standalone movie that some friends and I have been looking forward to ever since the two before mentioned tapes . Rather than repeat the synopsis , I'll just tell you what's wrong with it , and why you shouldn't buy it .
For starters , this is not the same animation studio that brought you the original . Instead of the gruesome , depressing , dark atmosphere that was the 4 episode series , now we see happier drawn characters and locale . Our heroes now sport the famous ` embarassment bubble ' that is found in corny anime such as Sailor Moon and Sakura Diaries . Worst of all , we now see Kenshin sporting a pink outfit ? If this is supposed to take place 10 years in the future , why does Kenshin look younger ? Horrible - it boggles the mind at every turn .
The story isn't interesting . There is no plot twist , no interwoven storyline - nothing . There's hardly any action to keep you interested , mostly political talk that doesn't mean a damn . They'll play the same flashback scene from the introduction ( the only good part ) over 7 times during the course of the movie !
Let me finish with this - if you liked the 4 - part OVA released by ADV Films , you will not enjoy this video . It will pain you to watch it . If you liked the TV series , you might like this . If you haven't seen either , get Samurai X , Trust and Betrayal and avoid this movie like the plague .
087 4 This review is from :
Samurai X - The Motion Picture ( Rurouni Kenshin ) ( DVD )
I have seen the movie and have on DVD the movie trust and betrayal and got adicted to Rurouni now i have the whole collection and have preordered the comming ones i thik is the greatest anime ever made got to love it .
090 4 This movie was cool ! Ilike it in english not japenese ! Whoever the person is that picked the person to play Kenshin in the japanese version you should have checked the voice twice ! In th japanese version Kenshin sounded like a girl.I hated it in japanese ! Anyone who thinks different whatever ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Whew . . . . now that I'm done screaming in your face let me say I rented it and now I don't want to take it back.It is just so funny what Kenshin says in the begining : Gas lamps and western style buildings.I have a play it now and I recorded all the funniest parts.I don't want to see Reflection because they say Kenshin dies.Oh . . . . . well thats life .
080 4 This movie is really base on the Rurouni Kenshin series . What I hate about this movie is their were different english dub voice actors then the one's that do the series on CT . I hated the widescreen on this movie , the animation is not even all that great like the Rurouni Kenshin series is . I hated when Kaour slap Yahiko just because he ran off to go train at a better ninja school he had hope's to becoming a soilder and she was just jealous . The only part I like that was my favorite in this movie was when on the dvd I click on blood bath and it was a war going on between the Japanese and the English it last a pretty good while that part is the only reason why I would watch this movie . The english dub is pitful and 3rd grader can do better then these guys .
088 4 I have seen the movie and have on DVD the movie trust and betrayal and got adicted to Rurouni now i have the whole collection and have preordered the comming ones i thik is the greatest anime ever made got to love it .
081 4 This movie is about a man who wants to return the old times of samurais to the present and also keeps remembering the death of a friend and he wants to avenge it , and how he was doing it by fighting and killing the english goverment , until Rurouni Kenshin comes and tries to stop him without violence , but the man remembered that it was him the one who killed his friend and they battle.At the end he dies and the movies ends and Kenshin and his friends go to another place .
024 4 Whether you own any Kenshin , have seen any , or are absolutely NEW to the series , this is a must-have video for any anime fan . Beautifully animated , and very rich story draws you to the edge of your seat until the climatic end . Again , simply amazing .
037 4 Very poorly done ! The motion picture did not even use the same English voice actors as in Rurouni Kenshin . The voice actor for Kaoru did not even know how to pronounce Sanosuke . It is best to watch in Japanese with English subtitles . This movie is a waste of time and money .
086 4 I Havent seen this movie but theres's a moron on this page who thinks he knows what hes talking about . Sailor red needs to brush up on his history . There is no such thing as a rurounin and it doesnt mean wanderer and the description on his part is a pure guess , ronin is closest to the meaning which means masterless samurai . It just erritates me when people pretend to know something but in reality fall short of a fool .
091 4 The Rurouni Kenshin movie is , to put it simply , poor . The Rurouni Kenshin TV series is pretty good , but this movie brings down the series as a whole . If your looking for a good Anime movie check out Akira or Sailor Moon Super S .
