[contains spoilers]
I started reading Rurouni Kenshin in 2010 and got halfway before abandoning the manga to other shiny objects. This means that, for nearly a decade and a half, I have only known RuroKen by the Tokyo and Kyoto Arcs. I have known of no villain beyond Shishio.
Forging into the unknown in 2023, I enter with greater-than-usual curiosity. How can we top the Kyoto Arc? What will the final villain be? Will it be a satisfying third arc, especially given how long I've waited for it?
There were things I had begun to miss when I completed the Kyoto Arc. In the midst of the action, we lost sight of many lovable found family elements from the earlier, quieter chapters: the bickering of the Tokyo crew, Kenshin's softer side, and "ORO!?" Then, due to Kenshin's personal self-reflections and growth (prompted by Seijūrō's tutelage), he wasn't struggling to control his hitokiri rage, either. We lost both personable extremes for our titular character, making him... subtly not feel like Kenshin.
It made narrative sense: you had to focus on the climactic action. I was emotionally satisfied with the second arc's conclusion, as you can see in my reviews. But gosh diddly darned, I was missing "Kenshin."
The new arc reestablished the peaceful familiarity we knew from early volumes. It was welcome and gave us hard-earned respite. This also satisfied some of my cravings, though I was curious what Kenshin's next characterization steps would be and if it could still resurrect his hitokiri side (which makes fights have extra emotional investment).
Well, upon finishing Volume 19, not only are my cravings FULLY satisfied, but I am BURNING with excitement anew!
After getting a taste of old familiarity, we're launched into the next act, and the villain's personal ties with Kenshin shall make this a treat. I'm a sucker for dramatics like this, and boy oh boy did I get sucked in. Kenshin has a brother-in-law who's trying to kill him after Kenshin killed his own wife? Whaaaaaaa? The entire series, Kenshin has encountered the fruits of his past sins and reflected upon them solemnly, but with Enishi's introduction, it's clear we're hitting a rawer, closer-t0-home side to home than ever in the manga.
Watsuki's art style has developed throughout RuroKen. Sometimes, I miss the Just-Passed-the-80s Style of its earliest chapters. To me, you can't have Himura Kenshin without extreme hair fluffiness! Other times, I marvel at the artwork's increased skill. Watsuki's art depicts strong and varied emotions *SO* much better. And when Kenshin and Enishi talk to each other, the scene hits home EXACTLY because of the emotion the artwork portrays. I keep relooking at panels in Act 163: Drawing to a Close; when Enishi commands Kenshin to "Suffer," that reaction is so deep and complex on Kenshin's face.
Things like this made me immediately invested in the new arc. As if that's not enough, after over a hundred and fifty chapters of barely glancing into Kenshin's Bakumatsu past, keeping it dark, murky, and ominous... we get a FULL FLASHBACK ARC.
Suddenly, the lack-of-hitokiri Kenshin at the end of the Kyoto Arc hit home. We went from seeing Kenshin nobly entering battle with perfect internal control... to reading an extended storyline of him doing nothing but killing man after man after man. The contrast is delicious whiplash.
There's nothing but payoff to readers here, in my opinion. We've known bits and pieces of our protagonist's backstory, enough to crave more info. With Volume 19, we get multiple fact bombs dropped on us simultaneously - a fantastic boom! - and we start to get answers we've had from the beginning.
Finally, we are served Ultimate Juiciness.
This review sounds semi-restrained, but the actual me is thriving, squirming, screaming, grinning fiendishly, obsessing over these and the next chapters. I couldn't be having more fun.