Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 7 #19-21

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story - VIZBIG Edition #7

by Nobuhiro Watsuki

R to L (Japanese Style). RemembranceIn the new Meiji Era, Himura Kenshin uses his reversed-edge sword to protect the lives of those within his reach, but during the chaos and bloodshed of the Bakumatsu, he was a very different man. What is the true story behind the cross-shaped scar Kenshin bears on his face? It is the tale of Himura Tomoe, Kenshin's wife who died at his very hands, and of her brother Enishi, who has devoted his entire existence to the goal of watching Kenshin suffer.As one of the deadliest hitokiri in Kyoto several years ago, Kenshin served at the pleasure of Katsura Kogor of Ch sh . One night, Kenshin found himself doing battle with agents of the sh gunate, and a lone woman from a nearby pub witnessed the scene--but she may not have been there entirely by accident. Betrayal, lost love, revenge: such is the nature of Kenshin's past life. Can he reconcile these old memories in time to prevent the carnage that Enishi is about to visit upon the Kamiya Dojo and those dearest to him?

Genres: Manga, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels, Comics, Action, Comics Manga, Romance

576 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2009

About the author

Watsuki Nobuhiro (和月伸宏) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He once worked as an assistant for his favorite author Takeshi Obata.

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartrending tale of Kenshin’s hitokiri life and the months he has spent with Yukishiro Tomoe, his wife and first love, and whose life has ended at his very own hands. What followed thereafter are a lifetime of guilt and regret, and the memory of a cross-shaped scar caused by both exoneration and grudge. And now, Tomoe’s younger brother Enishi is out to carry a personal vendetta against Kenshin, who believes him responsible for his sister’s death.

Tomoe has originally gone to Kyoto to avenge the death of her fiancé whom Kenshin has killed in the past, but fate has other plans and she falls in love with him in the process. She is accidentally killed by Kenshin when she puts herself between him and his enemy during a battle.

Kenshin’s first scar is inflicted by Tomoe’s fiancé out of guilt and rancor for being unable to fulfill his promise of coming back to Tomoe, while the second scar, completing the cross-shape mark, is given by Tomoe herself in her dying moment, perhaps as a sign of her forgiveness and love.

Kenshin’s battles are far from over, but before that, he has a story to tell to Kaoru and his friends first. It was done in a rather somber setting—at the porch of Kaoru’s dojo, under a night filled with stars. It was a perfect retelling of a not-so perfect life, where Kenshin is again made to reconcile with his past as an assassin and his present where he has vowed never to kill again.

I’m not sure if this is still part of the Samurai X animated series I’ve watched from those years ago—I have lost touch with the series after the Kyoto arc and gotten busy with school at the same time. But they actually made an original video animation (OVA) of it called Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal, which is a total cryfest. I don’t know if they ever featured Tomoe in the live action film Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (I haven’t watched the film yet and am not about to be my own spoiler by reading the synopsis beforehand), but for me, her short appearance in this series is enough to appreciate the depth of her character, and totally ship her romance with Kenshin. I guess she is truly impacting to the readers, the reason why they even made a short TV series about her story.

This is my favorite volume from the series by far, and so deserving of my 5-star rating.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is 3 1/2 stars, but I round up. Literally almost nothing happens for jinchu and then bam we get started only to stop. This was basically Samurai X the movie. You want to know what's crazy, I've never seen the movie, up until a week ago that is. Weird how those coincidences happen...I believe the Germans have a word for it. Anyway, not much I'm going to write here.

We learn the history to Battosai, the dark side to Kenshin is revealed. I think that the movie is definitely better in this regard. It's a lot darker and it doesn't leave any room for some of the foolishness Watsuki throws in (which is gold and I love it, but Kenshin's past needed to be told in a very grim and serious manner). His usual themes, like his slapstick humor, kind of clash with Kenshin's past. I still think it was good, I just divert to the movie in this one.

Because lets be real as far as the overall plot is concerned 1 day took up 100 something pages and then 8 days pass in less than two pages. It's kind of weird, but ultimately a huge build up for the clash between Enishi and Kenchin, there is a lot riding on this one. We'll see in the next volume!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is definitely different from the other ones. In part because it shifts the narrative. It throws the reader off a little bit because we spend some much time in the past. It's not a bad thing. I was so glad to get some back story into Kenshin. I was surprised to know that he had a wife and what happened to him before. I can't wait to get to the end and see what is going to happen. I was so happy to finally see love starting to blooms between the characters. That was well overdue.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenshin's backstory is in this omnibus volume, and it's such a great story that it could stand alone (which it does as an anime OVA). Kenshin as hitokiri is so heartbreaking because of the vulnerability and humanizing of his character in this backstory.

[xico]

I really liked the arc of the remembrance arc. Seeing Kenshin kill was a breath of fresh air.
Having seen the movies before reading the manga, I already had that same opinion. I also had a not so good opinion regarding this next arc about Enishi. It just seemed not as good as the Shishio arc or the remembrance arc, the latter more specifically since they are connected, but who knows, I might like the manga version.

[Rob Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The flashbacks at the core of this volume are the best writing and the only tragedy in the series. This letting go of the past is the real emotional climax, which is why it's always the best part of the adaptations too. The bookends of fights with Enishi's goons are unusually bad filler, so only 4 stars.

[Ashley N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book would contain all new content for me (based on the anime) but instead, it contained the history of Kenshin as Battousai. (A welcome surprise!) His past is heartbreaking, and really helps to flesh out his character.

[Chelle (crazytrinket) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was ok. But I really liked the idea of more back story of Kenshin's life.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

So the new villians, looks like is a similar grouping as the ninja group from first series, or the seven swords from shishio, but this time they want revenge on Kenshin for something, so they attack Akabeko just to let KEnshin know they are there and to warn him than in 10 days they will take vengeance, so when finally all are a the Kamija dojo KEnshin tells them who the mistirious Enishi is and tells the story of how he become Batosai, how he knew Enishi’s sister and while needing to wait in hide lived with her as husband and wife finally finding what was a happy life, about the tragic event that led to Enishi’s sister being killed that being the reason for the attack, then they set to prepare for the attack, the final pages is the group arriving and making the first attack with a man with a cannon in his arm that is easily defeated.

That was a nice telling on the past of Kenshin, a good explanation of his motives to fight, what it represented for him before and after her death, It was nice seeing Kenshin be happy, and that also explain a lot of why after that he decided to not kill anymore but still defend the ideas of the new era of people being allowed to live happy, and a little glimpse of his feelings for Kaoru.
Now to read the next book for the big battle.
5 stars

[Rita Verdial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito bom! Esta saga Jinchu é bem mais forte emocionalmente do que o resto que Watsuki nos apresentou até ao momento.

Desta vez não vou dividir em volumes, pois estes números 19, 20 e 21 tratam essencialmente o mesmo tema: O passado de Kenshin.
É óptimo poder saber ao pormenor o que tornou aquele famoso Hitokiri, no Rurouni de hoje. No entanto dispensava aquela Tomoe grrrr
Eu sei, torna a história mais dramática, mas... Talvez seja demasiado fiel à Kaoru e aos seus sentimentos...

Bom, neste ponto aqueles mais chegados a Kenshin já sabem toda a verdade, o que é um alívio e terminamos este grande livro com o início da Jinchu de Enishi.

O próximo volume será um dos mais intensos, se não o mais intenso de todos. Vamos a isto! ^_^x

[Keiran Thegreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some excellent new adventures and battles for Kenshin and friends. A lot of design elements for some of the new enemies are borrowed from Marvel comics characters, not that I consider that a bad thing.

[Hailee · Rating 5 out of 5]

*reread May 2014*

[Allison Turbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenshin's backstory was great. Looking forward to see how this story ends.