Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 9 #25-28

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story - VIZBIG Edition #9

by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Kenichiro Yagi (Translator)

R to L (Japanese Style). Change your perspective: get BIG Final Volume!

Toward a New Era: Yukishiro Enishi's plan to cast Kenshin into a living hell of remorse and regret appears to have succeeded. Holding himself responsible for Kaoru's death, Kenshin has taken up residence in the "Fallen Village," a community of outcastes and untouchables. But if he doesn't snap out of his depression soon, there may no longer be a Tokyo to return to. Kujiranami, the behemoth of a warrior whose arm Kenshin severed during the Bakumatsu, escapes from prison and is bent on total annihilation. Yahiko takes it upon himself to stand up to Kujiranami's madness, but the odds are far from being in the young swordsman's favor.

Meanwhile, Sanosuke also manages to get into his own unique brand of trouble when he steps into a dispute between an old man and a group of land-grabbing yakuza. Little does Sano expect, though, that he was bound for a family reunion he won't soon forget. And finally, to realize his dream for a new Japan that has cleansed itself of the blood of the Bakumatsu, Kenshin and friends make their way to Enishi's island compound for a definitive battle. How does one of the most memorable tales of Meiji era Japan come to a close? Plus, the bonus short story "Yahiko no Sakabato-" and an additional, all-color short story which is being published in English for the very first time!

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

776 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 2010

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

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a series that petered out the longer it went on.

The battles got too ridiculous at the end. The gimmicks the foes used at the end became absolutely nonsensical. Guess that's the downside to having such epic, powerful villain's early on.

The ending for Kenshin's character arc was satisfying, though, which is what earned this final omnibus two stars instead of one because man were these last few volumes a slog to get through otherwise.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous story Rurouni Kenshin was.

I feel like I've been given the chance to meet a friend who understands all my emotions without me even saying a word.

Life, death, love, hatred, hope, happiness and emptiness. I've felt every single one of them to the fullest.

Now, all I can think is how lucky I was to find Rurouni Kenshin and how grateful to myself I am for giving it a try🙏

[marialena_ios · Rating 5 out of 5]

An EPIC conclusion to an EPIC manga series!!!!

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenshin is riddled with shame and guilt with the death of Kaoru, believing he is responsible for it. Unable to find answers for his atonement, and suddenly feeling tired of fighting, he goes to the "Fallen Village", a place for society's outcast, and ignores the pleas of his friends to come back to Kamiya Dojo. Sanosuke, disgusted with Kenshin's sunken demeanor, goes wandering elsewhere. Yahiko is then left to confront a sudden fugitive from the city, but his skills seem only secondary to his crazed opponent, and without outside help, the chances of winning against the enemy are slim.

Meanwhile, Aoishi comes from Kyoto along with Misao, and rules out the possibility that Kaoru might still be alive and is just being held hostaged by Enishi after hearing the details of the battle. This theory has led them to a remote island, and soon another battle brews. By this time Kenshin has gone to his old self, having already found the answer to his atonement, and is now ready as ever to confront Enishi and rescue him from his destructive self.

This is the last book volume in this superb manga series, and how I wished Watsuki (the author) has kept on with the story (though I read that he’s already written spin-offs). He's mentioned a lot of times that he has self-doubts as a writer and illustrator, believing he has mediocre talents, but I think he truly did a good job at it, especially in sustaining the interest level of the story without losing the historical relevance of it. And although Enishi (the last of Kenshin's antagonists) joins the list of villains who has successfully journeyed the path to redemption (which gets a little boring after a while), and Kaoru has been made to act again as a damsel in distress, the rest of the story was fluid and exciting. I liked that as Japan (during the Meiji Restoration) goes through a big transition, the Rurouni characters also experience changes within themselves.

Overall, I give 5 stars to this wonderful manga series. It has been an interesting journey to Kenshin's time, and I enjoyed the Meiji era education. What I will miss: Kenshin’s funny expression (“Oro?”), the book's right-to-left way of reading, the beauty and sophistication of illustration. What I actually missed: that the Asian Red Carpet Premiere of the Rurouni Kenshin live action movies was actually held in Manila sometime in 2014! Not that I would have gone there had I known, but it would surely have brought me back to my teenage years and given me a little dose of Samurai X nostalgia.

[Ashe Catlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this ended, I think the fake ending was much more impactful but I understand why it ended like this instead.

It starts off episodic, choosing to follow Sanosuke and the kid as they take on their own battles. It was a nice change of pace but felt a little oddly placed in the series, the kids fight was a bit predictable as well. Where as Sanosuke's was amazing, you got a glimpse into his past, with him coming to terms with who he is. I didn't realize how much I liked him until reading this omnibus, he's really grown on me.

The final battle was epic but the lead up was ok, instead of having a roster of colourful villains, we get a bunch of goons for Kenshin's friends to handle instead. I like Kenshin's resolve, his battle with Enishi was definitely worth the wait, Enishi is easily the best villain of the series.

We get another great epilogue, wrapping up everything nicely. I was hoping for a different ending for Sanosuke, as there was a lot of flirting between him and the vixen, so I was hoping they'd get together, I get that 2 happy couples might been a bit much. I'm satisfied where everyone ended up, usually epilogues are just padding but this exceptionally written.

Series Review
I really enjoyed this series, there were some hiccups along the way though. It starts off really well but gets repetitive with villain of the week, during the first 10 volumes. Until it starts with the overarching narrative, which is were this series really shines.

There are some amazing fights in the series, as well as a nice philosophy. I think the guy in the bandages was overhyped, he never did anything and people love him, he's even shows up in videogames. My favorite fight was between Kenshin and Aoshi, it was just something else and encapsulate so much.

I'm really glad that I decided to pick this back, after dropping it at 10 volumes.

[Joe Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying end to a great series. Everything gets wrapped up nicely. (Kind of wish the side story was in a different spot in the series, it kind of derailed the momentum.)

[Zen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ones make me so very happyyyyy. T-T

The perfect conclusion to the best series I've ever come across, nothing like the absolutely crappy ending the Seisouhen arc gave us loyal fans. All the fights, all the beautiful speeches, all the encounters, all the farewells and reunions... it was so god damn beautiful and I loved every bit of it.

This will be something I keep coming back to, if only to look at my first ever anime crush, Sanosuke Sagara. Speaking of, I LOVE that we finally get to meet his family. Like father like son indeed. xD

The colourful pages were such a treat, and I'm so glad they decided to do the final chapter in colour too!

/happy sigh.

[Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the series, but if I am completely honest the only redeeming factor about this last one is closure. It took me a while to see it, maybe it was the nostalgia, or perhaps, I simply wanted it to get better. It never really happened. Each of the books has its highlights, but this dragged on for too long, particularly when the drives and character elements were no longer there. The worst of it all was Kaoru never came out and won her own battles.

The ending was phenomenal. I'm talking about the act where Yahiko defended the dojo from one of Shishio's followers. I thoroughly enjoyed that, however, Enishi as a villain was poorly done. Every other page he screams, "sister!" and Kenshin cries, "Tomoe!" and they fight over who can see her smiling. I don't know we got here, but reading the author notes gives me a feel for how Watsuki was feeling. I think there's a degree of maturity when you can recognize your heart is no longer in it and you finally have to put it down.

I'm glad I came for the ride. I only wish it had a better ending. This was a pretty awesome series. If I come back to this book it will only be to read the ending, the rest would be for me to skim. If I come back to the series as a whole I'll have to read up until Shishio's arc is over. Woohoo! I just finished my first manga!

Edit* Wait I finished Death Note first :O
Well this one seems longer so there's an accomplishment there!

[Glenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to save reviews on books in a a series until the final book and then look back at the series as a whole. I have thoroughly enjoyed Rurouni Kenshin. I first encountered it in college, after being introduced to the anime by my roommate. It took me a while to acquire all the manga, which I did knowing this would be a series I would want to read without interruptions like waiting for the next volume. I appreciated the glossary of terms and the bits of history that Watsuki included that the end of each volume. Especially as one completely unfamiliar with the history, it was helpful to the understanding and appreciation of the series. Though it may be a bit dated in style, I feel it is a story that stands the test of time. It is the story of man who stands firm in his ideals (an immovable object of sorts) who is constantly being thrown into situations where that ideal must be tested. The ending is as satisfying as the beginning and I am glad to have finally had the time and opportunity to give it the attention it deserves. If you have any interest in Japanese history and enjoy a good adventure/romance, this is a wonderful series to get lost in.

[xico]

It's done, I feel a relief.
My passion for Rurouni Kenshin or Samurai X came from the movies and I grew into an obsession. My brother used to watch the anime when he was a kid and eventually I got the idea to just start buying the manga, man. At first it was kinda boring and lame, very uninteresting, the thing about the first movie that's based on that boring time in the manga is that the movie has very well choreographed fight scenes. but then the Shishio arc happened and my opinion changed completely. The last arc happened and I was a little septic about it since I didn't really like the movie based on this arc, but at least it's better than the movie. Is it better than the Shishio arc? No, but the ending was wholesome and showed me a lot of things I had the curiosity to see. The elephant in this room is the actions of pedophilia by the mangaka. Every time I read those author's notes and all the little creative details in the manga I wonder just when this "tumor" became acknowledged by him.
Well, pretty good, do recommend, especially if you like shonen, but if you don't, if you only like a handful or just prefer more mature stuff then it's ok to pass.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad that this story has finally come to an end. I am sad though. I was really enjoying these characters. I will have to come back and read through this series again that's for sure.
I don't know if I like how it ended though. I think there were too many patched up problems and it could have had different outcomes. Then we see how new things develope at the end and we have to wonder what happened. It just should have wrapped up better. I don't blame the author though. It's a lot. I still very much like the story. I am thankful to have someone introduce me to Kenshin. Now all I have to do is start collecting them.

[Ashley N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much from the Kyoto arc to the end, the story shifts from a historical perspective to (perhaps) a more typical shounen manga. Although, it definitely depends heavy on romance plot line, even with it barely getting any page time. *swoon*

For me, Kenshin was the first anime to capture my interest, and it took me over 15 years to even think about reading the manga. For this, I'm a little embarrassed. Better late than never, right? After the first omnibus, I was discouraged by the drawings and plot, but pretty much from the second omnibus on, Watsuki improved his style and the plot picked up. It's a bittersweet ending but it wraps up most of the characters' plots, so I'm satisfied.

[Rob Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong, if overly long, finish to the series. Excellent happy endings all around, a generally successful move to focus on Yahiko as the main character, and another bunch of disposable bad guys so the minor characters have something to do. The climactic sword duel is kind of a letdown because we've already had one and we've already resolved the emotional conflict, but at least it tries to be creative with a repeat performance.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felt very emotional finishing this series. The anime I discovered two years ago, and it easily became one of my favorites series, and I loved the live action movies just as much. This may not have been the first manga I’ve started, but it’s the first one I’ve finished, and I absolutely love this series and its characters.

[Suhailah Iskandar · Rating 5 out of 5]

16th year of the Meiji spring, in those very peaceful days....
I am glad to have sum up my adventure like a Rurouni...

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

Oh my Kenshin... 🙁😢😭

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emo Kenshin is not fun, but thankfully he snaps out of it; Sanosuke's story is excellent in this volume; and the conclusion of the series is satisfying.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journey that began 5 years ago (admittedly via fits and starts and powered a stubbornness to not pay for the final volumes until now) comes to a conclusion with this entry. 4 stars as it is the end of a beloved manga, but honestly the last 7 or so volumes of the series do not hold up when compared to the first 21. I am glad I read the series. I enjoyed falling back into this and other things I like I was younger but didn’t pursue for one reason or another, likely some sort of embarrassment or shame I should really unpack in therapy. It turns out, when sharing this with others and looking back, I was much less alone than I thought, which is a comforting thought to share with a younger me.

[Ozan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buruburu Kenshin ! It is a Battle Shonen, as a Battle Shonen, it does what a Battle Shonen does... HA HA It has the same shonen clichés as in every shonen I've read, and ofcourse, the main target audience of a shonen is children and teenagers, especially early teens, so there are comedy parts in it that you can see in every shonen, I laughed some of them as well. Of course, as a Battle Shonen, it has non-stop action. I liked the characters of Shinamori Aoshi, Saito Hajime and Hiko Seijiro, I like charismatic respectable big brother type of characters. I believe anyone who likes shonen will enjoy this manga.

[Rob Marney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The long, self-indulgent happy ending is quite satisfying. So is Sano's side story, which takes up a big chunk of the runtime. Those are worth 3 stars alone. The epic final battle, on the other hand, ended in the sad fate of many a fight comic: rushed and sketchy art, repetitive writing, super-extra-secret moves, and basically just treading narrative water for 200 pages in an attempt to justify building this guy up as the best villain of all time. It's a big let down, and it's way too similar to the Kyoto arc in narrative structure and purpose. Remember that time Kenshin lost a fight and had to go mope in the wilderness, only for a mysterious old man out of his past to help him battle his inner demons? Or the time a colorful group of bad guys each fought a duel with Kenshin's four sidekicks? What about the time half of Kenshin's friends lived in a different city and had to say goodbye for twenty pages? You get the picture. Even Chris Claremont on a bad day at least has the heroes rotate clockwise and fight each other's villains.

There are definitely some cool action beats, like Yahiko's new sword style and Enishi's impossible, unexplained sword skills. But your epic revenge story, covering two years of weekly comics, should really not leave me wondering if this all could have been avoided if Kenshin and Enishi just sat down for tea and examined the evidence that obviously exonerates Kenshin. It should also not leave me wondering whether two lengthy sword duels were decided by a ghost.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 overall rating for the series.

I can't believe I ended up reading this series till 2015 when it has been out for about 20+ yrs. But it is never too late to start reading it, let me tell you it is an incredible tale of sword-fighting, friendship, bravery, kindness, and a bit just a tiny bit very tiny love.

I enjoyed every single chapter, it keeps you flipping the pages, wanting to know what will happen. It sorta makes Naruto seem a bit weak, and I can tell Kishimoto took some elements from this manga to incorporate into his.

I loved every single character, even the villains, only reason I couldn't give it five stars is the lack of more kick-butt of Kaoru. Unfortunately she starts as a very big promising female secondary main character only to be pushed to the side on the last arc and become a damsel in distress. Although, I won't deny the author got me with ones of his plot twist. I almost didn't finish reading the series, but I kept going.

Kyoto and Enishi arcs are the best ones, but I enjoy how the mangaka actually takes time to tell stories about his other characters and help them grow-up. It had brilliant character development regarding the male characters. Female characters not so much.

One last thing, I know is shounen manga, but is against publishers or something to not have a kiss b/w the main couple? I know Inuyasha did have it, and is Shounen. Nevertheless I enjoy the epilogue and seeing what each character was up to, I enjoy happy endings.

[ダンカン · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every ending has its closure. After five years since it was first published in 1994, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story is a popular recognizable manga to many manga readers to this day. The final arc Jinchu story is one that looks back at the origin of how Himura Kenshin got the crossed-star scar, how a young man named Yukishiro Enishi wants to kill Kenshin for killing his sister, how Kenshin find his own answer why he must live on and the ending where friends departed to move on for a new beginning brings this volume a very special end. While the arc isn't as good as the Kyoto arc story, the final chapters do bring a nice closure to the series (even those there is now a sequel being released in Japan). For me, this is a fine reading manga that I enjoy, even though there are some elements of character copying development here and there. Come with it is also a simple short story called Meteor Strike included here to fulfill the manga volume page story. It isn't any thing great but its what Nobuhiro Watsuki felt even though its not his best work, he just wants readers to read it and what we thought of it. Overall: if you haven't read Rurouni Kenshin, pick it up. There's comedy, action, romance and adventure all in one.

[Rita Verdial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorei, adorei, adorei! Não importa quantas vezes leia estes livros, eles vão ser sempre especiais e vão tocar-me sempre.

A amizade entre os personagens do "núcleo duro" e o amor também, entre outros em particular, e neste volume final em especial, é algo que me deixa sempre emocionada e nostálgica. Aquele nó na garganta com certas despedidas, já o conheço tão bem...

Acaba tudo em bem é certo, mas fica sempre aquela saudade e o desejo de ter visto certos momentos acontecer. Resta-me imaginá-los, já que o malvado do Watsuki resolveu dar um salto no tempo...

As últimas batalhas foram muito fixes. A do Saitō então... Acho que nunca tinha gostado tanto dele nas outras leituras, episódios etc... Mas com esta nova leitura vi-o com outros olhos e... ganhou mais uma fã! haha
Todas aquelas ironias e ar de desprezo, o ar superior de "eu é que sou bom" haha O homem é genial!

Também gostei imenso de ver Yahiko mais crescido e de ler a sua pequena história em "Yahiko no Sakabatō", que nunca tinha posto os olhos em cima ainda.

Resta-me agora pegar nos dois recentes volumes de RK Restoration e ver o que Watsuki fez para ali ^_^x

[Jesus Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Final book, and it’s a 4 in 1, big book

So Kenshin finally comes out of his self-inflicted pain, Kaoru is being held hostage by Enishi on an island, Sanosuke side story, we meet his family where he helps defeat a Yakuza who is threatening the town. Back to Himura and they are ready to go rescue Kaoru. First Saito, Aoshi, Sanosuke and Yahiko get a one on one fight with the bodyguards of the mafia boss on the island some cool fights other not so. Next is Enishi and Kenshin final battle, and Enishi seems to be over Kenshin specially after his final power (enhanced nervous system) show, Kenshin manages to hold him, and when the Mafia boss shoots to kill Kenshin, Kaoru steps in front, like Enishi sister, so he protects Kaoru, so he realizes why his sister died and ends the battle. Move forward, Megumi goes to Izu to be a doctor there, Sanosuke has to escape from Japan because of the mobster fight, Yahiko becomes trainer at the Kamiya Dojo, Kaoru and Kenshin marry and have a kid, happy endings :D

Great book, great series.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally got to read this series to the end.

Around the time Shishio showed up I remembered why I originally stopped reading it, I had forgotten it was pretty typical of shonen manga to drag out one single battle into five or six volumes back when (yes, I know some still do it but it isn't as common anymore). He was so mind numbingly overhyped and his plot so boring I ended up stopping half way through the series (again) and almost didn't finish (again).

But I'm glad I did eventually pick it back up. The (real) ending was worth it.

Though I do kind of wish Watsuki taken all his energy from the Shishio arc by shortening it (severely) and had saved it for Kenshin's battle against Enishi instead.

[Starbubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how they included colored images and bonus stories at the end. I can't remember if the pervious, smaller volume versions had those "post-scripts," but I thoroughly enjoyed them. I even read the stuff Watsuki wrote about for what he had planned on the futures of the characters (which was something I know I had not done the last time I read it). I still find these bigger versions hard to hold, and even harder in trying to prevent creases in the spine. But, they save my pocketbook some heartache, so I guess I can't complain too much. I can't wait for more money so I can get the books inbetween 1 and 9 (haha!).

[Isaac Ehrlich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review for the whole series:

I am aware of the controversy surrounding Nobuhiro Watsuki and wondered if it was right to read this manga. I don't think such a query can be solved at this time, but I can say Rurouni Kenshin is a shonen manga of high-caliber that also deservedly appealed to a wide audience. Its protagonist is an engrossing study in the darkness of a character, and it uses its historical backdrop to explore human nature in its nuances and the possibility of redemption. Its flow and writing are not always sharp, but its compositions are excellent and some moments are etched into my memory. Its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.

[Keiran Thegreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thrilling conclusion to the adventures of the former assassin. The reader is rewarded with some excellent action and great side plots featuring all the most popular characters from the run of these stories.
Deserving of it's favourable reputation and acclaim the Runouri Kenshin manga concludes in dramatic and powerful style.

[Allison Turbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid ending to the Kenshin series. Kenshin finally learned to accept his past and move on with his future. Sanosuke found something fun to do for the rest of his life. And Yahiko finally grew up to be a strong swordsman. When Kensuin gave Yahiko his sword it made me feel happy. Would have loved to see a sequel with him as the main character but sadly that didn't happen. Oh well.

[Hailee · Rating 5 out of 5]

*reread May 2014*