Rurouni Kenshin

Madpierrot · Post by **Madpierrot** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 3:50 pm

oh i am also looking at getting the complete series off of e-bay, i can't wait for cartoon network to air them all. The way they work it's going to take forever, plus i want to add that to my collection.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 4:14 pm

Madpierrot wrote:is the directors cut worth getting instead of just buying Truth and Betrayal on there own? I was at FYE today and i saw them selling Truth and Reflections and i was really considering picking both of those up, but would the directors cut be a better road to go you think?

I think the director's cut is more worth it since it's only one disc. Truth and Betrayal is two discs and therefore, it'll run you around $40.00 instead of $20.00 for one disc with all the episodes and some extras.

By the way, watch the series first before the OVAs. I think it enhances the OVA a lot more since you'll know Saitoh, have question of why Kenshin does what he does (which are answered by the OVA).

Also, I'd rather watch the DVDs over Cartoon Network since it won't be censored to the degree Kenshin already has (the edits are apalling). You also get the opportunity to listen to the excellent Japanese Voice Acting. I particularly liked Kenshin, Soujirou, Saitoh and Aoshi's voice actors.

skanks · Post by **skanks** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 7:52 pm

I'm currently purchasing Kenshin,
I saw the OVA's before the series,
well, first i watched the movie, then the ovas.

I own the Movie and Trust and Betrayl and the first 13discs of Kenshin.

As for the TV series, I'd highly recommend only watching episodes 1 - 12, 23 - 24, 28 - 62. These are the episodes covered in the Manga. Episodes 63+ are literally filler and have nothing to do with the overall plot

Is that true? I've seen up till the end of the Kyoto conflict, i was gonna buy all 22dvds, but, since they are released once a month its taking me awhile. I haven't actually seen past those eps. I know what happens in the past, and about his scar.. Doesn't that even touch base on the TV series?
Actually, I will pm, that way i don't have to worry about giving away spoilers.

Kenshin=Fav series, i even started looking for his sword, people generally go cross eyed when i ask, therefore i settle for real katana. Costing me a bugger load but its sharp, and the actual Japanese Katana.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 9:03 pm

skanks wrote:I'm currently purchasing Kenshin,
I saw the OVA's before the series,
well, first i watched the movie, then the ovas.

I own the Movie and Trust and Betrayl and the first 13discs of Kenshin.

That sort of sucks. The movie takes place well after the Kyoto Arc since he uses the Ama Kakeru Ryu Hirameki (sucession technique). I think watching the OVAs last is the best since that's how it happens in the manga. You basically go 17 volumes wondering what he did to deserve this and for this atonement and it builds up to that moment. If you recall episode 62, he visits a grave. Immediately after that starts the revenge arc with Enishi (in the Manga).

Is that true? I've seen up till the end of the Kyoto conflict, i was gonna buy all 22dvds, but, since they are released once a month its taking me awhile. I haven't actually seen past those eps. I know what happens in the past, and about his scar.. Doesn't that even touch base on the TV series?
Actually, I will pm, that way i don't have to worry about giving away spoilers.

If you want to go by LITERAL Manga timeline (and the manga is the original thing the creator made), then yes. Even those episodes in the teens don't exist. As I messaged you in your PM, Sony was waiting for manga books to come out and opted to create filler episodes (that IMO sucks...for example the Sumo episode). This is different than what DBZ did where they make episodes of JUST powering up (which is the major complaint of DBZ...Drag-ON-Ball). The Manga is actually alright since stuff like the Cell/Gohan fight is like only one manga volume, not 20 episodes.

Oops, got off-topic. Anyway, Sony created these filler episodes in the teens and after the Kyoto arc, same thing. The creator was still working on book 18 (IIRC) so Sony made these GOD AWFUL filler episodes (fishmern ep?

Christian arc? The ARMPIT PEOPLE?!?!) and waited. The creator was furious that they did this to his show and the deal went bye bye. The OVAs are basically an agreement since the creator thinks we deserve to know his past.

Like I said, Kenshin's true order is: Episodes 1 - 12 (manga volumes 1 - 5 IIRC), 23-24 (Sano rematch), 28 - 62 (Kyoto volumes 7 - 17), OVA and then Revenge Arc (BRIEFLY touched in the last OVA). The Revenge Arc is good, but nowhere near the level of Kyoto, but I digress. It certainly is 10x better than the crap Sony made and called "Kenshin." If you read the manga (the real deal), then you know what Kenshin "really" is. I believe the manga ended on volume 28. I have it and it certainly looks like an ending. Oh and BTW the ending in the last OVA is NOT the real ending...this upsets me.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 9:07 pm

dwchang wrote:Like I said, Kenshin's true order is: Episodes 1 - 12 (manga volumes 1 - 5 IIRC), 23-24 (Sano rematch), 28 - 62 (Kyoto volumes 7 - 17), OVA and then Revenge Arc (BRIEFLY touched in the last OVA). The Revenge Arc is good, but nowhere near the level of Kyoto, but I digress. It certainly is 10x better than the crap Sony made and called "Kenshin." If you read the manga (the real deal), then you know what Kenshin "really" is. I believe the manga ended on volume 28. I have it and it certainly looks like an ending. Oh and BTW the ending in the last OVA is NOT the real ending...this upsets me.

Forgot to mention, Skank, Kenshin is my third fav. show and if you haven't seen Escaflowne or Eva, I suggest those. They are the only two I find better although Eva just barely and Esca just a little more than Eva.

Also, for those watching now on CN or are curious. I HIGHLY suggest watching those episodes mentioned above for your own sake. You will enjoy Kenshin quite a bit and realize there isn't any filler and just how good and flowing the story is. Also watch it in Japanese/Subs...Kenshin's VA should not sound so manly (I know that sounds bad...but it's true) nor retarded. Also...well..just about everyone is horrible. You can't beat things like Sano's VA doing Osakaben (accent of people from Osaka) and Kenshin/Soujiorou's grammar structures (they use polite form ALL the time). These are things you can't do in english and they do add to the show. For example, Kenshin is a samurai and he uses "samurai"/polite form b/c of that (hence the degozaru after every sentence)....TRUST ME

Madpierrot · Post by **Madpierrot** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 10:27 pm

Well i've decided to buy the complete TV series off of e-bay, all 95 episodes i think it is, and i'm also going to buy the OVA's and movie from FYE. So when i walk into FYE i should walk out with a DVD called Truth, a DVD called Betrayal, and a DVD called Reflections if i want all the OVA's? Also the ending we get in the TV series and the last OVA reflection are both not the real ending? Well are either of these endings anygood and how much do the differ. Please no spoilers.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 11:16 pm

Madpierrot wrote:Well i've decided to buy the complete TV series off of e-bay, all 95 episodes i think it is, and i'm also going to buy the OVA's and movie from FYE. So when i walk into FYE i should walk out with a DVD called Truth, a DVD called Betrayal, and a DVD called Reflections if i want all the OVA's? Also the ending we get in the TV series and the last OVA reflection are both not the real ending? Well are either of these endings anygood and how much do the differ. Please no spoilers.

The ending difference? Well the TV ending is...no ending at all. I believe it just ends like a normal episode with no resolution or anything. As I said in an earlier post, that's because 63+ has nothing to do with Kenshin and is really just Kenshin animation and characters to (at best) sub-par stories.

The OVA ending (Reflections) has about 10% to do with the true ending. Basically the last OVA *tries* to push 10 manga volumes into one hour (note that it took ~50 episodes to do 17 manga volumes). It deals with the last Manga Arc, but...well...like I said only a little. Also the ending is VERY much wrong. If you are curious of the true ending, PM me. I have read the manga.

MistyCaldwell · Post by **MistyCaldwell** » Tue Mar 25, 2003 10:24 pm

Actually you could watch episode 95 (the 'ending episode') right after you watch the Kyoto arc in the tv series. It will actually make sense, like the injuries the characters have and the conversation between certain people

If you watch it in numerical order, you will get to episode 95 and think what the...? Of course you are going to watch the filler episodes if you buy the whole series. But if you want some sort of a tv series ending, it's in ep. 95.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Tue Mar 25, 2003 11:19 pm

MistyCaldwell wrote:Actually you could watch episode 95 (the 'ending episode') right after you watch the Kyoto arc in the tv series. It will actually make sense, like the injuries the characters have and the conversation between certain people

If you watch it in numerical order, you will get to episode 95 and think what the...? Of course you are going to watch the filler episodes if you buy the whole series. But if you want some sort of a tv series ending, it's in ep. 95.

I'd say just read the manga ending...it's pretty nice (other than a few epilogue things). I've already gotten PMs about it and could easily forward you what happens.

Ari-chan · Post by **Ari-chan** » Fri Mar 28, 2003 3:55 pm

Yes the manga ending is soo much better than the TV and OAV. Plus, it doesn't leave you going WTH!? and it shows you a bright future for the Kenshin-gumi. I have read the manga. I know a few sight where you can download the manga in english.

http://kenshinscans.anxious-anime.com/

http://fallenangelstudios.org/main.htm

http://www.go.to/kenshinmanga/

There was another site that had the RK jinchu arc in it but I'll have to find it later. It also had a little short story called meteor Strike that mister Watsuki Nabuhiro did.