Starting on 30 July 2021, a Rurouni Kenshin live-action movie titled Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning can be watched on Netflix. The latest film from the Rurouni Kenshin Movie series was released just a few weeks after Rurouni Kenshin: The Final. The beginning of Samurai X, a swordsman with a cross-wound on his cheek named Kenshin Himura, is explained in this movie.

Still played by veteran actor Takeru Sato, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning combines elements of original history with fictional stories. Here’s the review of Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, the early history of Samurai X.

Kenshin Himura’s Story as Battousai in Rurouni Kenshin Movie The Beginning

Set 14 years before the first Rurouni Kenshin movie, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning takes place at the end of Japan's bakufu era in 1864. A black warship belonging to the United States Navy in the 1850s came into Shimonoseki Choshu Bay and caused an uproar throughout Japan. At that time, the technological differences between Japan's civilization and the rest of the world were very far apart because the Tokugawa Shogunate government, who ruled in Japan for 400 years, isolated his country from all outside influences.

Politics in Japan was also divided into two, supporters of the Shogunate who still uphold their traditions or supporters of the Emperor who wanted to take Japan into a new era. A civil war broke out with the Emperor's supporters named the Meiji Knights wanting to change the times without staining their hands with blood, that's why they sent Ishin Shishi who massacred their political opponents on the Shogun's side to smoothen the mission of the Meiji Knights.

That's Kenshin Himura, a teenager recruited by the Meiji Knights of the Choshu clan, namely Shinsaku Takasugi and Kogoro Katsura. Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu swordsmanship is very effective and fast to kill people, so begins the legend of Battousai the Slayer.

Rurouni Kenshin The Beginning Shows the Political Intrigue of Changing Times

Unlike other Rurouni Kenshin movies, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning shows the dark side of Kenshin Himura. His expertise and cold nature in killing his opponents are shown clearly in this Rurouni Kenshin movie. Surrounded by so many armed men was not a problem for him, even with his hands tied Kenshin Himura the Battousai could fight the samurai troops supporting the shogunate with his mouth gripping the sword.

Mimawarigumi is a samurai who supports the Shogunate who indirectly changes the course of Kenshin's life. After slaughtering the Mimawarigumi members, there is one of the samurai who has high survival skill. The Mimawarigumi boy was cut by Battousai many times but always got up again saying that he didn't want to die because there was someone he loved that he wanted to marry soon. He also cut across Kenshin's cheek before he was executed by the Battousai.

Battousai's encounter with a girl named Tomoe Yukishiro a few nights later also changes Kenshin's life. Shocked by the rain of blood that Battousai made while slaughtering his enemies, Kenshin took Tomoe to hide in an inn belonging to the Meiji Knights. The innkeeper who was also a supporter of the Emperor a few days later was caught by a samurai police force supporting the Shogunate in Kyoto called the Shinsengumi.

The interrogation carried out by the Shinsengumi revealed the meeting place of the Meiji Knights in the Ikeda building, causing the police force led by Isami Kondo to attack with various samurai divisions led by Saito Hajime, Souji Okita, Toshizou Hijikata, Sanosuke Harada and other historical figures. Trying to save the leader of the Meiji Knights, Kogoro Katsura, from the Shinsengumi raid, Kenshin fights Souji Okita.

Coughing up blood due to Okita's TB disease made him stop the fight with Kenshin. From that day on, the city of Kyoto burned down because of the battle, the inn where Kenshin and the Meiji Knights were hiding was raided by the Shinsengumi. Kogoro Katsura ordered Kenshin and Tomoe to hide and disguise themselves as husband and wife in the village to avoid being captured by the Shinsengumi.

Will Kenshin be able to bring Japan into a new era while still killing many people? Will her fake marriage with the real Tomoe make them happy? Who is the spy who always leaks the plans of the Meiji Knights and hinders his fight? All will be answered in Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning.

Also Read:

• Seven Rurouni Kenshin Movie Male Characters That Make Rurouni Kenshin: The Final A Fantastic Treat
• Why Did Rurouni Kenshin The Final Come Out First Before The Beginning?
• There are Differences Between Rurouni Kenshin Movie The Final & Manga Story. Where’s Kenshin’s Father-In-Law?

Rurouni Kenshin The Beginning is the Beginning of an End

Of all the Rurouni Kenshin live-action movies, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning has the most accurate story and scenes to the manga and anime OVA titled Trust and Betrayal. Additional scenes such as the epic duel of Battousai Kenshin against Souji Okita, which did not appear in the manga and anime, were presented stunningly in this Rurouni Kenshin Movie. Nijiro Murakami, a handsome actor who is famous for playing Cheshire in Alice in Borderland, played Okita perfectly.

The character development of Kenshin and Tomoe is shown beautifully in this Rurouni Kenshin movie, the appearance of Enishi Yukishiro when he was young is also shown dramatically. The mix of exciting battle scenes and melancholic romance makes you not bored watching this movie which lasts for 2 hours 18 minutes. Unfortunately the scene of Shishio Makoto who replaces Kenshin as the slayer is not shown here, and it seems that it is the only thing this film lacks.

This film answers the question of why Enishi is holding a grudge against Kenshin in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final. Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning can also be directly re-connected with the entire plot of Rurouni Kenshin because this neatly worked prequel will definitely make you want to watch the previous Rurouni Kenshin movies again. 

This idea of ​​endless looping is rare and brilliant in storytelling. Here’s to hoping that the production team and the cast don't disband after this film and can make another Rurouni Kenshin movie, considering the audience's response to this live-action has always been good and managed to get high income.

Well, that's the review of the Rurouni Kenshin movie titled Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning. It allows you to learn Japanese history while enjoying the legendary manga of Nobuhiro Watsuki.

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