Anime Rurouni Kenshin OVA - episode 1

Discussion in 'Manga and Anime' started by air, Feb 6, 2001.

  1. air

    air New Member

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    Part of a four part series detailing how the wandering swordsman becomes 'the wandering swordsman.'

    Perhaps not the best for fans of the actual TV series as its completely different, its a very serious and dark anime about feudal japan, theres no jokes and no "orooooo"

    The first episode sees Himura, a slave, becoming a hiten mitsurugi swordsman thru a couple of events that happen as a child to him.
    His master would prefer that he learn the art perfectly but he has ideals of shaping the world into a perfect place, he wants to protect those who cannot protect themselves so he leaves his master and joins the forces opposing the shogunate and shinsen gumi.

    Its the only anime i rate above berserk, its just such a pity that the OVA is just so short and to some degree a pity the TV series didn't carry on in the same way.

    If you like beautiful animation and a very good storyline mixed with relationships and battles, you will love this , why the americans decided to call it samurai X i'll never know, but the DVD's have reversible covers for thos who like to have the name as it should be, Rurouni Kenshin.
     
    #1
    air, Feb 6, 2001
  2. BakaMattSu

    BakaMattSu ^__^
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    On the contrary, I probably wouldn't have had as much interest in the OVAs if it wasn't for the original...

    While I actually didn't see the OVAs per-se, I do manage to have a copy of the movie that was compiled from them (Tsuikohen, Director's Cut, if I remember correctly...)

    Having been dealing with Himura Kenshin in the Rurouni Kenshin series, it's only natural to want to know more of that shadowy past, the one that you only get glimpses of in flashbacks, or hints through battling old enemies, such as Saitoh....

    After watching the tv series, it is then a good idea to turn to the OVAs, just to see how different Kenshin was as the Hitokiri Battousai. Not a sadistic killer, but still not as light-hearted. We also have another question that lingers-"Where did he get the cross-scar on his cheek?"-until answered through the OVA series...

    Familiar scenes are worked into the storyline...the opening scene where Kenshin is rescued by his future master...a skirmish in Kyoto with the captain's of the Shinsen Gumi...and these actually add to the mood if you've encountered them in the original Rurouni story...

    In other words, I feel that to enjoy the Kenshin OVAs to their fullest, it is best to have journeyed through the Meiji Era with Kenshin first. Then, look back to his past as a Hitokiri and realize just how much he's changed since then...

    It's sort of like the Star Wars storyline...too much is revealed in the first episode, so it's best to start later down the road...

    BakaMattSu, who did not exist until long after the Bakumatsu...
     
    #2
    BakaMattSu, Mar 1, 2001
  3. air

    air New Member

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    Nah, i watched a bit of the tv series.
    It was ok , but i'm not a huge fan of humourous anime, and in this case i was particularily looking for something along the same lines as the OAV.

    Personally, i didn't like the animation or alot of the idea's they used in the TV series.
    I have the movie ( haven't watched it ) but i was under the impression that its made from flashbacks to the TV series, if i'm wrong someone please tell me now and i can root it out and watch it. But i'm pretty sure its not.

    They're so far apart they could almost be a different anime, if you like comedy in your soup try the TV series , if you don't go with the OVA.
     
    #3
    air, Mar 2, 2001
  4. BakaMattSu

    BakaMattSu ^__^
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    Well, it also depends how far into the TV series you've gone...True, it has an extremely lighter take on things, but you can see a definite relation between the OVAs and the series by the end of the "Return to Kyoto" storyline.

    If you had watched that far, you would've understood much more of what I said...bits and pieces of the OVAs are indeed throwbacks to scenes in the Kyoto part of the series.

    I admit the animation is sub-par and that a lot of the early story ideas are, for that matter. Still, I highly recommend the series as well as the OVA, especially once it reaches the most enjoyable story arc-Kyoto. That season is some of the best anime I've seen.

    -Baka-Matt-Su, the annoying little voice in your head
     
    #4
    BakaMattSu, Mar 12, 2001
  5. UrashimaKeitaro

    UrashimaKeitaro Sesquipedalian Mod

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    Ahh, the Kyoto Arc... dunno why, but it seems to me that the whole bunch of the first 27 eps were all intro to get you going for those later eps... I love both the series and the OAV (the OAV a bit more, but that's beside the point).

    -JavaLamp
     
    #5
    UrashimaKeitaro, Mar 12, 2001
  6. That guy!

    That guy! Expecting Father

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    I thought the OVA's were pretty cool, not as much humour but you got to see the true Hitokiri Battousai in action(that's cool isn't it?) true it wasn't very funny though.... This was like the first thing in Kenshin I've seen and it's a pretty bloody movie...I was surprised totally when I borrowed the episodes 1- like 65 or something from Baka Matt and there wasn't blood flying everywhere.......
    @_@x OroOoOoo
     
    #6
    That guy!, Apr 5, 2001
  7. Kiaikou

    Kiaikou New Member

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    hmmmmm....not much left to cloud...better post some more...

    Alda's wiev of kenshin OVA:

    IT ROCKS! ...kinda simple maybe but its on my top3 anime series list (only beaten by eva and lain, and if u bring manga to it, BAA too)...what I like about it is the serious in it, there's no humour, there's no silly drama stuff (like in eva) ....just plain serious, and very great anime...and with a depressining tone hanging over all of it, and really expressed in the end...mmmmm...I love it....
    rating: 9/10 (and I'm picky)

    //Aldamel, wonders if liking depressing stuff means u are....
     
    #7
    Kiaikou, Apr 16, 2001
  8. Ciel

    Ciel Unoa Freak
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    I really love the Kenshin OVAS
    no other anime has or will ever touch me the way this anime has/had.
    I was so impressed with the animation and lean towards getting Kenshin poster/paraphanalia of the Ova nature...

    ...Tomoe is beautiful..even in death...
     
    #8
    Ciel, May 12, 2001

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