Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal

All I have to say is that this is a must see for fans of the series. Even though this serves as a prequel, I would not recommend this to people who have not yet seen the TV series because the tone and style is completely different and will probably give you the wrong set of expectations for the TV series which always implements humor. While in this OAV, it’s flat out drama and full of tragedy, and none of the comedic moments of what defined the TV series is present. But does it negate the quality of this OAV? Certainly not. The pacing is a little slow, but you get to learn more about Kenshin and what goes through his mind and will get to know the other characters. Just like in the original TV series, this oav also implements events and characters from actual Japanese history. For example, Kenshin’s boss Katsura, the leader of the Choshu clan is one of them. And I heard that less than 30% of the Japanese public are not at all aware of his significance to Japanese history such as he had a role in restoring power to the Meiji emperor. And an event implemented in the story of this oav is the Ikeda-ya affair in which the Shinsengumi made their mark in Japanese history. So I thought it was an effective touch to progress the story and set the tone. So if you’ve seen the TV series and haven’t read the manga, I say check this out. You’ll see a completely different take on Rurouni Kenshin in which it still fits in the continuity of the series and view Kenshin from a different stand point not just because he’s younger, but of what he’s struggling with and see what defined his character in the TV series. As for manga readers, it faithfully adapts this flashback from it so you’ll be able to appreciate it but with a different art style which I will not get into. As fans of the franchise can tell, the character design takes a totally different direction from the TV series and manga. While the manga and anime looked more generic Shounen in its own way, the quality of the art in this version is much more theatrical and realistic. The resolution, the clothing, the faces, eyes, and everything else felt more like an Oshii Mamoru movie than something based off of Shounen Jump, and it really fit the atmosphere and mood of the OAV excellently well. In further addition, since this is Kenshin in his killing days, you get to see more blood and violence. I wouldn’t say it’s to the level of Ichi the Killer, but it is pretty violent and intense. Though I praised the action for being technique-centric, that isn’t really at all present here. You won’t see Kenshin doing his Ryuu Tsui Sen, but you just see him hack and slash, but from what little knowledge I learned from a friend of mine who does Iaido and Kendo, it looks right and the quality feels more like a Kurosawa movie and I felt it goes with the aim of being realistic. Unfortunately, the high profile bands and the techo, and acoustics and all the things that made the music kick ass in Kenshin isn’t really perfect here. If anything, music in general isn’t that centric or present. I felt the silence gave more an appropriate feel of ambiguity and unpredictability and brought a different style of drama. When watching this OAV, I do feel some music and be too much in your face at times, and I felt the lack of music in its own way was too much in its face. But I totally understand that this oav has a different kind of intention and direction, so it works in its own way. I just wish for the ending or opening themes, they could have used TM Revolution to contribute just to give Kenshin its unique identity in that sense of why I like Kenshin. But moving on, Suzukaze Mayo resumes as Kenshin, Ikeda Shuuichi resumes his role as Hiko Seijuuro, and Hirotaka Suzuoki is back as Saitou. But enough about them, time to talk about the others. I thought Iwao Junko got the voice of Tomoe down though I think anybody could have played her. She’s reserve and secretivie, and that’s all you need. And Seki Tomokazu, another personal favorite of mine plays the role of Katsura. He’s charming, charismatic, and fair. And Nakao Ryuusei who is most famous as Freeza in DBZ and the multi-talented Takagi Wataru also known as GTO play a couple of Kenshin’s buds. Though they play practically almost nobodies, their well known voices (at least to me) stood out. I have to say that this oav captured this part of the Jinchu arc excellently well. Even though this story arc was dark to begin with, I felt the art style and the different approach to be less reliant on music made it feel fresh and gives you a different kind of insight.

What a bittersweet ending! I really love how this OVA ends. It's clear in this episode that Kenshin truly loves Tomoe. I can't say more. This is the best OVA I've ever watched. Everything feels perfect for me.

It's truly a sad fate for Kenshin and Tomoe. I'm curious about what will happen next to them. There's one scene that bothers me, when Tomoe goes to the bathroom and she seems to be wincing in pain. Does that mean she's sick? Or is she crying because she remembers her fiancé's death? In my opinion, the downside of this OVA is the characters' facial expressions, which are not clearly depicted.

I really like the storytelling style of this OVA. The story is never long-winded, always on point. Even if there is an intermezzo scene, it happens very briefly. The pace is quite fast, but I had a little difficulty following the night battle. Only blood is clearly visible to the eye. Maybe it was made that way. I also like Tomoe's character who is very calm even though the situation is critical.

Baru episode 1 sudah disajikan banyak darah bercipratan dimana-mana. Tapi aku tetap nyaman menontonnya walaupun sambil bergidik ngeri sedikit. Cerita, pace , animasi, karakter, background music , semuanya terasa sangat pas. Menarik sekali menonton bagaimana awal-mula lahirnya Hitokiri Battousai .

Episode 4 marks the beginning of the end of Kenshin’s assassin days. A devastating, emotional climax that completes his cross-shaped scar and breaks his spirit. Few anime hit this hard. This loss is what sets him on the path of a wandering, masterless samurai seeking redemption.