Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

kenchu Just leaving a short comment here. I just wanted to share how incredibly touched I was by this.It's the first time in 10 years that I watched the Rurouni Kenshin series again, but this one I hadn't seen before. Imagine watching the 95 episodes (well, maybe not all of them), then Trust & Betrayal, and then this. For the first time. Gosh, call me what you will but I cried in the end of this movie. I haven't done so for years and years. Maybe it was because somewhere in the back of my mind I've wondered what happened to Kenshin and his friends ever since I saw the last episode of the series 10 years ago, and then to finally know. Maybe that's what triggered my emotional response. Or maybe the movie just was that good. Or most likely, a mix of those.Thank you for this movie. It touched my emotions greatly.

ampgalore Before you watch this OVA/movie, you should really watch some parts of the TV series, and the first two OVA's in the Kenshin universe. This will really help you flesh out the background, and make watching this OVA/movie more enjoyable.This OVA/movie is really a recap of some of the major events in the TV series and the first two OVA's. The animation is completely brand new, so they didn't just reuse the old footage, they redrew everything from scratch. The animation style is distinctly different from what you are used to seeing. Some people like it, some people don't. I still feel ambivalent about it, particularly about the eyes, they are much more exaggerated.As to the story, well, even after all these years, Kenshin is still laden with the guilt over all those people he killed during the Meiji Restoration era. He married Kaoru, and they had a son. But Kenshin feels compelled to continue to lead the life of the wandering samurai, only returning home to Kaoru intermittently over the years, because he cannot set aside his guilt laden conscience, and feels that by leading the life of a wandering samurai, and helping people along the way, he is in some measure making atonement for his bloody past.At some point Kenshin contracted leprosy (the OVA/movie never explicitly states this, but sure looks like it) and suffers horribly from it. Kaoru willingly contracts it from Kenshin, because she feels that in contracting the same illness as Kenshin's, she can share Kenshin's pain and suffering, and in some measure be emotionally more connected to Kenshin.Kenshin then went to China at the behest of the Japanese government. From the time line, it should have been around the time of the first or the second Sino-Japanese war. Then after some time while in China, Kenshin falls gravely ill. Sanosuke then came, and helped Kenshin get on a cargo ship headed back to Japan.Kenshin and Kaoru finally meet again after so many years of separation. Kenshin then dies while resting in Kaoru's lap. After the credits, we see Kenshin and Kaoru's son, Kenji, all grown up, very much like the young Kenshin we are all familiar with from the TV series, and a his young girl friend, very much like the young Kaoru. They promise each other that they would lead a happy life together, a life which, because of Kenshin's past, so eluded Kenshin and Kaoru.Overall, it's a OVA/anime. But I do feel that the story is not on par with the first two Kenshin OVA's. I especially have problems with the part about Kaoru willingly contracting leprosy from Kenshin, and that in contracting the disease, Kaoru feels that she is emotionally closer to Kenshin. This whole premise just feels contrite and forced.Kenshin probably suffers from some serious post traumatic stress disorder. This is probably why he sets out wandering all over Japan and then to China even after his marriage with Kaoru and even after Kaoru gave birth to their son. Once scarred, you are scarred for life. Even in this day and age, there are seldom effective treatments for PTSD's.It's a sad ending.

OmegaWolf747 This is the biggest piece of garbage I've seen that's attached to the name Rurouni Kenshin. I never saw the third season of the anime, but I could probably tolerate that better than this train-wreck.A lot of people like the animation and character design. I despised it. The characters all look ugly, with these glazed-over eyes and depressive faces. They look nothing at all as they do in the manga, or even the anime.The Jinchuu Arc has all the important plot-points (the three-front attack, the corpse doll, Rakuninmura and Kenshin putting his demons to rest) stripped out. In this version, all that happens is Enishi kidnaps Kaoru (who doesn't even try to fight him) and leaves a note saying, "Jinchuu". Kenshin goes to the island alone (instead of with all the others as he did in the manga), fights Enishi, beats him and then offers his life in exchange for Koaru's. *flips through her manga volumes and can't find one instance of kenshin offering his life to an enemy* Since Kenshin never went through the life-altering experience of Rakuninmura, he really couldn't form a close bond with Kaoru in this OVA as he did in the manga. That is why five years into their marriage, his attitude was, "Screw my family. Saving the world is more important", and he went to China to help the Meiji government invade a sovereign nation. I'm 100% sure this is something manga-Kenshin would never do.The idea of Kenshin sleeping with Kaoru when he has a communicable disease and condemning her to death is laughable. Hello, no-kill vow anyone! Or perhaps this doesn't include the woman he's supposed to love.Kaoru is changed from a strong, fiery-tempered shihondai who would beat the crap out of her husband for even thinking of such a thing in the manga to this weak-willed and spineless woman who just sits there crying as Kenshin goes off. Then she welcomes him back with open arms and sleeps with him in order to "share his pain".This is reminiscent of Hindu women, who would throw themselves on their husbands' funeral pyres because apparently in those cultures, a wife's life is meaningless if her husband dies. The director was portraying Kenshin and Kaoru as a traditional Japanese couple rather than as Kenshin and Kaoru.I have no problem with being historically and culturally accurate, but not at the price of butchering Watsuki's characters and storyline. Either follow the manga, or don't animate the stupid thing!

JoakimH This new OVA brings a conclusion to the TV series. If you haven't seen any of the TV series (or read the manga) you should see/read them before watching this. Seisouhen doesn't explain anything about the characters.The Seisouhen is split in two parts, the first is basically a recap of the TV series, and the second brings a conclusion to it all. It is drawn in the same way (or similar at least) as the first 4 OVA episodes were (American title: Samurai X), which is in a realistic (as realistic as anime gets...) and beautiful way.There is not much action to be found in Seisouhen, instead it is very emotional (I actually shed a tear or two) and it is a beautiful finish to it all.In conclusion: if you have seen some of the TV series and seen the other 4 OVA episodes (Samurai X) this is something you will not and cannot miss. If not, watching Seisouhen will be a complete waste of time for you.