Isn't this related to ... →
So, today I'm writing about something that I've been wanting to watch since a long time, but didn't just because. Anyway finally I was able to have the time and the file ha, and it was something that make me remember so many old memories... fuaaa
Soooo, how to start this? maybe by telling something about my childhood, I may not always have been familiar with Japanese doramas, but I was really influenced by Japanese anime, my first anime was Dragon Ball, I think, waa so many memories, anyway, looking backwards one of my favourite if not The Fave, is Rurouni Kenshin, or like I used to know him Samurai X. I used to love the openings and endings, those were the first Japanese songs I've ever hear! waa and in some weird way, looking back from this current nonsense it all makes sense!
Anyway, I just love love Kenshin, I saw like all the episodes from the anime, and more recently the ovas 'cause those weren't dubbed, and impossible to watch them in my country, so weird that this was so available in a pre-internet era. Weird. Anyway, again, so there's been a while since I've seen the anime, and to be honest some parts were just blurry to me by the time I saw this movie, but it brought back so many memories...
Let's see, this is a live action from the popular anime/manga series "Rurouni Kenshin" written & illustrated by Watsuki Nobuhiro. Data from {http://asianwiki.com/Rurouni_Kenshin}
Movie: Rurouni Kenshin
Romaji: Rurouni Kenshin
Japanese: るろうに剣心
Director: Keishi Ohtomo
Writer: Watsuki Nobuhiro (manga), Kiyomi Fujii, Keishi Ohtomo
Release Date: August 25, 2012
Runtime: 134 min.
Genre: Action / Based on a Comic / Period-19th Century / Samurai
Distributor: Warner Bros.
The plot
Just by watching this I remember how much I used to love this anime! Nostalgic, well the plot is based in a mix of the first two story arcs, Kenshin fighting against an opium dealer in Tokyo and with a killer claiming to be Kenshin himself. And we all know *should otherwise* that the story is a historical fiction set in the years after Japan's final civil war and dissolution of the samurai caste.
Maaa, there are a couple of changes in order to convey everything in 134 min., so I guess that was needed, but I kept saying to myself this wasn't like this! and ahh I remember how it was now... So many details about both arcs, those details were in my mind and for some reason those details made this story epic, for me at least.
But, keeping the focus on this live action, well those plot twists may be necessary, but they are not harmless, it affects deeply the whole credibility, especially regarding the bad ones part. So, I'm sort of very detailed regarding this little changes, but all in all I think it is a fine story adaptation, even though there is so much more from where it came! Some characters were there but unless you know the story, they are just there.
The characters
Well, regarding to the characters, I was expecting to see Sanosuke Sagara, he is my fave one from the anime, and the whole story behind him! *I'm going to stop with that fixation about the story untold* Well I didn't like the actor at first, but he does reacts like Sano and his parts were the funniest ones. Then, Yahiko is almost not present, but it was good to see him. Then the girls, Megumi is so pretty, I think she was a fine choice and really acts like her character, even though she should have been older, I think. Kaoru is just cute, and maybe too girly for what I expected, but cute, yet there were times when she didn't seem herself, she was way more stubborn than in this live action... maa..
About the bad characters... I think they were fine, but without many basis and I really liked Hajime Saito, his presence is just superb, he is scary...And to finish this section, well..., Kenshin..., it took a while but by the middle I was able to recognize Kenshin in this guy... Takeru Sato, maybe that's the problem about live adaptations from characters so dear... but he does a great job, regarding the voice, the movements, in one moment he seems so fragile and at the next he's invincible, 'cause that's Kenshin! He has a pretty smile and the thing I like the most was the hair *'cause that's one of my biggest obssessions*, it really looks like in the drawing and it's red, when I realized this and in that moment when he puts on his usual garments I said 'Kenshin!'
The other stuff
Into the action... well the fighting scenes were great! great, like at the beginning it was like nothing was going on, but later this live action didn't disappointed me in that issue. Seeing Kenshin running like he used to and performing the poses for his attacks techniques was like kyaaa, seeing someone familiar... I loved how you can recognize the characters by the way they fight, specially with Kenshin, it was good to see him growing in power when he was closer to be the hitokiri he used to be. And maybe in the acting that was the only one thing not so clear, like in the anime you could really tell when the batousai was appearing.
About the sceneries *is that the word?* were amazing, recognising the places was the best part, so many details, and some places looked like coming from the anime itself, at least of what I remember ha. Like the scene from his past where he kills this young samurai, that is related to his scar, and is such a sad story! I also loved to see all of them eating together outside, and Kaoru's dojo! and the scene when they fight in the opioum dealer's mansion was great, Kenshin and Sano!, just great. And the scenes with Kaoru and Kenshin were soooo cute like they make me recall how much peace Kenshin finds in this young woman just so likely to help him ignoring his past. My fave ones were when she goes to the police to wait for him to be release in the rain ♥, and the end, the end was like expecting the words to come out from their mouths for me to say they with them! That moment was great, like an ending to a beginning XD XD XD
The music was good too, even though I'd like more if they'd have used the one from the anime, 'cause I'm such a fan! lol
My marks
All in all, well it's hard to evaluate this, 'cause being such a beloved story for me it's hard to see it with unbiased eyes, weird ha? well it was good, and the fighting scenes were great, I think as a fan of the anime and the story itself, 'cause there is a lot of story, I am a bit demanding about the result and I want it to be as accurate as possible, but seeing Kenshin performing his pose for the final attack and seeing it being perform exactly as it was supposed to be was overwhelmingly worth it.
The scores,
As a movie 3 and a half out of five, and 2 winks 'cause I totally recommend this, and about the emotions I was surprised. If I were to qualify in the category as a live action *from fighting anime, shounen?*, which it is, it will be probably more, 'cause this is by far the best adaptation from a samurai manga/anime I've seen, not overuse of effects, no tacky effects and deeply loyal to the core and the time when this story takes place.
And now a little number of caps I took, just the ones that I loved specially...
This is Kenshin ♥, and his scar
This is Megume, I liked how she laughs
This is Kaoru, you see she is really cute
Kawaii
Kenshin, I guess he does resemble...
I love those hats!
This was it! the scene, and now I remember that song, that have that piece of a lyric in English it's gonna rain or something like that
And this is it, one of the epic moments of the film...
♥ red, his hair...♥
What was I talking about...red
This was the part when I really noticed his hair and then I start to recognize him
Kenshin! he does talk as annoyingly polite and formal as Kenshin could
When he was a young batousai
Running like Kenshin!!
Another epic moment!
Waa I rememebered this, that it was deadlier when it was inside
The pose the pose
And this is it, the best live action from samurais!!
And of course I knew the end! of course, but it was great that I was only able to recall it near the end, such a great story, and the real end of the movie is actually at the beginning of my caps! I cheat lol
Great feeling at the end, and of course waiting for the sequels in 2014!
Waa so many memories, the best feeling from today,
nostalgia
kyaaa
Soooo, how to start this? maybe by telling something about my childhood, I may not always have been familiar with Japanese doramas, but I was really influenced by Japanese anime, my first anime was Dragon Ball, I think, waa so many memories, anyway, looking backwards one of my favourite if not The Fave, is Rurouni Kenshin, or like I used to know him Samurai X. I used to love the openings and endings, those were the first Japanese songs I've ever hear! waa and in some weird way, looking back from this current nonsense it all makes sense!
Anyway, I just love love Kenshin, I saw like all the episodes from the anime, and more recently the ovas 'cause those weren't dubbed, and impossible to watch them in my country, so weird that this was so available in a pre-internet era. Weird. Anyway, again, so there's been a while since I've seen the anime, and to be honest some parts were just blurry to me by the time I saw this movie, but it brought back so many memories...
Let's see, this is a live action from the popular anime/manga series "Rurouni Kenshin" written & illustrated by Watsuki Nobuhiro. Data from {http://asianwiki.com/Rurouni_Kenshin}
Movie: Rurouni Kenshin
Romaji: Rurouni Kenshin
Japanese: るろうに剣心
Director: Keishi Ohtomo
Writer: Watsuki Nobuhiro (manga), Kiyomi Fujii, Keishi Ohtomo
Release Date: August 25, 2012
Runtime: 134 min.
Genre: Action / Based on a Comic / Period-19th Century / Samurai
Distributor: Warner Bros.
The plot
Just by watching this I remember how much I used to love this anime! Nostalgic, well the plot is based in a mix of the first two story arcs, Kenshin fighting against an opium dealer in Tokyo and with a killer claiming to be Kenshin himself. And we all know *should otherwise* that the story is a historical fiction set in the years after Japan's final civil war and dissolution of the samurai caste.
Maaa, there are a couple of changes in order to convey everything in 134 min., so I guess that was needed, but I kept saying to myself this wasn't like this! and ahh I remember how it was now... So many details about both arcs, those details were in my mind and for some reason those details made this story epic, for me at least.
But, keeping the focus on this live action, well those plot twists may be necessary, but they are not harmless, it affects deeply the whole credibility, especially regarding the bad ones part. So, I'm sort of very detailed regarding this little changes, but all in all I think it is a fine story adaptation, even though there is so much more from where it came! Some characters were there but unless you know the story, they are just there.
The characters
Well, regarding to the characters, I was expecting to see Sanosuke Sagara, he is my fave one from the anime, and the whole story behind him! *I'm going to stop with that fixation about the story untold* Well I didn't like the actor at first, but he does reacts like Sano and his parts were the funniest ones. Then, Yahiko is almost not present, but it was good to see him. Then the girls, Megumi is so pretty, I think she was a fine choice and really acts like her character, even though she should have been older, I think. Kaoru is just cute, and maybe too girly for what I expected, but cute, yet there were times when she didn't seem herself, she was way more stubborn than in this live action... maa..
About the bad characters... I think they were fine, but without many basis and I really liked Hajime Saito, his presence is just superb, he is scary...And to finish this section, well..., Kenshin..., it took a while but by the middle I was able to recognize Kenshin in this guy... Takeru Sato, maybe that's the problem about live adaptations from characters so dear... but he does a great job, regarding the voice, the movements, in one moment he seems so fragile and at the next he's invincible, 'cause that's Kenshin! He has a pretty smile and the thing I like the most was the hair *'cause that's one of my biggest obssessions*, it really looks like in the drawing and it's red, when I realized this and in that moment when he puts on his usual garments I said 'Kenshin!'
The other stuff
Into the action... well the fighting scenes were great! great, like at the beginning it was like nothing was going on, but later this live action didn't disappointed me in that issue. Seeing Kenshin running like he used to and performing the poses for his attacks techniques was like kyaaa, seeing someone familiar... I loved how you can recognize the characters by the way they fight, specially with Kenshin, it was good to see him growing in power when he was closer to be the hitokiri he used to be. And maybe in the acting that was the only one thing not so clear, like in the anime you could really tell when the batousai was appearing.
About the sceneries *is that the word?* were amazing, recognising the places was the best part, so many details, and some places looked like coming from the anime itself, at least of what I remember ha. Like the scene from his past where he kills this young samurai, that is related to his scar, and is such a sad story! I also loved to see all of them eating together outside, and Kaoru's dojo! and the scene when they fight in the opioum dealer's mansion was great, Kenshin and Sano!, just great. And the scenes with Kaoru and Kenshin were soooo cute like they make me recall how much peace Kenshin finds in this young woman just so likely to help him ignoring his past. My fave ones were when she goes to the police to wait for him to be release in the rain ♥, and the end, the end was like expecting the words to come out from their mouths for me to say they with them! That moment was great, like an ending to a beginning XD XD XD
The music was good too, even though I'd like more if they'd have used the one from the anime, 'cause I'm such a fan! lol
My marks
All in all, well it's hard to evaluate this, 'cause being such a beloved story for me it's hard to see it with unbiased eyes, weird ha? well it was good, and the fighting scenes were great, I think as a fan of the anime and the story itself, 'cause there is a lot of story, I am a bit demanding about the result and I want it to be as accurate as possible, but seeing Kenshin performing his pose for the final attack and seeing it being perform exactly as it was supposed to be was overwhelmingly worth it.
The scores,
As a movie 3 and a half out of five, and 2 winks 'cause I totally recommend this, and about the emotions I was surprised. If I were to qualify in the category as a live action *from fighting anime, shounen?*, which it is, it will be probably more, 'cause this is by far the best adaptation from a samurai manga/anime I've seen, not overuse of effects, no tacky effects and deeply loyal to the core and the time when this story takes place.
And now a little number of caps I took, just the ones that I loved specially...
This is Kenshin ♥, and his scar
This is Megume, I liked how she laughs
This is Kaoru, you see she is really cute
Kawaii
Kenshin, I guess he does resemble...
I love those hats!
This was it! the scene, and now I remember that song, that have that piece of a lyric in English it's gonna rain or something like that
And this is it, one of the epic moments of the film...
♥ red, his hair...♥
What was I talking about...red
This was the part when I really noticed his hair and then I start to recognize him
Kenshin! he does talk as annoyingly polite and formal as Kenshin could
When he was a young batousai
Running like Kenshin!!
Another epic moment!
Waa I rememebered this, that it was deadlier when it was inside
The pose the pose
And this is it, the best live action from samurais!!
And of course I knew the end! of course, but it was great that I was only able to recall it near the end, such a great story, and the real end of the movie is actually at the beginning of my caps! I cheat lol
Great feeling at the end, and of course waiting for the sequels in 2014!
Waa so many memories, the best feeling from today,
nostalgia
kyaaa