List of Rurouni Kenshin (1996 TV series) episodes

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Cover of the first DVD volume featuring Kamiya Kaoru, Himura Kenshin and Myojin Yahiko Rurouni Kenshin DVD 1.png
Cover of the first DVD volume featuring Kamiya Kaoru, Himura Kenshin and Myōjin Yahiko

The 1996 Rurouni Kenshin anime is the adaptation of the manga series with the same name by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Situated during the early Meiji period in Japan, the story tells about a fictional assassin named Kenshin Himura, who becomes a wanderer to protect the people of Japan.

Contents

The anime, directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi, began airing on Japan's Fuji TV on January 10, 1996, and ended on September 8, 1998. It was produced by Aniplex and Fuji TV, and was animated from episode 1 to 66 by Studio Gallop, whereas the episodes from 67 onwards were animated by Studio Deen. The final episode did not air in Japan, but was a bonus episode for the VHS and DVD releases. [1] The TV series was later licensed in North America by Media Blasters, who split it up into "seasons", and released on DVD. It started airing in the US on Cartoon Network as a part of the Toonami block on March 17, 2003, but ended at the completion of the "Season 2" (episode 62). [2] Episodes 63–95 did not air, but were included in the DVD release. [3] The twenty-two English DVDs from the series were released from July 18, 2000 to September 24, 2002. Each of them contains four episodes except for the volume 22 which contains five episodes. [1] The "seasons" were later released in three premium "Bento box" DVD boxes on November 18, 2003, March 30, 2004 and July 27, 2004. They were released again, but in new packaging as "economy box" sets on November 15, 2005, January 17, 2006 and February 14, 2006.

There were 95 episodes in the Rurouni Kenshin's TV series, but there are also two original video animation (OVA) series which have respectively four and two episodes. The first of them, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal was released in 1999 in Japan and in 2003 was collected into a two-hour feature-length motion picture with new animated sequences and released in North America as a Director's Cut DVD. [4] The second OVA is Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection , composed of two episodes that were originally released from December 19, 2001 to March 20, 2002 in Japan. It was later released in the United States by ADV Films in DVD on March 25, 2003, while a Director's Cut edition was later released. Both OVAs were eventually released on Blu-ray Disc by Aniplex of America in 2011. [5]

A two-episode OVA, retelling the story of the second arc/season, Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc , was announced in April 2011. The first part premiered on December 17, 2011, and ran at Tokyo's Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro theater and Osaka's Cine-Libre Umeda theater for one week only. [6] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 21, 2012. [7] The second part premiered on June 23, 2012. [8]

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 27January 10, 1996 (1996-01-10)October 16, 1996 (1996-10-16)
2 35October 30, 1996 (1996-10-30)September 17, 1997 (1997-09-17)
3 33October 14, 1997 (1997-10-14)September 8, 1998 (1998-09-08)

Episodes

A note on the "Season" nomenclature:

The "seasons" that comprise the following list correspond to Media Blaster's release of the series in North America. In Japan, Rurouni Kenshin was aired year-round continuously with regular preemptions for sporting events and television specials taking place, and not split into standard seasonal cycles.

Season 1 (1996)

  1. ↑ The titles on the left are those from the Media Blasters version. The titles on the right are of the Samurai X Sony episodes posted on Crackle.

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The first season of the 1996 Rurouni Kenshin anime television series is directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and produced by Aniplex and Fuji Television. The series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television and ran from January 10 to October 16, 1996. The episodes are based on the first six volumes of the manga series of the same name by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Situated during the early Meiji period in Japan, the story tells of a fictional assassin named Kenshin Himura, who becomes a wanderer to protect the people of Japan.

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References

  1. 1 2 Kumana, Zubin. "Rurouni Kenshin Vol #22: End Song". Archived from the original on 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  2. ↑ "Toonami to Receive Facelift". Anime News Network . 2003-03-03. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  3. ↑ "Media Blasters February DVDs". Anime News Network . 2005-10-27. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  4. ↑ "Samurai X Director's Cut - Review". Anime News Network . Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  5. ↑ "Aniplex USA - Rurouni Kenshin". Aniplex . Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  6. ↑ Loo, Egan (November 1, 2011). "New Rurouni Kenshin Anime's Part I Slated for December 17 (Updated)". Anime News Network . Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  7. ↑ "New Rurouni Kenshin Anime's 1st BD/DVD Volume Titled, Dated". Anime News Network . Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  8. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 5, 2012). "New Rurouni Kenshin Anime's Part II Promo Streamed". Anime News Network . Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪漫譚―. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  10. ↑ Berryhill, Garry (March 3, 2003). "Toonami to Receive Facelift". Anime News Network . Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Rurouni Kenshin (TV Schedule) [Episodes 4–23]". Cartoon Network. Archived from the original on March 20, 2003. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Rurouni Kenshin (TV Schedule) [Episodes 21–34]". Cartoon Network. Archived from the original on April 13, 2003. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  13. ↑ るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪漫譚―. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Rurouni Kenshin (TV Schedule) [Episodes 21–34]". Cartoon Network. Archived from the original on April 13, 2003. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Rurouni Kenshin (TV Schedule) [Episodes 27–46]". Cartoon Network. Archived from the original on June 4, 2003. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Rurouni Kenshin (TV Schedule) [Episodes 61 and 62]". Cartoon Network. Archived from the original on October 4, 2003. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪漫譚―. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  18. ↑ るろうに剣心ー明治剣客浪漫譚ー未放映秘蔵ビデオ「流浪の最果て・緋と瑠璃の絆は潮騒の中（うち）に」 (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 21, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
No.
overall		No. in
season		Media Blasters titles / Sony titles  [lower-alpha 1] Directed byWritten byAnimation directed byOriginal air date  [9] American air date  [10] [11] [12]
11"The Handsome Swordsman of Legend: A Man who Fights for Love"
Transliteration: "Densetsu no Bikenshi...Ai Yue ni Tatakau Otoko" (Japanese: 伝説の美剣士...愛ゆえに闘う男)		 Kazuhiro Furuhashi Michiru Shimada Kobayashi KazuyukiJanuary 10, 1996 (1996-01-10)March 17, 2003
22"Kid Samurai: A Big Ordeal and a New Student"
Transliteration: "Gakizamurai Sutta! Monda! de Monkasei" (Japanese: ガキ侍 スッた!モンだ!で門下生)		Directed by : Shin'ichi Matsumi
Storyboarded by : Yoshihiro Takamoto		Michiru ShimadaMitsunori MurataJanuary 17, 1996 (1996-01-17)March 18, 2003
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