Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, sometimes also known as Samurai X in the TV show, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan (1878) and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work against the bakufu, Hitokiri Battosai disappears to become Himura Kenshin: a wandering swordsman who protects the people of Japan with a vow never to take another life. Watsuki wrote the series upon his desire to make a shōnen manga different from the other ones that were published at the time, with Kenshin being a former assassin and the story taking a more serious tone as it continued. The manga revolves around themes of atonement, peace, and romance.
Zanbatō Is an especially large, curved type of fictional sword used by characters in Japanese anime and manga. Books written about nihonto make no references to zanbatō as being actual swords used in feudal Japan. The name zanbatō translates to "horse-slaying sword" or "horse-chopping saber". Original examples came from Song Dynasty China and were employed by anti-cavalry infantry in the same manner.
Kenshin is a Japanese masculine given name. It may refer to:
Himura Kenshin, known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character and protagonist of the manga Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin's story is set in a fictional version of Japan during the Meiji period. Kenshin is a former legendary assassin known as "Hitokiri Battōsai" (人斬り抜刀斎), more properly named Himura Battōsai (緋村抜刀斎). At the end of the Bakumatsu, he becomes a wandering swordsman, now wielding a sakabatō—a katana that has the cutting edge on the inwardly curved side of the sword, thus being nearly incapable of killing. Kenshin wanders the Japanese countryside offering protection and aid to those in need as atonement for the murders he once committed as an assassin. In Tokyo, he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who invites him to live in her dojo, despite learning about Kenshin's past. Throughout the series, Kenshin begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies, while dealing with his fair share of enemies, new and old.
Kamiya Kaoru, known as Kaoru Kamiya in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Kori Kamiya in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character in the Rurouni Kenshin manga created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the story Kaoru is the instructor of a kendo school in Tokyo, Kamiya Kasshin-ryū (神谷活心流). The students leave when many people are killed by someone claiming to be the Hitokiri Battōsai (人斬り抜刀斎) from the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū", damaging the school's reputation. Kaoru is saved from the murderous impostor by the real Battōsai, Himura Kenshin, now a wanderer who has sworn to stop killing. During the series, Kaoru grows fond of Kenshin due to his good actions to society and becomes his ally.
Myōjin Yahiko, known as Yahiko Myojin in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Yoshi Myojin in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin manga and anime series authored by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The character of Yahiko is based on the author's childhood experiences practicing kendo; since Watsuki's experienced frustration during kendo classes, the author wrote Yahiko as experiencing frustration with his kendo skills. Watsuki liked Yahiko, and while writing the manga, he began to develop the character so that readers would enjoy him.
Nobuhiro Nishiwaki, better known by his pen name Nobuhiro Watsuki, is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (1994–1999), which has over 70 million copies in circulation and a sequel he is currently creating titled Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc (2017–present). He has written three more series, the western Gun Blaze West (2001), the supernatural Buso Renkin (2003–2005), and the horror manga Embalming -The Another Tale of Frankenstein- (2007–2015). Watsuki has mentored several well-known manga artists, including One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, Hiroyuki Takei of Shaman King fame, and Mr. Fullswing author Shinya Suzuki.
Sagara Sanosuke is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin manga and anime series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the English anime adaptations he is known as Sanosuke Sagara and nicknamed Sano. Watsuki, being a fan of the Shinsengumi, created Sanosuke by basing his name and characteristics on that of a real Shinsengumi member named Harada Sanosuke.
Shinomori Aoshi, known in Western order as Aoshi Shinomori in the English version of the anime, is a fictional character in the Rurouni Kenshin manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the genius young Okashira of the Oniwabanshū for Edo Castle. After the Meiji Restoration Shinomori alone was offered rankings in the military, however, instead of abandoning his comrades, he decided to work with them for Takeda Kanryū. This decision leads to the death of his comrades and his defeat by Himura Kenshin, which results in driving him mad. For the remainder of the series, Shinomori swears to kill Kenshin at any cost in order to gain the title of "the strongest" and bestow this title upon the graves of his fallen comrades.
Makimachi Misao, known in Western order as Misao Makimachi in the Media Blasters dub, is a character from the fictional Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki.
Saitō Hajime, known as Hajime Saito in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin manga and anime series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Being a fan of the Shinsengumi, Watsuki created Saitō as an anti-heroic and a foil to Himura Kenshin, the main character of the story, while basing him on the real life Shinsengumi member of the same name.
Shishio Makoto, known in the English anime in Western order as Makoto Shishio, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki and the main antagonist of the Kyoto Arc, the second arc of the series. Shishio is the successor of the Hitokiri (人斬り), or assassin Himura Kenshin, the protagonist of the series.
Yukishiro Enishi, known in Western order as Enishi Yukishiro in the English language OVA dubs, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki and the main antagonist of the Jinchū Arc, the final arc of the series.
Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal, known in Japan as Rurōni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Rōman Tan- Tsuioku-hen, is an original video animation (OVA) series, based on the Rurouni Kenshin manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki, and it is a prequel to the anime television series adaptation of the same name. Trust & Betrayal chronicles the story of Himura Kenshin as the Hitokiri Battōsai during the final years of the Bakumatsu era while also revealing the origins of his cross-shaped scar and exploring his relationship with a woman named Yukishiro Tomoe.
Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection is a Japanese original video animation (OVA) which serves as a sequel to the Rurouni Kenshin anime television series, an adaptation of the manga series of the same name created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It was produced by Studio Deen, directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and written by Reiko Yoshida and released in Japan from December 19, 2001 to March 20, 2002.
Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It is a remake of his Rurouni Kenshin series, and served to promote the then upcoming live-action film released in August 2012. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's Jump Square from May 2012 to June 2013 and collected into two tankōbon volumes.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is a 2021 Japanese live-action film directed Keishi Ōtomo. It is based on the final arc of the Rurouni Kenshin manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki, but its story differs from the original. The film focuses on the pacifist wanderer Himura Kenshin who is brought on a fight involving revenge by Yukishiro Enishi. It is the fourth installment in the Rurouni Kenshin film series, following Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, and was followed by a fifth entry, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, both of which were filmed together.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is a 2021 Japanese live-action film directed by Keishi Ōtomo. It is the fifth and final installment in the Rurouni Kenshin film series based on Nobuhiro Watsuki's manga of the same name, and was produced alongside Rurouni Kenshin: The Final. The narrative of the film approximates the plot of the manga's Tsuiokuhen arc, earlier adapted into the 1999 OVA Trust & Betrayal.,
Rurouni Kenshin, also known sometimes as Samurai X, is a Japanese anime television series, based on the manga series of the same name created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The series was produced by Studio Gallop, Studio Deen and SPE Visual Works and directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi. It was broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV from January 1996 to September 1998. Besides an animated feature film, three series of original video animations (OVAs) were also produced. The first adapted stories from the manga that were not featured in the anime, the second was a sequel to the manga series, and the third was a reimagining of the second arc of the series.