Samurai X Reflection Director's Cut (DVD) - Anime Reviews


	Language Options English/Japanese/English Subtitles Extras - Interviews with Japanese Vocal Cast - Clean Open/Close Animation - Production Sketches - Commentary with the Voice Actors for Kenshin, Sanosuke and Kaoru
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Samurai X Reflection:

Director's Cut (DVD)

Rurouni Kenshin is a wanderer, a lost soul, cursed to seek atonement for his life in the bloody trade of the samurai. During the long war to overthrow the corrupt government, he was known throughout all of Japan as the Hitokiri Battousai (“sword bearing master assassin”). Even with the war long over, Kenshin can’t find peace. His dark past continues to haunt him despite a vow to draw his sword only for the protection of those in need.

To atone for his past, Kenshin has left behind his friends and family. His wife Kaoru steadfastly awaits his return, mourning his absence as well as that of their son who has left to train with Kenshin’s former master. Will Kenshin return before she dies of grief? The past meets the present fifteen years after Kenshin first left in the newly edited feature.

To my surprise, there has been a revival of Rurouni Kenshin in North America thanks to the immense popularity of the manga, which is the best selling manga right now. There’s nothing wrong with anime getting more exposure, especially when it brings less edited versions across the ocean. The Samurai X movies are some of the best examples of movies made of television series, as they showcase gorgeous animation and ground the intensity of the sword-fights in reality that is generally not shown in either the manga or the TV show.

Samurai X Reflection is not so much of a movie as it is a synopsis of the relationship between Kenshin and Kaoru. The movie focuses around Kaoru 15 years after the end of the TV series where she is now married to Kenshin and they have had a child (Kenji). A large portion of the feature takes an alternate look at their relationship, showing both what we’ve seen in the anime and what we haven’t. These scenes are told from the perspective of Kaoru’s memories, and as they are a retrospective of her emotions and love of Kenshin, they lack the levity that was commonplace in the anime. Seeing how her initial attempt to capture the legendary Hitokiri Battousai eventually became acceptance and eventually love is amusing, if not a little hurried considering the amount of material that is compressed.

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Kenshin has always been a tortured character, but in Samurai X Reflection it takes on a new dimension – his pain over the deaths that he has caused is much more than a cross to bear, it has evolved into becoming a self-loathing -- that he doesn’t deserve to be happy or to have a home. He has also lost a piece of his life due to the leprosy that he has contracted (pun not intentional). He has become unable to wield his sword and has since

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been forced to abandon his Rurouni ways, as a swordsman at least, he now serves the people directly using other means to help the general populace. For Kaoru, her love of Kenshin has become so developed that she has gone past trying to alleviate his pain instead to taking some of the pain on herself so that her suffering will take her closer to her husband. She now waits in self-imposed pain for the return of her husband who is once again out helping the people at the expense of his own health.

For the hardcore fans we have the appearance of most of the supporting cast: Yahiko has returned to Tokyo and is staying at the noodle house (he also was given Kenshin’s sakaboto now that Kenshin has become unable to use a sword), Mitsumi is still a doctor and a good friend to everyone, Sanosuke has also become a Rurouni and is still one of the best scoundrels around. Kaoru and Kenshin’s son Kenji spends his time training under Kenshin’s former master but he represents an interesting personality – having inherited the athletic abilities and innate talents of his father along with his legacy of swordsmanship. Kenji resents his father for not being around and cannot understand why his mother loves him so dearly. It will take the help of Yahiko for Kenji to be able to understand who his father was, and why he was such a great swordsman.

Samurai X Reflection is a beautiful animated movie that is one that any Rurouni Kenshin fan should have. Besides being an epic animation, the thoughtfulness of the characters and emotions of the actors behind them make for a powerful experience. People unfamiliar with the series will probably only appreciate the great animation and intensity of the characters but not understand the significance of all of the characters.

- Tazman

(February 6, 2005)

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