I read the manga of Rurouni Kenshin a long time ago but never did watch the anime. Still, live action adaption of manga have so far proven to be very lackluster especially American adaptions. Some examples that come to mind include Death note, Ghost in the Shell and Dragonball Evolution. Even from Japan some live action adaptions are terrible like Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Alchemist. So I came in with relatively low expectations.
The basic synopsis of the story is a Meiji era assassin named Himura Kenshin (Takeru Satoh), The legendary Battousai, who leaves his life behind to protect the common man and vowing to never kill again. He then has a chance meeting with Kamiya Kaoru (Emi Takei), the owner of a Kendo school left to her by her father, and from there on his life isn’t quite the same. Will the director (Keishi Otomo) deliver an excellent adaption or just a really cheap cash grab?
Firstly, the story is interesting and intriguing which is no surprising considering the source material. The director puts a major focus on one of the most important themes in the manga which is the transition from the Tokugawa to the Meiji era. The film successfully shows the trouble from this transition and the peace that came along with it. The story is mixing two stories together which is the Opium dealer and the assassin pretending to be Battousai. Surprisingly, the director manages to mesh these two stories together very well to the point it feels natural and works. The director also tones down a lot of the over the top slapstick comedy from the source material and makes it feel more grounded and serious which makes the stakes feel high. Not that there aren’t any lighthearted or comedic moments but overall the film is quite dark and grim with a fair amount of blood and gore. Although, the movie comes over 2 hours and it does feel like some moments tend to drag a bit.
The characters are also lovable and strikingly different in personality which makes them all stand out from each other which is also down to the cast. Takeru Satoh is perfect as Himura even copying down his quirks from the manga to the big screen, there is no one else who could be Himura. The rest of the supporting cast are just as captivating and they portray their respective characters from the manga perfectly. However, this does ocassionally contrast with the overall serious tone as sometimes certain scenes and performances feel kind of out of place. Still, they all feel really accurate to the source material apart from Emi Takei as Kaoru. It isn’t her acting which is a problem but mostly the fact that she is meant to be a strong looking woman who is a bit plain but Emi Takei is beautiful and not very well built which is the opposite. It’s a minor nitpick at best though.
Probably the best part of this movie is the fight scenes. The choreography by Takuro Ishizaka for the sword fights are incredible with their fast pace and ferocious strikes. What is especially amazing is that it is all practical and how most of the actors themselves are doing a majority of it. The director utilizes this effectively by giving us clearer,longer and non shaky or overly editing shots of fights to allow us to view it in all its glory. There is also a lot of clever use of wire work to make Himura look especially skillful and fast.
One of the most surprising praise I have is the score by Naoki Sato. The music in this film is intense with my favorite being “Hiten” which is just amazing and even in some of the down moments the score keeps you gripping and on your toes. The music manages to elevate every scene and it is such a surprising choice considering the era this film is set in but it works and makes things more exciting. The costumes are also really well done and detailed and doesn’t feel too cosplay like. The set design also feels believable for the era and gorgeous. The cinematography is also on point and really captures the essence of the Meiji era and allows for some beautiful looking shots.
Overall, I came in with little to no expectation but came out with my expectations blown straight out the water. I became enthralled with this movie. Nearly everything in this movie is perfect; the story, the cast, the music, the fights, the costumes, the sets, the cinematography are all great. This movie is arguably probably the best live action adaption of a manga EVER. Actually, this is probably an amazing movie in its own right. If you have not read the source material, doesn’t matter, this movie doesn’t need you to cause it is just that amazing.
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