First Impressions - Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Kyoto Douran

OP: “Iranai mono (いらないもの)” by Tatsuya Kitani, Natori

This is complicated, in so many ways. The psychological side, for starters. We’re revisiting what’s probably (along with Evangelion) the single-most formative story in animanga for me as a fan. The original adaptation aired the better part of 30 years ago, for me it’s been about twenty – but that’s still a long damn time. It was formative but the Kyoto Arc is also objectively one of the finest arcs in shounen manga history, and I’m not so sure it’s not my flat-out #1. So going back to it after all this time (even with a re-watch and re-read or two in the interim) is an odd feeling.

There’s also the uncertainty factor. As far as we know, only 23 episodes have been confirmed for “Kyoto”. It runs for 103 chapters. The 1996 adaptation did it in 34 episodes. The 2023 covered the Tokyo Arc at almost exactly two chapters per episode (47/24), and you don’t have to be Carl Friedrich Gauss to see something doesn’t add up there. 34 episodes was just about enough – some material was skipped, but Furuhashi Kazuhiro finessed that brilliantly. 23 would be an absolute travesty (and there’s no Furuhashi here). So are there two more cours coming for “Kyoto”? I’m not sure why you would adapt the Tokyo Arc faithfully to rush through the better and more popular “Kyoto”, so that does seem to make sense. But a bird in the hand…

Lurking behind all that is the fact that as rightfully beloved as this arc is, die-hard fans are most keyed up for what follows – “Jinchuu”. The Jinchuu Arc is also 103 chapters, and has never been adapted in anime form. You wouldn’t imagine there’s much point in rebooting the franchise if you’re not going to do so this time. Is it possible Lidenfilms is rushing through “Kyoto” to get to “Jinchuu” (which is still of course unconfirmed in the first place) faster? The fact is we’re looking at eight cours of anime to get both Kyoto and Jinchuu arcs adapted properly, and I don’t know how realistic that is. Only time will tell.

A boatload of questions, to be sure. But not of Kenshin, who declines to take Saitou up on his offer of a government-funded boat to Kyoto (well, almost). He’ll take the Tokaido Highway – a ten-day journey for most though Saitou reckons Kenshin can do it in five – so as to avoid potentially getting innocent passengers caught up in an ambush by Shishio. He departs for the long journey, leaving Saitou behind to deal with unfinished business in Tokyo (and there’s plenty of that).

Kenshin’s sudden departure has left a trail of devastation behind. Not least Kaoru, who has the honor of being the only one Ken said his goodbyes to but takes no solace in that. She takes to her futon in fact and refuses to even eat, leaving Yahiko to handle things on his own. He’s resourceful and determined but Yahiko is still a small boy, and this is a big ask. He’s man enough to realize he needs help, and while searching for Sanosuke he winds up enlisting Tae and Tsubame to try and rouse Kaoru out of her funk of self-pity.

As for Sano, he’s reacted to the news with his typical rage. As angry as he is at Kenshin for bolting without a word (to him) he’s most pissed at being taken for a weakling. He goes to Tsunan to borrow money for the trip to Kyoto (getting some ordinance as a bonus), but Saitou is not inclined to let Sanosuke follow Kenshin. His reasoning is sound – having to protect people weaker than him (which is almost everyone) will by extension make Kenshin weaker. And Sano is certainly weaker than Saitou, who’s only too happy to prove it first by targeting Sano’s wound, then by ignoring is and fighting him using only his fists. But weaker or no, Sano’s determination (or stubbornness) is second to no one’s.

No question Saitou could have killed Sano here had he wanted, and it wouldn’t have seemed totally out of character. He went out of his way to prove his point non-lethally, playing fair even though he assured Sano and Yahiko that Shishio would do no such thing. But in the end he walked away, and it’s interesting to speculate why. Did he conclude that Sano (who in the end actually managed to injure Saitou’s arm) might actually wind up being useful? Did he simply decide he wasn’t worth killing, and wasn’t going to be stopped any other way?

As for Yahiko, the task still falls for him to convince Kaoru to sack up and follow Ken to Kyoto. Of course Kenshin wanted everyone to stay behind for a reason, and in effect they’re all disrespecting him by disregarding his wishes. But someone who was alone for as long as Kenshin can’t really grasp the loyalty of others, or the depth of the impact he’s made on their lives. In the end it’s Megumi in fact who winds up shaking Kaoru out of her stupor of self-pity, reminding her of the privilege she and only she received in Kenshin’s farewell to her.

And so begins one of the great journeys in animanga. I’m not convinced justice can be done to it in 23 episodes, but I hope we never have to put that to the test. I suspect we’ll know soon enough – the pacing has going to get crazy fast very soon if they’re even going to make the attempt. The third – and wasted – season of the first anime and the eternal waiting since then have taught me never to make assumptions based on common sense where a Rurouni Kenshin adaptation is concerned. The 2023 version pushed all the right buttons in this premiere, but it’s what comes after that has me a little worried.