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Meiji 11, May 14 — Afternoon is the fifty-seventh chapter of the Rurouni Kenshin manga.

Synopsis[]

On the afternoon after Okubo was assassinated the Kenshin mmets with government politicians and comes to the conclusion that he must go to Kyōto and stop Shishio. Meanwhile everyone at the Kamiya Dōjō are waiting for Kenshin to return and Kaoru is deeply worried about his decision. How can Kenshin inform about his impending departure to everyone? How will Kaoru and Kenshin say goodbye after all the time they have spent together?

Summary[]

This act starts out with newspapers being sold everywhere telling the people of Japan that Lord Ōkubo has been assassinated by a group of rebels. Kaoru reads the headlines to everyone in the Kamiya Dōjō while Kenshin meets with politicians of the Meiji government, and discuss how Ōkubo's dream was for Japan to become a nation-state government, along with Saitō, who believes that Japan will now fall into anarchy.

Kenshin takes time for reflection on a bridge and realizes that Shishio has made the first move in his coup d'etat. He realizes that he must leave his friends behind in Tokyo since the danger is too high for this to be a group event. Sanosuke, Megumi, Kaoru and Yahiko have been waiting all day for Kenshin's return, and it is now night time. Everyone has to leave the Dōjō, due to an emergency surgery, and Yahiko eventually falls asleep. Kaoru is naturally worried and is waiting outside the Dōjō for Kenshin to return. Kenshin who had been presumably keeping his distance from the Kenshingumi and waiting for everyone to leave, reveals himself in front of Kaoru, and only Kaoru.

Initially elated, Kaoru soon realizes that the situation is much more serious that she had anticipated based on the look in Kenshin's eyes. Kenshin asks where Yahiko is, but he is sleeping. Not wanting to beat around the bush, Kenshin tells Kaoru that Ōkubo was killed by one of Shishio's men, and that he must go to Kyōto. Kaoru, who is clearly shocked and upset, questions if Kenshin will kill again, and Kenshin is not sure. Kenshin states that Kaoru's kindness hospitality has helped ease his soul, and that he thought that he could leave his life as the Hitokiri behind him. He says that the inner manslayer is still alive in his heart, and that his fight with Saitō showed him this. Kaoru pleads with him saying that Kenshin always comes back to her as Kenshin during a fight, but Kenshin tells her that she is wrong, and that the fight with Saitō was different from the fight with Jin-e. Instead of fighting to protect Kaoru, he was fighting for the sake of fighting, which is too dangerous to have around, and that not even Kaoru could bring him back from that fight.

Kenshin states that when he first met Kaoru he was happy for the first time in years since she did not care about his past and saw him for who he was a person and not what he could do as an assassin, like the government does. He explicitly states that he cannot put Kaoru in danger and for this reason, he must leave for good! He embraces her tightly, and thanks her for how much she has done for him, and bids her a final farewell, saying he must wander again, expecting to never see her again. As the two share this tender moment, the fallen leaves from the trees begin to spiral around them in a vortex. Once he lets go the now in shock Kaoru begins to realize what she just lost, someone she actually loved and begins to sob hysterically over Kenshin's farewell, assuming he will either be killed in battle to save Japan, or he will become a wanderer again after the fight is through, and never return. The act ends with Kenshin walking into the foreboding darkness, alone, leaving Kaoru and his friends behind.

Characters[]

Chapter Notes[]

This chapter has several differences with other portrayals of the events of the story in different iterations of the franchise:

Differences with the 1996 anime[]

  • The scene of Kenshin at the Suimida River bridge is expanded in the anime. In the manga it is a brief reflection where Kenshin decides to leave.
  • In the manga, merely a young boy accompanies Megumi and Sanosuke to the emergency operation. This is in contrast with the anime where Ayame and Suzume go.
  • In the scene of Kenshin's departure in the manga Kenshin immediately appears to Kaoru at her estate's entrance. In the anime, she walks out to the neighborhood path and looks for him.
  • The entire departure in the manga takes place in darkness near the Kamiya Estate. In the anime, the departure takes place near the spot where Kenshin promised the girls that he would watch the Cursed Fireflies of Summer with them.
    • This element would come back full circle with a significant filler episode after the last episode of the Kyōto Arc and hint at the never produced anime Jinchū Arc.
  • When Kenshin says goodbye to Kaoru, in the manga the fallen leaves from the trees begin to spiral around them in a vortex effect. In the anime they are replaced with the fireflies of summer surrounding them.

Differences with Rurouni Kenshin: Kyōto Inferno[]

  • The entire departure in the manga takes place in darkness near the Kamiya Estate. In the live action film the departure takes place during the day next to a river that flows through the city.

Differences with the 2023 anime[]

To be added

Trivia[]

To be added

Gallery[]

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