Kasshin Ryu - Reborn is the 3rd episode of the Rurouni Kenshin 2023 anime adaptation.
Synopsis[]
After Kaoru watches Yahiko being abused by the Yakuza, Kenshin goes to their hideout and rescues Yahiko from them. Yahiko is then appointed as a student of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū, even though he is initially reluctant. Several people ask to join the Kamiya Dōjō in the next days, but Kenshin sends them off.
Suddenly, a couple of former students of the Dōjō arrive, asking for Kaoru's help: They are being followed by members of the Hishimanji Gurentai, a group of thugs. How dangerous are the Hishimanji Gurentai for the Kamiya Dōjō? And what was the cause of the fight with them?
Plot[]
Kaoru spots Yahiko being dragged back to the Yakuza's hideout. There, Yahiko was getting beaten up further and reprimanded for not apologizing for his previous words. One of the Yakuza, manslayer Gasuke, insults Yahiko's dead parents; he becomes enraged and bites between Gasuke's legs. He protests vigorously against the thugs insulting his father and mother, and then Gasuke raises his sword, preparing to kill him.
However, before the manslayer can swing at Yahiko, Kenshin kicks in a door and knocks Gasuke to the floor. The latter stands back up to attack the intruder, but gets knocked up through the roof. Threatening the Yakuza's boss violently, Kenshin gets him to release Yahiko into his care. Kenshin and Yahiko return to the Kamiya Dōjō, where Yahiko starts learning the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū from Kaoru. Soon, Yahiko is doing kenjutsu training at the Kamiya Dōjō.
The day after, around fifteen people gather at the Kamiya Dōjō, wanting to learn kenjutsu from Kenshin. However, Kenshin drives them away by saying he won't take on any students. This upsets Kaoru, who had gotten up her hopes of saving her Dōjō through those potential students.
Later, while Kenshin is absent from the Dōjō to buy food, and as Kaoru is about to start teaching Yahiko, two former students of Kaoru named Hira and Satō burst into the Dōjō asking for help. A gang of outlaws soon follows them, the Hishimanji Guren Gang, who attack the Dōjō with a wooden cannon.
Kaoru soon learns that her former students got drunk and attacked the Hishimanji with their swords. As their former teacher, Kaoru feels responsible for their dishonor and steps outside the Dōjō to meet the gang of outlaws, stating that she will take all the blame. This prompts Yahiko to follow her and attack the Hishimanji's leader, Hachisuka. The latter then states that he will kill Yahiko, but before he can attempt anything, Kenshin returns from shopping, telling the outlaws to stop their actions.
The Hishimanji's leader, despite one of his men advising him otherwise, orders the firing of the cannon at Kenshin, who cuts its ball of clay in half with the edged part of his katana, to the shock of those present. The outlaws then go away, leaving the Dōjō alone.
Kaoru's former students also go away, in shame, being told by Kenshin to forget they were ever students at the Kamiya Dōjō and never again to pick up a sword. The Rurouni then consoles Kaoru, telling her that while she can teach people, she won't reach all of them. Yahiko then tells Kaoru to stop crying, that it isn't like her, and, determined to become as strong as Kenshin, tells her he'll settle for her as a kenjutsu instructor.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Anime Notes[]
- There are several differences between the original manga and the events of this anime episode:
- In the original manga, the scene where a crowd of young people gathers at the Kamiya Dōjō trying to join after watching Kenshin's fight with the Sword Bearing Police takes place before they encounter Yahiko. In the anime, Yahiko already joins the Dōjō and has his first training session before the crowd arrives (due to his early introduction).
- In the anime, the conversation between Yahiko and Kaoru before the crowd arrives is extended.
- In the original manga, the Hishimanji Gurentai uniform includes a manji symbol that is omitted in the anime (probably due to the manji's similarity to the swastika).
- In the original manga, Sanosuke beats a group of random thugs. In the anime, after the credits, a preview scene of the next episode shows Zanza beating the Hishimanji Gurentai members.
Trivia[]
- The episode was titled after the original of Act 4.
- This is the first episode in the series that has a post credits scene (introducing Sagara Sanosuke to the story).
Gallery[]
To be added