Kenshin - Himura Battousai (剣心・緋村抜刀斎) is the 1st episode of the Rurouni Kenshin 2023 anime adaptation.
Synopsis[]
Kamiya Kaoru, a kendo instructor living in Tokyo, meets a wanderer while trying to defeat a legendary assassin that is murdering in the name of her Dōjō. Kaoru helps the wanderer, and he helps her uncover the criminal's identity. Can Kaoru and the wanderer defeat that assassin and clear the name of her kendo school? Who is this mysterious wanderer?
Plot[]
The story begins with a flashback scene of the legendary Hitokiri Battōsai and how he was the most feared warrior in Japan during the Bakumatsu. He is shown fighting against Saitō Hajime, the third captain of the Shinsengumi (after Saitō takes the place of Okita Sōji, who has declining health) in Kyōto.
In the present day, year 11 of the Meiji era, Kamiya Kaoru meets a wanderer on the nearby streets of Tokyo, whom she mistakenly confuses for a man running wild and killing people on the street while claiming to be Battōsai. After realizing that he is a Rurouni or wanderer, who wields a Sakabatō (i.e. reverse blade sword that's specifically designed for users not intending to kill), she is convinced that he is not really the "Battōsai" she is trying to pursue.
The two of them hear people screaming, and Kaoru runs towards the action to deal with the alleged Battōsai. Kaoru suffers a shoulder injury during the encounter, and just as the killer is about to finish her off, the Rurouni rescues her and takes her to the Kamiya Dōjō. Kaoru gets her wound taken care of by Hiruma Kihei, a servant she rescued from the street time ago after her father, Kamiya Koshijiro, died in the Seinan Wars. After that, the wanderer leaves the Dōjō.
A couple of days later, Kaoru is walking on the streets with Kihei when they recognize the Rurouni being captured by the police for carrying a sword (which is against the current law). They intercede for the wanderer, and after Kihei bribes the police, they let the Rurouni go free. Then Kihei goes to the Kamiya Dōjō, leaving Kaoru and the wanderer talking on the street. He asks Kaoru some questions about Kihei, and Kaoru mentions that she does not care about other people’s past. She also reveals that there is a suspicious place called Kiheikan Dōjō outside town. The Rurouni thanks Kaoru and leaves again.
The Rurouni goes to the Kiheikan Dōjō, surrounded by thugs threatening him. Meanwhile, at the Kamiya Dōjō, Kihei interrupts Kaoru in the Dōjō hall and wants to talk to her about selling the Dōjō. Kaoru refuses to, as usual, but Kihei needs her signature, as he already has papers for the sale ready. Just as Kaoru remains in shock, the door busts open.
At that moment, Gohei breaks into her Dōjō with a bunch of his pupils to force Kaoru to sign. Just as he is about to accomplish that, the doors open, and a man from the Kiheikan Dōjō appears, falls down, and behind him is the Rurouni. He states that Kaoru's ideals are play talk for those who have never stained their hands, and the truth is that swords are weapons designed for murder. However, right afterward, he says that he prefers Kaoru's play talk over the truth and desires a world where her play talk can become the truth, which lights a smile on Kaoru's face. Gohei asks his men to kill the wanderer and make him suffer. He warns them to stay back to avoid being hurt, but they mock him and attack, resulting in all of them being badly defeated.
He then tells Gohei that Battōsai practices neither the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū nor whatever style he uses but practices Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū. This style will surely kill anyone unless used with a sword like his own, i.e., a Sakabatō. Gohei then tries to attack the Rurouni, saying he's the only one worthy of the name Battōsai, but the wanderer easily defeats him. The wanderer also threatens Kihei, but he faints in fear. Finally, the Rurouni destroys the papers for sale.
The Rurouni then apologizes to Kaoru for hiding the fact that he is the Battōsai and proceeds to leave. Kaoru tells him not to leave because she needs his help to fix up the Dōjō and bring in more students (since they'd all left due to the bad reputation Gohei was giving the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū name), to which he says that if the real Battōsai stayed, it would only bring her more trouble. She replies that she does not want the Battōsai to stay, but the Rurouni to stay (although she stops at Rurouni, unable to finish her sentence). She then tells him he can leave if he wants but should at least tell her his real name. Kenshin does so and decides to stay, saying that a bit of rest from wandering would do him good. Now that Kenshin will stay with Kaoru, she questions him about his age. That, Kenshin has to figure out with some old fashion counting.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Himura Kenshin
- Okita Sōji
- Saitō Hajime
- Kamiya Kaoru
- Hiruma Gohei
- Hiruma Kihei
- Kamiya Koshijiro
- Nishiwaki
Anime Notes[]
- There are a couple of differences in the events of this episode between the anime and the manga:
- The manga begins with an explanation of the Bakumatsu era and the legend of the Hitokiri Battōsai. This differs from the anime, where a flashback scene introduces Okita Sōji and Saitō Hajime fighting against Kenshin.
- When Kenshin comes to Kaoru's rescue again in the Kamiya Dōjō, some color-masked scenes are shown as Kenshin denotes the actual value of the sword which highlights the Remembrances Arc (what made Kenshin to who he is now):
- When Kenshin killed Kiyosato Akira and Yukishiro Tomoe respectively, receiving the cross scar.
Trivia[]
- The episode was titled after the original of Act 1.
- This episode already uses elements from later parts of the original manga and the spin-off manga "The Hokkaido Arc":
- Kamiya Koshijiro is shown with an image that is consistent with his physical appearance as depicted in The Hokkaido Arc manga.
- Okita Sōji and Saitō Hajime are shown here, although they are introduced in Volume 7 of the original manga.
- Kiyosato Akira and Yukishiro Tomoe are also shown, although they are introduced in Volume 19 of the original manga.
Gallery[]
To be added