The Ideal Man is the 16th episode of the Rurouni Kenshin 2023 anime adaptation.
Synopsis[]
Kenshin goes to the Tsukayama state to talk to Isurugi Raijūta about the state of swordmanship in current Japan. That talk does not go well, and Raijūta declares Kenshin an enemy of the Shinko-ryū. But Tsukayama Yutarō somehow makes friends with the people of the Kamiya Dōjō and statrs learning Kendo while Raijūta once again challenges Kenshin. What other techniques in the Izuna does Raijūta have under his sleeve? Will others get injured in the battle?
Summary[]
Kenshin evades Raijūta's attacks as they go around a small forest in the Tsukayama estate. Even with his technique Matoi Izuna, Raijuta can't connect a hit on Kenshin, and eventually the latter draws his Sakabatō in a Battōjutsu attacks and breaks Raijūta's katana in half. With that, the battle ends and Raijūta accepts defeat and declares next time he will crush Kenshin.
Yutarō, who watched the fight from a distance, goes to Kenshin and company and threatens to also attack them in the future. But Sanosuke and Yahiko dismiss Yutarō's words. Finally Yahiko tells Yutarō that he is enough to crash Yutarō any day on a one-to-one combat. After that, the Kenshingumi leave the Tsukayama estate.
Early the next morning (even before sunrise) Yahiko, Kaoru and Kenshin are woken up by Yutarō, who was arrived at the Kamiya Dōjō and challenges Yahiko to a kendo combat, who accepts. Kaoru will be the referee, while Kenshin watches, but the match never actually happens, because it's evident that Yutarō lacks the basic knowledge about kendo. Kaoru offers Yutarō to teach him basic kenjutsu, and he reluctantly accepts.
During the next few days Yutarō is given kenjutsu lessons, and he shows an extraordinary will to learn and hard work. One day he talks to Kenshin and expresses his embarrassment on his father's attitude (who sells Katanas and Japanese crafts to foreign people, which he disapproves). Eventually Yutarō and Yahiko start training together and it becomes apparent that Yutarō is at the same (if not above) level than Yahiko after the training.
The Kenshingumi (and Yutarō) go to eat at the Akabeko, where Tsubame mistakes the two kids as being good friends, which infuriates Yahiko. Even more, Yutarō treats Tsubame kindly, and Yahiko feels threatened by him on his affections towards Tsubame. Later that night, on their way to bring Yutarō home, he tells the Kenshingumi the story about how Raijūta saved Tsukayama Yuzaemon (Yutarō's father) from bandits, and became his friend.
Suddenly Raijūta appears in the middle of the night and attacks Kenshin and Sanosuke. Kenshin easily evades his attacks, so Raijūta even uses some dirty tricks, which fail. After Kenshin hits Raijūta with a Ryū Tsui Sen, Raijūta declares he will use a more powerful technique: the Tobi Izuna. Kenshin also evades it, but it actually hits Yutarō, cutting his right arm almost off. Before he loses conscience, Raijūta confesses he has been using Yutarō for his money.
An enraged Kenshin tells Raijūta he will take Yutarō to the doctor, and then return to defeat Raijūta once and for all. The Kenshingumi (except Sanosuke who stays behind to talk to Raijūta) go to the Oguni clinic, where doctor Gensai and Megumi treat Yutarō's, but later tell them bad news: Even if Gensai can save Yutarō's arm, he will never be able to use it to hold a Katana.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Himura Kenshin
- Isurugi Raijūta
- Tsukayama Yutarō
- Myōjin Yahiko
- Kamiya Kaoru
- Sagara Sanosuke
- Tsukayama Yuzaemon
- Sanjō Tsubame
- Takani Megumi
- Oguni Gensai
Anime Notes[]
- There is a difference between the manga and the events in this anime episode:
- In the manga Isurugi Raijūta has several followers in his Shinko-ryū school: Tsuruzaemon, Sakuramaru, Kiriji and Tsukiō. In the anime they are omitted.
Trivia[]
- The episode was titled after the original of Act 40.
- In the scene after Yutarō arrives at the Kamiya Dōjō very early trying to fight against Yahiko, Kenshin prepares Onigiris for ever. They are triangular or cylindrical shapes of white rice often wrapped in nori (a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine).
- In the scene where Yutarō asks Raijūta for permission to attend the Kamiya Dojo, the latter says one of the precepts of Sun Tzu, which Yutarō recognizes. Sun Tzu was a Chinese military general and strategist who lived around the Zhou period (771–256 BC). He is credited as the author of "The Art of War", a work about military strategy.
- In the scene where Yutarō has his Kendo practice against Yahiko in the Kamiya Dōjō, the OST uses a melody that samples the song "Kimi wa dare wo Mamotte Iru" (Who are You Protecting), which is part of the 1996 anime OST, and belongs in the album Rurouni Kenshin: The Original Soundtrack.
Gallery[]
To be added