Review: ‘Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning’ showcases more drama over flashy fights

Photo credit: Rurouni Kenshin/Twitter

By Jerald Uy

The five-film Rurouni Kenshin franchise ends ironically at the genesis of the assassin Himura Kenshin. Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning relates to the early years of Battousai, Kenshin's moniker, during the time he believed violence was the only answer to bring about a new age of order in Japan. The prequel revolves around his tragic romance with Yukishiro Tomoe (Kasumi Arimura), whose fiance was ruthlessly murdered by Himura himself. The slaughtered samurai gave half of the infamous X scar on his cheek. 

So, who completes the other half? It's quite obvious by now.

READ: 'Rurouni Kenshin': Why end with 'The Beginning'

If you are watching the Rurouni Kenshin movies by order of their releases, Tomoe made a cameo in the first movie, albeit her face not wasn't shown and a stand-in was only used for the character. The subplot then is revisited in the fourth film Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, where actress Kasumi Arimura appeared in flashbacks. It is only fitting that her character gets the spotlight in the last film, showing how one of Kenshin's early victims was also a key to his redemption as a wandering pacifist samurai or rurouni.

Casual fans of the anime Samurai X might find the story fresh because the arc wasn't released in the 90s. (There is a non-canonical OVA or original video animation where Kaoru gets an STD from Kenshin after learning about his past with Tomoe, but it's better to forget that.) But don't expect the flashy action scenes and dynamic fight choreography best seen in Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. The Beginning is primarily a somber romance drama between a conflicted samurai and a kindhearted spy.

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Photo credit: Rurouni Kenshin/Twitter

The Beginning thus serves as Takeru Satoh's platform to showcase more of his acting chops. Kasumi Arimura, while playing a marupok character (girl, he killed your future hubby!), provided the much-needed subtlety of someone falling in love with her lover's killer. Being a prequel, the movie is peppered with references and cameos that an RK fan could enjoy identifying throughout the movie. I can't say the same for those jumping on the franchise via the fifth movie. This means that even if it is an origin story, a person who would start the movie with The Beginning might not get why some characters pop only to eventually disappear in the movie.

All in all, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is worth watching for the drama. It also gives one a sense of completion after revisiting almost every subplot in the saga of the wandering samurai.

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