By Emeralddragon
In feudal Japan there was a period of great strife that gripped the land. In that time a warrior was forced into combat and a legend was born. Everyone feared the one known as the Hitokiri Battousai.
| The period in question was known as the Bakamatsu. In this time many died and many more were made to suffer. Noone truly knew what they were fighting for but they continued nonetheless. When this tale first comes to us it gives us a small glimpse of the darkness and death that filled that time. The Battousai fought and killed a man that was merely trying to save his land. What would his family say. What would his friends say. What would any of them do. |
|
When the movie starts, we see our heroes Sanosuke, Kenshin, Yahiko and Kaoru arrive in Yokohama, where a lot has changed especially if you compare it to the old days. With western architecture and gas lamps all around and having to travel there by train they are slightly overwhelmed, and yet they are uninterested. That is of course until some drunken sailors start hitting on a group of women. One of these women tells them to stop and they decide to single her out for some fun. And then we meet him. We meet the one we would come to know as Takimi Shigura.
|
The woman he is protecting is the sister of a very dear friend of his from years long since passed. He had promised to protect her and with almost unequaled skill he could easily do so. When he finished with the sailors after taking notice of Kenshin and his reverse blade he runs off with Kenshin by his side to evade police trying to break up the fighting. He then befriends Kenshin and they begin to trust each other.
|
Trust is a thing that must be earned though and not something to be simply given away to
anyone.
That is a lesson soon learned by them both. Shigura comes to know of Kenshins old title, The Hitokiri Batoussai. He also comes to realised that Kenshin killed the dear friend of whom I spoke mere moments ago. Such a deed must not go unpunished. Of course before this realisation Kenshin first came to know the truth about Shigura. Shiguras plan is to start a revolution and overthrow the government. |
|
When Kenshin learns of this he must stop him. Also Shigura is getting all the families that lost everything in the Bakamatsu to help him and they all looked up to him. Each one would willingly die for him. Kenshins job would be a tough one all right. It is a job made harder as his young friend Yahiko whose family also lost a lot in the Bakamatsu leaves to join Shjiguras men.
|
Shigura of course has some honour left and stops him from joining in. During this battle of epic proportions many men die and many are left seriously wounded. Soldiers for the government use guns and take down many enemies but the enemies keep coming. When Kenshin steps in and takes on Shigura that is when he learns of who Kenshin really is. Though the fight is tough and very close neither one can win as yet. Shigura and his men escape.
The captain of the army wants to pursue the men into the woods to where they fled and destroy them one by one. Kenshin has other plans. Less bloody plans. He wants to go and talk to Shigura and end it without more death. The leaders agree where the captain refuses to listen. Kenshin gets his way and is allowed in to meet with the rebels and their leader Shigura.
And now we reach............ endgame.
|
Shigura refuses to listen and decides that the only way to settle things is to fight with Kenshin. It is a grueling match and Shiguras begins to gain the upper hand. he has studied the attack of the one that killed his best friend for many years and he knows his movements all too well. Though he has skill and knowledge on his side Kenshins determination wins out. Shigura falls in combat.
| Though he fell to Kenshin he was not yet dead. He would have lived if it were not for a member of Shiguras army siding with the governments men and with a man trying to overthrow them also and get himself in power by sacrificing the ones foolish enough to follow Shigura. He is shot and killed, Kenshin eventually stopped him, but was too late to save the life of Shigura. When all is done the night comes to an end and all is at peace again. |
 |
When we next see our hero he tells the terrible story of his past to the girl I spoke of earlier. Doing so he cleanses his soul and gives her peace of mind. When she leaves there can be only one thing left to say.........
"The blue sky should be high and clear no matter how far away it is. Isnt that right?"
Score - 9/10
| Additional info |
| Movie length | : | 90 minutes |
| Studio | : | Sony |
| Director | : | Furuhashi Kazuhiro |
| Author | : | Watsuki Nobuhiro (also the creator of the Kenshin manga, which preceded the anime) |
|
Sections
