Rurouni Kenshin #1-8

Rurouni Kenshin #1-8

Originally released in 1994

Written by Nobuhiro Watsuki

Art by Nobuhiro Watsuki

Rurouni Kenshin is different from the other manga series that I've read so far due to its setting.  Rather than taking place on another world or in modern day Japan, it's more of a historical drama. Eleven years after the Meiji Revolution, a wandering swordsman named Himura Kenshin crosses paths with a young dojo owner named Kamiya Kaoru. Kaoru is trying to hunt down a murderer going by the name of the notorious assassin Battousai and claiming to be a follower of Kaoru's dojo, which is a lie.

As it turns out, the man's claim of being Battousai is also a lie, as that is what Kenshin was formerly known as before he gave up killing. Kenshin is armed with a reverse bladed sword, only using it to cut inanimate objects while using it as a blunt weapon against living things. Still, with his speed and power (in spite of his wiry frame), that's more than enough.

I've read through part of this series before, making it to the end of the arc that features Shishio Makoto (who was burned horribly, survived, and is now covered head to toe in bandages as a result), but I had a tough time getting into it at first.  It wasn't because of problems with the writing or the action; both were great.  It's just that the series seemingly requires some familiarity with Japanese history before jumping into it.  A big part of the plot is how most of the winning side of the Meiji Revolution took up cushy government jobs, with Kenshin being the exception, but it's not stated (at least in these chapters) who the Meiji Revolution was fought between or why it was fought in the first place. (though I suppose that could be common knowledge to the Japanese - a US-made comic that was translated to Japanese wouldn't take an extended time to explain why the US Civil War was fought because it would be second nature to most of the people in the series' home country)

Over these eight chapters, the rest of the main cast is quickly introduced.  Myojin Yahiko, the son of a samurai, makes his living as a pickpocket, but a chance encounter with Kenshin causes him to change his ways and become a member of Kaoru's dojo, though not entirely by choice on his part. (or hers for that matter)

In the last few chapters of this line-up, we're introduced to Sagara Sanosuke, a man who craves fights against tough opponents and who (as of now) is the closest that we've seen to Kenshin's equal.  He's driven by the memory of his former boss, who sided with the forces that would eventually become the government but was executed because he called them out on breaking promises to lower taxes for farmers.

The art is clean, and it's clear what's going on, even in these early chapters.  It does a good job with balancing action, comedy, and tender moments.  I don't really have any complaints with this series so far, aside from the lack of context for the historical events.  Even that seems understandable; it's just unfortunate.

While I know that, eventually, more personal threats come to Kenshin, forcing him to wander beyond Tokyo, these early chapters are still fun when they're focused on one location.  We get some good moments of characterization, especially for both Kenshin and Kaoru - when Kenshin demonstrates his sword skill by defeating a corrupt police force, dozens of new students show up at Kaoru's dojo when it had none before.  Kaoru's prepared to accept them on the spot, while Kenshin turns them away, both because he doesn't intend to teach anyone his fighting style and partially because he figured the potential recruits would give up within a few months based on his experiences.

Even from the start, Kenshin is a fun main character, wise beyond his years (he's twenty-eight despite his young appearance, though he behaves much older than that) and able to switch between being a goofball and deadly serious at will.  In a way, it reflects the manga itself - laid-back most of the time, but willing to become serious when the situation requires it.  Re-reading the early chapters of this series gave me a sort of nostalgic feeling; I had a good time with it, and I'll likely pick up the series at a point after the Shishio arc.