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I wasn't aware of the live action version of this famous manga and anime Rurouni Kenshin 'til it started to be shown here in our local cinema this December. I was reluctant to believe when one of my peers asked me about the film since I hadn't heard about it 'til it was shown (I thought it was just some web series or fan-based videos online). I'm not a fan of the manga nor its anime series, though I have come across an episode or two of its TV adaptation I lacked background about what the story is all about. So earlier today I took time watching the movie version of it, it was a little over two hours of non-stop sword-clashing and and I kinda like it.
The movie centers on a former assassin Himura Kenshin who wanders the city of Japan trying to forget about what he really was, a murderer. With too much blood on his hand he tried helping people as an atonement to the crimes that he committed, this time without killing them. He later met Kamiya Kaoru, the owner of the fencing school that was owned by her father. Her school discourages the use of sword for fighting and doesn't believe in killing. As Kenshin seeks a new life, with the help of Kaoru he remains true to his pledge of not using his sword to kill under any circumstances.
The film goes from slow-paced drama to a non-stop sword-clashing action. Fight scenes were beautifully choreographed and managed to show some blood without appearing it be gory as young adults are expected audience. The score and music sounded a little off sometimes but mostly it was great, especially towards the end of it. What amazed me are the characters, they looked like the ones in manga or in tv series which somehow added to your viewing interest. While I couldn't really speak on how this film as an adaptation I would just based my review from the movie itself and I could say it's among those samurai films that you'll surely appreciate. It wasn't moving nor life-changing but it wasn't a waste of time either. (Rating 3.5/5)
