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Anime Expo 2023
Rurouni Kenshin U.S. Premiere Was Lackluster

by Kalai Chik & Bamboo Dong,

ANN's coverage of Anime Expo 2023 sponsored by Yen Press!

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©和月伸宏／集英社・「るろうに剣心 －明治剣客浪漫譚－」製作委員会

Aniplex brought special guests—voice actors Sōma Saitō and Rie Takahashi, as well as producer Masami Niwa—to kick off the 2023 adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin at Anime Expo. Coming twenty-seven years later, the second TV anime series comes at a controversial time in light of Nobuhiro Watsuki's criminal record. ANN contributors, Kalai Chik and Bamboo Dong share their thoughts on the first episode premiere and reflect on the franchise's influence on anime fans since 1996.

But first, the special guests shared their impressions of the series as well. Saito and Takahashi spent time speaking about their time in LA. Producer Niwa provided some historical background information to contextualize the scenes in the episode for audience members who are unfamiliar with the Meiji Restoration. Although they couldn't be at Anime Expo in person, the new voices of Yahiko Myojin (Makoto Koichi) and Sagara Sanosuke (Taku Yashiro) shared their thoughts on being a part of this project. Wrapping up the guest talk, each panelist shared what they thought fans should look forward to in this new series:

“I think each time a new character is introduced is going to be a really big moment,” said Niwa. “It'll be a good journey together with Rurouni Kenshin, so I hope you guys stick around for it.”

“I hear episode seven is just going to be sugoi,” shared Takahashi. “I haven't seen it myself yet, but I can't wait to see it.”

“As the two mentioned, of course, there are a lot of endearing characters in this show. They're going to appear one after another,” closed off Soma. “It's going to just keep going and going. You're not even going to want to blink while watching this show.”

Discussion of the First Episode Premiere

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.

Kalai
So that was an episode.
Bamboo
Yeah! It was... an episode. Not too different from the original anime series. I was a little surprised by that. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from a highly anticipated remake—maybe flashy animation, a killer soundtrack, a new tone, or even just a fresh outlook on the manga...? But it was extremely similar in style and tone to the original. What were your expectations going into it?
Yeah, completely agree about how similar it was to the first episode of the original anime series. I was expecting at least an update that wasn't just surface-level. It's a relic of its time, down to the pacing. The only difference is the new seiyū and updated visuals, but even the animation wasn't very impressive. It was a letdown considering how big the franchise is, and the episode felt as plain as the white background in the initial key visual with Kenshin and Kaoru.
The animation stood out to me, but maybe not for the right reasons. Maybe it was just because I had high expectations, or rather, I didn't quite know what to expect. But I thought they would focus more on the fight choreography or something, but it relied on some stand-by tricks. Like just showing a series of bright slashes when Kenshin was fighting a mob.

Another thing that stood out to me was the fact that they'd kept a lot of the same humor beats. It makes sense because some of the humor (like the "oro?" and the goofiness of Kenshin himself) is very much ingrained in the characters and part of what makes the Kenshin character so lovable, but I noticed that the audience didn't laugh very much at all. Maybe it was just too early in the morning.

Exactly, the lackluster animation was made even more noticeable by the bright glow over Kenshin's sword. It's supposed to be a big reveal, but instead, it felt awkward because of that transitional but still movement. The characters themselves just stood in place while their mouths moved. Granted, there weren't too many opportunities for action sequences outside of the very last five minutes. But I wasn't impressed by any scenes of dialogue. It felt very generic and lacked the high-budget impression I expected it to be.

I agree that the humor was lost on the crowd. I was close to the front of the panel, but no one in my whole section laughed. Even in Japanese, the comedic timing didn't feel right or felt dated. It's possible the crowd was there mainly for the voice talent, and many of them were fresh to the franchise. I think we both grew up on the English dub, but there's a new generation of anime fans who have never seen anything from Rurouni Kenshin before.

I was surprised to see how many people raised their hands when they asked who in the audience was new to Rurouni Kenshin. I do think the general badassness of Kenshin himself was well-received, though. After he dealt the finishing blow, the whole room started cheering, which was fun to witness.

Maybe the rest of the season will be different. I'm curious if things will diverge stylistically or in execution as the season progresses. Otherwise, I almost feel like you might as well just watch the original... I thought they were going to show a teaser for the rest of the season, but we had to make do with one episode!

That's true, his eye shape change grabbed people's attention. Up until that moment, Kenshin had been very calm and polite, and people were excited about the character change. There was a lot of talking, so there was a build-up leading to that one action moment.

They didn't show a trailer or a clip for the next episode, so it's a mystery as to how far along they are in the production process. The first episode wasn't a very promising preview to the rest of the season. It was disappointing that we didn't see what was to come, but the preview pictures they showed of Yahiko and Sanosuke. They looked similar to their original anime designs with a modern, generic update.

I'm excited for some of the iconic villains to come, though, like Saito or Aoshi, and of course Shishio. I'm deeply curious about what a remake of the Kyoto arc would look like since that original season completely blew me away as a young fan. Or if it would be more like this first episode, which was extremely similar to the original.

Although speaking of the original, I'm curious what your first exposure to Rurouni Kenshin was. Was it through the anime or the manga? And did it shape you as a fan?

I originally saw the English dub on Toonami! At the time, I didn't know Japanese at all, but later on, I realized the English voice actors took a lot of care to properly pronounce the Japanese words and names. Admittedly, I've never read the manga outside of the previews in Shōnen Jump. I was such a big fan that I considered flying out to Otakon all those years ago for a chance to meet Nobuhiro Watsuki. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a criminal who was caught with child pornography.
So....... yeah, let's just address the elephant in the room. It didn't escape my attention that the panel attendees took particular care not to mention Watsuki either by name or reference.
I'm sure they checked the social responses to their announcement tweet. I was waiting for them to talk about how they worked with Watsuki and his involvement with this anime. It's possible he wasn't consulted, but I don't remember his influence in the original anime either.
It definitely marred their announcement. A lot of fans rightfully feel very passionate about not wanting to support a project in which Watsuki might receive any monetary compensation or drive any additional interest toward the original manga. It's extremely difficult and complicated because I know that supporting things like the new anime also means supporting the writers, animators, producers, translators, and all that... but it also means money going to Watsuki. I don't know how involved he's been with the new anime because everyone has been very hush about it, but I imagine he gets residuals or royalties. And it also means monetarily supporting a project that communicates interest in this IP. And it pains me to have to make that decision as someone whose early fandom was greatly influenced by Rurouni Kenshin. It was even one of my first cosplays!
Completely agree. We may not have the financials, but you're likely right about Watsuki receiving royalties. I owned the Media Blasters DVDs, and I'm in the same boat in terms of how influential the series was to me too. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who either separate the art from the artist or overlook their crimes/wrongdoings entirely. In the end, the art and the artist have the same bank account. There are plenty of Japanese fans who were disappointed in him. Though with an anime adaptation, you can bring on new fans by hiring popular voice actors and drawing attention that way. Many fans flew in from Japan just to see Saito Soma and Rie Takahashi.
In that regard, I'm almost a little relieved that the first episode was just fine. It takes the edge off the FOMO for folks who decide to skip.
It's nothing to write home about and easily skippable for those who are even slightly curious. Any final thoughts?
As much as I feel queasy about supporting this series, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't deeply curious about if future episodes will diverge stylistically or narratively from the first adaptation. But for now, I think I'll wait for reviews.
My rule of thumb is usually to make my decision three episodes in because the first episodes can be slow. But from what we saw, it's so lacking in direction that I can't imagine how the later episodes will deviate from the original anime. I'll check in on the reviews too, but I'll be skipping.
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