The live action Rurouni Kenshin movies don’t get enough play. They are, without a doubt, hands down, the best live action anime adaptations that have ever been put to film. If you haven’t had the chance to watch these, run, don’t walk, to check out the three films that have already been released that cover the major arcs of the series, specifically Kenshin’s fight against the rogue Battosai known as Shishio Makoto. Now, the final two films of the franchise that cover the last arcs of the series have been given a release window for this year, as well as a look into the cast of actors that will be bringing some of these legendary anime characters to life.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The final films of the series, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, will be released in July and August of this year respectively, covering the final arc of the series that sees our favorite battosai losing his vision as he takes on brand new challenges. While the final arc of the franchise is often thought to not live up to its predecessor arcs, we’re sure that the final two films will deliver the same action packed scenes that made the previous three films stand out among live action anime adaptations!
Anime News Network shared the release window for these two new films, as well as a confirmation that most of the actors that brought the characters to life in the previous films will be making their return here, as well as adding actor Mackenyu as the villain Enishi Yukishiro, the next big bad of the series.
Will you be trying to check out these films when they release into theaters in Japan this summer? What did you think of the previous entries? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Kenshin!
Originally created by Nobuhiro Watsuki for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1994, Rurouni Kenshin is set during the Meiji era of Japan and follows the story of a former assassin named Kenshin Himura who has dedicated his life to atoning for his past sins as the “Battosai.” Determined to leave senseless violence behind, Himura and his comrades travel Japan and stand up for oppressed underdogs everywhere while vowing to never again take a life.
The series has sold over 70 million copies, and has spawned an anime (which enjoyed a run on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block), video games, and a live-action film trilogy. The series has been licensed for an English language release by Viz Media, and the series was put on an indefinite hiatus in the West following Watsuki’s conviction for possession of child pornography.
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