The future of the Rurouni Kenshin series may be marred by controversy due to the actions of its creator, but the series’ legacy as one of the most popular anime and manga series to come out of Weekly Shonen Jump proceeds it.
DC Comics’ Entertainment Chief Creative Officer, and one of the most prolific artists of all time, Jim Lee recently sketched his own take on the series’ main character Kenshin Himura and pays cool tribute to that legacy.
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Fans fondly remember the Rurouni Kenshin series for its slick action, brutal sword battles, and reserved main character (who often flipped a switch if the situation called for it), and Lee captures the spirit of the character in a pretty powerful way. Imagining Kenshin jumping into a fierce battle, this sketch even has Kenshin using his katana with the sharp end outwards meaning it’s pretty series.
In the series, Kenshin was notable because he used a reverse blade katana to defend himself to help atone for his time as a deadly assassin, but when he used his blade with the sharp end it’s all business.
Jim Lee has shared his cool takes on anime in the past with Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, My Hero Academia’s All Might, Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s Asuka, and even Dragon Ball‘s Goku. Lee is famous for his takes on superheroes in Marvel and DC Comics, and it’s great to see his eye geared toward more anime and manga characters.
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 pronography.
