Rurouni Kenshin: The Final has revealed its coming to Netflix, and now has a release date! Netflix has already previously announced a slew of new anime projects coming to the streaming service this month alone, but there are still several surprises coming our way. One of which is the first of the final two live-action films in the Rurouni Kenshin franchise. The first three films are held up by fans as some of the best live-action adaptations out there, and they were brought to an end earlier this year in Japan following a delay due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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There had been no word on a potential international release for the two films, but now Netflix has confirmed that the first of the films, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, will be streaming with the service on June 18th in the United States. This film adapts the Jinchu arc of the original manga as Kenshin Himura as to deal with Enishi, the weapons dealer. You can find out more about in on Netflix’s official listing for the film.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is actually the first of a two-film project that brought the live-action adaptations to an end. While The Final takes on the manga, the second film, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, goes back in time and tells the story of how Kenshin got his cross-shaped scar in the first place. This story was only seen in the anime’s special OVA adaptation, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal, previously. The cast and staff from the previous three films return as well.
Directed by Keishi Otomo, the returning cast includes the likes of Takeru Satoh as Kenshin Himura, Emi Takei as Kaoru Kamiya, Munetaka Aoki as Sanosuke Sagara, Yu Aoi as Megumi Takani, and Yosuke Eguchi as Hajime Saito. Kaito Oyagi won’t be returning as Yahiko Myojin, however, and instead will be played by Riku Onishi. New additions to the cast include Mackenyu as Enishi Yukishiro, Issei Takahashi as Katsura Kogoro, Nijiro Murakami as Okita Soji, and Masanobu Andou as Takasugi Shinsaku.
What do you think? Will you be checking out Rurouni Kenshin: The Final when it releases on Netflix later this month? What did you think of the first three live-action films? How do you like the franchise overall? Are you hoping the fifth film hits Netflix too? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or you can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!
