Rurouni Kenshin, by Nobuhiro Watsuki

Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki is one of the oldest manga series that is still popular today, having 255 chapters in 28 volumes. Rurouni Kenshin is all about a rogue samurai named Himura Kenshin who is a survivor from the Bakumatsu wars, now wandering the land during the Meiji Era, wielding nothing but a reverse-blade sword. In one of his travels, he meets a woman named Kaoru Kamiya, who accuses him of being a legendary killer called Hitokiri Battosai (translation: Battosai the Man Slayer). However he denies any relation to that title and is later attacked by a man claiming to be the real battosai. After he threatens to kill Kaoru, Himura rushes in to save the day and exposes his identity as the real battosai. From there, he meets many friends and enemies and goes through many battles that tie him back down to the past. As he continues to fight, he begins to go back to his original killer instincts, and has many moments where he almost broke his oath to never kill again. Himura Kenshin will have to use all his skills to protect his friends, and to stay alive in this new era of runaway ronins (ex-samurai) and modern weapons. This was the very first anime and manga series I ever saw. It is a series filled with action, suspense, comedy, and romance. If you like old style manga with fighting, epic “super-saiyan” like moments, and comedy, this is the manga for you. Although it is very long, each chapter will leave you hanging and wanting more, so reading the whole series will seem like a breeze. There aren’t too many mangas with good anime but this is one of the few exceptions, so if you want to hear everything but get a more in-depth view, read both the manga and watch the anime series. As the story progressed, many situations will make you feel a rainbow of emotions. You might ask, “Who is he,” or yell something outrageous like, “WHY DID ******* DIE?!” In this time of confusion and restoration, many people will not be so happy about the change. Will Himura live through the battles? Will he be able to land the girl and move on towards the present? Learn this and more by reading Rurouni Kenshin. -Reviewed by TK, grade 9