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Thu 28 March 2024

Transcending cultures with ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ in Manila

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“We created the movie thinking action movies. I think it goes beyond countries or cultures.”

Rurouni Kenshin tells the story of a wandering samurai in the early years of the Meiji period – a real and important historical event embellished with superhuman swordclashing on print and television, and recently on the big screen. It’s distinctively Japanese.

Takeru Sato, playing Kenshin Himura, said that through the film, they want people to understand the “delicate intricacies of Japanese culture, the tradition, the way we do things in that era.”

But then again, it’s not altogether Japanese too.

Rurouni Kenshin Day 2 (2)

“Action movies have one language, so everyone can appreciate it,” said Sato in front of fans gathered at Glorietta on August 7.


Related: Why the Rurouni Kenshin movies matter


It’s probably true. Filipino fans, armed with their Rurouni Kenshin memorabilia and coming as far as Pangasinan and Davao, headed to the mall on Thursday evening for a public press conference over the two-part live action adaptation of the Kyoto arc of the famous manga and anime.

Rurouni Kenshin Day 2 (4)

L-R: Keishi Otomo, Takesu Sato, and Munetaka Aoki

In between screaming the real and reel names of the stars, the fans raised their movie tie-in manga, Rurouni Kenshin toys, posters and other collectibles to show their appreciation to the guests. In turn, Takeru Sato, along with director Keishi Ohtomo and fellow actor Munetaka Aoki (Sanosuke Sagara), gamely answered questions from the press and addressed fans in Tagalog with repeatedly saying, Mahal ko kayo and Salamat po.

And speaking of action, the two actors is assuring that the film is going to be full of fight scenes, probably of the sword-wielding variety, on the back of numerous injuries they have sustained during the course of filming. Munetaka revealed he chipped a tooth while filming. “But I’m okay, because I’m Sanosuke,” he said in English.

Rurouni Kenshin Day 2 (3)

The Japanese stars were in Manila to promote the two-part live action adaptation of the Kyoto arc of the Rurouni Kenshin manga. A day before the press conference, they were in SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City for the red-carpet premiere, joined by the soft-spoken Emi Takei who plays Kaoru Kamiya.

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It was more than surreal. All four went up to fans and signed everything from blank notebook pages to movie DVDs,shedding the usual tightness impression commonly observed on Japanese stars when they go on stage back home and delivered a casual feel with their fans. But maybe that’s what Rurouni Kenshin has done: crossing boundaries and language barriers for a story that’s now live on screen.

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“I hope that Rurouni Kenshin would pave the way for more Japanese movies coming to the Philippines. I hope I can come back to the Philippines,” Sato said on Thursday, much to the fans’ screaming delight. “I need all of you to watch it. Tell your friends to watch it.”

The trio made their final official wave to the fans, and nobody knows if they’ll be back. But Kenshin stays, where it has always been: inside those who have loved the stories.

Then Munetaka ran for one last-second antic.

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno opens locally on August 20, while The Legend Ends will run starting September 24. We will discuss the movie after it runs next week. No spoilers for now, but we can tell you it’s ‘bitin!’

Photos by Martin San Diego and Nadz Ruiz. See more shots below by Martin San Diego and Ronin Bautista



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