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Fri 29 March 2024

Why the Rurouni Kenshin movies matter

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Rurouni Kenshin is back with two movies, and both will be screened in the Philippines. We have seen it, and you should too. But why does this movie based on anime and manga matter?

Movie images are taken with fair use from Rurouni Kenshin the movie’s official Facebook page

When Rurouni Kenshin The Movie was shown locally in 2012, no Filipino-authored Rurouni Kenshin assessment has ever come close to nailing the significance of the Japanese film (expect perhaps this one penned by my good friend Mikael Francisco, who is nice to those who are unfamiliar with Himura Kenshin’s glory). So to dismiss this movie as another Asian flick that merely caters to super-kawaiied fanatics is nothing but ignorant.

But 2014 was different. Warner Bros. brought the cast in town and Filipino fans exploded.

 

Director Keishi Otomo, Takeru Satoh (Kenshin), Emi Takei (Kaoru), and Munetaka Aoki (Sanosuke) were such a cute bunch when they came in the Philippines for the Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno’s Asian premiere


 READ: Transcending cultures with Rurouni Kenshin in Manila


Rurouni Kenshin, after all, is not just an anime/manga adaptation. It’s a “near perfect” adaptation.

So if you didn’t grow up running around the house pretending to unsheathe your sword and striking an imaginary opponent’s 9 vital points at once while shouting, or if you did and you want reasons to justify spending the whole weekend watching the film six times, here are some details that should get you covered.


1) Rurouni Kenshin is the first Japanese movie to be commercially released in the Philippines since Letters from Iwo Jima, and the first Japanese ‘trilogy’ to be screened on the movie market.

Then again, the Flag of our Fathers companion film was a Clint Eastwood creation, so Rurouni Kenshin must be the first timely Japanese produced film to reach our big movie houses… legally.

I wrote timely, because enthusiasts of Japanese film who want to watch on the big screen get their fix from the annual Eiga Sai organized by the Japan Foundation. Otherwise, you watch them from the comfort of your computer through sources which I will not name.

To watch relatively recently-released films from Japan, you have to resort to piracy. By piracy, I mean waiting-for-the-DVD-to-be-released-in-Japan-and-for-kind-subbers-to-translate-the-movie-and-provide-context-to bits-of-the-film-that-is-foreign-for-foreigners kind of piracy, which is free (unless you get them from your suking-pirata, who might have some of the titles you want mixed with Korean dramas and Pinoy scandals).

It’s not your standard kinunan-ni-manong-pirata-sa-sinehan-gamit-ang-digicam. Fans from all over the world lived with this system for years, except subtitle-phobic US (more on that later). As for the rest of the fans, and us Filipinos, we have come to know Battle Royale, Death Note (the movie), and Ameri Ichinose through the internet

Going beyond Japanese pop culture, it’s important to note that K-pop and Thai star Mario Maurer’s local fame were brought to our shores by online piracy.

Rurouni Kenshin The Movie was released when the DVD went on sale in Japan. The sequels, meanwhile, will run a few weeks after the Japanese premiere.

Aha, but Eiga Sai showed the Always: Sunset on Third Street trilogy!

Again, the keyword here is commercial. There’s no need to line up for free screenings, and the queue can get crazy long during Eiga Sai.

2. You get to watch Rurouni Kenshin the way filmmakers wanted it to be watched (well almost).

Since not all of us have at least N2 level (or higher) Japanese language proficiency, we only understand a Japanese film if it has subtitles or if it is horrendously dubbed.

US, because it’s US, gets to have a US premiere of select Japanese films. They use this privilege well replacing the entire voice line with American speakers.

When manga adaptation Gantz was shown in the US, actor and Arashi member Ninomiya Kazunari lamented that most of their acting got lost in the dubbing. See, actors actually act with their voices in Japan, like our indie movies, and definitely unlike our commercial films where actors make up for their lack of live voice acting with dubbing, which, more often than not, is not any better.


Don’t let the subbed trailer fool you. It was a clear case of ‘paasa’

“So you’re expecting me to watch a movie and read subtitles at the same time, just so I can hear Kenshin say ‘oro’ instead of ‘what’?”

Yes. You hear the lines delivered by actors the way film makers wanted you to hear them. You get to feel the scenes more effectively, without being disturbed by an American-sounding slasher.

Unless The Last Samurai was the best “Japanese movie” you’ve ever watched.

Watching through this process may require some practice, but it’s mental exercise mind you. It’s also helpful since you get to learn a few Japanese words along the way, but do not expect to reach even N4 level through this method.

Besides, the only video where dubbing is totally unnecessary and subtitles are just a plus is when you’re watching Ameri Ichinose.


You also don’t need subs for this either.

 

Speaking of The Last Samurai…

3. Rurouni Kenshin movie is a fair portrayal of a Japanese story

During their open press conference in Glorietta on August 7, Satoh said that through the movie, they want people to understand the “delicate intricacies of Japanese culture, the tradition, the way we do things in that era.”

Rurouni Kenshin and its sequels are not Japanese-themed Hollywood movies, where the likes of Tom Cruise outlasts a whole army of experienced samurai because he’s American and has the genes to achieve a high skill set in an extremely short amount of time. (more on that later). Not everything has to be viewed from the Western perspective, where the white man is strong and the Asians are the allies that die.


“Total Massacre”

Speaking of Western perspective…

4. Rurouni Kenshin is no Dragon Ball Evolution.

Watch this.

Then this.

Both are anime-inspired adaptations. One was US produced, while the other one was done in Japan. Be the judge. Also, feel free to Google the abomination that is M. Night Shyamalan’s movie version of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Speaking about adaptations…

5. Rurouni Kenshin is not like 47 Ronin

Oh come on, Ronin. You didn’t even watch the film.

To be quite honest, I tried to watch 47 Ronin at the last minute. But I missed it. Yet it seems I haven’t missed anything.

I’ll leave you with an excerpt from Karl de Mesa’s review of the film for GMA News Online:

My main problem with “47 Ronin” is that the tale aspires to the epic, but twists the gravitas of the original folk tale into a phantasmagoric Hollywood parody of itself—a pitfall with many of the original Japanese horror adaptations as well. Those became brusque and leached of subtlety.

On top of it all, it also mixes in the tale of angst of a half-breed Caucasian pariah which, for all its “13th Warrior” sense on paper, isn’t anywhere in the original folk story. C’mon, aren’t the ins and outs of Japanese politics, ritual combat, and honor complicated enough?

With some minor tweaks, Rurouni Kenshin has been loyal to its source material during the first film. Although some purists might throw a fit with the deviations.

And no, Rinko Kikuchi did not do a “Babel” for 47 Ronin. Our good friend Google can enlighten you on that one. Well at least Keanu Reeve’s character died here (so I’ve been told), unlike Tom Cruise.

47 Robin meme

I’m not sure if this could have been a better film. I don’t want to know. Photo is from Flippish

 

6. Rurouni Kenshin is extremely action-packed.

Let me put these here:

From the first movie:


GIFs from imondrugslol.wordpress.com

What we can expect from the second movie:

The Shinigami call it Shunpo.

7. Shishio Makoto

Shishio Makoto is perhaps the most favorite antagonist by Rurouni Kenshin fans in the Philippines. His theme, The Last Wolf Suite, is also iconic that if you’re not guilty of humming it while pretending to Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki with an umbrella, I’d doubt you watched the series.

Here’s the lovely portion from The Last Wolf Suite, which is originally 5-8 minutes long.

If you have seen the very child-friendly movies Battle Royale and Battle Royale II: Requiem, then Tatsuya Fujiwara, playing the lead Shuya Nanahara, should be a familiar face in Rurouni Kenshin. This time, he’s covered in bandages as he plays Shishio.

You should also recognize him for his role as Light Yagami in the Death Note movies we all watched online should remind you how good he is.

 

The bomb necklace around his neck blew up, that’s why he now wears a bandage as he seeks to control Japan with a deadly notebook and pen.

Shishio Makoto seems like a hard character to play, since he’s all wrapped up and does a lot of talking in the anime. But expect Tatsuya Fujiwara’s caliber to transcend his character’s bandages and pull-off a fitting Shishio. This may also be the first time he willl be shown on the big screen, and his craft deserves to be experienced by Japanese movie fans and casual watchers alike.

If Warner Bros. Philippines brings Tatsuya Fujiwara here for Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, I will be very disappointed if nobody shows up in a Shuya Nanahara (BR II version) garb and tries to get the actor’s autograph on a Death Note. Make this happen, people!

8. Kenshin Himura is a perpetually loved character, and Rurouni Kenshin is a well-done story that has captivated a generation.

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Ask any 90’s kid about their favorite cartoon and more than half will answer with anime Samurai X or Dragon Ball Z, shown on ABSCBN and GMA7 respectively during that decade and after it. Seeing the famous red-haired swordsman come to life on the big screen was hair-raising: when he came out of the dojo wearing his iconic red gi, taking a deep breath as the leaves rustle with the wind.

An action-packed anime with its essence faithfully transformed into a live-action film is a feast to all senses and a warm hug to the kid in us that refused to grow and/or still want to secretly slash irritating people on the road or at the office.

See, Kenshin lives in these films. Characters were given due justice by the chosen cast in the first movie that its right to expect nothing less from the sequels.

Kyoto Inferno and The Legend Ends adapts arguably the best arc of the anime. As Kenshin struggles to wield his reverse-edged katana with his principles being tested by Shishio, we too face our own battles.

Most of us know how Kyoto burns, or how a legend falls. But if you haven’t seen the first Rurouni Kenshin movie, it’s not yet too late to jump in…

…unless Dragon Ball Evolution was your favorite anime-to-movie adaptation of all time.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends will be screened locally in September.

This is a combined and abridged version of the posts “Why Rurouni Kenshin matters” and “Why the Rurouni Kenshin sequels matter” that first appeared on roninbautista.net, the author’s personal blog. You can check out his Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno review on GMA News Online



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