Monday, January 29, 2007

Jinchuu vs Seisouhen

This page contains heavy spoilers for the manga's Jinchuu Arc and Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen OVA. You have been warned.




















Manga Jinchuu Arc

Why do I dislike this OVA so much? Well, to put it simply, it's a complete betrayal of the message of Rurouni Kenshin. The problem is many people do not know this because it's cleverly disguised as the animation of the manga's Jinchuu Arc.

In both stories, Kenshin and the others have just returned from the battle with Shishio Makoto. Not long after, a new threat looms in the form of Yukishiro Enishi. Enishi declares his desire for revenge on Kenshin for the death of his sister Tomoe on Kenshin's blade. This is where the similarities end.

Manga Jinchuu Arc

In the manga version of events, Enishi has a group of five others following him. The group's name is Rokutai or Six Comrades (lame, I know). Kenshin and the rest end up fighting these six after the Akabeko, Maekawa Dojo and Chief Uramura are attacked for no reason other than being associated with Hitokiri Battousai.

Kenshin is understandably shaken up by these events and ends up spilling the beans about his past to Kaoru and the others. He tells them of his time as the Isshin Shishi's shadow hitokiri, meeting Tomoe, gradually falling in love with her, hiding in the country with her and finally, killing her with his own sword. Kaoru is saddened by Kenshin's story, but stays faithfully by his side and resolves to keep herself alive so Kenshin won't have to grieve for her as for Tomoe.

Ultimately, Enishi kidnaps Kaoru. He approaches Kaoru in the dojo, telling her to surrender. Kaoru grips her bokken and refuses, determined to at least try to fight him. Enishi disappears and reappears behind her, drugging her with chloroform. Enishi takes Kaoru away, leaving a grisly look-alike doll in her place. Kenshin thinks the doll is really Kaoru's body and has a nervous breakdown. When the others seek Kenshin out, they find him rotting away in Rakuninmura, a village of outcasts. The only one who can break the curse is Kenshin himself, with the help of a kindly old man.

While Kaoru is imprisoned on the island, Enishi tries to kill her once, but is stopped by the image of Tomoe frowning. Kaoru figures out that Enishi can't kill a girl who's the same age as Tomoe when she died. It's as if Tomoe's spirit is protecting her.

Kenshin finally regains his will to live after Tsubame begs him to help Yahiko fight one of the Rokutai who escaped jail and is now on a rampage. Kenshin realizes the best way to atone for his sins is to fight to protect those around him. Kenshin takes down the berserker guy and passes out right after due to weakness.

While Kenshin is unconscious he dreams of Tomoe. He is glad to see that she's finally smiling. Tomoe tells Kenshin that when he smiles, the part of her inside him will smile as well. She then tells him that Kaoru is alive and waiting for him to go to her.


Kenshin and the others go to the island Enishi has taken Kaoru to. Kenshin asks for their help since he's only strong enough to fight Enishi. Sanosuke, Yahiko, Saitou and Aoshi each fight these four huge guys called the Sushin or Four Stars who are body guards for Enishi's top lackey, Wu Heishin. Heishin orders the Sushin to try to stop the Kenshin-gumi from getting to Enishi. Sano, Yahiko, Aoshi and Saitou use their finest moves on the Sushin and beat them handily.

Finally Enishi comes out with Kaoru in tow. The climactic battle between Kenshin and Enishi begins. At first it's almost a repeat of the dojo battle with Enishi seeming to beat Kenshin easily. That is until Kenshin releases a new attack that messes up Enishi's hearing and throws off his sense of balance.

Afterward, Kenshin is able to dodge Enishi's attacks and finishes him off with the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu secret. Just as things appear to start going their way, Kenshin is shot in the shoulder by Wu Heishin.

Heishin pulls out another pistol and is ready to shoot again, but Kaoru jumps between him and Kenshin. Enishi has a flashback to when Tomoe jumped between Kenshin and the Yaminobu leader and finally has the epiphany.

Enishi saves Kaoru form Heishin by belting Heishin one in the jaw. He lunges forward to kill Heishin, but is stopped by Kenshin who declares he will not let anyone he can see die. Kaoru gives Enishi Tomoe's diary to read and they all go home

Later on we learn that Enishi escaped police custody and fled to Kyoto's Rakuninmura. There he starts to piece his life back together with his sister's spirit and the kindly old man who helped Kenshin before guiding him.

Kenshin and Kaoru visit Tomoe's grave where Kenshin apologizes to Tomoe and says farewell to her. He and Kaoru leave the graveyard hand in hand (a very intimate gesture in Japanese culture).

Later on, we learn from Megumi that Kenshin won't be able to wield Hiten Mitsurugu Ryu much longer because the power of it is simply too much for his frail body. Kenshin offers to settle things with old rival Saitou but his turned down.

Everyone goes their own way, with Misao and Aoshi returning to Kyoto, Megumi leaving for Aizu and Sano being chased out of Japan for beating up a corrupt politician.

Time passes from 1878 to 1882. We see a teenage Yahiko intimidate some thugs who are hassling Tsubame. He then goes to the dojo, rescues Kenshin and Kaoru's son Kenji from the roof and is challenged to a one-hit duel with Kenshin, whose cruciform scar has begun to fade as his soul heals. Yahiko and Kenshin each land a blow, but Yahiko falls to his knees. Kenshin decides his hit was good enough and surprises Yahiko by giving him the Sakabatou.

Yahiko argues that he can't take the sword because he lost, but Kenshin says he isn't worried about winning or losing. He just wanted to see if Yahiko put all his strength in his strike. Yahiko accepts the Sakabatou and thinks to himself that it's quite heavy.

After Yahiko leaves, we are treated to the delightful scene of Kenji yanking on his father's hair because for some reason... he doesn't like his dad. Kaoru comments on how much lighter Kenshin's cruciform scar has become. Kenshin informs Kaoru that though he's given up the Sakabatou, he doesn't plan to quit swordsmanship just yet. He vows to continue the life of battle and uphold his vow. Kaoru agrees, but implores Kenshin to rest for the time being.

In the two sequel stories Watsuki drew, Yahiko no Sakabatou and Haru ni Sakura, we see that Kenshin now carries a bokken in place of the Sakabatou, thus marking him still a swordsman in some capacity. We also see that he's healthy and at peace. After so much hardship, a happy ending for our rurouni. ^_^x

Although he never sees it performed, Kenji is able to visualize every Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu move in his head as it's described to him. Just as Yahiko mimicked the Ryu Tsui Sen and the Ryu Sho Sen by seeing them, so does Kenji learn new moves just by hearing of them. The ease with which Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu teaches itself to Kenji somehow warps him and by the time he's a teenager, he's an evil swordsman on the verge of being the next Shishio Makoto.

In comes Yahiko and Tsubame's heroic son, Myoujin Shinya who like Kenji is a practitioner of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. As adults, Kenji and Shinya duke it out for the right to be the master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and inheritor of the Sakabatou. Who will win?


Seisouhen

OK, so what happens in Seisouhen? Well, Enishi does indeed show up shortly after the group returns from Kyoto. As in the manga, he confronts Kenshin on a bridge and declares his vengeance on him.

Unlike in the manga, Enishi is alone. There is no Rokutai. There are therefore no attacks on everything Kenshin held dear like in the manga. Instead it's simply, Kenshin returns to the dojo after Enishi attacks him initially, his face bloody. Kaoru patches him up and asks him what happened. Hesitantly, Kenshin opens up to her.

So you notice the second difference. Kenshin only tells Kaoru about his past. The others aren't involved in the battle at all. This brings me to the next difference. When Kaoru learns about Kenshin's past in the OVA, she freaks out and runs away from the dojo.

Kaoru blunders about aimlessly for hours, finally collapsing and crying like a little girl. Guess with whom she meets up! Yup, Enishi himself. Kaoru tries to run from him in her kimono which restricts her leg movement. Enishi easily immobilizes her and kidnaps her after leaving a note with the kanji Jinchuu on the door of the dojo.

As in the manga, Kaoru is imprisoned on Enishi's island. Unlike in the manga, Kaoru starts having nightmares about Kenshin and Tomoe. She sees them together and can't approach them.

So here's another difference. In the manga, Kaoru thanks Tomoe's spirit for protecting her from Enishi. But in the OVA, Tomoe is this evil dead rival trying to take Kenshin away from Kaoru. This discrepancy leads to a lot of fans of one girl hating the other. In reality, there is no conflict between them.

Kenshin eventually arrives to take Kaoru back. Another difference: Kenshin is alone. Therefore there are no Sushin battles and no Kenshin asking the others to lend him their strength.

Kenshin's battle with Enishi is completely different. Kenshin ends up beating Enishi, but then prostrates himself before Enishi, offering him his life in exchange for Kaoru's. What the hell? In the manga, Kenshin said throughout the battle that he wouldn't throw away his life. No way in Hell would he do something like that!

To continue, Kaoru rushes out and folds herself protectively around Kenshin and glares at Enishi. Through Enishi's eyes we see not Kaoru, but Tomoe. Enishi collapses into the sand, sobbing. After that, he just goes away and that's that. He never gains the understanding of what happened to Tomoe all those years ago. All he understands is that Neesan doesn't want him to kill Battousai.

After that's settled, Kenshin and Kaoru marry and have Kenji like in the manga. But then things deviate again. Kenshin begins having problems with his movement and starts feeling weak. Megumi examines him and drops a bombshell: Kenshin's body is reacting badly to his prolonged use of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. He needs to give it up right away or he'll be crippled within four months.

This leads to Kenshin's spar with Yahiko, which follows the manga almost spot on. They clash, Yahiko drops, Kenshin gives him the Sakabatou upon seeing that Yahiko puts his strength in his strike. Wonderful.

The deviation comes after. In the manga, Kenshin knew years in advance that this day was coming and had time to prepare himself for it. He takes up a bokken and continues on as best he can. In the OVA, Kenshin falls to pieces now that he's lost his only way to atone. Because of this, he starts feeling worthless and self-loathing all over again. He decides he doesn't deserve to live in a home and have a family to love and love him in return.

Kenshin drops a bombshell on Kaoru, telling her his new way to atone is to "suffer as the people do". With that, he packs up a small bag of clothes and splits without even once looking back. Kaoru is devastated, but is determined to wait patiently. Maybe if he's given enough time, Kenshin will return and stay.

Days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months and no Kenshin. Kenji who is about four when his father leaves, sees his mother turn from a cheerful woman who plays with him into this sad, depressed woman who just mopes around the dojo, waiting for Daddy Dearest to return.

For the next ten years, it's like this. Kenshin returns maybe once a year if that for a few days and is then gone again. He travels all over Japan, helping people, doing good deeds, etc., all the while neglecting his family. Understandably, Kenji begins to resent his father for never being there and depressing his mother.

After ten years of this, Kenshin again returns home. This time, he's even brought a nice little surprise: He's now infected with a contagious disease and is dying. Hooray. Like the dutiful little wife, Kaoru cares for the dying man, tending his every need.

Just when it seems like Kenshin and Kaoru might be able to live (or should I say die) in peace, along comes Yamagata Aritomo of the army with a favor to ask of Kenshin. He asks Kenshin to join the invasion of China as a medic. Kenshin, though he doesn't want to go, feels compelled to again walk out on his family and serve the government.

Here's the part that bothers me about this. Why would Yamagata ask Kenshin who hasn't wielded a sword for 15 years to take part in the Sino-Japanese War, even if he just goes as a medic? If that's the case, wouldn't it make more sense to send Megumi?

What does Kaoru do upon hearing this joyous news? She offers to sleep with Kenshin to "bear his pain". Kenshin resists a bit at first, but ultimately caves in. As they sleep together, Kenshin asks Kaoru to call him by his childhood name Shinta since he's no longer a swordsman. The next day, Kenshin (or Shinta), like the samurai of old who served their daimyo at the expense of their families, packs his bags and sets off for the continent.

OK, why the hell does Kenshin suddenly revert to his old name? In the manga, Kenshin goes on and on about moving with the flow of time. Obviously the Kenshin in this OVA doesn't share that sentiment and wants to bring back the past by switching to his childhood name.

This most recent departure is the straw that breaks the camel's back for Kenji. He sees that yet again, Daddy Dearest puts the country before his own family. Kenji splits for Kyoto to train under Hiko Seijuro XIII so he can learn Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and surpass his father's legend. Enter Yahiko (now in his early 30s). He goes to Kyoto and fights Kenji to get him to return home. Yahiko, wielding the Sakabatou, fights Kenji who wields a katana. Kenji is fast and is no doubt of good breeding to be a swordsman, but he lacks experience and a good reason to fight. Yahiko beats Kenji and gives him the Sakabatou in the hope that he'll at least understand his father somewhat. Finally, he takes Kenji back to Kyoto.

Meanwhile, Kenshin is on the army ship heading back from China. There's a storm at sea and Kenshin gets tossed overboard after rescuing another soldier. Kenshin doesn't die though (miracle of miracles). Instead he's found washed up on the shore and at death's door by none other than Sagara Sanosuke who's been out of Japan for over a decade. In the manga this is because he was chased out by the law. In the OVA his reason for being gone is never given.

Anyway, Sano takes Kenshin to his hovel and tries to help the dying rurouni. Kenshin cries out in pain and reaches for a wind chime he sees that reminds him of the one at the dojo. Sano feeds him to try and restore his strength. He's able to shore up enough strength to at least put Kenshin on a boat back to Tokyo. After a heartfelt farewell, Sano loads Kenshin on the boat, then returns to his hovel.

Many fans love the farewell scene between Kenshin and Sano. I find it empty for the simple fact that Sano simply loads Kenshin on the boat and that's that. Sorry, but in the manga Sano would be on the boat with him to protect him.

The boat gets Kenshin back to Tokyo. He starts blundering his way back to a place he can't even remember now thanks to his deteriorating mind. Meanwhile back at the dojo, a not-much-better-off-Kaoru suddenly senses his imminent return. She gets out of bed and goes tearing out of the dojo. Kaoru makes her way through town over the bridge and to the sakura fields just in time to see Kenshin struggling along with his flagging strength.

They make it to each other just as Shinta's strength gives out. Kaoru catches him and lowers him gently to the ground, holding him in a tight embrace. Shinta whispers, "I'm home" and Kaoru says, "Welcome home, Shinta."

Kaoru begins prattling on about all the nice things they'll be able to do now that they're together again. They can be a family again, Yahiko and Tsubame will have a child soon, blah blah blah. She realizes that the man lying in her lap is quiet, too quiet. She looks down and sees Shinta lying peacefully in her lap and realizes he isn't breathing anymore. She strokes back the hair over his left cheek and reveals smooth skin where the scar once was.

At long last, Shinta is at peace and the scar is gone. That's right folks, Shinta/Kenshin can't find peace in this OVA except by abandoning his family and dying. Those are the differences. Though many of the same things happen in the Jinchuu Arc and Seisouhen, the meaning behind them is completely different. The Seisouhen version of things lacks the finality and closure that we see in the Jinchuu Arc due to the lack of Kenshin's time in Rakuninmura and the growth to maturity of the other characters as they fight at his side.

Kenshin is never able to give up his identity as the government's good little samurai who's willing to serve his master at the expense of his own family. I understand this is a realistic portrayal of many samurai, but it's not fitting for Kenshin as Watsuki wrote him. Sony Studios took Watsuki's characters and story and butchered them to suit their own purposes. This is why in my opinion at least, Seisouhen is not a fit ending for Rurouni Kenshin.

Comments (0)