For a long time now, the shows I've watched have been subbed. Hulu generally offers both and that is usually my preference. I think the last dubbed show I watched was...Witchblade? I think it was Witchblade. Well, after a hiatus, we return to a dubbed series with the popular Rurouni Kenshin.
After watching the first episode, I can see why I stick with subbed versions. The voice acting on display here really isn't very good. It sounds like the lines are literally being read and there isn't any sort of emotion to it.
It doesn't help that the dialogue itself is very stilted. Honestly, the script was more wooden than the practice swords that characters in the dojo use. I know that this is the first episode and they are trying to set things up, but it could have been done better.
The plot is nothing to write home about. Again, it's the first episode, but at the same time, the first episode is supposed to pique my interest and this did nothing to accomplish that goal. On the contrary,it's wafer thin. A legendary warrior seems to make a reappearance, but he turns out to be a fraud and the wanderer protagonist is really the warrior. The fake warrior has a grudge against a girl who happened to take in said wanderer and is attempting to dishonor her family and ruin her livelihood. There's no reason to get invested in anything that happens.
Sadly, Kenshin isn't really much of a protagonist. He comes off like a bit of a doofus. I guess they were trying to show that it's an act, but Vash the Stampede did it better. With better writing and a better voice actor, the character may have been more engaging, but he just fell flat for me.
Kaoru, the female lead, fares slightly better. She's nice enough. She has a kind heart and a strong sense of honor, but she gets stuck with really bad dialogue. Again, voice acting hurts the character as well. Neither one really comes off like a real person.
I was shockingly disappointed in this outing. Considering how popular this show is, I was expecting much better. As there are over 90 episodes left, I really hope that the show "grows the beard". If this episode is indicative of the quality of the show, this is going to be a long, slow, painful ride.
Episode 2: Wild Student, Yahiki Myoujin
Credit where it's due, this episode is a rather significant step up from the first one. It doesn't entirely fix the problems that I had, but they are rather diminished in comparison.
The voice acting, for example, sounded a lot more natural this time around. Emotions are better conveyed and you are able to better connect to the characters.
On a similar note, the dialogue is improved. It isn't nearly as stilted as it was before. It relapses at points, but it is generally a lot more natural. Characters even make jokes that are rather amusing. If anything hurts the script, I'd say that the dialogue gets overly cheesy. It's one thing to be optimistic, but this really pushes it beyond the limit.
I did find the story to be a bit more engaging. It's more character driven as both Kenshin and Kaoru take an interest in helping a young pickpocket named Yoshi. He's not a completely bad kid (as displayed when he returns an old man's wallet) but he is in deep with the Yakuza.
While the story was much stronger, I really didn't care for Yoshi. He's an annoying brat who doesn't have much in the way of redeeming qualities. They give him a sad back story, but it doesn't do much to make the viewer like him. He whines a lot and it gets old really quick. If you want a "street punk" character done right, I'd mark Yusuke Urameshi as a much better example.
The Yakuza made for a much better adversary than the fake Battousai. It made for a much more engaging climax, as Kaoru tries to settle Yoshi's debt via gambling before resorting to combat. She shows herself to be formidable, as she takes on the entire gang single-handedly, only being bested by the gang leader.
While I did find Kenshin's defeat of said leader funny, I wouldn't have minded seeing a more prolonged duel. Maybe even a 2 on 1 fight where Kenshin and Kaoru join forces to take on the villain; that would have been cool.
I'm still not sold on the series, but there is a noticeable upward trajectory as far as the quality of the episodes is concerned. It gives me hope that the show will eventually sell me, even if I have to wait several episodes for it to happen.
Episode 3: The Man Who Killed the Past
Just as both Kaoru and Yoshi start to wonder about Kenshin's past, a group of police officers arrive to arrest him for crimes he committed as Battousai.
The police aren't so much corrupt, as extremely drunk with power. They bully, antagonize, and assault random citizens; and then threaten them with arrest or execution if they put up any sort of resistance. They're a bit one dimensional, but you do find yourself hating them quite a bit, which isn't the worst thing you can do when writing the villain.
While Yoshi does try and help, his efforts prove futile and it is up to Kenshin to single-handedly save the day once again.
We do get some insight into his back story as a high ranking government official reveals that he and Kenshin used to work together. More then that, he wants Kenshin to rejoin him so that they can continue their work to make things better. Kenshin declines, saying that he can do more to help the community on his own with his single sword.
Overall, the episode is pretty weak and it falls into the same trap that the last two did. The dialogue doesn't sound natural, the plot is thin, and Kenshin's final speech is downright cheesy. To his credit, his devotion to pacifism is kind of refreshing.
The one thing that it has going for it is political commentary. I don't know whether it was a legitimate attempt to soapbox or if I'm just seeing subtext where none was intended, but the latter is a bit hard to believe.
Having the police abuse their power is commentary enough, and some could argue that it's even more relevant now, but I couldn't help but chuckle when Kenshin stated that an armed citizen can do more to protect the community than the government.
I know so many people who would hear that and start gritting their teeth and clenching their fists in anger. I wouldn't even dismiss the possibility of outright seething. Yeah, it's Japan and it takes place centuries ago, but you could see it as a ringing endorsement for the 2nd Amendment and an example of why it's important. The weapons may differ, but the principle pretty much remains the same.
I'm still not seeing it as far as this show is concerned. I keep hoping it will win me over, but so far, I remain unimpressed. I still hold out hope, though, that it will find its groove sometime in the next 90 episodes. If it does, sooner would be better than later; I'm just saying.
Episode 4: Fight Sanosuke, Living Mean is the Only Way
It may not be the highest bar to jump, but this is the show's strongest episode so far. The dialogue is getting better, albeit slightly and the story is more thought out.
We're introduced to Sanosuke, a fighter who wields Pyramid Head's knife with surprising ease. He's good at heart, devoting his life to fighting against those who bully or oppress others, but he is looking for a worthy challenger.
This puts Kenshin in his sights, especially after Gohei (the fake Battousai from the first episode) informs Sanosuke of Kenshin's past.
I did like that Gohei came back. While he may not make for a worthy nemesis exactly, it would make sense that he would hold a grudge and try to dish out some payback.
Interestingly, Sanosuke says that he has no interest in killing anyone, which undercuts the threat somewhat. I guess sword fights are inherently dangerous, but you'd think that this could be settled with a friendly sparring match. Heck, Sanosuke stands down when the children come out, as he doesn't think that they should have to witness such horrors. It's consistent with his sense of honor, but he doesn't come off like a real enemy.
The first half of the episode is where it really struggles. Kenshin and his group end up sitting adjacent to a group of men who are plotting to overthrow the government when they go out for a meal. It leads to a lot of heavy handed lines about how great democracy is. I was amused by the political commentary last episode, but this was pointless. Not only was it corny, but it has no bearing on the plot whatsoever. The guys could have just been loud and obnoxious and the plot would have played out the same way.
I'm still not sold on this show, but it does seem to be finding it's footing, albeit gradually. It still needs work, but if this keeps up, we'll have ourselves a decent show eventually. If we can get 80 solid episodes, I'd be more than content.
Episode 5: Reversed Edge Sword vs. Samba Sword
As Kenshin waits for his match with Sanosuke, we're given a deeper glimpse into his back story. There is some talk about how Kenshin could be in trouble, but the wanderer is surprisingly calm about the ordeal.
In terms of Sanosuke's origins, it does involve a bit of mild retconning. The last episode made it seem like Sanosuke's motivation was more centered on good sport. He made it clear that he had no interest in killing Kenshin, but wanted to fight him for the challenge of it.
That gets tossed aside for a more personal grudge against the government that Sanosuke believes Kenshin represents. Said government used Sanosuke's group to make promises on their behalf (namely a sizable tax cut) that they couldn't keep. When things went sour, said group was used as a scapegoat and executed. I can understand punishing them as a way to display accountability, but killing them seems a bit harsh. Couldn't they have just exiled them? You could still have Sanosuke hold a grudge, as it was a mark of dishonor on both the organization and his mentor.
In any event, I do think it works better and it gives the fight some actual stakes, but the inconsistency is admittedly somewhat vexing.
The flashback is probably one of the most effective parts of the show so far. It's actually somewhat poignant and is much more engaging as a result.
The fight itself is surprisingly underwhelming. There is talk about how Sanosuke is a great fighter, but he never lands a hit. Some of that is justified in story, as Kenshin notes that Sanosuke's sword is big and heavy, making it easy to dodge. Still, some fight would have been nice. Really, Sanosuke's main asset is his willpower. Attacks that would have bested other foes are somewhat shrugged off by Sanosuke, who keeps getting back up.
Not surprisingly, Kenshin manages to talk his way out and convince Sanosuke to change his ways. It's rather cheesy, but it's par for the course on this show. I do wonder if Sanosuke is going to reforge his Pyramid Head sword or if he's going to find a more effective weapon to use in future combat.
The show is continuing to get better. I wouldn't say I'm hooked, but it isn't nearly as bad as the first few episodes. Here's hoping the trend continues.
Episode 6: The Visitor from Darkness
This episode was...actually good. Oh, don't get me wrong; the voice acting and dialogue are still more than a little clunky, but the episode brings enough to the table to make up for that to some extent.
A madman is killing government officials en masse, forcing them to recruit Kenshin for help. Said madman turns out to be a warrior similar to Kenshin, albeit one who went down a completely different path. The parallel is touched on, but nothing is really done with it yet. Seeing as this is the first of a two-part story, it could be put to better use later.
Said madman, named Kurogasa and later named Jinei Udoh, makes for a good villain. He's a much more menacing adversary as he kills people gleefully and easily. While the show is still fairly kid friendly, we do see a fair bit of blood, which surprised me. He also has a quasi-supernatural ability to paralyze his opponents by focusing chi through his eyes.
Sanosuke (who I believe has a different voice actor now) offers his aid, but is more or less sidelined. He doesn't even bring his pyramid head knife for some reason and gets his wrists slit when he attempts to jump into the fray using a statue as a makeshift weapon. It's a pretty big step down for him, though he does get thrown a bone when he is able to use his willpower to overcome Udoh's ability. Yeah, Kenshin does it much quicker and easier, but it's better than nothing.
While I would have loved to see a real 2 on 1 fight, we do get a pretty solid fight between Udoh and Kenshin. Udoh gets away, but it does focus his intent as he now wants to get Kenshin to return to the cold, ruthless warrior that he was before.
It does put Kenshin in a bind as he feels that he has to go back to that mindset, but he notes that it isn't easy to come back from and he much prefers his pacifist approach.
When Kaoru panics about Kenshin, it seems like she is concerned about what he'll turn into, but when she does talk to him, she only brings up his safety, which is a little weird. Well, OK, not weird, but it seemed like her intent changed. At the very least, she could bring up both points.
The episode does suffer a bit from the "why don't you just shoot him?" query. In fact, Yoshi brings it up early on and it is said that Udoh is too quick, even for the guards armed with guns. Yet, the guards never have their guns drawn when they are on guard and Udoh is able to get chatty without anyone thinking to pull a trigger. I figured the paralysis stare would be a factor, but it isn't put to use as much as I thought it would when Udoh is attacked by a mob.
This was a significant step up. The plot was gripping and there was much richer characterization. Udoh stands as the show's best villain (though we are only a half dozen episodes in) and his presence forced everyone else into a situation they may not get out of. Hopefully the plot's resolution can live up, because this was actually a strong outing for this show.
Episode 7: The Battle Under the Moon
What positive momentum the last episode built up is more or less squandered here as this episode is wafer thin.
Normally, this would be fodder for future character development, and even fodder for plot lines. Instead, the episode decides to end on a happier note, as Kenshin says that he's changed because of the power of friendship and everything is all wrapped up in a nice bow.
I'm not averse to the more uplifting ending, but I think that the short time hurt the resolution as much as it did the magnitude of the threat. It came off as a bit abrupt and it's a missed opportunity.
I had high hopes for this episode, but it didn't really deliver. The action was decent, but the show's problems persist and I fear that they won't be going anywhere.
Episode 8: The Mysterious Woman and the New Battle
This episode brings the team against a drug lord. While it is no "Breaking Bad", it is one of the stronger episodes to date.
Oddly enough, it actually puts a lot more emphasis on comedy than anything else. It works well too, as the funny parts are actually funny. Some of it is slapstick, but there are some rather good lines peppered throughout the episode.
The plot somewhat stumbles on the characters. A young woman, named Megumi, barges into Sanosuke's and Kenshin's gambling group as she is fleeing from some dangerous figures. After besting her attackers, the pair take it upon themselves to protect her.
I guess we should have seen it coming, but this tries to make a love triangle as Kory is immediately jealous of the new woman to the point of attacking Kenshin. It really doesn't make any sense. I know there's some romantic tension, but the two are hardly a couple and Kenshin isn't even encouraging it. You could have used this as shipping fodder as it would bring out her true feelings, but it is exaggerated to the point where it seems out of character. Again, I think the idea was to play it for laughs, but it still came off as odd to me.
The other thing that came off as odd was the Hulk-esque villain of the week. He puts up a good fight, but he can apparently breathe fire. Unlike the paralyzing spells of Udoh, this ability is explained, kind of. He apparently rammed a flame thrower down his throat. At least, that's what I took it to mean when Sanosuke reaches in and yanks something out.
I actually liked that it was Sanosuke who won the day this time around. He got sidelined last time and it was good to show that he was still capable in a fight. I do wonder why he refuses to use his weapon, but he wins and that's the important thing.
It seems like everything is all cleaned up, but the episode ends on a more dramatic note, as Yoshi gets poisoned. The kid may be an annoying brat, but he doesn't hesitate to jump into harm's way to protect Megumi when she is targeted. Props for bravery.
While the assassin says there is no cure, Megumi suggests otherwise and tasks the others with retrieving supplies. Sanosuke starts to become skeptical, however, when he comes across some opium and thinks that there's more to Megumi than meets the eye.
It made for an effective cliffhanger and does a better job of leaving you interested in what happens next than the poisoned child. We all know Yoshi will be fine. Megumi's motives, on the other hand, are a much bigger question mark.
As said before, this was one of the stronger episodes. The humor worked, the dialogue was a lot better, and it starts to show why people would get behind the series for such a long time. Here's hoping future episodes are more like this.
Episode 9: The Most Powerful Stealth Corps: Oniwabanshuu
Even the writers seemed to know that the cliffhanger regarding the fate of Yoshi was a dud. Within the first minute, it's revealed that he got the medicine he needed and that he's fine. You'd think that taking a lethal dose of poison would leave him bedridden for a while as he recuperates, but nope. He's up and about, chowing down on rice cakes. Kory points this out, but even then she acknowledges that she's only doing it to try and get a larger share of the rice cakes.
With that taken care of, the origins of Megumi are revealed. She doesn't sell the opium, she manufactures it. We learn that she was diagnosed with lung cancer and decided to start making the stuff to make enough money to pay for the treatments and ensure that her family was taken care of.
.......
Wait, that was something else, my mistake. She is revealed to be a doctor who has developed a new brand of opium, but she explains that she was strong armed. She also has a sad back story about how her family died. It was political, I think?
In any event, Sanosuke (who I think changed voice actors....again) doesn't take too kindly to Megumi's career path. Despite his stern protests, he is the first one to come to her rescue when she goes off on her own. It was a weird turn around, but it's to his credit that he doesn't hold serious grudges.
Sanosuke puts up a valiant fight against one of the drug lord's goons and is eventually able to overpower the brute, but Megumi remains captured. Luckily, Kenshin and the others arrive and offer their assistance.
With all four dojo members jumping into the fray, I'm hoping that the next episode is a big one, as this was something of a dud. A lot of the emotional moments fell flat and even the attempts at humor were pretty lame. The fight was decent, but the episode didn't really bring anything else to the table.
Episode 10: Aoshi, So Fearful it's Almost Beautiful
Kenshin and his team begin their attempt to rescue Megumi. Being a small group against a large gang, they decide to use stealth to infiltrate the compound and keep the element of surprise.
Nah, they just slice through the door and charge in while yelling. Luckily for them, the mooks are no match for them and they do end up clearing out the building's defenses with little problem. I did get a kick out of Sanosuke using Yoshi to use the famous "fastball special" technique. Yoshi wasn't too fond of it, but it still worked.
The group doesn't face any real resistance until Han'nya (the guy with the demon mask) confronts them. I would have loved to see a 4 on 1 fight, but for some reason, they decide to leave it up to Kenshin.
I would have much preferred it if Han'nya really was able to extend his arms. It certainly wouldn't be the first metahuman adversary that has challenged the heroes, but alas, it turns out to be an optical illusion caused by the stripes on his sleeves.
I'm not going to lie, that was kind of lame. First off, Kenshin should still have been able to dodge the attacks and that isn't really a spell.
Luckily, he makes up for it by whipping out some Wolverine style claws. They even go snikt! Unlike Logan's, Han'nya's claws are quite breakable and he does eventually lose.
Aoshi doesn't prove to be such a pushover as he knocks Sanosuke out in one punch (keep in mind that Sanosuke's primary asset is to keep getting up after getting hit) and even puts Kenshin into a corner. It does make for an effective cliffhanger as the heroes are sorely outmatched.
By and large, the episode is subpar. The voice acting and dialogue are still stilted and unnatural and the action was decent, but nothing to write home about. The power struggle between Aoshi and Takeda would have been more gripping if I was invested or interested in these characters, but we haven't seen them enough to feel anything.
While Sanosuke does jump into the fight against Aoshi, I did find it puzzling that the others are largely relegated to fighting the mooks. When Kenshin is losing to Han'nya, Yoshi whines and criticizes him when he makes no attempt himself, not even to help. I get that Kenshin is the star, but you could at least put the team to good use in situations like this.
We've hit the double digits in episode count. I've still got over 70 to go, though. Things don't seem to be picking up much either, which is rather disappointing.
Episode 11: A Crash of Light and Darkness
If this episode had better voice acting and better script writers, this episode would have been really good. I know, I harp on those things almost every episode, but they really do kill the mood. By all accounts, this should have been a powerhouse episode, but those two weaknesses suck all the life out of the show.
The fight between Aoshi and Kenshin is a solid one. Personally, I would have liked to see the other three jump into the fray, but I can see why they wanted it to be a one on one duel. The closest thing we get is when Yoshi vows revenge after it seems like Kenshin is killed. Of course, he isn't, and he is able to turn the tide in the fight in a believable fashion.
Things get a lot more interesting, though, when a vindictive Takeda bursts onto the scene with a freaking gatling gun to show everyone who's boss. Even the combined might and abilities of the other gang members falls short, as he mows through them one by one.
Oddly enough, this is played as poignant and sad. I guess the gang was really tight knit and loyal to Aoshi. It would have been nice to, I don't know, see that. As it is, I wasn't really invested in any of these characters, so it fell flat. Just because you play the sad piano music doesn't instantly make the scene sad.
The same goes for Megumi's suicide attempt. I mean, this is heavy. I should have been on the edge of my seat, with my pulse racing, but it was done in such a ho-hum fashion that it didn't really do anything for me on an emotional level.
I did like that the two antagonists each had their own motivations for doing what they do. Aoshi is more interested in political power, while Takeda was just in it for the money and wanted to use the drug money to segue into dealing arms. As flat as the characters in this show tend to be, it did give them a bit more depth.
The pieces are all there, they just aren't utilized properly. It makes it a very frustrating episode as this could have been a standout. It could easily have been the episode that finally lit that spark that got me invested, but it missed the mark and as a result, falls as another dud of an episode.
Episode 12: Birth of a Young Swordsman
After an episode that featured mooks getting mowed down with a gatling gun and a suicide attempt, it would make sense to try to counterbalance that with something lighter. Enter, this fluff episode that centers on Yoshi.
It was a gamble, as he is an annoying character, but it worked well. We see him develop a crush on a girl who happens to work at the restaurant that they frequent. It's awkward, of course, but it does lead to some humorous moments. I admit, I did find the spit take when Yoshi runs into her again rather amusing. Other jokes, sadly, fall flat, but with a younger audience, they might connect. The "Yoshi boy" running gag was lame, but you could see what they were trying to do.
As it turns out, the girl is something of a mole, sent in by thugs who want her to make a duplicate key of the owner's house so that they can rob him. It seems like an overly elaborate plan, in all honesty. She tells them that he carries the money on him as he goes home from work each night, so wouldn't it make more sense to just jump him?
In any event, this gives Yoshi the chance to swoop in and save her. While he puts up a valiant fight, the numbers work against him and Yoshi ends up on the receiving end of a surprisingly brutal beatdown.
You'd expect Kenshin and the others to jump into the fray to back up their friend, but no dice. Kory, to her credit, tries, but Kenshin stops her saying that it's Yoshi's fight. It reminded me of that bit in "Dragonball Z Abridged" when Tien is fighting Nappa and losing badly. Piccolo kept insisting that Tien doesn't want the help, all the while you hear him desperately calling for help. At least there, it was played for laughs. This is played straight and it is one of Kenshin's more schmuckish acts.
To Kenshin's credit, he does give Yoshi some advice on how to turn the tables in a fight like that. Said advice does come to good use when Yoshi gets the chance for a rematch. The stakes are raised as the bad guys unsheathe legitimate blades, but Yoshi wins (with some behind the scenes help from the others.)
The episode was formulaic, but it was at least passable. The simpler story worked for the 20 minute run time and it did give Yoshi a chance to shine. He's still pretty annoying, but we got to see his more honorable side as well. The episode is nothing to write home about, but it wasn't sub-par, which for this show, marks it as one of the better entries to date.
Episode 13: Sumo Wrestler Toramaru
While out on the town, Kory and the others come across a sumo wrestler named Toramaru, who has been chased out of his dojo. He seems to owe money, but the bigger problem is that he's rather timid. This leads to him being the butt of jokes at his expense; not only from other sumo, but even Yoshi weighs in and calls him a weak coward.
It was a bit jarring. After the last episode tried to make Yoshi more sympathetic, here, he's an obnoxious jerk. He was always a little annoying, but he's downright unlikable here.
In an odd twist, the antagonists here come off as somewhat more sympathetic. They're mean to Toramaru, but we also see them as generally easy going and likable at points. It's jarring to see them go from that to ganging up on Toramaru and beating him senseless, but it helps keep them from coming off as two dimensional villains with no real motivation.
That being said, the ostracization is enough to drive Toramaru to a suicide attempt. This show really does like those doesn't it? Oddly enough, this one feels more dramatic than Megumi's. Kory does her best to stop him, but they both end up falling over a bridge.
I'm not sure how having the water be only six inches deep is a good thing. Wouldn't you want deeper water in this circumstance? I'd think that having a hard surface with that little water would be more fatal than having a deep creek when falling from a significant height like that. Maybe he couldn't swim, I don't know.
Bullying and self confidence are this episode's major themes. It handles it well enough, showing how bullying can affect a person and how self confidence is a good thing. It gets a bit cheesy at points, but it could have been a lot worse.
Kory actually gets to show off her combat skills here, fending off a whole group of sumo. It was still cool to see the others jump into the fray for a group brawl. Although, I don't think Yoshi did anything.
I wonder if Toramaru is going to be a recurring character, mostly because there was quite a bit of shipping fuel between him and Kory. He's the only one who seems to like her cooking and her choice of pinching spot (it makes sense in context) is rather suspicious. This is especially true as Toramaru didn't specify a location. She could have easily just pinched his arm and achieved the same result, but she goes for a different spot of her own volition. It may not sound like much, but I've seen people ship characters harder with far less material to work with.
As I said, this episode is cheesy, and it's a pretty stock story formula. It was done passably, though, and I didn't find myself cringing like I did during some of the earlier episodes. It may not be anything to write home about, but I wouldn't mark it as a bad episode either.
Episode 14: Lady Doctor Megumi to the Rescue
After her ordeal, Megumi has turned over a new leaf. She's practicing legitimate medicine (at the dojo for some reason) and is shown to be quite good at it.
Things take a bad turn, however, when she comes across a man in pain. She instantly deduces that nothing is wrong with him (merely by taking his temperature?) and keeps going. Meanwhile, a shaman appears to step in and cure the ailment with a chant and a potion. The chant is obvious gibberish, which to be fair was somewhat amusing, but the people are still taken in by the act. As a result, Megumi appears callous, while the Shaman comes off as far more effective.
At first, I thought that the motivation for this was a personal vendetta against Megumi, maybe because of her involvement in the drug trade. This would have been a far more sensible explanation, but instead, it's the work of a gang (said to be worse than the Yakuza) who are trying to discredit medical professionals so that they can take over and make a lot of money.
I don't think that they thought this plan through. Showing up Megumi with a staged setup is one thing, but wouldn't legitimately sick people notice that the shaman's antics aren't helping? This point never comes up, despite the entire town becoming enamored with the new hero in town.
I do find the science vs mysticism centered plot to be an odd inclusion here. In other shows, it could have worked, but we've already seen people displaying superhuman abilities. Honestly, a shaman like this wouldn't be that out there. Even Kenshin acknowledges this at one point, when he's asked about it (though as he notes, he didn't see what happened and hadn't talked to Megumi yet).
Of course, the good guys expose the scam and Megumi's good name is restored. In a bit of karmic retribution, Megumi gives the shaman water, telling him that it's medicine, when he says that he is feeling ill himself.
Oddly enough, Yoshi points out that the doctor gave a patient a placebo. Would people back then even know what a placebo was? I guess rule of funny was supposed to apply.
This was a sub-par entry. As noted, the villain's plan makes no sense. Even the action was kind of dull and felt very much by the numbers. There was an amusing bit here and there, but by and large, I was left unimpressed.
Episode 15: Two Legendary Slashers
A group of assassins are killing corrupt politicians. This is a problem because if the group isn't stopped, there won't be any politicians left. Seriously though, as Sanosuke notes, people are dying.
While the assassins are capable, whoever is heading up the movement knows that Kenshin will become a hindrance and orders Toma, the lead assassin, to find someone who is capable of taking the swordsman in a fight.
Said someone is a teacher named Sasaki, who just happened to arrive at the dojo looking for a doctor to help one of his sick students. It's strange how everyone who shows up is in some kind of trouble. To Sasaki's credit, he isn't made aware of the trouble until later, but the timing is dang peculiar.
As it turns out, Sasaki has a history very similar to Kenshin. He too was a great warrior who decided to embrace a more peaceful life. While the parallels are obvious, the episode is surprisingly good about not beating you over the head with the comparison. Sanosuke mentions it once and that's about it.
The fact that Sasaki once fought Kenshin is a bit of a stretch, but Kenshin did note that he looked familiar and it's a much more acceptable reason than his cover about seeing him while walking Sanosuke home.
Apparently, Sasaki maintaining his life as a teacher is of utmost importance to Sanosuke, and he doesn't take kindly to it when the assassins try to press-gang the teacher back into the killer lifestyle by threatening the lives of his students.
Considering how capable Sasaki is, I'm surprised they were so quick to hand him a sword. I was expecting the teacher to turn on his captors once he had the weapon in his hands, but even that is unacceptable to Sanosuke as he barges in before anything can happen and challenges the assassins himself.
He actually does fairly well, especially considering he's just punching them and they're armed with blades. However, some do escape while he is occupied. Of course, this is where Kenshin steps in. He stops those who flee and challenges Toma.
The two have a good fight, but it is interrupted by the authorities. Oddly, Toma's declaration that they'll meet again comes off as less vengeful and more sporting. Sure, their fight will be to the death, but he seems like he's going to enjoy the challenge. It was an interesting bit of development for the character.
Stranger still is the revelation that Toma managed to nick Kenshin's throat. There's no blood, implying it didn't penetrate the skin, but it still looked like a serious slice. I guess you could chalk it up to Kenshin's speed, but he was really lucky as that would have killed him if the blade were any closer.
The episode is a mixed bag. Parts worked, some of the jokes landed and there were some solid character moments, but it still got corny at points. I'm also unsure why Sanosuke is so invested in Sasaki's pacifism. Even Kenshin gets into fights on a regular basis, but still helps people. I'm not sure why Sasaki couldn't operate in that capacity as well. If anything, it would work in their favor having another legendary fighter out there helping the innocent and what not. It might be covered in later episodes, so we'll just have to see.
Episode 16: The Secret Sword of Shiden
Episode 17: Marimo, the Human Cannon
Episode 18: Run Yahiko! Get the Reverse Edged Sword Back
Episode 19: The Fantasy of the Forbidden Kingdom
Episode 20: Revival of the Killer Sword Shinko Style
Episode 21: Destruction of a Nightmare; Raijuta's Ambition
Episode 22: Surprise Incident on a Runaway Locomotive
Episode 23: Sanosuke and the Colored Woodblock Prints
Episode 24: Kenshin vs Sanosuke Once Again
Episode 25: The Red Pirate: Kenshin and Kory Separated
Episode 26: Shura, the Mysterious Female Pirate
Episode 27: The Red Pirate - Conclusion
I really don't see what the appeal is behind this show. The writing is clunky, the voice acting is sub-par on a good day, and the stories aren't particularly engaging. Occasionally, the show displays a glimmer of potential, but it never utilizes or expands on it. The humor is hit or miss, as are the characters themselves. I initially hated the theme song, but it did grow on me; though it still isn't sung particularly well. It's an earworm, though. I'll give it that. Even though I've gone through the first season and the show shows no signs of improvement, I still hold out hope that it starts to live up to the hype. As of now, though, I just don't see it.
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