Rurouni Kenshin: Dreams of Youth - Episodes 79-82

good

Kenshin Himura was an assassin for the imperialist army during the revolution. At the turning point something happened and he just vanished. 11 years later he encounters a girl named Kaoru while wandering through Tokyo. He saves her life just before she is killed trying to fight a notorious murderer. He begins living with her at her dojo. They gain new friends and have many adventures, but one day ghosts from Kenshin's murderous past come back to haunt him. His gentle nature gives way to a murderous side and Kaoru must stand by him to keep him from changing forever.A young man named Daigoro is rejected by his teacher and comes to live at the Kamiya dojo. Daigoro's teacher, Katsu is a famous scholar. There are men after revenge for his exploits during the revolution. He supposedly has the shoguns treasure. The assassins want it. Kenshin must protect Katsu, his daughter, and Daigoro.Rurouni Kenshin is an amazing anime series. Maybe even one of the best ever made. It has everything. Action, comedy, drama, suspense, romance, and mystery are all common themes in this anime. The amazing part is that it is based loosely on actual historical characters. The animation, voice acting, soundtrack, and plot are all very well done. There are dozens of great and unforgettable characters. This anime is a legend, and is a must see for any anime fan. It's also pretty family friendly. It has violence, but it's pretty conservative. All in all this show owns.

"Rurouni Kenshin: Dreams of Youth" is the 19th DVD in this series and presents the first part of a major story line from the anime's third season with its "Tales of the Meiji." The youth with the dreams is Daigoro, a young man who has received a western education and dreams of going to the moon one day insisting science will make it possible. Daigoro wants to study with Kaishu Katsu, a famous teacher from the time of the Revolution, but he rejects the young man who ends up being part of the Kamiya Dojo as a students of Kaoru. Meanwhile, Kenshin investigates behind the scenes and discovers a conspiracy that goes back to the Tokugawa Era. The Beni-Aoi, a group of outlaws, are convinced that Kaishu knows the whereabouts of the Tokugawa fortune and are determined to get the secret from him. Meanwhile, all of the fans of "Lone Wolf & Cub" have got to be intrigued by a character named Daigoro (albeit, on a clearly ironic level).Included in this tape are: Episode 79, "Kaishu Katsu and Kenshin: The Destin of Two Men Who Surived the Revolution"; Episode 80, "The Unending Revolution: A Destiny Forced Upon Kaishu"; "Episode 81, "Conspiracy of the Beni-Aoi: The Living Ghost of the Revolution Targets Kaishu"; and Episode 82, "Kaishu Katsu's Determination: The Truth That Lived Through the Times." Kaishu and Kenshin are kindred spirits and it is nice to see our wandering samurai have a relationship with someone that he does not end up crossing swords with at some point. This is a more intimate story arc that we have had before and the only real problem is that it seems a bit drawn out; how many times do the Beni-Aoi get to fail in their enterprise? As always, the DVD features outtakes (the ad-libs are always better than the bits where the actors get tongue-tied), and the continuing vocabulary lessons where we learn the meaning of Otentosama and who was Yoshinobu Tokugawa. I feel like there should be quiz on these terms.

In a word, "Yes."Once you finish the first two seasons Kenshin and the OAVs Trust and Betrayal, everything SEEMS to pale in comparison. Yet, in my opinion, this set of four episodes also represent Kenshin at its best {No, no the BEST episodes, but its pacing, story, etc. etc.) This episode still manages to pull my emotions left and right...Here, we meet Daigoro an imaginative yound lag who dreams of going to the moon. When our fanciful clumsy dreamer ends up needing help from Kenshin and the gang to protect his master, he is "disowned" by his master until he can better defend himself and his "sensei". Armed with a new conviction to better himself, the gang tries to help out Daigoro as he starts to train under Kaoru. I won't reveal any more of the plot, but suffice it to say that we are drawn into the web of deceit and treachery as Katsu is being pursued by a sinister group of assasins and an unknown mastermind....Kenshin is a great series because of its ability to show how its protagonist manages to win despite the seemingly foolish desire NOT to kill against opponents who are willing to kill. These 4 episodes portray him and his "gang" at their best...

We're nearing the end of our beloved Kenshin series, this disk ends with episode 82 I believe and thats out of 96 overall. In this volume, (the fourth from the last) Kenshin and company are back in Tokyo and yet another figure from the Boshin Wars/Meiji Restoration, enters into Kenshin's world. The man in question was once a loyal servant to the Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa and was part of what you find out a controversial decision to give up Edo Castle without a fight, that decision has echoes which reverberate ten years later to affect Kenshin and friends, as they cross and become intangled in the man's path. Ultimately, this volume is good solid Kenshin. While not reaching the pinnacle of the Kyoto Arc, I felt that it had all the successful elements of any Kenshin Himura story, perhaps on par with the first volume that began the series. If you're a Kenshin fan, you won't be disappointed, but at least sadden with the idea that not much is left of our journey with the ex-battousai.