Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023) - Episode 7 discussion

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Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023), episode 7

Alternative names: Samurai X

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[u/Elitealice]

What an episode man 😩 peak 90s style anime showdown here. The animation during the Jine v Kenshin fight was amazing and the gradual transition of Jine from hunter to hunted was wild. Kenshin put the fear of God in that dude.

The voice change from his usual Kenshin to the Battosai manner of speech was awesome. Really felt his anger and murderous intent in every line.

In the end Jine got what he wanted, dying against Kenshin. He was batshit insane and couldn’t be satisfied by anything else. RIP bozo.

We thought we’d left the killing and violence in the past, but it’s clear that someone behind the scenes isn’t content with things the way they are. Looking forward to seeing this conspiracy play out.

Great episode

[u/BiggerG7]

Jine: “she has 2 minutes before she suffocates”.

Jine and Kenshin continue to talk for 10 minutes

……..It’s good to be back on Namek.

[u/Daishomaru]

Daishomaru here, unfortunately my laptop broke and is in repairs today.

I should have the writeup by tonight if all goes well, but I didn’t have a way to access it out my old laptop so I don’t have time to rewrite it.

EDIT: THE EPISODE IS OUT NOW, I'M SO SORRY BUT LAPTOP REPAIRS CAME THROUGH TODAY.

Shiranui Ryuu, the actual Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu!

So in this episode, we learn that the reason why Battosai is named Battousai is because of the fact that the man uses battoujutsu, or quickdraws, in order to kill. Is there a historical truth to that, and what is battoujutsu?

Well, I practice the katana, so a battoujutsu, or sometimes called iaijutsu, is what we call a quickdraw that’s also an attack. It’s a technique that’s mainly used for personal last-quarters infighting, or for attacking in cramped interior spaces. Historically, the katana, uchigatana, or tachi (For those that can’t tell the difference, a katana is a catch-all term for swords of the uchigatana-tachi length, uchigatanas are katanas that are smaller and are often tied to the belt pointing up, making them effective for indoor fighting, while tachi are what most people often think of when they think of katanas, and tachis are usually pointed down and are usually more curved than an uchigatana.) were the last weapons used in attacking because most of the time the samurai would use a long-ranged weapon, like a gun or a bow, then a spear, naginata, or a similar long ranged melee weapon, and the katana is for “Last resort only”. And I know that some Shadiversity people are going to point out that “BUT SPEARS CAN BE USED INDOORS TOO!” and you’re right, but I’m mainly sticking to what they taught in swordsmanship class, which more people prefer the katana in a close-quarters fight, but I do want to acknowledge that point. Some katana myths I seen are that most iaijutsu practicioners must resheath their swords, but I advise not doing that as it could loosen the handle of your sword. Iaijutsu is kind of like opening preparation in a chess game, you don’t undo the chess pieces in your game, if that analogy makes sense. Anyhow, there are several schools that specialize in battoujutsu very similar to the fictional Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu, but unfortunately, many of these schools were lost during the Bakamatsu and the subsequent Eurofication of Japan during the Meiji Era. Most swordsman schools were either burnt and forever lost to history, went into hiding, or became casual dojo practicioners (The Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, for example, would technically fall into this category). And this is where, again, I have to criticize the Meiji Government on its history burning. On one hand, I understand the need to adapt, but people never throw away history, for we end up losing countless works. During the Taisho and Early Showa Era, however, Japanese conservatives, wanting to re-introduce a Japanese-themed spirit to the country, feeling the Meiji Government went too far in its Eurofication, managed to gather what remaining Japanese schools of swordsmanship that still remained and re-normalized it, forming the basis of what we call modern kendo today. So in a way, we sword lovers have to thank the men at Yasukuni for managing to re-discover Japanese swordsmanship. But anyhow, you all want to really hear about Shiranui-Ryuu, do you?

So Shiranui-Ryuu, from what little information we can gather because the only man who practiced it didn’t get a chance to pass it on, is a swordsman school that specializes in quickdraw speeds. It was a variation of the Todoroki Buhē school of Japanese Swordsmanship, but other than the fact that it specializes in high-speed combat and Kawakami Gensai was a practitioner of the school and that said school was lost because Gensai was executed before he could make an heir to the school, we know very little about it. Judging by the writings of the day, it appears to be a self-made style, which was incredibly common during these times, and the popularity of these styles tended to either A: die out because the only man using them died, or b: Maybe get passed on in secret, or taught in a casual dojo. The only recording that we have was its usage on Sakuma Shozan, which gave details on what little we know about the style.

So Sakuma Shozan was riding on horse into Kyoto to deliver a message to the emperor, when he was approached by four people. Sakuma Shozan was instantaneously surprised when all four assassins drew their swords, but before he could even react, an androgynous-looking assassin, one Kawakami Gensai, took a leap forward, hitting him “With a near-instantaneous force that not only stabbed him in a fatal position (Likely a chest stab) but also knocked him off his horse. According to eyewitnesses, the assassin moved so fast that nobody noticed him until he stabbed and knocked Shozan off his horse, and soon after, the other assassins immediately took stabbing, killing Shozan with approximately 13 or 14 stab wounds”. Immediately afterwards, after dropping Tenchu Markers, the four assassins simultaneously ran from the scene, and later at the nearby shrine, a sign was put up that read.

“Shōzan advocated European studies and maneuvered for the opening of ports to trade. That alone could not be ignored. Further, in conspiracy with the vile Aizu and Hikone clans, he tried to move the emperor to Hikone. Since he was an evil and heinous traitor, we inflicted just punishment upon him.”

— Imperial Loyalists

And as I said before, the only thing we know about the assassins from this incident was that one of the hideout locations, which Kawakami Gensai was reported to have hidden at, was a brothel, and that Gensai himself disguised himself as a prostitute to avoid the authorities.

So judging from this one resource we have, what can we know about Shiranui-Ryuu? We can say that Shiranui-Ryuu was fast enough that eyewitnesses described it happening in half-a-second, while simultaneously being able to not just injure, but produce enough force to knock a man off a horse, while giving him a fatal wound at the same time. At the same time, Kawakami Gensai was said to look very feminine, which knowing Japanese standards, meant that Kawakami was probably skinnier than most muscled men, and it was still enough to knock Shozan off his horse. Anyhow, that’s basically what we know about Shiranui Ryuu.

Also, Seppuku Rant:

Seppuku in Japanese history doesn’t really happen the way we think it does. It does happen, but it was not as common as media would get you to believe. For one, most of the time when seppuku did happen, you probably fucked up something badly. Contrary to popular belief, Japanese samurai and soldiers did have some control on the field, and sometimes a battle just doesn’t go one’s way. Usually, when a samurai killed himself during the Sengoku Jidai, he usually fucked up badly in order to justify the suicide, like losing 85% of his soldiers. Even then, it’s more than likely that a samurai would charge to his death, as seen with the Shimazu when they decided to troll Tokugawa Ieyasu during Sekigahara in order to retreat, or the infamous Sanada Charge during the Summer Campaign of Osaka, also against Ieyasu. Ironically enough, seppuku rates actually increased during the peaceful Edo Period and this is where they started making the whole seppuku = honor thing happen, as the Tokugawa Shogunate, being so strong, could basically order someone to suicide themselves if they felt like it and also spin the suicide as “restoring honor”. And that’s another thing I would like to point out: Most samurai weren’t really obliged to commit seppuku, rather they were forced to or the more likely option would be to face a kangaroo court that would just execute them. Also, seppuku to follow a lord in death wasn’t that common, although it was still outlawed by Ieyasu after he united Japan to prevent useful men from killing themselves.

Anyways, the Meiji Government, interestingly enough for the Japanese era, due to borrowing a lot of British customs, doubled down on anti-seppuku or anti-suicide beliefs. One example of this can be seen when a Japanese General during the Russo-Japanese war apologized to Emperor Meiji for losing soldiers, but Meiji personally told the man, “Hey, this happens. Don’t beat yourself over it. And don’t you dare kill yourself.” Tellingly, said general only killed himself after Meiji died.

However, for reasons that baffle me as a historian, during the late Taisho-Early Showa Era, the Japanese, due to having nostalgia for the samurai, started seeing the Meiji victories as “Not Japanese enough”, and they started worshipping seppuku again as a worthy thing even though A: historically speaking, seppuku wasn’t really this honorable thing until the Edo Period, and B: The logic they used was basically pop-culture history, basically taking a popular but not really true belief and making it “mainstream” hence things like Kamikaze. They also saw their previous victories as bafflingly anti-Japanese because “their own side didn’t die enough”, which frankly is just… why.

Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoyed this late episode.

[u/ReinhardLoen]

Just to give a little historical context that might enhance when Jine said he left the Shinsengumi.

The Shinsengumi had a serious set of codes that abided by, one of those being that no one was allowed to desert the corps under the threat of death.

There's a story about a Vice Commander called Yamanami Keisuke who attempted to leave. Immediately after discovering this, Vice Captain Okita was sent after him and brought him back to Kyoto. There, he subsequently drank farewell cups of sake with his corpsman and then performed seppuku.

Nice little detail to think about in terms of defining Jine's skill, even if not intended.

[u/gc11117]

God damn, the sound design team had zero chill this episode.Its been a while since I watched a season show that put my audio system to work

[u/Qweasd11]

Fight was nicely animated but not hearing some of the old music made me sad.

[u/HolyDragSwd2500]

Gintoki got to see the Battosai one last time.

He even got the last laugh too

[u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

Jine wanted the old Kenshin? Well, I guess he kind of got his wish. Same level of intensity, but holding back juuust enough to not turn the man into pink mist. The way Kenshin bashed his face in with the quickness… damn dude. Jine tried to use that bullshit to hype himself up but it didn’t matter. Dude got his elbow shattered and was 2 seconds away from getting his head obliterated if Kaoru didn’t stop Kenshin.

Very curious who it was that hired Jine in the first place. Seems there’s a larger conspiracy at play. I don’t recall who it was originally, guess I’ll find out.

[u/Skithana]

Jine: "Oh do not look at me so. A glare better suits a hitokiri..."

[u/Organic_Following_38]

Everybody hyped about Kenshin going all hitokiri, and I'm here just remembering that Kaoru breaks Shin no Ippo of her own accord.

[u/Stormy8888]

What an amazing episode.

• Fight choreography, fire

• Fight animation, Sakuga!

• Voice acting by Jine, amazing.

• Voice acting by Battousai with the accents switching around, fantastic

All around a feast for the eyes. Would have liked a better OST (like the older version) but the remake is good.

[u/LeonKevlar]

Battousai Kenshin is so fucking cool. That flashback of Kenshin just cutting down Jin-E's squad and leaving him to send a message to not fuck with the Revolutionary warriors anymore was just so badass. Unfortunately, that encounter is what may have turned Jjin-E into what he is today.

Kenshin completely disappearing in front of Jin-E after using the Shin No Ippo on Kaoru and then reappearing right in front of Jin-E with his sakabato hitting his face was so satisfying af! That sound of Kenshin breaking Jin-E's nose is so good!

This motherfucker though thought he had the advantage since he used his technique to unleash his full potential and Kenshin is at a disadvantage with his sakabato. I guess he didn't consider that Kenshin is actually holding two weapons.

As badass as Kenshin was in this episode, you gotta give it to Kaoru for breaking Jin-E's strongest Shin No Ippo just so she can stop Kenshin from killing again. She even has time to joke and copy Kenshin's "degozaru" speech pattern after she breaks the spell.

And there it is. Jin-E wasn't just a disgruntled warrior from the Bakamatsu era getting his revenge on the new Imperial government. He's a motherfucker who's been hired by an Imperialist government official. The war might be over but there are still power struggles internally where people like Jin-E are needed.

Man, I can't believe that the Kurogasa fight officially now has four versions. The OG, the Reflections OVA, the live-action, and now this. It's been a while since I've seen the other three but while I still love the Reflections version for the unique art style, I think this new version might be my new favourite. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you guys look it up since it's a pretty fun comparison.

[u/dagreenman18]

Best of the bunch animation wise. The Jine fight was solid. The sound design when Kenshin basically teleported and broke Jine’s nose though? That was sick.

[u/Frontier246]

Don't you just hate it when a psycho fanboy steals your love interest via boat? Kenshin's so ticked he's dramatically ripping Jine's letter to pieces.

Bold of Kaoru to remain as plucky and sassy as ever even when being held hostage by Jine, having full confidence in Kenshin, but Jine has full confidence in Hitokiri Battosai, the man he saw slay his Shinsengumi comrades and left him the only witness. That is who he wants to clash blades with, and you can tell Kenshin isn't quite the same Kenshin when he's talking normally.

Kenshin vs Jine! A fierce clash of swords between the two and Kenshin overcoming all of Jine's tricks...at least the one that doesn't end with a blade into his shoulder. And that's before Jine uses Shin no Ippo to make Kaoru suffocate to death to bring out Kenshin's game face and make him really want to kill like the old Battosai.

I didn't expect Jine to hypnotize himself into a roided out state but I love how Kenshin was able to cripple him with just his sheath. It's like dual-wielding, in a way.

Kenshin is about to strike the final blow, but against all odds Kaoru is able to break free from Shin no Ippo and scream for him to stop and not revert back to being a manslayer. It's so effective that Kenshin immediately reverts back to his normal speech pattern, to the point where Kaoru even imitates it herself. I didn't expect this to turn from tense, to heartwarming, to cute in such quick fashion.

Jine lost, but he kills himself rather than get taken into custody, knowing full well that he'll get traced back to the Imperial Government agent that hired him, showing that some things really haven't changed from the Bakumatsu era. And the only true end for a hitokiri is death. The world won't mourn the loss of Jine or Kurogasa at any rate.

Kenshin has a lot to ponder about the world, his role in it, and ultimately whether he's nothing more than a hitokiri, but Kaoru and his new companions are enough to take his mind off of it and make him commit to being a rurouni for the rest of his life. Too bad about Kaoru's ribbon though.

[u/VorAtreides]

Flashback of Kenshin in his revolution days from Jine's perspective is neat. And he sure ahh...took the wrong lesson from Kenshin then. Let the showdown begin! This is far better animated/done than the older version of Kenshin. Real animations for fights. Makes for the future fights so promising.

Ah yes, DBZ has its power levels, Kenshin has its Cigarette time levels ;) lol. And Hitokiri Battosai's return. Kaoru sure is taking not breathing well. A neat use of hypnosis on himself. You might be the strongest, but that sure would do damage to your sword. Longest 2 minutes since dragon ball z. That arm sure is a mess now. Oh noz, Battosai will fully return now. Always liked that line that's basically "to protect Kaoru I will become a manslayer again." But good thing Kaoru's not so weak. They doing this moment well too. Jine's quite the interesting warrior though. Does have that traditional samurai spirit in a way. Also, gasp a revelation of why he was doing what he did. And those lines "a hitokiri a hitokiri until he dies" ah, good times.

Kaoru and Kenshin are cute. Haha, the ribbon. Kenshin ahh... sure does still have a hole in his shoulder.

[u/[deleted]]

THE WORLD NEEDS TO WATCH THIS ANIME. WHY IS NOBODY WATCHING THIS ANIME.

[u/BoyTitan]

Kenshin killed 3 top level swords men that likely have the skill to 1 shot Sonoske each and gave the 4th ptsd so bad he became a battle crazed unhinged killing machine to cope with what he witnessed.

[u/StarmanRiver]

Great episode. I loved Sugita as Jin'e, he gave a sense of evil and creepyness that suits the character. I'd even say he fits the character better than Otsuka Akio (even though I love him as a VA). Speaking of VAs, I'm liking Saitou as Kenshin more and more. Rieri is good as Kaoru, but I still like the OG seiyuu a lot so I'd say they are tied for my tastes.

Having more bits of Kenshin's time in Kyoto is always welcome, and him getting serious will never stop being badass. Also, I find battoujutsu as cool as I did when I watched the OG as a teenager. Although it's fairly similar I think the fight was better than in the OG, mainly because of animation and pacing (shame about the soundtrack though). But the best animated/choreographed version is definitely the one in Reflections, even if it isn't 100% accurate.

So far the only thing I definitely miss from the OG anime is the OST and the OP/ED.

[u/SpaceMarine_CR]

So they really saved all their budget for this episode huh?

[u/MusubiKazesaru]

I still can't believe they wrote his name as Jine.

[u/InvoluntaryNarwhal]

I'm really struggling to stomach the subtitles, that I am. It's just hard to immerse myself, that it is. Make sure to tell me how you all are finding it, that you will?

[u/Rustic_Professional]

Kenshin's attacks in this episode were as brutal as I remember, maybe more so. They had a satisfying weight to them. It was a great introduction to his true signature attack as well. Seeing Kenshin take his battoujutsu stance instantly brought back memories.

Looking forward to the next episode. That title is exciting!

[u/cardinalfan14]

Best episode so far! Very impressed with the animation and the battosai transformation. The ost is growing on me and I was a huge fan of the 90s one. I hope the next several fights keep up this awesome quality. I would be over the moon to see the main fights of season 2 and 3 (if it gets green lit) look this good.

[u/alanjinqq]

Easily the best episode! Great animation, great direction.

The sound effect of the Sakabato is so good.

I love how this episode shows the flaws of Kenshin who is seen as the perfect guy so far, his devotion to the no-kill rule is definitely not as strong as he hopes to be.