*If you don't want to read everything I wrote, then just skip to the last section. That's what's most important.

Rurouni Kenshin is a brilliant classic that will appeal to all types of audiences. It is well thought out, a perfect length, with interesting multi-dimensional characters.

Plot
This manga starts out taking place during the tenth year of the Meiji era (during the 1800s), when the carrying of swords just became illegal and the art of the samurai is on the decline. It is about an exceptionally skilled samurai who fought as war assassin for several years before suddenly, without warning, disappearing. The manga begins with the meeting of a young dojo master (Kaoru) and this mysterious wanderer (Kenshin) who has sworn never to kill again (ooo, I wonder who he could possibly be). They become friends and face many challenges together, along with the friends they pick up along the way.

Characters
The main characters are interesting and all very likable.
Kenshin: Appearance: Very kind, a little dumb, funny. Reality: Very intelligent and highly skilled, but still kind. He's the sort of character who is just plain good. He uses his powers (extreme skill, unbeatableness) for good and not evil
Kaoru: The female lead. She's been one of my all-time favorite characters for a long time, because she's so simple. By simple, I do not in any way mean stupid. She is actually very smart, and knows swordsmanship well. By simple, I mean that she always expresses how she feels. Whether she's happy, angry, jealous, frustrated, whatever, everyone knows it. Also, she's a horrible cook, which is an ongoing gag in this series, as she gets really angry when people insult her cooking.
Yahiko: Kaoru's student.Very stubborn and often argues with Kaoru.
Sanosuke: A fighter for hire who becomes friends with Kenshin and Kaoru. He's kind of your classic shounen male lead. He's strong (but not nearly as strong as Kenshin) and tough (way tougher than Kenshin) and a basic element to the story.
Megumi: A doctor who becomes friends with Kenshin, Kaoru, etc. She has a thing for Kenshin, but they don't make it into a big deal in the manga. She's your classic, beautiful/graceful japanese woman. However, she really likes to get on Kaoru's nerves, because she knows Kaoru is jealous of her cooking skills and elegancy etc.

The author spends a nice amount of time developing each of the characters, as they all are strong and want to help Kenshin in their own way. Sanosuke, especially, is often seen fighting alongside Kenshin.

Art
Starts out pretty good for a shounen manga. Gets to be really good. Then goes down a little bit, but stays really good. If I were to grade it out of ten, I'd say: 8, 10, 9.

Appeal
Here's why this manga will appeal to everyone.

1)
It has all the basic elements. Comedy (which everyone likes), romance (between the two leads, and no, that is not a spoiler at all), history, really intricate battles with well-thought out techniques, and a journey. By this I mean, the characters are trying to reach a goal, not just loafing around aimlessly.

2)
None of the characters are annoying, or a major liability.

3)
The plot twists. The first arc is pretty straightforward, and is basically what you'd expect it to be. However it is done very well, so that it feels like a classic, rather than a copy of a classic. Then comes the second arc, and it throws you head over heals. Trust me, no one expected what the second arc brought. Surprise after surprise after surprise, and twists you never would have seen coming. It is very nice in contrast to the first arc, because between the two, all the basic elements that you could hope for in a story are covered.

4)
Satisfying ending. Maybe you won't love it, maybe it won't be the best ending ever for you, but you'll be satisfied with it. You don't feel let down by the way this one ends.

5)
The fights never get repetitive. Even for someone like me, who isn't all that into battles, the fights in Rurouni Kenshin were interesting. That's because there were always new techniques that were being used and you honestly couldn't tell how a battle would end up. And it wasn't just for the protagonist. His enemies always had new techniques as well. So the fights were very capable of captivating your interest, no matter who you were.

So check it out. It isn't the most profound manga in the world, but it is a classic, and it just makes you feel good to read it. And sure it's a little older, but in my opinion, it easily outweighs some of those most popular shounens of today, such as Naruto and Bleach.
By the way if you can, I would suggest reading it in volume form. It's just better that way.

... Last updated on November 5th, 2010, 8:48pm

I remember watching the anime when I was younger and then discovering the manga which, of course, turned out to be even better. You grow to love the characters, the plot, the adventures, the love. This manga has it all, nicely woven together in a nice 28 volumes....

Haha, okay, it's a bit long and I read it sporadically, but liked it nonetheless! It might take you a while or you could be one of those people that reads a manga in one sitting (might not be possible for this one), but you'll finish because it's impossible to give up on.

You'll be satisfied in the end and you might not revisit it because you'll remember it's over 200 chapters long, but you'll always remember it. A brilliant, brilliant manga. Definitely an ace and a manga all should read at least once.

Rurouni Kenshin is an awesome story that started the late 90s trend of lovable goofs that turn out to be highly skilled legends.

The battles throughout were interesting. In my experience many action mangas have battles that are too long and drawn out. The fights in this manga were concise, made sense, and were entertaining. It was a much more fun read than when a manga will have a full ten chapters on one fight. Believe me, I read Samurai Deeper Kyo before this. I was expecting the same but was thankfully relieved. Rurouni Kenshin also balanced simultaneous fights very well, which I've seen is harder to do in manga. Separate battles were never too long that they became frustrating, in that perspectives switched between battles without staying on one for too long or jumping back and forth so frequently that both fights became boring.
But, if you're looking for realistic fighting, this is probably not for you as the battles are very shounen-esque in their fantasy elements. There are a lot of secret techniques and improbable moves. Like any non-realistic fighting manga the battles could get slightly silly in going a bid over the top, but Rurouni Kenshin by no means has 'Dragon Ball Z syndrome' in that the enemies don't have to ridiculously outmatch the one before them and not all battles are won with strength alone.

Transitioning from different arcs was a bit choppy in my opinion, as there was no be all end all plot at the beginning. But, this manga was not episodic or spontaneous, as many things were subtly hinted at earlier times. The end was also nicely wrapped up with an epilogue, so don't be worried about being left feeling like something was missing.

The art is certainly stylistically older, but it’s still very good in that it’s for the most part rather proportional and precise. I was a bit wary at first because many series with this late 90s style can turn out to be a nightmare, but this was the golden example of how to use it. You can tell what's going on in the fight scenes, you know what everything is supposed to be, and all the characters are distinguishable. I think the art also got more comfortable as the story progressed.

This manga brought some unique light touches of philosophy into it as well, not delving too psychologically deep into it but was certainly more thorough than typical shounen manga clichés. The struggles of the characters were taken seriously and explored to some extent throughout the whole story. Themes were definitely not soap opera like in that all emotional driven themes had a purpose and weren't used for cheap drama.

One element of Rurouni Kenshin that I found really disappointing was the way the lead female, Kaoru, was written. She is given strength and sword techniques, but rarely used them, and as the manga went on she was pushed back from a lead character to a support role. Though she has a disciple who she trains very well, and is shown to be very knowledgeable about swords and techniques, she has maybe two actual fights. Her personality also seems to just drastically change with no reason through the story. Though the lead, Kenshin, changes as well, for Kaoru there was hardly any character development behind it and almost felt like the author had changed his mind about her character entirely. It was so frustrating because she was given an assumption that her fighting in the battles was not even considered, even though her disciple, who was much less trained than her, often did. Even times when it seemed like it would be a perfect opportunity for her to take up a sword and defend herself, she didn't, and someone else bailed her out.

Despite my one character disappointment, the manga as a whole is good. It is interesting and has many character driven moments instead of being a cheap shounen that only progresses through kinda unnecessary fighting (Rurouni Kenshin by no means has less fighting though, it is a fighting manga don't get me wrong). All in all, it’s a good classic manga that inspired many others in the years following it, and I recommend checking it out.

Rurouni Kenshin is a rare gem---I am satisfied but it leaves me wanting more. Not for the fighting scenes, which are mediocre. Not for the plot execution, which can get tedious. Not even for the length, which has more fluff than exposition. But for the characters, who are multi-dimensional, humorous, and selfless.

I do, however, wish Kaoru was written with more strength and direction. She is introduced as a badass fighter but rarely ever uses her talents.

... Last updated on February 20th, 2017, 12:44am

I love Kenshin! This was one of the first shounen mangas I read, so it's very dear to me. Unlike your typical mainstream shounen series, this manga not only attempts but succeeds in conveying a deeper meaning and in enlightening certain aspects of the human condition. The characters, I think, are RK's strongest point. They are well-rounded, likeable, and beautifully developed. The adorkable eponymous Kenshin is highly complex in terms of character and at the same time is very human and sympathetic. Each character gets his or her share of development, making for an extremely colorful cast.

One aspect of Rk that I particularly appreciated was Watsuki's portrayal of women. The heroine Kaoru is strong, independent, and genuine. There are no damsels in this manga. In fact, arguably the strongest character in the entire series is Tomoe, and her direct role in the story isn't even all that big. As a feminist, I was very pleased with the number of strong and reliable women in this manga. Even Big Bad Shishio's lover Yumi, apparently a prostitute, proves to be a strong character with her strategic thinking and unwavering devotion. As a side note, the girls of RK all have relatively NORMAL body proportions. Thank God.

There are a lot of boring, drawn-out, and highly implausible fight scenes in this manga which could easily have been removed to create a better flow. I guess that's to be expected for a manga serialized in a weekly publication. Usually, they aren't too-too cumbersome, and since this is an older manga, I can forgive it its faults. The art is beautiful, and the character designs are generally very good. The lines are soft, almost wispy-looking, creating a nostalgic sort of feeling. I wish this were a style employed more often in shounen manga.

Overall, this manga is fantastic, certainly groundbreaking in its genre. I highly recommend this sweet story with its endearing characters. It's definitely a classic!

... Last updated on August 21st, 2011, 4:16pm

I read this series awhile ago, at least a good few years by now (And I actually haven't finished it) it was back when I first started out reading manga.

It's a quality series, definitely a worthy one. It is legimately engaging and makes for a nice read.

It isn't my all time favourite manga, but it was definitely a likable one. Feel free to have a go at it!

I'm sorry my comment is long, but I really love this manga! I have not found a manga that really illustrates the complexity of the human being until RK. I have heard that the author was restricted in his development to comply with SJ and claims he was a little disappointed with the result but nonetheless he does a beautiful job!

The art extremely refreshing and unique. The lines are soft when needed to evoke a sensitive emotion, then are dark and angular during battle. The art itself reflects the situation and the conflicts of the heart.
The story artfully weaves romance, tragedy, action, and comedy into one, wonderful result.
I loved how the complexities of battle was eminent in the story. Making the decision to stay true to your ideals/values even if going against them and killing is what will keep the people important to you safe. That conflict was gracefully executed.
Personally, I think the romance could have been developed with more depth. It developed but it felt closer to friendship than lovers and then suddenly flipped to a "lover"-feel. Though, despite my complaints, I think it was still very well done.
Also the comedy isn't "in your face" nor is it nonexistent/sparse. There is just enough that it keeps the story lovable since the story is pretty dark and would feel incomplete if it were excluded.
I liked that there wasn't the "damsel in distress" ploy either (thats really getting old for me). The women were strong and independent but sensitive and they weren't man-haters either. They were realistic (in shape and attitude), a good example for what real women are and should be.

A really enjoyable read. I fell in love with the characters. I actually got into the story where I couldn't just sit and read it quietly. I reacted like I was there experiencing the story with the characters. It felt like a story that could have been lived and though I do like the more radical/unrealistic stories that are common nowadays because I find them enjoyable, this was extremely refreshing.
I may be newer manga reader, but this manga will be one I reread and hail as a classic.

... Last updated on December 6th, 2013, 4:13pm

I loved this manga at first sight. I love it so much I keep on re reading and re watching it over and over again. I actually liked the author's art better in this than in his future look seems like it went from bad ass anime style to another One Piece style but oh well I love this manga in one of my favorite manga's of all time.

If you're a fan of any type of manga I would recommend this to you. It's got everything you could ask for and even more. Romance, comedy, tragedy, action, even history! What amazes me the most is that all of it fits together perfectly. Combine that with interesting and deep characters, fantastic artwork, and a deep and flowing plot and you get Rurouni Kenshin. I could probably write pages of praise for this and it still wouldn't be enough. This is the only manga I've taken the time to read through more than once and I can honestly say it's well worth it.

Anyways, don't waste any more time reading what I'm saying here and just start reading Rurouni Kenshin already.

i love Rurouni Kenshin it is one of my favorite mangas. The plot and story is one of the best i have read and the characters is awesome. the two first arcs is amazing and the third is good. everyone interested in manga should read this

... Last updated on August 5th, 2008, 10:06am