Handsome Swordsman of Legend

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired

Episode Summary

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During the Bakumatsu in the mid-1850s, a legendary manslayer feared far and wide for his sword skills, Hitokiri Battousai, existed. Ten years later, in Tokyo, rumors are circulating about a man called Hitokiri Battousai, who is terrorizing the citizens. Kaoru Kamiya, a local dojo owner, wants to take him down, and when she finds a person she believes is him, she attacks. However, he is only a wanderer, Himura Kenshin. After clearing things up, she finds out that he actually is the real Battousai, but that he has made an oath not to kill anymore. Therefore, someone else has to be the man from the rumors. But who is it that is terrorizing the citizens using his name, and what is his motives for doing so?moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • its interesting from the beggining

    10
    "Perfect"
    By girbot23, Sep 13, 2009
    it has a strong beggining its important that its intresting from the start to keep the veiwers interested. IF this was like some of the other shows i watched and the first couple episodes was a snooze fest until like episode 8 i would have already stopped but this was awsome it sets you up to the point where the veiwers can actually understand what this show is about.

    This is the summary...

    During the Bakumatsu in the mid-1850s, a legendary manslayer feared far and wide for his sword skills, Hitokiri Battousai, existed. Ten years later, in Tokyo, rumors are circulating about a man called Hitokiri Battousai, who is terrorizing the citizens. Kaoru Kamiya, a local dojo owner, wants to take him down, and when she finds a person she believes is him, she attacks. However, he is only a wanderer, Himura Kenshin. After clearing things up, she finds out that he actually is the real Battousai, but that he has made an oath not to kill anymore. Therefore, someone else has to be the man from the rumors. But who is it that is terrorizing the citizens using his name, and what is his motives for doing so?moreless

  • Quite a nice episode

    8.9
    "Great"
    By tota1ity, Feb 05, 2008
    I really liked this episode, as it is the first episode of this anime and everything, but still great. The name "Handsome swordsman of legend" says everything. The handsome swordsman is the samurai Kenshin Himura and the legend he came from is the legend of the great "Battousai the manslayer", that is Kenshi's nickname, to read more about it, read my review about the whole anime. All in all this episode is not about a lot adventure, but it is allmost all just talks, the first time he met miss Kaoru, little girls and the doctor, the introduction and so on. Well all in all it is a great episode.moreless

  • I was hooked from the beginning.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Kitsy345, Nov 30, 2007
    When I first saw the ad on Cartoon Network for the show, I was hooked. This is one of the best episodes of Rurouni Kenshin and of the best pilot episodes I have ever seen. I loved the way Kenshin entered and his "Oro". This episode defenitely got me addicted to the show. Kenshin Himura is a wandered with a dark past who is just wandering through Tokyo when he is being held up by Kaoru Kamiya, who mistakens him as the legendary Battousai. What unveils after that is a story of a man and his past, who is still searching for the world he tried so hard to create. The episode does differ from the manga, yet is still enjoyable show and even today I still pop in the DVD and watch it. I love this show and recommend it to everyone. I still hope that they decide to animate the last arc.moreless

  • First episode of Rurouni Kenshin!!!

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By titiembe, Sep 26, 2007
    This was the first episode I saw! After working some time into my overly worked schedule, I got to see what all my friends were nagging to me about. First off, Kenshin's voice in the Japenese voice sounds really weird. I mean, really weird. But his voice is cool in the English version(my gosh, did I admit that the dubbed version did something right?) So anyway the episode was interesting nice combat and so on and so forth. A lot of things a good anime has. A new shipping I have, Kenshin and Kaoro!( I am sure I mispelled Kauro lol). So anyway, can't wait to see the next episode.moreless

  • The very first episode of a new adventure

    10
    "Perfect"
    By mickeyy_grad, Jun 26, 2007
    This was the very first episode of Rurouni Kenshin. It was so cool!Kenshin meets Miss Kaoru while wandering around. Kenshin is mistaken as the battosai(he really is) but he says that he is just a wanderer.Another guy is taking the name of battosai and killing people.
    When Kaoru is in trouble because the So-called-Battosai is about to do a final blow on her due to his past at Kaoru's dojo, Kenshin comes in and saves her and reveals that he is the real Battosai(yet he admits that he doesn't want to have anything to do with the name Battosai)
    After the little battle Kenshin says that he will stay at the dojo and help out Kaoru with the training.and so the episode ends.

    This was a really nice beginning to an anime.I really liked it how Kenshin and Kaoru meet at the very beginning so the score for me is 10 out of 10! YAY for Rurouni Kenshin!moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (1)

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    • Before Kaoru gets saved by Kenshin, the cut given to her by Battousai on her right arm was bleeding, but now after Kenshin does save her, it is not.

  • QUOTES (7)

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    • Kenshin: A sword is a weapon, the art of swordsmanship is learning how to kill, that is the truth. What Miss Kaoru says is sweet and innocent talk that only those whose hands have never been stained with the blood of men can believe. But to tell you the truth, I much prefer Miss Kaoru's sweet and innocent talk over the truth, indeed I do! I hope that someday her words will become the truth that all of us can live by.

    • Kaoru: How does a penni-less wanderer like you know anything? Don't you dare talk about my father!

    • Kenshin: Oh yes, by the way. The technique of Battousai the Manslayer is neither Kamiya Kasshin nor whatever your style is. He uses Hiten Mitsurgi ultrasonic sword techniques that will not fail to slay an opponent, unless of course you use a sword like mine that is.

    • Kenshin: I have to admit, I'm a bit tired of wandering. Although you'll never know when I'll have to hit the road again.

    • Kenshin: A sword is a weapon. The art of swordsmanship is learning how to kill. That is the truth. What Miss Kaoru says is sweet and innocent talk that only those whose hands have never been stained with the blood of men can believe. But to tell you the truth, I much prefer Miss Kaoru's sweet and innocent talk over the truth, yes, indeed I do.

    • Kenshin: You do not like the taste. Kaoru: I just don't like it when people cook better than me.

    • Kenshin: No, Miss Karou! Suicide is not the answer!

  • NOTES (11)

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    • Original Air Date: January 10th 1996

    • Gohei was a student at Kamiya Dojo until being expelled by Kaoru's father, who broke Gohei's right thumb, temporarily preventing him from using a sword. Kenshin made it permanent by hitting four left fingers of Gohei. Later on, Gohei will return trying to kill Kenshin because of it.

    • The anime changed one specific aspect of Kenshin. He pretty much says 'that I am' or something similar at the end of his sentences. But, originally in the manga, Kenshin never uses the pronouns "I" or "me;" he refers to himself as "this one." Only when he's in "battousai" mode is when he says "I" or "me" in the manga while he doesn't use "that I am" in the anime.

    • Ayame and Suzume are not in the manga, they are original characters created for the show. Dr. Gensai does not appear until much later in the story and is little more than a background character.

    • In the original manga, Kaoru's caretaker is not Dr. Gensai, but Kihei Hiruma, the older brother of Gohei Hiruma. Having Gohei call himself Battousai and kill in the name of the Kamiya Kasshin school was an elaborate plot to force Kaoru to sell her land to Kihei.

    • Kaoru Kamiya's style of swordsmanship, the "Kasshin" style, would literally mean "Revitalized Heart."

    • The style which Kenshin uses, the "Hiten Mitsurugi" would literally mean "Heaven Flight Holy Sword" if it were to be translated.

    • Despite the alternate titles this series has been given ("Wandering Samurai" and "Samurai X"), it should be noted that Kenshin was never a samurai, as he was not born of samurai blood. He calls himself a "rurouni", which is a term the creator made up from "rurou" or to wander, and "ronin", a masterless samurai.

    • For those watching the English language version on Cartoon Network, "Hitokiri Battousai" is what Kenshin was called in the Japanese version. "Battousai" is the nickname he earned for being a master of "battoujutsu", or sword-drawing, techniques. "Hitokiri" quite literally means manslayer as "hito" means person and "kiri" means cut or kill.

    • Though he doesn't say the name of his move like he usually does, the move that Kenshin uses on Gohei is the first appearance of the "Ryu Tsui Sen."

    • On the English dub, the opening song "Freckles" is sung in English by Sandy Fox, but she is not credited. The closing song "Tactics" is also sung in English, and is performed by Lex Lang, who later voices the character Sanosuke Sagara. He is credited for the performance.

  • ALLUSIONS (1)

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    • Himura Kenshin: Character Origin
      Historically speaking, Himura Kenshin as a character is based on a real hitokiri named Kawakami Gensai, said to be one of the greatest hitokiris of the era. Little is known of the real man aside from his work as an assassin. He was said to be cunning, dangerous, emotionless. Also known is how he died; after the Meiji era had begun, the government did not like that his political views, and so he was brought up on false charges. He was convicted and executed in 1872.

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