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©和月伸宏／集英社・「るろうに剣心 －明治剣客浪漫譚－」製作委員会
Aniplex brought special company—relate actors Sōma Saitō and Rie Takahashi, to boot to producer Masami Niwa—to kick off the 2023 adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin at Anime Expo. Coming twenty-seven years later, the 2d TV anime sequence comes at a controversial time in gentle of Nobuhiro Watsuki‘s criminal file. ANN contributors, Kalai Chik and Bamboo Dong fragment their thoughts on the foremost episode premiere and mediate on the franchise‘s influence on anime followers since 1996.
Nonetheless first, the special company shared their impressions of the sequence as neatly. Saito and Takahashi frolicked talking about their time in LA. Producer Niwa equipped some historical background data to contextualize the scenes in the episode for viewers participants who’re exclusive with the Meiji Restoration. Though they may likely per chance now not be at Anime Expo in particular person, the original voices of Yahiko Myojin (Makoto Koichi) and Sagara Sanosuke (Taku Yashiro) shared their thoughts on being a phase of this venture. Wrapping up the guest talk, every panelist shared what they opinion followers must quiet salvage out about ahead to in this original sequence:
“I’ve each time a brand original persona is introduced is going to be a if truth be told massive moment,” stated Niwa. “It must be a correct dawdle alongside side Rurouni Kenshin, so I’m hoping you guys stick spherical for it.”
“I hear episode seven is upright going to be sugoi,” shared Takahashi. “I have not viewed it myself but, nevertheless I cannot wait to gape it.”
“As the two mentioned, of direction, there are one map of endearing characters in this indicate. They’ll seem one after one more,” closed off Soma. “It must upright protect going and going. You would very neatly be no longer even going to hope to blink while observing this indicate.”
Dialogue of the First Episode Premiere
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are no longer the views of Anime News Community.
Kalai
In recount that modified into as soon as an episode.
Bamboo
Yeah! It modified into as soon as… an episode. No longer too more than a few from the standard anime sequence. I modified into as soon as a tiny bit bowled over by that. I’m no longer rather obvious what I modified into as soon as trying ahead to from a extremely anticipated remake—likely flashy animation, a killer soundtrack, a brand original tone, or even upright a fresh outlook on the manga…? Nonetheless it completely modified into as soon as extremely an analogous neatly-liked and tone to the standard. What derive been your expectations going into it?
Yeah, fully agree about how an analogous it modified into as soon as to the foremost episode of the standard anime sequence. I modified into as soon as trying ahead to no longer decrease than an change that wasn’t upright surface-level. It’s a relic of its time, appropriate down to the pacing. The affirm difference is the original seiyū and updated visuals, nevertheless even the animation wasn’t very spectacular. It modified into as soon as a letdown pondering how massive the franchise is, and the episode felt as easy as the white background in the initial key visible with Kenshin and Kaoru.
The animation stood out to me, nevertheless likely no longer for the suitable reasons. Presumably it modified into as soon as upright because I had high expectations, or somewhat, I did now not rather know what to seem forward to. Nonetheless I believed they’d center of attention extra on the battle choreography or one thing, nevertheless it relied on some stand-by solutions. Delight in upright showing a sequence of shining slashes when Kenshin modified into as soon as combating a mob.
One other thing that stood out to me modified into as soon as the reality that they’d saved rather a lot of the an analogous humor beats. It makes sense because a pair of of the humor (just like the “oro?” and the goofiness of Kenshin himself) is extremely a lot ingrained in the characters and phase of what makes the Kenshin persona so fine, nevertheless I noticed that the viewers did now not chortle a wonderful deal at all. Presumably it modified into as soon as upright too early in the morning.
Exactly, the lackluster animation modified into as soon as made a lot extra noticeable by the intense glow over Kenshin’s sword. It’s supposed to be a enormous indicate, nevertheless instead, it felt awkward on myth of that transitional nevertheless quiet flow. The characters themselves upright stood in place while their mouths moved. Granted, there weren’t too many opportunities for flow sequences inaugurate air of the very closing 5 minutes. Nonetheless I wasn’t impressed by any scenes of debate. It felt very generic and lacked the high-budget impact I anticipated it to be.
I agree that the humor modified into as soon as lost on the team. I modified into as soon as shut to the entrance of the panel, nevertheless no one in my entire fragment laughed. Even in Jap, the comedic timing did now not feel appropriate or felt dated. It’s that you just would think concerning the team modified into as soon as there primarily for the relate skill, and heaps them derive been fresh to the franchise. I’ve we both grew up on the English dub, nevertheless there is a brand original technology of anime followers who derive by no manner viewed one thing from Rurouni Kenshin earlier than.
I modified into as soon as bowled over to gape how many folk raised their fingers after they requested who in the viewers modified into as soon as original to Rurouni Kenshin. I attain have the total badassness of Kenshin himself modified into as soon as neatly-received, even though. After he dealt the finishing blow, your entire room started cheering, which modified into as soon as stress-free to see.
Presumably the rest of the season will likely be more than a few. I’m odd if issues will diverge stylistically or in execution as the season progresses. In any other case, I nearly feel like you would as neatly upright watch the standard… I believed they derive been going to indicate a teaser for the rest of the season, nevertheless we needed to originate attain with one episode!
That’s appropriate, his have shape commerce grabbed of us’s consideration. Up till that moment, Kenshin had been very quiet and polite, and of us derive been alive to concerning the persona commerce. There modified into as soon as one map of talking, so there modified into as soon as a originate-up resulting in that one flow moment.
They did now not indicate a trailer or a clip for the subsequent episode, so it be a mystery as to how far alongside they’re in the manufacturing task. Essentially the major episode wasn’t a truly promising preview to the rest of the season. It modified into as soon as disappointing that we did now not watch what modified into as soon as to arrive, nevertheless the preview footage they showed of Yahiko and Sanosuke. They looked an analogous to their normal anime designs with a as a lot as date, generic change.
I’m mad for a pair of of the iconic villains to arrive, even though, like Saito or Aoshi, and naturally Shishio. I’m deeply odd about what a remake of the Kyoto arc would salvage out about like since that normal season fully blew me away as a young fan. Or if it may likely per chance likely be extra like this first episode, which modified into as soon as extremely an analogous to the standard.
Though talking of the standard, I’m odd what your first publicity to Rurouni Kenshin modified into as soon as. Was it thru the anime or the manga? And did it shape you as a fan?
I originally saw the English dub on Toonami! On the time, I did now not know Jap at all, nevertheless in a while, I noticed the English relate actors took one map of care to neatly screech the Jap phrases and names. Admittedly, I’ve by no manner be taught the manga inaugurate air of the previews in Shōnen Soar. I modified into as soon as the kind of massive fan that I regarded as flying out to Otakon all those years previously for a risk to fulfill Nobuhiro Watsuki. Unfortunately, he modified into out to be a criminal who modified into as soon as caught with child pornography.
So……. yeah, let’s upright tackle the elephant in the room. It did now not rush my consideration that the panel attendees took particular care no longer to describe Watsuki both by title or reference.
I’m obvious they checked the social responses to their announcement tweet. I modified into as soon as trying ahead to them to chat about how they labored with Watsuki and his involvement with this anime. It’s that you just would factor in he wasn’t consulted, nevertheless I create no longer be awake his influence in the standard anime both.
It positively marred their announcement. A mode of followers rightfully feel very hooked in to no longer seeking to give a boost to a venture in which Watsuki may likely per chance salvage any financial compensation or drive any extra curiosity in direction of the standard manga. It’s fully complex and advanced because I do know that supporting issues just like the original anime moreover manner supporting the writers, animators, producers, translators, and all that… nevertheless it moreover manner money going to Watsuki. I create no longer know the map fervent he’s been with the original anime because all americans has been very hush about it, nevertheless I factor in he will get residuals or royalties. And it moreover manner monetarily supporting a venture that communicates curiosity in this IP. And it ache me to derive to originate that dedication as any person whose early fandom modified into as soon as vastly influenced by Rurouni Kenshin. It modified into as soon as even indubitably one of my first cosplays!
Fully agree. We may likely per chance likely no longer derive the financials, nevertheless you would very neatly be likely appropriate about Watsuki receiving royalties. I owned the Media Blasters DVDs, and I’m in the an analogous boat thru how influential the sequence modified into as soon as to me too. Unfortunately, there are rather a lot of of us that both separate the art from the artist or neglect their crimes/wrongdoings entirely. In the terminate, the art and the artist derive the an analogous checking myth. There are rather a lot of Jap followers who derive been disappointed in him. Though with an anime adaptation, you would relate on original followers by hiring neatly-liked relate actors and drawing consideration that map. Many followers flew in from Japan upright to gape Saito Soma and Rie Takahashi.
In that regard, I’m nearly a tiny bit relieved that the foremost episode modified into as soon as upright dazzling. It takes the brink off the FOMO for folk who resolve to skip.
It’s nothing to write home about and without sigh skippable for those which would be even somewhat of odd. Any closing thoughts?
As a lot as I’ve queasy about supporting this sequence, I’d be mendacity if I stated I wasn’t deeply odd about if future episodes will diverge stylistically or narratively from the foremost adaptation. Nonetheless for now, I’ve I scurry to seem forward to opinions.
My rule of thumb is in total to originate my dedication three episodes in since the foremost episodes will likely be sluggish. Nonetheless from what we saw, it be so lacking in route that I cannot factor in how the later episodes will deviate from the standard anime. I scurry to register on the opinions too, nevertheless I scurry to be skipping.
