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Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin is known as a battle shounen classic from the 90s. It has shaped many modern shounen and even to this date is considered one of the great shounen. The series adapts a 90s manga of the same name, which at points ran simultaneously to the anime, ultimately leading to the later parts of the anime consisting mostly out of filler episodes. This lead to OVAs being released later on that include both a Prequel and a Sequel to the story and in 2023 a full on readaptation of the manga staying as truthful to the manga as possible.

Synopsis

Himura Kenshin is a vagabond with a dark past and sunny disposition. Not a ronin but a rurouni, he was never a samurai, but an assassin of utmost skill in the Meiji restoration, who in the turning point of the war simply walked away. His travels lead him to Tokyo in the 11th year of the Meiji era, where he befriends a female Kendo master, a former thief, a brawler and a doctor all with their own secrets. Together they fight off the enemies surfacing from the dark past that Kenshin cannot escape. (Source: Anime News Network)

Order

Original Series:

Type Entry Episodes Start Date Notes
TV Rurouni Kenshin (1996) 1 - 44 Jan 10 1996
Special Review Special 1 Mar 26 1997 Summary + Extras
TV Rurouni Kenshin (1996) 45 - 63
Special Special Techniques 1 Oct 21 1997 Extras
TV Rurouni Kenshin (1996) 64 - 71
Movie Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture 1 Dec 20 1997
TV Rurouni Kenshin (1996) 72 - 94 End of Series
OVA End of Wanderings 1 Dec 2 1998 Also known as Ep 95
OVA Trust & Betrayal 1 - 4 Feb 20 1999 Prequel
OVA Reflection 1 - 2 Dec 03 2001 Sequel
Special Special Ending 1 2007 2 Minute alternative Ending
OVA New Kyoto Arc 1 - 2 Dec 17 2011 Remake of the Kyoto Arc

Remake:

Type Entry Episodes Start Date Notes
TV Rurouni Kenshin (2023) 1 - 24 Jul 07 2023 Readaptation of the Manga
TV Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto War 1 - 2024