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Manga

This guide highlights manga in the E. Allen Gordon Library collection.

Manga & Related Books

Rurouni Kenshin (also known as Samurai X) is a shonen, historical drama manga written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki, consisting of 28 volumes. It tells the story of Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman with a past stained in blood. Once employed as a powerful assassin, he finds new purpose as a defender of the innocent.

Rurouni Kenshin and Bleach both portray the samurai as heroic warriors, who battle to protect their people and honor from evil. This book, written by Carol Gaskin, provides a basic overview of that legendary ideal, while also providing "A Selection of Highlights of Samurai History", written by Vince Hawkins.

Rurouni Kenshin and Bleach place a lot of emphasis on their protagonist's morality and how they gradually learn to overcome their own weakness. This essay, originally written by Inazo Nitobe, explores Bushido as a system of Samurai Ethics, tying it into moral systems such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism.

Rurouni KenshinBleach, and Naruto all feature their own takes on warrior classes that actually existed in Japanese history. In this ebook, Antony Cummins dives into the very real and often gruesome details of these warriors for hire, including several authentic Japanese manuscripts that have been translated to English for the first time.

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Anime & Related Videos

Rurouni Kenshin (2023)'s first opening theme, "Hiten", was performed as a collaboration between Ayase × R-Shitei. Its visuals depict the contrast between Kenshin Himura and his previous identity, Battosai. It also showcases life in the Meiji era of Japan, with Kenshin and his friends enjoying peaceful days together.

ENGLISH LYRICS PROVIDED BY ANIMESONGLYRICS.COM

We, who are insensitive to pain
Won't rust anymore
Exposed to the elements, our blades are sharp

Always instinctively
We've been running, deceiving ourselves
Along a path that seemed right to us
There may have been a mistake or two
Ingrained relative happiness
But we have no interest in it
To protect what we can't give up
We grasp the sword that twists our minds

Intersecting at the crossroads
It feels like yesterday
Disturbances awaken in the depths of memory
So easily
It could enchant us
A requiem played by the crimson rain
The fleeting undead beckon
As the inferno consumes from within
Whether it's hell or
Whether it's heaven
Should we hurry ahead before our eyes?

Covered in scars long ago
Peeling off scabs once again
To soar high into the sky
 

Even if today is a rotten day
Even if tomorrow is even worse
I truly believe that at least one person
Will love me, even in this state
Ah, someday, somehow
Blooming in the mud, scattering in the clouds
Ah, those foolish days
I'll show you that I can survive them

Rurouni Kenshin (2023)'s second opening theme, "Rurō no Katashiro", was performed as a collaboration between Masaki Suda × Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Its visuals depict Kenshin's inner turmoil as he struggles between the two sides of his personality, the wanderer and the manslayer. It shows that only through his growing relationship with Kaoru can he resolve this conflict.

ENGLISH LYRICS PROVIDED BY ANIMESONGLYRICS.COM

Suppress your breath and ready your stance
Cut the curtain to the new era

The landscape witnessed by the crouching solitude
Is the same in all directions - a night sea

Against unreasonable power, resist with your heart
If you're not strong, the transient world is sad

The path of the wanderer is
A substitute for one's own life

Strong love that won't forgive itself
Drew out the inverted blade

Cut through the darkness of the carnage without killing people
Until you tear apart the chains of hatred

Roar

Rurouni Kenshin is a story about redemption, how a once-stained individual can move on from their past. This message was pushed to the breaking point for some when the series creator was convicted of owning child porn. In this video, anime and manga reviewer Bonsai Pop explains the context behind the controversy and asks a simple question: "Can the series' author be redeemed?"

Websites & Articles

Rurouni Kenshin, BleachJoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and Naruto are all currently being distributed by VIZ Media in North America. If you would like to see what products they have to offer for your favorite series, subscribe to VIZ's official newsletter, or read select chapters for free, this website is a great place to start.

Rurouni Kenshin's story contains a wide variety of "tropes" (or "common story elements"), from The Atoner to JidaigekiTvTropes is a wiki dedicated to cataloging these tropes, providing notable examples from all kinds of media. It allows readers to browse these tropes by franchise and even find notable subversions where appropriate.

Rurouni Kenshin has been inspiring its readers ever since 1994. When researching the series for the first time, Wikipedia can make for a good, quick overview, while offering links and citations to other sources. When using it for academia purposes, however, be careful to examine the sources to make sure that any information is relevant and accurate.