Search - Rurouni Kenshin - Innocence & Experience (Episodes 53-57) on DVD

Soujirou vs Kenshin: Hes gods gift to nature, as they say..

David Nakamura | San Diego, California United States | 10/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Soujirou Seta, the Tenken. Without emotions, Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi predictions are useless. Not only that but after a few attacks, aswell as the useage of Kuzu Ryu Sen, Kenshin finds out a deadly fact that surprises not only him, but Sano and Yumi. Its a deadly truth that tells Kenshin he has a great chance of loosing the fight, aswell as his life. As the battle rages on Kenshin sees restraint in Soujirous attacks, but what is it that is holding him back? What is it that is keeping him from using his full strength? In Episode 55 we journey into Soujirou's tragic and mysterious past and in Episode 56, there is a surprise, and then the final showdown. Shun Ten Satsu no battoujutsu vs Hiten Misturugi Ryu ougi, Amakeru Ryu no Hirameki!"

"I smiled in the rain...but really, I was..."

David Nakamura | 12/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With a somewhat unexpected twist, the long battle at the Aoiya ends. Then, the next three episodes are devoted to...Tenken no Soujiro - the strongest member of the Juppongatana, second only to Shishio Makoto himself. A harmless-looking young man who always smiles pleasantly, he is said to have no emotions, which leaves Kenshin at a great disadvantage. The last time that he fought Kenshin, both men's swords were broken in a one-draw contest of Battoujutsu. Now, Kenshin must face Soujiro again in order to get to Shishio and stop him from accomplishing his Kuni Tori. What Kenshin doesn't know is that Soujiro has a technique that he didn't use in their previous battle, Shukuchi, a god-speed even faster than Kenshin's. And when Soujiro begins to act strange during their fight, it becomes apparent that his emotions of anger and sadness were buried deep in his heart on a stormy night long ago - but are finally ready to emerge...In the last episode, the doors to Shishio's private 'arena' are opened and one way or another, the final battle of the Kyoto Arc is about to begin. Don't miss this one."

If I could give this one ten stars, I would! ^__^

Laura Gilkey | from USA with LOVE | 05/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although admittedly I'm not an entirely neutral source, being a long-time RK fan and probably one of the more adoring fans of Seta Soujiro you're likely to find. ^_~ That said, I truly do believe that Kenshin's battle with Soujiro, which accounts for much of this tape, is the best of the entire series.The tape includes episodes 53 through 57.
53 completes the battle at Aoiya, begun on the previous tape (Blind Justice), and is Hiko Seijuurou's coolest moment.
54 through 56 comprise Kenshin's battle with Soujiro. 54 displays the full extent of Soujiro's sword-skills, which Kenshin only saw a small taste of in their previous battle, but as the fight progresses, it becomes clear that something's wrong. 55 tells Soujiro's past that turned him into the emotionless Tenken, and 56 at last resolves the battle.
57 begins Kenshin and co.'s final battle with Shishio. The first half of the episode is largely recap as Kenshin takes the long walk to Shishio's chosen battleground as a moment to reflect, but at this point, I think a moment of rest and reflection is welcome. In the second half of the episode, the battle really gets underway, enough to bring us a revelation or two and end the tape with a *very* nasty cliffhanger. (You might want to go ahead and get Fire Requiem at the same time so you aren't left hanging!)Why do I think that this tape is the best part of my favorite anime series ever? Because what really makes me love RK is the fact that Kenshin wins his battles not only by the skill of the sword to defeat opponents (although that element of the show is awesome), but by the strength of his heart and kindness, to live out what he believes in and thereby to touch the lives of those around him for the better. The upcoming battle with Shishio leaves no room for this approach (truly, I'd have been disappointed if Shishio could have been swayed from what he stands for), but in this tape, that theme comes forward at its most powerful. First, Hiko Seijuurou sees for the first time past the "monster" that is the Juppongatana's "secret weapon," and then in the central battle of this tape, Kenshin achieves the seemingly impossible task of finding the soul behind the Tenken's deadly smile (of course, what Fuji and then Soujiro do with that is up to them, and neither one is going to give up the fight just yet!). In this way, I think that this is really Rurouni Kenshin's climax.Anime Works' subtitles are good as ever, although I personally disagree with some of their calls (Kenshin's "that it is", putting names in Western order, some of the romanizations, etc.), but that's all just fiddly opinions on my part. Of more concern is that a time or two on this tape---especially in 57 as Kenshin flashes back to learning his succession technique (having seen fansubs, I watched this tape before "Between Life and Death")---the translation differed from the fansubs I had seen in a way that actually changed the meaning of the scene somewhat, but I don't know enough Japanese to say that one is right and the other wrong; my guess is that the truth is somewhere in the middle and I'm just lucky to have seen both.And in any event, this tape is full of RK's most excellent action and heart-wrenching humanity, and it has my highest recommendation!(But you'll need to see the rest of the Kyoto Arc first! ^_^;)"

Kenshin's battle with Soujiro: You won't want to miss it!

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 01/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Rurouni Kenshin, Legend of Kyoto" is coming to a head as Kenshin finally faces Sjorio again, and then begins the final battle with Shishio himself in Volume 13 of the epic Japanese anime:Episode 53, "The Giant Versus Superman: Like an Arrow Shot at a Time of Despair": Kenshin's mentor, Hiko Seijuurou, takes on Fuji, the towering giant who popped up at the end of the previous episode in the final bit of business to be disposed of in this lengthy story line before Kenshin crosses swords with his main opponents. Episode 54, "Hiten Versus Shukuchi: Sojiro's Inborn Talent": The long-awaited rematch between Kenshin and Sojiro begins, but the mysterious smile and merciless blade of his opponent continues to baffle our hero. Sojiro continues to play with Kenshin, which has got to be a big mistake.Episode 55, "The Tragedy of a Stormy Night: Sojiro's Past": The darkness hidden inside Sojiro's heart and the logic of the survival of the fittest are revealed as we finally learn what is behind that cold smile. Episode 56, "A Duel With an Extreme Moment: Shuntensatsu Versus Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki": Kenshin has a scar on his cheeck, but Sojiro has one on his heart, and it turns out the source of Sojiro's strength is also its fatal flaw. Episode 57, "Two Men at the End of an Era: Shishio Versus Kenshin, Final Battle": Sojiro leaves his master one final gift before disappearing, as the two legendary swordsmen of the Revolution finally collide and all else fades away. Kenshin has been a minor diversion in Shishio's quest to take over Japan, but now he has proven enough of a threat for the criminal mastermind to risk his life in battle with our hero. Of course, this is just the start of the final battle, to be continued in the next episode on the next DVD: you won't want to mess it!The extras include another set of vocabulary terms in the liner notes (e.g., Bujin, Tenken, Wakizashi, etc.), and there is also the usual collection of outtakes. However, I have to admit a preference for when one of the actors slips in a joke as opposed to just tripping over their tongue. There is an excellent set of pacing to Kenshin's battle with Soujiro, although keeping straight off the techniques in terms of their names and moves is becoming a bit much, so I tend not to worry about it. I am usually offended by the appearance of an Achilles heel at the last moment since I would rather see the hero win then the villain lose. But this variation on that particular theme plays out quite well. Plus there is just something about the translated lyrics to those songs at the beginning and end of each episode. Yes, they have nothing to do with the series, but that is part of their charm."