Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (Meiji Kenkaku Romantan) [2023]

[Koby]

Synopsis

In the late 19th century, as the cruel times of the Bakumatsu period came to a close, a new Meiji era marked the age of restoration for Japan. With the war over, its infamous hero Hitokiri Battousai disappeared into thin air, leaving only his legend behind.

Years later, a seemingly plain wanderer named Kenshin Himura encounters Kaoru Kamiya, the owner of a struggling local dojo in Tokyo. Kaoru pursues a self-proclaimed Battousai who roams the streets, indiscriminately killing citizens and police officers. Furthermore, the warrior professes to use the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu—a sword style developed by Kaoru's father deeply rooted in the essence of life, not death.

Kenshin decides to help Kaoru take down the impostor and restore her father's dojo. Unbeknownst to all, Kenshin is none other than the real warrior whose name still terrifies the people. Although Kaoru eventually learns the truth, his oath to atone for his murderous history by bloodlessly protecting the weak moves her, and she welcomes Kenshin to stay at her dojo. However, Kenshin's ideals are soon challenged by ghosts of the past and enemies of the present. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

 

 

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For those who are unaware, this Anime is a "Remake" as the original anime didn't completely adapt the Manga and had a lot of filler, including an anime-original ending.

The Author , Nobuhiro Watsuki actively took part in the production of this adaptation, and did a few alterations and add-ons.

 

Thanks to Alexioos95 we've got an excellent ongoing breakdown of skipped, altered, and original content for the new anime which I have listed below.

 

Episode 01 : Chapter 01.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A very short introduction to the legend of Hitokiri Battosai has been skipped at the start of the episode.
  • Through numerous scenes, the funny faces and small gags, as well as the apparent indifference of Kenshin, have been reduced or removed. (Listing them all be way too long.)
  • During the discussion in which Kaoru explains the presence of a dojo full of thugs in the next town, her mentioning its name, "Kihei-kan", and asking herself why Kenshin uses a reversed-blade, has been removed.
• Altered content :
  • Through a few scenes, the hand the characters use to do certain actions was changed. (Kaoru pointing her bokken at Kenshin, Kihei showing the document to Kaoru, and Gohei holding Kaoru by the collar.)
  • When Kenshin flees from the police with Kaoru, the latter is struggling to break free from Kenshin, and yells to him that Battosai is using the name of her dojo, unlike in the Manga, where she beats Kenshin while explaining to him, before getting knocked out.
  • In her dojo, Kaoru and Kihei are sitting on a cushion in the Manga, but not in this adaptation.
  • The kimono of Kaoru was white with red sakura's petals in the Manga, but completely blue here. Her ribbon was also originally red, not pink. (This redesign is from the Kanzenban edition of the Manga, in which the Author did new drawings for the cover of the Volumes.)
  • Kenshin's distrust of the town's police is shown via his gaze rather than a sentence.
  • When Gohei enters the dojo, he still has his mask on, while he already removed it in the Manga.
  • When Gohei is about to hit Kenshin in the dojo, he holds his katana with only one hand, but he does so with both of his hands in the Manga.
  • Kenshin threatens Kihei by pointing the other side of the blade at him, instead of simply verbally threatening to do so.
• Anime-original content :
  • The episode starts with a flashback of the Bakumatsu, during which Kenshin was still the Hitokiri Battosai.
    This whole scene is an altered and extended version of a few panels of Chapters 48 and 179. (Those alterations were already present for the Tsuioku-hen OVAs.)
  • In the sequence where Kenshin explains what Kenjutsu is, there is a very brief glimpse at the two moments that changed his life, revealed in the Jinchuu Arc.
• Extra notes :
  • The Opening contains several references to the original Anime, some of its filler episodes, and its first Opening.
  • Teasing about Hitokiri Battosai and the Jinchuu Arc was present in the Opening and the Ending.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 01, a few seconds of the end of Tsuioku-hen 04.
  • Faithful ? : Events and characters were mildly altered.

Episode 02 : Chapter 02, few pages of 03.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Just like in the previous episode, the funny faces, gags, and the apparent indifference of Kenshin, have been reduced or removed.
  • In the Manga, Kenshin hums for a few panels when he walks around town with Kaoru, but not here.
  • The cigar that Yamagata was supposed to smoke in his carriage has been removed.
  • In the scene in which Ujiki points his blade at Kenshin, the latter slightly pushing it back to the side with his hand has been skipped.
  • Yahiko's blood, which was all over the floor after his beating, was removed.
• Altered content :
  • Kaoru is the one mentioning the temporality, but it's a narrator that does so in the Manga.
  • On the bridge, Kaoru and Kenshin walk side-by-side, but Kaoru is in front of him in the Manga.
  • The introduction of Yahiko is done on a small bridge in town, but it happens in the grand one shown at the end of the episode in the Manga.
  • Yahiko pushed Kenshin from behind to steal him in the Manga, but he bump into him from the front here.
  • The haori of Yahiko has been modified, to remove the patterns it had on it.
  • In the Manga, Kaoru tackles Yahiko to the ground to stop him, but she simply grabs him from behind in this adaptation.
  • Here, passersby give way to the armed police, but in the Manga, the police do not hesitate to bump into them to move forward.
  • The direction of the two sofas in the Commissioner's office has been changed.
  • At the end of the episode, Gasuke uses his left hand to hit Yahiko, but he does so with his right one in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • A lot more of the town is shown, and a remark from Kenshin about the bustle of the city has been added.
  • Just after, Kaoru asks Kenshin where he was before their encounter, but does not in the Manga.
  • The threats Yahiko faces in the alley are fully Anime-original.
  • The armed police officers mentioning their sword styles was not present in the Manga.
  • The whole scene during which Yahiko returns the money to the grandmother, and the short one where he picks up and waves the piece of wood, are new.
• Extra notes :
  • The entirety of the events about the police (Chapter 02) has been merged to take place on the same day as the events about Yahiko (Chapter 03). It causes many small alterations, that I didn't list. (Like the order of certain dialogues, or the clothes of Kaoru.)
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 03, a few minutes of 02.
  • Faithful ? : Temporality was swapped, lot of original content was added, and events were slightly altered.

Episode 03 : Chapters 03, 04, a page of 05.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • When Gasuke is holding Yahiko by the collar, the latter's blood dripping on the floor was removed.
  • When Kenshin threatens the Kanto-shuei's boss, a panel where the latter collapses under the effect of fear has been skipped.
  • Again, funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • Once Kenshin says to Yahiko that he'll become stronger, the latter replying that it's a given was skipped.
  • Some boxes from the narrator explaining that this is how Yahiko joined the dojo were not adapted.
• Altered content :
  • In the Manga, Kaoru sees Yahiko getting kidnapped from the other side of the river, but she does so from the bridge in this adaptation.
  • The Kanto-shuei's house plaque was slightly redesigned. Some decorations have also been removed.
  • Gasuke holds Yahiko with his right hand in the Manga, but he does so with his left one here.
  • When Yahiko talks about how his parents died, we see blood dripping from his left hand, but it was his right one in the Manga.
  • When Gasuke is about to kill Yahiko, his face is clearly showing that he's still in pain in the Manga, but not here.
  • At the moment Kenshin forces his way into the room, he should have already drawn out his sword.
  • The way Kenshin holds Yahiko is different. He puts him on one of his shoulders here, but he simply holds him by the collar in the Manga.
  • Once outside of the Kanto-shuei's house, Yahiko breaks down because of his helplessness, while it happened when he was still inside in the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Kaoru waits for Kenshin outside of the dojo, but still in her land. However, she's shown in front of it in this adaptation.
    We can also see that she changed her clothes, but she didn't in the Manga.
  • In the same scene, Kenshin puts Yahiko down, but he continues to hold him throughout it in the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Kaoru is not angry at Yahiko because he threw his shinai, but because he doesn't hold it correctly.
  • Yahiko throws his sandal at Kaoru when she berates him, but what was throw at her in the Manga was his shinai.
  • Here, Yahiko is shown to be skeptical about the two disciples right after hearing their story, but he doubted them in the Manga because he smelled the alcohol when they were running to hide.
  • The thugs beaten up by the guy after the credits, have been replaced to be the Hishimanji.
• Anime-original content :
  • Once Gasuke gets up, and after he was sent to the ceiling, one of the thugs calls out his name. These shootings were not in the Manga.
  • When Yahiko says that he wants to become stronger, a focus is made on a piece of wood, not present in the Manga.
  • When Kenshin brings Yahiko back to Kamiya's dojo, Kenshin and Kaoru greeting each other is Anime-original.
  • Yahiko criticizes Kaoru a little bit more than in the Manga, and seems to regret it just after.
  • Here, Kaoru is worried about Kenshin because of the canon, and shoots his name. Her shock when he cuts the cannonball is also new.
  • After Kenshin threatens the thugs of the Hishimanji, their reaction is entirely Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • Due to the change of temporality in the previous episode, some events and dialogues have been moved to this one.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 02.
  • Faithful ? : Lot of original content was added, and events about the Hishimanji (Chapter 04) have been skipped. (The Hashimanji and the scene of the canon have been used to make Episode 14, a filler episode though.)

Episode 04 : Chapters 05, 06.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • As usual, funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • In the Manga, Yahiko always has his shinai with him, but he does not have it when going to the Akabeko here.
  • After Sanosuke helps Tae, him asking her if she's fine, and her flustered response, have been skipped. During this scene, her handkerchief also falls.
  • A provocation the drunkard made to Sanosuke before fighting has not been adapted.
  • In the Manga, it's not just the drunkard's right hand, but his whole arm that's dislocated.
  • Kaoru is shocked about the speed of Sanosuke, and mentions it, but Gohei also does the same in the Manga.
• Altered content :
  • When Yahiko sees the painting, he mentions a scribble, but it's Kenshin who does so in the Manga.
  • Kaoru hitting Yahiko was done off-screen in the Manga.
  • The Akabeko's sign was entirely redesigned. It's much more simple in the Manga.
  • In the Akabeko, Yahiko sits to the right of Kenshin, but he's to his left in the Manga.
  • Just like in the previous episodes, during a few scenes, the hand the characters use to do certain actions was changed. (Sanosuke helping Tae, flicking the drunkard, and holding his zanbato.)
  • The drunkard needs his friends to mention his hand to notice that he's been hurt, but in the Manga, he directly feels it alone due to the pain.
  • In his house, Sanosuke's zanbato is in a corner, but it's in front of him in the Manga.
  • The Hiruma brothers hide behind a wall, but they are behind a simple fence in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • The interaction between Kenshin and Yahiko at the start of the episode is Anime-original.
  • We can see Sanosuke eating at the Akabeko, but in the Manga, we can't until he heroically saves Tae.
  • The whole scene, from the drunkard asking Sanosuke what he did to him, to his friend praising his courage is Anime-original.
    The drunkard's second try at hitting Sanosuke is also new.
• Extra notes :
  • The stances of the characters during the fights are not exactly the same as the ones of the panels of the Manga.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 04, half of 05.
  • Faithful ? : Original content, including a fight, was added. Events were slightly altered.

Episode 05 : Chapters 07, 08, few pages of 09.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • After Kenshin is surprised about the mention of the Sekihotai, a panel in which Gohei is curious about it has been skipped.
  • Kenshin refering to Sanosuke as "the survivor of the Sekihotai" after the flashback has been skipped.
  • Just before Kenshin cuts the zanbato in half, Kaoru hides her face with her hands in the Manga, but not in this adaptation.
  • The many bruises Sanosuke has after the final hit have been removed, especially his right eye, which he can't open for a few days.
  • Some funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
• Altered content :
  • Kihei was to the right of Gohei in the Manga, but he's to his left here.
  • In the Manga, Kenshin explains the disadvantages of the zanbato while fighting, but here, he waits to strike down Sanosuke first.
  • Kenshin talking about "the epilogue" of the fight has been changed from a provocation before the "second act" to an affirmation after it.
  • The room in which the Sekihotai talk about what happened to them has been completely redesigned. (There was originally a table with a lot of documents and maps, with members standing all around. The room was also closed, without any vision on the outside.)
  • The commander's emotion reporting the annihilation of his battalion was changed from sadness to anger.
  • In the Manga, Kenshin did not fall while stopping the bullet.
  • The Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's technique Kenshin uses to hit Kihei has been replaced by a series of simple blows. ("Doryusen", hitting the ground at high speed to send dirt and rocks at the opponent.)
  • In the Manga, when Kenshin fights seriously, his gaze is very much more intense and colder.
  • A note about the scene at the Akabeko taking place the day after the fight has been replaced by a discussion of Kaoru and Yahiko about Sanosuke.
  • The clothes of Kaoru at the Akabeko have been changed again. It was originally the same as the rest of this episode.
• Anime-original content :
  • The discussion between Kenshin and Sanosuke before the Opening is Anime-original.
  • The slow built-up of the start of the fight's "second act", and Kaoru's reaction to it are Anime-original.
  • A lot of scenes about the Sekihotai have been added. (The people talking about them, the addition of Katsuhiro, Sagara commanding his troops, watching a village and talking about it to Sanosuke (not the history part), joking about the future of the Sekihotai, reacting about the "Sagara" name, and asking the kids to "keep watch", and the whole scene from Katsuhiro running, to Sanosuke discovering the fate of the captain.)
  • A scarf has been added around the beheaded head of captain Sagara.
  • The whole scene, from Sanosuke getting up after his flashback, to Kenshin's reaction to it, is new.
  • Kaoru asking Yahiko to flee when they are about to be attacked by Gohei, and Yahiko answering back, wasn't present in the Manga.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 05.
  • Faithful ? : The events and characters of the flashback have been mildly altered.

Episode 06 : Chapters 09, 10, 11.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Some funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • The first thug that gets hit by Jin-e got one of his gesture to remove his sweat skipped.
  • In the Manga, Jin-e is startled when he hears Kenshin talk after he used Shin no Ippo on everyone, but not in this adaptation.
  • While charging at Tani, a rant of Jin-e about how the government is corrupted has been skipped.
  • A note mentioning that the scene in which Kenshin and Sano are in town is from the day after the attack has been removed.
  • In the flashback scene about Jin-e at the Shinsengumi, a beheaded head in his left hand was removed.
  • We hear Jin-e's chuckle behind the fence, but a panel in which we see his face and a bubble where he mentions the river has been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Sano still has a bandage on his right cheek in the Manga, due to his injuries of the previous episode.
  • In the Manga, Yahiko, Kenshin and Sano are seated on a bench, whereas they are on the terrace of the house here.
  • Uramura has his cap on when he entered the Kamiya's property, but he didn't in the Manga.
  • Everyone moves inside the dojo to talk with Uramura, but in the Manga, they stay outside, and serves him tea.
  • When Uramura mentions how many victims Jin-e made, he appears a little bit calmer than in the Manga.
  • The house of Tani got very slightly redesigned, to remove the many chimneys it had. The clock and decorations inside of it have also got redesigned.
  • The clothes of almost all thugs got altered, mainly by removing the patterns it had.
  • The positions of the pawns in the game of shogi are completely different from how it was in the Manga.
  • Kenshin opens the right window and Sano the left, but it was the opposite in the Manga.
  • While in her bed, the hair of Kaoru was braided in the Manga, but not here.
  • Kenshin gets injured by Jin-e on his forearm, but he got cutted through his sleeves in the Manga.
  • The explanations about the techniques of the Nikaido Heiho's school were moved from just after Kenshin gets injured, to after the escape of Jin-e. It was also not Kenshin that was supposed to talked, but the narrator.
  • Kenshin mentions to Sano that what Jin-e is doing is immoral, but he directly said it to Jin-e during his fight with him in the Manga.
  • After Jin-e uses his Shin no Ippo on Kenshin a second time, Sano is worried about him, but it was Uramura who was so in the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Jin-e uses his two hands to hold his katana while charging at Tani, but he does so with only his right one here.
  • Kenshin walks to the right of Sano here, but he was to his left in the Manga.
  • After Sano explained the situation to Kaoru, Yahiko doesn't separate from his shinai in the Manga, but he did here.
  • In the Manga, Kaoru was crying while getting kidnapped by Jin-e, but not in this adaptation.
• Anime-original content :
  • None.
• Extra notes :
  • None
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 06.
  • Faithful ? : Yes.

Episode 07 : Chapters 12, 13, 14.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • When Kaoru says that it is not the usual Kenshin who's front of her, a quick comment of her about how it's "Hitokiri Battosai", has been skipped.
  • Two panels, in which Kenshin holds his arm actively bleeding while on the ground, have been skipped.
  • When Kenshin asks Jin-e to stop the Shin no Ippo used on Kaoru, a sentence from Jin-e mentioning that it's not the same he used on Tani and the thugs of the previous episode has been skipped.
  • Jin-e puffing when Kenshin runs to Kaoru has not been adapted.
  • Funny faces and gags have been skipped at the end of the episode.
• Altered content :
  • Broken fences have been removed from the entrance of the forest.
  • The way Kaoru was tied is different. Her hands were in front of her chest in the Manga, but behind in this adaptation. (It leads to a few skip of actions she does, like holding her throat.)
  • Jin-e holds his watch with his left hand, but he did so with his right one in the Manga. The watch also slightly redesigned.
  • When Jin-e uses his Shin no Ippo on Kaoru, Kenshin is still lying down on the ground in the Manga, but he's already up here. Kaoru also starts crying in the Manga.
  • Kenshin talks to himself about the self-persuasion of Jin-e, but he directly talked to him in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • Jin-e explaining his encounter with Hitokiri Battosai during the Bakumatsu is Anime-original.
  • In the Manga, Jin-e does not kick Kenshin after injuring him.
  Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 07.
  • Faithful ? : Yes. A very few original scenes were also added.

Episode 08 : Chapters 15, 16, half of 17.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Some funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • Players' curiosity about the sound of the footsteps was not adapted.
  • When Sano explains who Kanryuu is, the Manga shows his silhouette, but not this adaptation.
  • When Beshimi says that Megumi is always being watched by men of the Oniwaban-shu, a panel of him mentioning that they do so even when she's in bed, in bathor in the toilet have been skipped.
  • After Kenshin blocked the bullets of Beshimi, the latter threatening him has been removed.
  • Before a friend of Sano comes find him in front of the dojo, a panel about Kenshin wanting to talk about Kanryuu has been skipped.
  • Sano's curiosity to Kenshin suddenly looking away at the bridge was not adapted.
• Altered content :
  • The faces and clothes of the players were altered.
  • Sano punched the thug with his right hand, but it was his left one in the Manga.
  • The thug afraid of Sano pointed his knife at him while talking in the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Megumi finger points multiple times people when talking, but not in this adaptation.
  • Two friends of Sano walk in front of Beshimi before getting shot, but in the Manga, Beshimi hits them when they are to the left and right of Megumi, not moving.
  • The position of Kenshin and Sano got reversed when hitting Beshimi.
  • It's a friend of Sano who remark that what Megumi dropped was opium, but it was Kenshin who did so in the Manga.
  • Megumi's fear of Kanryuu at the bridge was reduced in this adaptation.
  • Megumi is standing when talking with Kenshin about the forces of Kanryuu, but she was sitting in front of Kenshin in the Manga.
  • Kaoru tries to peek through the opposite door of the room compared to the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Kenshin folded the schema to throw it to Sano, but not here.
  • Kaoru asks since when Yahiko was hidden, but it's Kenshin who did so in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • The escape of Megumi got extended. It's also shown in a fragmented way, whereas it happens in 2 successive pages in the Manga.
  • Sano's sentence about not realizing that Yahiko was hiding is Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • A few panels were skipped at the end of the episode, to finish with the entrance of an Oniwaban-shu member.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : First half of Episode 08.
  • Faithful ? : Events were slightly altered.

Episode 09 : Chapters 17, 18, 19.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • The few panels skipped at the end of the previous episode were finally not adapted. (In them, the 3 Oniwaban-shu are in front of the dojo, and Hyottoko threatens Beshimi for trying to order him to attack, before belittling Kenshin and Sano.)
  • Just before trying to flee, Megumi saying to herself that it's the right time to was skipped.
  • After drinking his barrel, a panel in which Hyottoko breaks it has not been adapted.
  • Blood coming out of the mouth of Hyottoko once he gets hit by Sano's kick has been removed.
  • Funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • Just before Beshimi tries to kill Megumi, one of his sentences about how he does not know why Kanryuu wants to get her back has been removed.
  • A focus made on the old doctor's medicine tools, and one of his bubbles about a medication made of stramonium has been skipped.
  • After the old doctor's appearance, Kenshin has a bandage on his right cheek in the Manga, but not here.
• Altered content :
  • Hyottoko threatening Kenshin and Sano so that they hand Megumi to him, has been moved from before his self-introduction, to after it.
  • When Sano first gets hit by Hyottoko, Kenshin and Yahiko cry out his name, but only Yahiko does so in the Manga.
  • To avoid the fire of Hyottoko, Kenshin literally cut it, but in the Manga, he simply spins his katana to create wind. (At that moment, Hyottoko also mocks him for that.)
  • When Kaoru sees that Sano still wants to fight, her sentence has been changed from worrying about the leg of Sano, to mocking him for trying to act cool.
  • Kenshin's sentence once he sees Sano running into fire has been altered. In the Manga, he explains that what he did reduced the dangerosity of the fire, but here, he makes a joke about a saying.
  • In the Manga, when Kaoru realizes that Yahiko got poisoned, she immediately starts crying, but not in this adaptation.
  • After getting poisoned, Yahiko falls unconscious in the Manga, but not here.
  • Kenshin holds his katana with his right hand when going after Hannya, but it was with his left one in the Manga.
  • To flee, Hannya passed by the huge hall in the wall, but in the Manga, he jumped over one of the facades.
  • The desk of Aoshi has been moved from where it was in the Manga, which was in a corner of the room.
• Anime-original content :
  • Aoshi sentence about the hair color and the scar of Kenshin is Anime-Original.
  • The whole post-credit scene, about Kanryuu acquiring something, is completely Anime-original.
  • Kanryuu is very much more goofy than he was in the Manga or the original Anime.
• Extra notes :
  • Much fewer gags have been skipped, and some dialogues have been altered to add a little bit more comedy.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 08, first half of Episode 09.
  • Faithful ? : Events and character designs were mildly altered.

Episode 10 : Chapters 20, 21, 22.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Some funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • Sano patting the shoulder of Kaoru before going with Kenshin to attack the house of Kanryuu has been skipped.
  • Before surging into Kanryuu's house, a sentence from Sano about how he hates such grande residences has not been adapted.
  • The blood and bruises on Megumi's face and clothes present after she was beaten by Kanryuu have been removed.
  • Foam getting out of the mouth of the gunman Yahiko knocks out has been removed.
  • In the Manga, Sano and Yahiko were not aware that Kanryuu was at the window, and were surprised that Kenshin suddenly looked at it.
• Altered content :
  • The clothes of Kaoru have been altered. She originally had the same as the few previous episodes.
  • Kenshin and co. are eating on the terrace, but they do so inside a room in the Manga.
  • When Kaoru is angry at Megumi when making the funny face, she places her hand on her head in the Manga, but not here.
  • While Kenshin reads the letter left by Megumi, Sano is sitting on the terrace, but he was standing, leaning on the fence in the Manga.
  • Kenshin's cold and serious gaze has been reduced when he talks to Sano about attacking Kanryuu's house.
  • Kanryuu's armchair has been moved from the carpet in the Manga, to behind his desk here. It's also much larger than it was in the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Megumi is veru tense after cutting Kanryuu's arm, but not here.
  • Kanryuu is cornered to a wall in the Manga, but he's at his desk in this adaptation.
  • Kanryuu punched Megumi with his right hand to knock her out, but it was his left one in the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Yahiko is surrounded by only 2 gunmen, not 4.
  • In this adaptation, Kanryuu raises his proposition to Kenshin because he's afraid of his gaze, but it was because Kenshin was moving forward in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • The scene before the Opening, about Sano, is Anime-original.
  • The surprise of Kaoru and Yahiko at Sano's lack of respect toward Megumi is Anime-original.
  • This adaptation added a few books on top of the box of the traveling bookseller's disguise of Hannya.
  • Sano talking about the past of his deceased friend is entirely Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 09, first half of Episode 10.
  • Faithful ? : Events were mildly altered.

Episode 11 : Chapters 23, 24, 25, few pages of 26.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Some funny faces and gags has been removed.
  • Smoke coming out of the mask of Hannya when he's not moving has been removed.
  • When Sano remark that Hannya has metal in his gauntlets, and that it's how he parried the attacks of Kenshin in the previous episode, a sentence from Kenshin, precising that it's also because of his fight capability, has been skipped.
  • Hannya presenting himself just before telling Kenshin that he fell into a trap has not been adapted.
  • A sentence of Kenshin, in which he says that the clothes of Hannya are absurd but calculated, was skipped.
  • A lot of the less profound scars of Shikijo have been removed.
  • After Sano is pushed to the wall by Shikijo, the former telling to himself that his enemy is extremely strong has been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Multiple times through the fight, the hand Hannya uses to do certain actions has been changed to the other one.
  • Kenshin gets pushed toward the hall during his fight, but in the Manga, he's pushed toward the entrance, where Sano and Yahiko are.
  • Kenshin blocks the two hands of Hannya thanks to his claws, but he does so only for one in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • Kanryuu and Megumi scene is entirely Anime-original.
  • The whole scene, of Shikijo using his chains to trap Sano, and the latter belittling him for it, is Anime-original.
  • Shikijo falling from the stairs because of the punch of Sano is also new.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : 5 minutes of the second half of Episode 10.
  • Faithful ? : Events were slightly altered. The fight of Shikijo has been moved to a previous episode, and mildly altered.

Episode 12 : Chapters 26, 27, half of 28.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Some funny faces and gags have been removed.
  • When Kenshin makes his speech about the motive of Aoshi, one of his sentences, about the latter being a wrongdoer, has been skipped.
  • During the scene with Kanryuu at his desk, one of his sentences about Aoshi being motivated by his fighting spirit close to craziness, and an interaction with the thug coming to him for the equipment, have been skipped.
  • Right after the scene of Kanryuu, two panels where skipped, in which it's implied that Megumi thinks of suicide.
  • Yahiko screaming Kenshin's name has been removed after Kanryuu's scene at his desk.
  • The blows Kenshin receives after Kanryuu's scene cause him to have a large trail of blood on his face in the Manga.
  • Once Aoshi started using his ultimate technique, his gaze became incredibly cold and his pupils contracted in the Manga, but not in this adaptation.
  • Yahiko's surprise to witnessing Kenshin blocking the blade has been skipped.
  • After Aoshi warns Kenshin that he will try to kill him again, Kenshin welcoming his challenge has not been adapted.
  • Megumi recognizing the sound to be gunshots has been skipped.
  • Yahiko asking Kenshin to do something about the gatling gun, and Kenshin answering back that there is nothing he can do, have been skipped.
  • Once Kanryuu starts his speech, a sentence from Aoshi, that understood what he was about to say has been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Once Aoshi talks about setting Tokyo on fire, Yahiko is to his right, but he was to his left in the Manga. In this scene, Kenshin's gaze also became much colder in the Manga.
  • The blood dripping from Kenshin's hand after he holds his katana by the blade has been greatly reduced.
  • After suffering the heavy blow, Kenshin is shown much more clearly to be out of breath in the Manga than in this adaptation.
  • At the moment when Aoshi is about to deliver the final blow, we see that Kenshin does not even look in his direction while blocking his blade, but in the Manga, Kenshin accurately predicted and looks where he would be.
  • Kenshin talks about his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's technique after blocking the blade of Aoshi, but in the Manga, he talked about how "there is only one technique to block a blade barehanded".
  • When Kenshin pats Yahiko's head, he's to his left here, but he was to his right in the Manga.
  • The gatling gun's background was explained by Kanryuu, but it was a narrator who did so in the Manga. (Some parts of it were skipped though, and the dialogues of Kanryuu following it have been altered.)
  • The gatling gun has been vastly redesigned.
• Anime-original content :
  • The Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's Ryukosen, is Anime-original.
  • Kanryuu crying out "Gat" like a madman is also new.
• Extra notes :
  • This adaptation extends the fights by a few exchanges since its first episode, but it incorporated several blows for Kenshin to block the blade, whereas it was clear to be only one movement in the Manga.
  • A few panels were skipped at the end of the episode, but the next episode rolled back time a few seconds to adapt them.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Last quarter of Episode 10, half of Episode 11.
  • Faithful ? : Events were slightly altered.

Episode 13 : Chapters 28, 29, 30.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few funny faces and gags have been skipped.
  • In the Manga, when Megumi says that people died because of her, she mentions Sano's friend, but not in this adaptation.
  • Just before leaving the room she was sequestered in, Megumi says to Kenshin that she'll die to expiate her sins.
  • The noise and multiple dialogues of the police have been removed.
  • Sano threatening the police to fight them if they arrest Megumi has not been adapted.
  • When everyone realizes that Aoshi disappeared, a sentence from Yahiko, about how he may have used ninjutsu, has been skipped.
  • After Sano says to Aoshi that it's not his fault, one of his sentences about their helplessness against the gatling gun, has not been adapted.
  • Just before Kenshin asks Aoshi to fight him again, he precise in the Manga that it's only if he can't forgive himself, but not in this adaptation.
  • Some bubbles of the narrator, explaining that the destiny of Megumi and Aoshi changed, have been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Shikijo's farewells were muted, to be revealed only at the end of the episode.
  • After killing Shikijo, Kanryuu is heavily sweating in the Manga, but not in this adaptation.
  • The Oniwaban-shu's blood, dripping after they got hit by the bullets, has been greatly reduced.
  • When Kenshin and co. leaves the room, Aoshi is sitting still, but in the Manga, he was standing, looking at the corpses of his subordinates.
  • Kenshin and co. are still in the room when Kenshin falls, and Sano talks about Aoshi's defeat, but they were already in a corridor going toward Megumi in the Manga.
  • Megumi's knife was still in its sheath when Kenshin and co. entered the room, but it was not in the Manga.
  • The way Megumi tried to kill herself was different in the Manga. She was about to cut her arm's veins, not slitting her throat.
  • Megumi goes in front of Uramura to talk to him, but she was still upstairs in the Manga.
  • Kenshin returns the medicine to Megumi by placing it in her hand, but in the Manga, he threw it at her.
  • While standing atop the wall, the pupils of Aoshi are compact and cold, but in the Manga, they were looking empty.
  • In the forest, the position of Kenshin and co. has been slightly altered.
  • The old doctor had a huge box on his back in the Manga, but not here.
  • All the dialogues and their orders have been altered in the scene of Megumi's farewell.
• Anime-original content :
  • Shikijo's sentence about being invincible is Anime-original.
  • Hyottoko talking a last time with Aoshi is Anime-original. In the Manga, he instantly died after his fall.
  • Aoshi also calls out Hyottoko's name, which he did not in the Manga.
  • Kanryuu's parades about the gatling gun are entirely Anime-original.
  • Hannya's flashback about his days in the Oniwaban-shu is also entirely Anime-original.
  • Megumi getting Sano's blood on her face is new.
  • The old doctor's name, "Gensai", is Anime-original, and never was revealed in the Manga. (This name was already chosen for the previous adaptation too.)
  • Kenshin questioning Sano about Shikijo at the end of the episode is also new.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 11.
  • Faithful ? : Events, and their orders, were slightly altered.

Episode 14 : Chapters 31, 32, 33.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Kaoru searching Yahiko for his training has been skipped.
  • Some funny faces and gags have been skipped.
  • When Yahiko gets out of the house discreetly, one of his thoughts, about Kenshin suspecting him, has not been adapted.
  • Tsubame's master violently gripping her hair has been skipped.
  • One of Tsubame's master's sentences about how he won't get caught anyway has been skipped.
  • Yahiko's bruises after his beat-up have been greatly reduced.
  • A few panels, in which we see Yahiko getting out at night to stop the thugs, have been skipped.
    His manners of war from there have been moved to the start of his fight in the alleyway.
  • Yahiko's sentence about his talent of pickpocket have not been adapted after stealing the keys.
  • The thugs voicing their fear of killing Yahiko in the alleyway have been skipped.
  • A sentence from Tsubame's master, about how the thugs were useless, has not been adapted.
  • Tsubame questioning Kaoru about her identity in the alleyway, and explaining her doubts about the situation, have been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Compared to the Manga, Kaoru's clothes were swapped at the beginning and end of the episode.
  • Sano is surprised to see Yahiko going to the Akabeko, but it was Kenshin who was so in the Manga.
  • The hand Tsubame's master uses to do most actions was changed to the other one. (Holding his katana, asking for keys, hitting Tsubame.)
  • After getting tired, Yahiko sits down on the stairs here, but he does so on the ground in the Manga.
  • Once Yahiko sees Tsubame getting escorted by peoples, he makes a serious face here, but he seemed to be indifferent in the Manga.
  • The clothes of all thugs were altered, mainly by removing the patterns on it.
  • Yahiko loses the first fight because Tsubame's master made him fall, but in the Manga, he was hit from behind by another thug.
  • Kaoru lectures Yahiko about the essence of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, but it was Kenshin who did so in the Manga.
  • In the alleyway, Tsubame's master asks his subordinates to run Yahiko's stamina down, but in the Manga, he asked them to throw their boukens at him.
• Anime-original content :
  • Yahiko's training scenes, at the beginning and the end of the episode, are Anime-original.
  • Sano's small sentence to Tae is Anime-original.
  • Tsubame's master helping his subordinates to stop Yahiko in the first fight is entirely Anime-original.
  • Yahiko voicing his reaction to Tsubame's master understanding his strategy is also new.
  • Kenshin talking about the reversed-blade being pricey is also Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • New Opening and Ending for the rest of the season!
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 12.
  • Faithful ? : Events were slightly altered.

Episode 15 : Chapters 34, 35, 36, 37.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few funny faces and gags have been removed.
  • A panel about a senpai guiding his kouhais at the Maekawa's dojo has been skipped.
  • When Maekawa apologizes to Kaoru, some of his sentences have been skipped. One was about how he likes to fight strong opponents, the second about how Kenshin ignored his provocations, and the third about Kenshin certainly having a difficult past.
  • While talking with Kenshin about the evolution of Kenjutsu, one short sentence of Maekawa, mentioning the war of Seinan, has been skipped.
  • Raijuta precising to Yutaro that it's Maekawa that wants to fight with shinais has been removed.
  • Maekawa's provocation to Raijuta about not using his own shinai has not been adapted.
  • Yutaro saying that Maekawa should have died after taking the hit of Raijuta has been skipped.
  • After getting hit by Raijuta, Maekawa saying that he cannot abandon, and asking Kenshin to not interrupt him, have been skipped.
  • When Raijuta says that those using shinais should not be allowed to practice Kenjutsu, him precising that maybe Kenshin could, have also been skipped.
  • Kaoru's sentence after accepting to fight Raijuta, about defending a dojo she's an instructor at, has been skipped.
  • Kenshin stopping Kaoru with his hand has been skipped.
  • During their duel, some sentences of Raijuta and Kenshin about the latter dodging have been removed.
  • Yutaro reacting to Raijuta sweating after his duel with Kenshin has been removed.
  • When he's walking home with Yutaro, Raijuta saying that he wants Kenshin to join him has not been adapted.
  • After examining the cut on the ground, Kenshin precising that Raijuta could probably cut a diamond has been removed.
  • Yutaro's father saying that a man should be strong no matter the era has been removed too.
  • Kenshin asking Raijuta if he expects him to become his disciple, and the latter answering back has been skipped.
  • After hearing Kenshin refusing to join him, Raijuta saying that he's wasting his talent has been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • When Raijuta and Yutaro are in the forest, the latter had his hood covering his face in the Manga, but not here.
  • The hand the characters uses to do certain actions has been changed to the other one. (Kaoru holding her enveloped bokken, Kaoru counting the points, Yutaro holding Raijuta's katana, Raijuta and Yahiko holding Maekawa and Yutaro by the collar, Sano stopping the shinai of Kaoru)
  • During the short scene in which a disciple serves tea to Kenshin, the wall behind them was replaced from doors to a hanging scroll, and their talk was muted.
  • While talking with Maekawa, Kenshin drinks his tea at the same time in the Manga, but not in this adaptation.
  • Maekawa telling Raijuta to come, has been moved from after the start of the fight, to before it.
  • Just before Raijuta hits Maekawa, Kenshin warning Maekawa to dodge has been replaced by a worried shoot.
  • Raijuta hits Maekawa to his left shoulder, but it was his right one in the Manga.
  • Raijuta holds his shinai normally to hit Maekawa the second time, but in the Manga, he was holding it from the end of the handle.
  • The shinai did not blow into pieces when Raijuta hit Maekawa in the second round in the Manga.
  • Kenshin deviates the shinai of Raijuta here, but he simply pointed his katana at him in the Manga.
    That also causes some dialogues between Kenshin and Raijuta through the episode to be removed or altered.
  • Kenshin and Raijuta's duel is done with bokkens here, but it was with shinais in the Manga.
  • Kaoru's thoughts during the duel of Kenshin have been altered to be shorter. In the Manga, she was stating how Kenshin was fighting differently from usual.
  • Kenshin takes a defensive stance to block the final blow of Raijuta before dodging it instead in the Manga, but not here.
  • Kenshin completely let go of his bokken in this adaptation, but his shinai was blown to piece instead in the Manga.
  • Kenshin kneels to examine the cut Raijuta made on the ground, but he was simply looking at it from afar in the Manga.
  • The main door of Kaoru's residence is shown to be a sliding door in the Manga, but not here.
  • Yutaro's father, residence, and garden, have been vastly redesigned.
• Anime-original content :
  • The disciples of Maekawa trying to stop Raijuta is entirely Anime-original.
  • Kenshin voicing his acceptance of Kaoru's worries is also new.
  • Raijuta asking Kenshin's name after their duel is Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • A lot of dialogue has been cutted out during this episode, to fit the sub-Arc of Raijuta in 3 episodes.
    It was also officially confirmed to get an altered progression and end.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : 15 minutes of Episode 19.
  • Faithful ? : Events and characters were mildly altered.

Episode 16 : Chapters 38, few pages of 39, 40, 41.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • At the beginning of the fight at the bridge, a few panels where none moves, to build up the tension, were skipped.
  • Some funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • Yutaro insulting Yahiko in his mind when the latter his quitting his residence has not been adapted.
  • Just before Kaoru proposes Yutaro to train himself at her dojo, one of her sentences, in which she says to him that he won't progress without training, has been skipped.
  • Almost all of Chapter 39, in which 4 disciples of Raijuta invade Kamiya's dojo and fight Kenshin, has been skipped.
  • Kenshin and Kaoru asking if Tsubame has no more problems with her master has been skipped.
  • Kenshin's thought, about how Raijuta wants to kill him no matter what, has been skipped right after his surprise attack.
  • Kaoru's fear of seeing Kenshin getting hit by Raijuta after his surprise attack has been skipped.
  • Kenshin jumping out to reach and catch the falling Yutaro after getting hit has been skipped.
  • A few sentences of Raijuta about Kenshin trying to dodge the fight at the end of the episode have been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Yahiko's shinai is on his back when he leaves Yutaro's residence, but he was holding it with his left hand in the Manga.
  • Yutaro suddenly comes to Kamiya's dojo late at night, but he does so early in the morning in the Manga.
  • Kenshin brings food from the other side of the dojo, compared to the Manga.
  • Yutaro sits on a ledge to eat, but he does so on the ground in the Manga.
  • When Yutaro asks Yahiko to give him another bowl of rice, the latter clears a table, but he was cleaning the ground in the Manga.
  • Raijuta's entrance in Yutaro's flashback has been made more imposing, by making him jumping out from behind the statue instead of suddenly appearing behind a thug.
  • In the Manga, Kenshin noticed Raijuta behind him only at the very last moment, unlike here.
  • After touching Yutaro, Raijuta holds his katana with his right hand, but it was his left one in the Manga.
  • The door of the old doctor's clinic opened in the other direction compared to the Manga. The inside of the clinic seems to also have been very slightly redesigned.
• Anime-original content :
  • The fight at the bridge was largely extended. (In the Manga, there was only one exchange.) They took advantage of it, and placed the dialogue between Kenshin and Raijuta about the reversed-blade, that was skipped in the previous episode.
  • Yutaro asking the permission of Raijuta to train at Kamiya's dojo is Anime-original.
  • Yutaro, playing the gentleman in front of Tsubame is also new.
  • The Jizo statue was not present in the Manga.
  • Kaoru's and Yahiko's reaction to Raijuta trying to blind Kenshin is also Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 20, half of 21.
  • Faithful ? : Events were mildly altered.

Episode 17 : Chapters 42, 43, 44.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • While mocking Raijuta for rhapsodizing himself over a minor injury, Kenshin licking his wound has been skipped.
  • A whole dimension of the fight has been removed. In the Manga, Kenshin can not fight at his top capacity, because of the anesthetic that was used to treat his arm. That's why he's taking the hits he should have dodged, and had to finish Raijuta off with a Hiryuusen. This detail being skipped, a few dialogues have been altered or removed.
  • All the blood Raijuta was supposed to have on his face after the Hiryuusen has not been included, at all.
  • After Kenshin mentally crushed Raijuta, Sano asking what they should do with the latter, and Kenshin answering that there is no need to do anything, has been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • After shouting at the old doctor, Yahiko hears Yutaro falling in his room when waking up, and runs to him, but in the Manga, he directly returns to confront Raijuta, and Yutaro wakes up only after the end of the fight. That causes many small alterations or removal of dialogue. (Like Sano being the one reacting to the progression of the fight.)
  • While waiting for Kenshin, Raijuta places both hands on his katana which is planted in the ground, but in the Manga, he only does it with his left palm.
  • Kenshin removed the right sleeve of his hakama because of his injured arm in the Manga, but not here.
  • The gaze of Kenshin was much colder in the Manga than it was in this adaptation.
  • Kenshin explains how the Izuna of Raijuta works by talking to him during his fight, but in the Manga, he did so to the old doctor back at his clinic, when the latter wanted to warn him about it.
  • Sano's long monologue, explaining the situation of the fight, was only thoughts, and not spoken out loud in the Manga.
  • When Yahiko is held hostage by Raijuta, he gets his shinai and points it toward Raijuta, but not in this adaptation.
  • To hold Yahiko hostage, Raijuta is standing up, but in the Manga, he was only kneeling.
  • The sentences of Kenshin, right after he explained what killing someone really is, have been altered. Here, he recommends Raijuta to drop his sword, but in the Manga, he said to him that he would not even be able to beat Yahiko.
  • After getting crushed mentally by Kenshin, Raijuta fell to the ground in the Manga, but not here.
  • The decorations of Yutaro's room have been very slightly altered.
  • Yutaro's father says that his son was deceived by Raijuta, but in the Manga, he blames himself for that.
  • At the end of the episode, Kaoru questions Kenshin about his serious expression, but in the Manga, he was happy.
• Anime-original content :
  • Due to the alterations of the actions of Yahiko, the latter talking with Yutaro at the clinic, and bringing him witness Kenshin defeating Raijuta, are Anime-original scenes.
  • Raijuta mocking the uselessness of knowing what Izuna is, is Anime-original.
  • The 2 blows of Kenshin following the Hiryuusen are also new.
  • The shinai of Yutaro was not shown in his room in the Manga.
  • Kenshin's and Kaoru's dialogue toward the end of the episode, about Raijuta, was not present in the Manga.
  • The whole post-credit scene is Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 21.
  • Faithful ? : Events were mildly altered.

 

Episode 18 : Chapters 45, 46.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • Tsubame blushing because of her shyness has been skipped.
  • Sano puffing just before saying that he'll take 2 painting have been skipped.
  • The cigar that the painting seller was supposed to smoke have been removed.
  • Just after mentioning the war of Seinan, a sentence of Sano, in which he said that even the heroes of the Bakumatsu died quickly there, was skipped.
  • While explaining his plan to Sano, Katsu precising that he has the building plans of the ministry have been skipped.
  • A few sentences of Sano mentioning some failed revolts have not been adapted when he was walking in town at night.
• Altered content :
  • The scene at the Akabeko, at the start of the episode, got completely mirrored from its Manga counterpart.
  • Yahiko is seen clearing a table at the Akabeko, but he was cleaning the ground in the Manga.
  • Kaoru's clothes have yet again been altered. In the Manga, she more or less always has the same clothes.
  • Sano takes the painting of Captain Sagara with both hands here, but he did so with only his left one in the Manga.
  • The style of the painting of Captain Sagara got changed to be less realistic.
  • The worried expression of Kenshin and Kaoru after Sano assaulted the painting seller have been amplified.
  • Sano was knocking non-stop on Katsu's doors before he opened it in the Manga, but not here.
  • Katsu was surprised to hear Sano mentioning his past while knocking at his doors, whereas he was worried here.
  • The patterns of Katsu's clothes have been removed.
  • Sano shows the painting to Katsu with his right hand, but it was his left one in the Manga.
  • Kenshin watch Sano from a street corner with Kaoru here, but in the Manga, it was just Kaoru. Kenshin was waiting a little bit behind, and was not too interested.
  • In the Manga, Katsu was shown to be more calm and cold-hearted. Here, his expressions have been amplified, and he keep a bomb in his hand while talking with Sano, whereas he was drinking his tea in the Manga.
  • Katsu hides his bombs hidden under a tatami, but it was in one of his closets in the Manga.
  • When faking surprise, Kenshin is shown cleaning clothes, but he was cutting wood in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • Sano's reaction to his presentation by the narrator is Anime-original.
  • Sano mumbling "Tsunan" before assaulting the seller is also new.
  • Katsu's whole scene, including his flashback of the Sekihotai, after Sano leaves his house is entirely Anime-original.
  • Sano invited a lot more people to his party than in the Manga. That includes his friends, Megumi, and all the unknown characters. That causes a lot of Anime-original scenes, including Megumi apologizes to Sano's friends, or Kenshin talk with Katsu.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 23, half of 24. Episode 22 was a filler.
  • Faithful ? : Yes, but a lot of original content was added, of which some ideas were taken again for 2023's version.

Episode 19 : Chapter 47.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • Kenshin standing up after it's revealed that he's not asleep, and a few bubbles of the narrator about the attack 3 hours after the end of the party, have been skipped.
  • A funny face of Sano when he says that he didn't meet Katsu again after the fight, and a gag about Tae wanting the last painting of Tsunan, have been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Sano run to the right of Katsu, but he was to his left in the Manga.
  • Sano present Kenshin as Battosai to Katsu, but in the Manga, Kenshin revealed it himself.
  • Sano stops Katsu from throwing the bomb by holding his wrist, but in the Manga, he puts his hand around his.
  • Once Katsu wakes up, Sano is seen waiting at the door, but in the Manga, he was looking at a painting.
  • The painting of Captain Sagara, at the end of the episode, is completely different from how it was in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • The discussion of the two guards just before the attack is Anime-original.
  • The guards converging toward the gate is also new.
  • Katsu noticing that Kenshin's katana has a reversed blade is Anime-original.
  • Katsu believing that he got Kenshin, and the latter taunting him back, is new.
  • Katsu not wanting to stop his attack after Sano told him to is new.
  • After Sano knocks out Katsu, the former asking himself how to get out, and Kenshin showing him the hole in the wall, is new.
  • More than half of the episode, during which Katsu thinks of commiting seppuku, is Anime-original. Thus, there are many new scenes and dialogues, from Katsu thinking that Sano betrayed him, to the fight between the two, or the flashback about the Sekihotai. The dialogues of Sano about the feelings of Kenshin, and the honor of the Sekihotai, which were supposed to be right after Katsu wakes up, were therefore moved to after the fight.
  • Kenshin, who lights a bomb at the end of the episode, is also new.
  • Finally, the post-credit scene, teasing the Kyoto Arc, is entirely Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 24.
  • Faithful ? : Events were mildly altered, including a fight between Kenshin and Sano.

Episode 20 : Half of Tokuhitsuban's Extra Chapter.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few funny faces have been removed, and some gags were reduced.
  • The thugs of Deian telling all onlookers to get out of the way have been skipped.
  • The suitcase of Elder got its red cross logo removed.
  • Kenshin calling out Dankichi during his fight so that he can evacuate the injured has been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Kenshin dodges the rickshaw, but in the Manga, he was hit by it.
  • Dankichi removes his hat before running toward Kenshin, but in the Manga, he removed it only when he presented himself.
  • The clothes on almost all characters have been altered, to remove the patterns on it.
  • The little girl was kneeling next to her mother, but she was standing up in the Manga.
  • In the Manga, Dankichi was grabbed by the back of his collar by the thug, but here, he was pushed.
  • Dankichi is the one saying that Deian heals only rich people, but in the Manga, Deian heard onlookers whispering it among themselves.
  • Once at the hotel, the little girl was sleeping in the Manga, but not here. That makes her thanks to Elder Anime-original.
  • Elder is shown to be much taller than in the Manga.
  • Deian is talking to Espiral's boss around a table, but in the Manga, they both watched Espiral fighting with a thug.
  • Deian says to the old man that it's risky to kill a foreigner, but it was the old man who did so in the Manga.
• Anime-original content :
  • Kenshin narrating the story of this episode as a flashback is entirely Anime-original.
  • The explanations of the narrator are all entirely new.
  • Dankichi's discussion with the onlookers is also new.
  • Deian asking his subordinate to search for the hotel of Elder is Anime-original.
  • Kenshin and Espiral crossing at the door of the hotel is Anime-original.
  • The whole scene in which Kenshin, Elder and Dankichi are in a garden eating cakes and drinking tea is entirely Anime-original.
    Idem for their visit of Yokohama.
  • Kenshin answering and talking with the hotel's staff is Anime-original.
    In the Manga, he simply found the paper on a table, already in the room.
  • Kenshin asking Elder her reasons for disguising herself is also new.
  • The old man knowing the past of Kenshin is Anime-original. In the Manga, only Espiral seemed to know at that point, and he did not mentioned the name of Battosai.
• Extra notes :
  • This episode (and the next) adapt "Act Zero", a Special Prologue of the Manga, that was created in 2012 for Tokuhitsuban, a short re-interpretation of the Tokyo Arc. Act Zero is officially Canon to the Main Manga, and not to Tokuhitsuban.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : None.
  • Faithful ? : N/A.

 

Episode 21 : Second half of Tokuhitsuban's Extra Chapter.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few gags have been skipped.
  • After Kenshin's last sentence in his flashback, a panel, in which there is an echo of his last words, and the silhouettes of the two most important moments of his life, has been skipped.
  • The wounds of Dankichi after his crash have been greatly reduced, and the blood entirely removed.
  • Right before threatening to kill Elder, Espiral saying that Kenshin is still a killer, and provocating him, has been skipped.
  • After the inhabitants realize that Elder is a woman, a few bubbles joking about her beauty have not been adapted.
• Altered content :
  • The bottle containing the virus of the smallpox has been redesigned.
  • The short fight between the subordinate of Deian and Espiral, which was skipped in the previous episode, has finally been moved to here. (The few sentences said during the fight are Anime-original, though.)
  • In the Manga, Kenshin is standing up in front of Elder, who's sitting on her bed to talk about her disguise, whereas they are both sitting in the living room here.
  • The road on which Kenshin gets his flashback has been entirely redesigned.
  • The flashback of Kenshin has been nearly entirely mirrored from its Manga counterpart.
  • Kenshin's last sentence in his flashback, which was extremely close to the one of Elder about nourishing hope, was replaced by a flashback of the one of Elder.
  • In the Manga, Kenshin has empty eyes in the panel in which he touches his scar, but not in this adaptation.
  • A few sentences of Espiral about samurais have been replaced by a duel's challenge.
  • Espiral mentioning the soul of samurais being their katana has been moved from after the reveal of the name of Battousai, to right before the duel.
  • The fight between Kenshin and Espiral has been vastly altered, and has a lot of Anime-original content, such as the ultimate technique of Espiral, or his last dialogue about the soul of Kenshin not being the same anymore.
  • Espiral believing he died after getting hit by Kenshin has been replaced by him asking Kenshin to kill him.
• Anime-original content :
  • The narrator talking about the virus of the smallpox is Anime-original.
  • Deian's sentence about the uselessness of cheap medicine and bodyguards is also new.
  • Kenshin saying that he's surprised that Elder is a woman, and that he was particularly amazed by her change of voice, is Anime-original.
  • Elder mentioning that she always liked theatre, and playing a short sequence of Romeo and Juliet, is Anime-original.
  • The dialogue between Deian and his subordinate after Espiral destroys the rickshaw is new, alongside the presence of the old man and his explanations of the techniques of Espiral. (In the Manga, Deian was simply spying from a corner, and said that it was worth coming.)
  • Espiral briefly mentioning the career of Battousai is Anime-original.
  • Espiral presenting excuses to Elder is also new.
  • Dankichi's and the old man's sentences during the fight between Kenshin and Espiral are all new too.
  • The scene about the virus of the smallpox after the fight between Kenshin and Espiral got a lot of extra scenes compared to its Manga counterpart, to make it tenser. (Like Elder failing to catch it two times, the subordinate of Deian catching it, and Espiral saving everyone. In the Manga, Deian throws it, and Elder simply catches it.)
  • The scene about Espiral and Elder at the hotel after the fight is entirely Anime-original, just like his presence and dialogues during the farewell of Kenshin to Elder.
• Extra notes :
  • This episode (and the previous) adapts "Act Zero", a Special Prologue of the Manga, that was created in 2012 for Tokuhitsuban, a short re-interpretation of the Tokyo Arc. Act Zero is officially Canon to the Main Manga, and not to Tokuhitsuban.
  • This episode marks the end of the Tokyo Arc, the first out of the three Story Arcs of the Main Manga.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : None.
  • Faithful ? : N/A.

 

Episode 22 : Chapters 48, 49, 50, half of 51.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • The beginning of the flashback having already been shown at the start of episode 01, it was not repeated here.
  • Kenshin voicing his surprise to be called as such after waking up has been skipped.
  • A few funny faces and gags were skipped. (Including fox ears on the head of Megumi.)
  • Saitô licking his katana before getting hit by Sano has been removed.
  • Right before getting hit by Saitô, Sano realizing the insane speed of the latter have been skipped.
  • The fight between Saitô and Sano lasted a few more exchanges, but it was skipped here.
  • Kenshin being shown noticing all hints in the dojo, right after discovering the injured Sano, has been skipped.
  • Bubbles of the narrator, about Sano not waking up after 3 days, but not being in danger any more thanks to Megumi, have been removed.
  • Akamatsu threatening Saitô after telling him to go kill Kenshin right now has been skipped.
  • Saitô precising to Akamatsu that Kenshin probably doesn't have any idea of his mobile has not been adapted.
  • During the fight between Kenshin and Akamatsu, the latter insulting Kenshin, and the former voicing his surprise at Akamatsu's hidden chains, have been skipped.
  • Akamatsu telling to Kenshin that he's not on par with him on speed but that he is in strenght, have been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • Kaoru calls Kenshin two times before he wakes up, but in the Manga, she does so only one time.
  • The position of Kaoru and Yahiko after Kenshin wakes up has been altered.
  • Yahiko is shown with his shinai in his back, but in the Manga, he holds it on his shoulder with a bag just like Kaoru.
  • The trees around the road Kenshin and co. takes after Kenshin wakes up were changed from Sakuras to Wisterias.
  • The hairstyle of a few members of the Shinsengumi has been changed.
  • Saitô takes out the bag containing the medicine with his right hand, but he does so with his left one in the Manga.
  • Sano stands up to take the hand of Saitô here, but he did earlier, when saying that Kenshin and co. were absent, in the Manga.
  • Saitô pushing Sano through the wall has been moved to a later moment.
  • The place Kenshin and co. come across Megumi has been entirely changed.
  • Kenshin smells blood only when he's in front of the door of the dojo, but he does so the moment he sees the hole in the wall in the Manga.
  • The signs of the restaurant have been very slightly redesigned, and the lamp in the room got a complete one.
  • Saitô's prosterning after asking Shimubi who wants Kenshin dead has been lightened.
  • Akamatsu's gauntlets have been slightly altered, to remove the metal protections of it.
  • A few panels, about Saitô meeting Kaoru and Yahiko, have been moved from right before the start of the fight between Kenshin and Akamatsu, to the next episode.
• Anime-original content :
  • Yahiko getting out of the dojo to get the tofu himself is Anime-original.
• Extra notes :
  • This episode marks the beginning of the Kyoto Arc, the second out of the three Story Arcs of the Main Manga.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Episode 28, half of 29.
  • Faithful ? : Yes. It also contained many small Anime-original scenes, including an expansion of the flashback about the Shinsengumi.

 

Episode 23 : Chapters 51, 52, 53, 54.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few funny faces and gags have been skipped.
  • Kenshin saying that Jin-e always was crazy, and could have taken hostages, but that Saitô was not that kind of person, has been skipped.
  • Saitô precising that Kaoru and Yahiko didn't doubt him because he had a police officer's uniform have been removed.
  • Saitô mentioning the names of Jin-e and Kanryuu when he says that Kenshin failed has been skipped.
  • A few sentences that should have been said during the action of the fight of Kenshin and Saitô, have been removed. (From Kaoru about Saitô using his gatotsu a second time, from Yahiko desperating after Kenshin fails to break the katana of Saitô, from Yahiko about Saitô still trying to use his gatotsu when his katana is broken, from Sano believing Kenshin won after successfully paring the throw of Saitô, and from Sano believing that Kenshin can not win without his katana.)
  • Right before Saitô says that he changed his opinion, and will now kill Kenshin, Saitô precising that he was only asked to test Kenshin, has been skipped.
  • Saitô pointing out that Kenshin now uses the other side of his katana after he breaks his, has been skipped.
  • A few panels, in which Tsubame gets almost knocked down by the carriage of Okubo, have been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • During their discussion with Saitô, Kaoru is to the right of Kenshin, but she was to his left in the Manga.
  • The gaze of Saitô is less colder than in the Manga.
  • Saitô uses his right hand to unbutton his shirt, but he does so with his left hand in the Manga.
  • Kaoru tries to hold back Kenshin before he starts fighting Saitô with his right sleeve, but it was his left one in the Manga.
  • The way the two katana clash when Kenshin tries to break the katana of Saitô has been altered.
  • Once Kenshin successfully hits Saitô, the fight continues outside of the dojo, but in the Manga, Saitô comes back inside of it.
  • The order of the sentences of Sano, about only someone that lived the end of the Bakumatsu could stop Kenshin and Saitô, and the one about their calls not being able to attain them, have been swapped.
• Anime-original content :
  • None.
• Extra notes :
  • Contrary to nearly all previous fights (including the one against Akamatsu), the one between Kenshin and Saitô did not get extended.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 29, first half of 30.
  • Faithful ? : Yes. The fight between Kenshin and Saitô was also extended, and Saitô got some very short extra scenes to make him more badass.

 

Episode 24 : Chapters 55, 56, 57.

Spoiler

• Skipped content :
  • A few funny faces and gags have been reduced or removed.
  • A sentence by Akamatsu when he's spying on the Kamiya dojo, in which he says that he has to inform Shibumi, has been skipped.
  • Right after Kenshin explains who Makoto Shishio is, the reactions of Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi, were removed.
  • When explaining what they did to Makoto Shishio, a few sentences of Okubo, about how they had no choice but to kill him, or how he wasn't as cooperative as Kenshin, has been skipped.
  • A panel, in which Sano says that he won't let them get Kenshin to become an assassin again, and prepare himself to fight Kawaji, has been skipped.
  • Right after Okubo orders Kawaji to stop, the latter, protesting, has been skipped.
  • A dialogue between Akamatsu and Shibumi, in which the latter thinks of blackmailing Saitô, has been skipped.
  • The decapited head of Akamatsu has been censored.
  • Kaoru thinking about the visit of Okubo when she sees the calendar has been skipped.
  • When talking with Kenshin on the day of the visit of Okubo, a few sentences of Sano, in which he says he hopes Kenshin will deny it, and mentions the Sekihotai, have been skipped.
  • Sano greeting Megumi when she enters the dojo has been skipped.
  • Right after everyone reassures Kaoru, the latter, thinking about Okubo, Shishio, and Battosai, have been skipped.
  • A few boxes of the narrator about Kiozaka, which were before the scene of Okubo in his carriage, have been removed.
  • A few sentences of Okubo when he was in his carriage, about how the meeting will be long, have been skipped.
  • When the kid mentions the name of Shishio, Okubo reacting to it, has been skipped.
  • A short dialogue between Kenshin and Saitô about the sadness of Kawaji has been skipped.
  • During his farewells, a few sentences of Kenshin, about how he'll try to talk with Shishio, but may need to fight, or even kill him, have been skipped.
• Altered content :
  • During the introduction of Okubo, Sano could already stand up alone in the Manga, but not here.
  • Saitô puts his uniform on his right shoulder, but it was his left one in the Manga.
  • When mentioning the name of Makoto Shishio, the face of Okubo was much more colder and serious in the Manga.
  • Once in the dojo, Kawaji is standing to the left of Okubo, but he was to his right in the Manga. Okubo is seen without his coat, but he still had it on him in the Manga.
  • During the explanations of Okubo, the face of Shishio is completely hidden, whereas it was visible in the Manga. The silhouettes of his subordinates are also not as clear as they were in the Manga.
  • The seriousness of all the Kenshin-gumi has been heavily reduced after Okubo asks Kenshin to go to Kyoto.
  • Megumi was much more angry when she realized she was used to blackmail Kenshin in the Manga.
  • Kaoru opens the door once she hears Kenshin talk with Sano, but in the Manga, she was there from the beginning.
  • For his visual representation when Kenshin talks about him, Saitô is shown with his bandana, but he was not in the Manga.
  • The clothes of the samurais from Ishikawa have all been altered, to remove the patterns on them.
  • The corpse of Okubo falls out of the carriage when the samurais of Ishikawa open the door, but it did not in the Manga.
  • The office of Kawaji, and the one of Okubo, have been redesigned.
  • The scene in which the death of Okubo is spread, has been moved from before the scene in the office of Kawaji, to after it.
  • The kid who needs Megumi's help, was panicked and pressed her in the Manga, but not here.
• Anime-original content :
  • Kaoru's worried gaze after Okubo leaves the dojo is Anime-original.
  • The post-credit sentences were not said in the Manga at that point. The reveal of Shishio was also not present here.
• Extra notes :
  • None.
• 1996 Anime :
  • Equivalent : Second half of Episode 30, entirety of 31.
  • Faithful ? : Yes. A few scenes were also extended, such as Kenshin reflecting on the bridge, or the farewell scene.

 

Note that some of the alterations or original content due to the difference in medium aren't listed, such as the way Kenshin moves his scabbard, or the pictures used to illustrate what the characters are talking about.

[Koby]

Added the breakdown for episodes 19 & 20.