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Rurouni Kenshin is centered on a character named Himura Kenshin during the Meiji Era, just after the Bakumatsu (Boshin
Civil Wars). He was formerly known Hitokiri Battousai, infamous for his sword prowess (using the technique Hiten Mitsurugi
Ryuu: Flying Sword to Heaven Technique/Philosophy) and the many lives he took during the war. Filled with remorse, he wanders
Japan ten years after the Bakumatsu, atoning for his so-called sins. The anime begins in the streets of Edo. Himura Kenshin
is going about his business and is suddenly stopped by a woman with a bokken (wooden sword). She challenged him to a battle,
declaring stoutly that she would put a stop to his murderous pursuits. The woman's name is Kamiya Kaoru, shihondai (adjutant
master) of the technique known as Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu (The Sword that Protects). Her technique embodies the ideals of the
Meiji, and in retrospect, is a direct contradiction of Kenshin's ideals during his days as an assassin. The concept of extreme
opposites culminates Kenshin's quest for atonement and he decides to live with Kaoru in the Kamiya Dojo. His personality as
the Rurouni is very different from Hitokiri Battousai. Where the assassin lived in pain, blood and government intrigue, his
life in the Kamiya Dojo was about laundry, cooking, and protecting the ones he cares for without need of bloodshed.
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Through the course of the series, the main characters come into play. Myojin Yahiko is introduced as a child, forced
to work for the Yakuza as a pick-pocket. Segara Sanosuke is a street fighter who is one of the two remaining members of the
Sekihoutai, a civilian army annihilated towards the end of the Bakumatsu. Takani Megumi, a woman who dreams of becoming a
doctor, but is hampered by her association with a man who has compelled her to make opium in a flourishing drug trade.
Introduces
the main characters apart from Himura Kenshin, giving them depth, why they are the way they are, and how they relate to life,
by themselves and with their new found friends in the Kamiya Dojo. In this arc, the "Kenshin-Gumi" (Kenshin & Co.) is
formed. These episodes are a prelude to how the characters would react to situations that would befall them in the later episodes.
Kenshin swearing to uphold his promise not to kill (hasn't killed a soul in ten years); Kaoru's constantly bright and optimistic
disposition with her propensity to help those (even strangers) in need; Yahiko's childlike eagerness for life and his tendency
to do things on impulse; Sanosuke's tough-guy image clashing with his feelings of concern for his friends; and finally Megumi's
go-girl attitude, finding herself able to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. The Oniwabanshu, as led by Shinomori Aoshi,
is introduced.
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