Rurouni Kenshin (Live Movie)

Rurouni Kenshin; るろうに剣心
	; "I definitely will return."
Director	Otomo Keishi
Writer	Fujii Kiyomi; Otomo Keishi
Release date(s)	August 25, 2012
Running time	134 min
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Gross revenue	3,010 million yen

Black and White Alternative poster

Kenshin the wanderer るろうに剣心

Historical Terms

Bakumatsu 幕末 - The end of the Edo era that marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Meiji period 明治時代 - The era when Japan moved from an isolated feudal society to a more westernized one.

Isshin-shishi 維新志士 - Means "Restoration" and "men of high purpose". This is the group the Kenshin worked for during the Bakumatsu. For the most part, they worked to usher in the Restoration, putting in place the Meiji emperor and ushering in the Meiji era.

Shinsengumi 新選組 - The "newly selected force" were the special police of the late shogunate period. That put Hajime at odds with Kenshin and made it explains why he has a pseudoname as a police officer during the Meiji era.

Major Battles Mentioned

Battle of Aizu - This is where Megumi's family died.
Boshin War 戊辰戦争 - It was during this battle that the Meiji Emperor achieved victory over the shoguns, ushering in the new age. This is the battle that Kenshin and Hajime are in at the beginning of the movie.

Cast

Himura Kenshin 緋村剣心 - Satou Takeru
Kamiya Kaoru 神谷薫 - Takei Emi
Udou Jine 鵜堂刃衛 - Kikkawa Koji
Takani Megumi 高荷恵 - Aoi Yu
Sagara Sanosuke - Aoki Munetaka
Gein 外印 - Ayano Gou
Inui Banjin 戌亥番神 - Sudo Genki
Myoujin Yahiko 明神弥彦 - 田中偉登
Chief of Police Uramura 浦村署長 - Saitou Yousuke
Sekihara Tae 関原妙 - Hirata Kaoru
Sanjou Tsubame 三条燕 - Nagano Mei
我荒・兄 Older brother - Hirayama Yusuke
我荒・弟 Younger brother - Fukami Motoki
Man in Western Clothes ?Kodama 洋装の男・児玉 - Honda Daisuke
Man in Western Clothes ?Kikuchi 洋装の男・菊池 - Okamoto Koutarou
Man in Western Clothes ?Mitsui 洋装の男・三井 - Yamasaki Jun
Man cut down 斬られる男 - 上舎裕貴
Kubo Husband 久保・夫 - Yashiba Toshihiro
Kubo Wife 久保・妻 - Anami Atsuko
Apothecary 漢方医 - Arifuku Masashi
水島 - Ochiai Motoki
Investigating officer 取調官 - Nagahori Taketoshi
Man in white 白衣の男 - Matsushima Ryota
Kiyosato Akira 清里明良 - Kubota Masataka
Katsura Kogorou 桂小五郎 - Miyakawa Ichirota
Yamagata Aritomo 山県有朋 - Okuda Eiji
徳永淳
Harada Hiroaki
Kousen
Takano Ryou
川鶴晃裕
内藤和也
渡辺菜月
河村愛子
松尾諭
Saitou Hajime 斎藤一 (Pseudoname Fujita Gorou) - Eguchi Yousuke
Takeda Kanryuu 武田観柳 - Kagawa Teruyuki

Music

The Beginning

Singer: ONE OK ROCK

Trivia

Kenshin's name during the Bakumatsu is Hitokiri Battousai.
- Hitokiri 人斬り just means "killer", literally "man slasher".
- Battousai 抜刀斎 means "master of the sword draw technique". That's because Kenshin's specialty is battoujutsu 抜刀術, which is a technique of slashing the sword using the motion of drawing the sword from its sheathe.
Kaoru notes in the movie that Kenshin's name means "heart of the sword" since the kanji in his name are sword (ken 剣) and heart (shin 心).

Toku actors

Kenshin's actor, Satou Takeru, made his toku breakthrough as Nogami Ryoutaru / Kamen Rider Den-O.
Ochiai Motoki was also in Den-O ep. 1-2. He played Tetsuo.
Kikkawa Koji (Jine) played Kamen Rider Skull and sung the songs for W and Kabuto.
Hirata Kaoru plays Tae the waitress (also appears in the scene with the poisoned people). She was MagiRed's love interest in MagiRanger.
Sudo Genki (Inui Banjin) played the Luna Dopant in Kamen Rider W.
Kubota Masataka (Kiyosato Akira) was Keita from Keitai Sousakan 7.
Saitou Yousuke (Chief of Police) played Priest Akaza in Garo Red Requiem.
Ayano Gou (Gein) played the Spider Orphenoch on Faiz.
Yamasaki Jun played Houjou Tooru on Agito and Centipede Orphenoch on Faiz.
Yashiba Toshihiro (Kubo) was Aoki on Makai Senki and on Abaranger.
Arifuku Masashi played Don Katayama on GaoRanger.
Kousen was on Ryuki 11.