Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc

Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc (るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪満譚― 新京都編) is a two-part original video animation (OVA) based on the manga series Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It is a retelling of the manga's Kyoto arc. Produced by Aniplex and animated by Studio Deen, it was released in December 2011 and June 2012. The story focuses on the young Oniwabanshū member Makimachi Misao, who encounters the wanderer Himura Kenshin, who is on a quest to defeat the forces of his successor Shishio Makoto.

Plot

In the early summer of 1878, Ōkubo Toshimichi is assassinated, and the mastermind behind the plot—Shishio Makoto—devises a scheme to destroy Kyoto. To thwart his plans, Okina, the leader of the Kyoto Oniwabanshū entrusts Makimachi Misao, the orphaned daughter of his predecessor, with a critical mission: to locate Himura Kenshin, a former assassin once known as, who played a shadowy role in the Meiji Restoration.

Misao travels along the Tōkaidō road, hoping to find Kenshin—who may also have information about her beloved Shinomori Aoshi. Unbeknownst to her, Kenshin is already en route to Kyoto to confront Shishio. Though initially bewildered by the stark contrast between Kenshin's fearsome reputation and his gentle demeanor, Misao accompanies him on their journey. Eventually, the two confront Shishio in the village of Shingetsu.

Shishio proclaims that the corrupt Meiji government must be overthrown and a new world forged through strength. Kenshin rejects his ideology, prompting Shishio to mockingly order his subordinate, Seta Sōjirō, to attack. In the ensuing battle, Kenshin's reverse-blade sword, the sakabatō—the symbol of his vow never to kill again—is shattered.

After acquiring a new sword, Kenshin—joined by Saitō Hajime and aided by allies—foils Shishio's scheme to ignite Kyoto. Determined to dismantle Shishio's grander ambitions, they pursue him to Osaka Port, where a decisive battle unfolds aboard his ironclad warship, the Rengoku. Within its hull, Kenshin and Shishio clash in a duel that transcends mere combat, embodying the ideological strife born from the chaos of the Bakumatsu. The confrontation reaches its climax when Shishio impales Kenshin with a lethal thrust, only for Kenshin to counter by smashing his sword's hilt into Shishio's forehead, splitting his skull. Shishio dies moments later as an explosion consumes the vessel.

In the aftermath, Kenshin crosses paths with Aoshi, defeating him in combat before convincing him to reunite with Misao. With Shishio's menace finally eradicated, Kenshin departs alongside Aoshi to rejoin Misao and the rest of his awaiting friends.

Production and release

Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc was produced to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Rurouni Kenshin 1996 anime series, shifting focus to the character Makimachi Misao.[1] Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Studio Deen, and most of the original voice cast reprised their roles after a nine-year hiatus. However, Hirotaka Suzuoki, the original voice actor for Saitō Hajime, died in 2006; Ken Narita assumed the role instead.[2] Narita studied Suzuoki's portrayal to ensure his interpretation remained consistent with the character. Furuhashi, despite a busy schedule, chose to direct the films himself, feeling unable to entrust the project to another director. The animation was designed to appeal to both younger and older audiences. Furuhashi previously directed the 1996 anime series—his debut as a TV director—which aired on Fuji TV's prime-time slot, a significant responsibility. His work on the original series established his reputation, making his return for New Kyoto Arc a meaningful endeavor.[3]

The project was first announced by the Jump Square magazine in April 2011.[4] The project was split into two parts and is a remake of the second arc, the Kyoto arc, with some changes.[2] The first part, subtitled Cage of Flames (焔の獄), was released on December 17, 2011. The title was selected from a fan suggestion.[5] It ran at Tokyo's Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro theater and Osaka's Cine-Libre Umeda theater for one week.[6] The second part, subtitled Warble of Light (光の囀), was released on June 23, 2012, and ran for three weeks in ten theaters.[7] Aniplex released the first part on DVD and Blu-ray on March 21, 2012,[5][8] while the second part was released on August 22, 2012.[9]

Aniplex of America announced at Otakon 2011 that they were in "negotiations" for English language rights to the films.[10] North American licensor Sentai Filmworks released both parts together on DVD and Blu-ray sets on March 5, 2013.[11][12]

Reception

The New Kyoto Arc OVAs received negative reception from critics. Capsule Computers stated that since the New Kyoto Arc is written from Misao's point of view, many of Kenshin's allies did not get much screentime in comparison. Nevertheless, the critic praised the voice work of Meg Bauman as Misao's actress.[13] Bamboo Dong from Anime News Network highly criticized Kenshin in the OVA's retelling of the Kyoto arc for lacking all the development he received in both the manga and anime of this arc. Dong also referred to Shishio as "everyone's favorite mummy man" but found disgust in how the OVA's staff portrayed him as having a sexual relationship despite his body being in poor shape to do so due to suffering major burns. Dong also criticized the lack of good fight scenes despite all the buildup Shishio received in order to conquer Japan through his forces.[14] Indiewire found the New Kyoto Arc inferior to the original despite still being faithful to the source material.[15] Despite noting the OVA's weak aspects, The Fandom Post still found the series enjoyable for this attempt at revisiting Kenshin's fight against the Ten Swords.[16]

The Blu-ray and DVD of the second volume of the duology sold more than six thousand copies within the first week of its Japanese release, ranking eighth and ninth, respectively.[17][18]

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