Himura Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin character
Himura Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
First appearance	Rurouni Kenshin manga chapter 1 Rurouni Kenshin anime episode 1
Voiced by	Japanese Mayo Suzukaze (anime) Megumi Ogata (drama CD)[1] English Richard Cansino (anime, Credited as Richard Hayworth) J. is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. is a Japanese Mangaka, best known for his Samurai -themed series Rurouni Kenshin. born, is a Japanese film and television actress from Ishinomaki. ( June 6, 1965) is a female Seiyū and singer from the Tokyo Metropolitan area Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. Richard Cansino (Born August 10, 1953 in Los Angeles, California) is a voice actor Richard Cansino (Born August 10, 1953 in Los Angeles, California) is a voice actor Shanon Weaver (OVA)[2]
Profile
Age	28
Date of birth	June 20, 1849[3]
Occupation	Former hitokiri
Known relatives	Yukishiro Tomoe (late wife, deceased) Yukishiro Enishi (ex-brother-in-law) Kamiya Kaoru (wife) Himura Kenji (son)

Himura Kenshin (緋村 剣心, Himura Kenshin^?), known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language dub, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common was a term given to four Samurai during the Bakumatsu era in Japanese history. Yukishiro Tomoe (雪代 巴 known in Western order ( Tomoe Yukishiro) in the English anime is a fictional character in Nobuhiro Watsuki 's popular Yukishiro Enishi (雪代 縁 is a character from the manga Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. known as Kaoru Kamiya in the English-language dub, is a Fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States In filmmaking, dubbing or looping is the process of recording or replacing voices for a Motion picture. is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with unique background elements such as an imaginary history or geography and possibly fantasy or science is a Japanese Mangaka, best known for his Samurai -themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He is the main protagonist for the series and has developed into a media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime, original video animations (OVAs), movies, soundtracks, video games, and other collectibles. The Protagonist or main character is the central figure of a story. A media franchise is an Intellectual property involving the characters, setting, and Trademarks of an original work of media (usually ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly (anime in Japanese, abbreviated (and sometimes as OAV) is a term originating from Japanese animation ( Anime) for animated films and series which are made specially to be A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. For the record label see Collectables Records For the Ashanti album see Collectables by Ashanti A collectable When creating Kenshin, Watsuki designed him to be the physical opposite of Hiko Seijūrō, a character that appears in Watsuki's first one-shot manga, Crescent Moon in the Warring States, and later in Rurouni Kenshin as his swordsmanship teacher. is Himura Kenshin 's master in the Anime / Manga series Rurouni Kenshin. In the American Comic book industry the term one-shot is used to denote a pilot comic or a stand-alone story created to last as one issue is a manga written by Nobuhiro Watsuki back in his days as a manga artist assistant

Set in a fictional version of Japan, during the pre-Meiji period, Kenshin is a former legendary assassin known as "Hitokiri Battōsai" (人斬り抜刀斎, "Hitokiri Battōsai"^?). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The, or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July ^[4] At the end of the Bakumatsu, he becomes a wandering samurai, now wielding a sakabatō (逆刃刀, sakabatō^? lit. are the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate came to an end "reverse-blade sword"), a katana that has the cutting edge on the inwardly curved side of the sword, thus being incapable of killing. A is a type of Japanese sword ( nihontō) and often is called a "samurai sword Kenshin wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need, as atonement for the murders he once committed as an assassin. In Tokyo, he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who invites him to live in her dojo despite learning about Kenshin's past. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. known as Kaoru Kamiya in the English-language dub, is a Fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created Throughout the series, Kenshin begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies, while dealing with his fair share of enemies, new and old. Through these encounters and relationships, Kenshin begins to find true atonement for his past enabling him to fully conquer his "Battōsai" nature. By the series end, he has found true peace and contentment as the husband of Kaoru and the father of their son, Himura Kenji.

Kenshin's character was well received by fans, with his holding the top spot in all reader popularity polls for the series. Critics of the series praised his personality, though some complained about his development during the anime OVA series, which differs from the manga. A variety of collectibles based around Kenshin have been created, including figurines, key chains, plushies, and replicas of his sakabatō sword. For the record label see Collectables Records For the Ashanti album see Collectables by Ashanti A collectable An action figure is a posable character Figurine, made of Plastic or other materials and often based upon a movie, Comic book, Video game A keychain or key chain is a small chain, usually made from Metal or Plastic, that connects a small item to a Keyring. A stuffed animal is Toy Animal sewn from Cloth,

Contents 1 Creation and conception 2 Character outline 2.1 Background 2.2 Personality 2.3 Techniques 3 Plot overview 4 Appearances in other media 5 Reception 6 Notes and references

Creation and conception

Watsuki discovered and used the story of Kawakami Gensai, a hitokiri executed by the Meiji Government. ( 4 December 1834 - 13 January 1871) was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. The Government of Meiji period Japan from 1868-1911 was an evolution of institutions and structures from the feudal order of the Tokugawa bakufu towards According to Watsuki, when he found that Kawakami maintained a duty to his dead comrades, he decided to create the title character. The title role in the Performing arts is the performance Part that gives the title to the piece as in Aida, Giselle, Since Watsuki's debut work contained a tall, black-haired man in "showy" armor, the creator wanted to make a character "completely opposite" to the debut character and the new character ended up "coming out like a girl. " According to Watsuki, he used "no real motif" when creating Kenshin and placed a cross-shaped scar when "not knowing what else to do. "^[5] At the end of the series, Kenshin appears with short hair. Initially, Watsuki had planned to make his hair shorter before the end, however, he found this to be similar to the character Multi from To Heart. is a Japanese Visual novel by Leaf / Aquaplus released in 1997 for the PC. ^[6] Watsuki based most of Kenshin's abilities on a real swordsman of the Tokugawa period named Matsubayashi Henyasai, who was skilled in acrobatic techniques. The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 ^[7] During the Kyoto arc, Kenshin is given a new sword with a sheath made of wood. Watsuki decided to redesign the sword to make it look as the first one Kenshin had in the series, though it is more difficult to draw. ^[8]

During the development of Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Watsuki and his editor argued over Kenshin's speech patterns; they settled for a "slangy" pattern. is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. For the final version of the first Romantic Story, Watsuki adjusted the dialogue; in his view, he made Kenshin sound "more as I prefer him now. "^[9] Watsuki added Kenshin's trademark "oro" as a placeholder to be an expression of the English speech disfluency "huh. Speech disfluencies are any of various breaks irregularities or utterances that are often not consistent with any specific grammatical construction and occur within the flow of otherwise " Watsuki notes that he was surprised at how much it caught on, and how much he ended up having Kenshin use the sound during the series. ^[10] Watsuki also planned to make Kenshin older than 30 years old; his editor commented that it was strange that the main character of a manga for teenagers was so old, so he made Kenshin 28 years old. ^[11]

In the first Rurouni Kenshin kanzenban, published in Japan in July 2006, Watsuki included a draft page featuring a redesign of Kenshin's character. is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series though the Manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series To make his X-shaped scar more notable, Watsuki made it long enough to cross his nose. Kenshin's hair is tied in two tails, which are flowing to make him look younger, but shorter, to be less androgynous. Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ ( anér, meaning man and γυνή ( gyné, meaning woman that can refer to either of two Watsuki also added a habaki to Kenshin's sword to make it easier to draw by simplifying its structure, while also emphasizing strength. The habaki ( 啖呵) is a piece of metal encircling the base of the blade of a Japanese bladed weapon ^[12] Kenshin's hitokiri look was also redesigned slightly, by making his clothes more damaged and giving him Yukishiro Tomoe's neck scarf. Yukishiro Tomoe (雪代 巴 known in Western order ( Tomoe Yukishiro) in the English anime is a fictional character in Nobuhiro Watsuki 's popular ^[13]

In the anime adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki's designs were combined with the voice talents of Mayo Suzukaze, a female seiyū. born, is a Japanese film and television actress from Ishinomaki. A is a Japanese vocal actor Seiyū work in Radio, Television, and movies; they perform voice-overs for non-Japanese movies they provide narration and they In producing the English dub version of the series, Media Blasters considered following suit, with Mona Marshall considered as a finalist for voicing Kenshin. Media Blasters is a corporation in New York City that was founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz Mona Marshall (born Mona M Ianotti on August 31, 1947) is an American Voice actress. Richard Hayworth eventually was selected for the role, giving Kenshin's character a more masculine voice in the English adaptation. Richard Cansino (Born August 10, 1953 in Los Angeles, California) is a voice actor Marshall was selected instead to voice the younger Kenshin during flashback scenes. Clark Cheng, writer of the dub script, noted that localizing Kenshin's unusual speech was a difficult process. His use of "de gozaru" and "oro" were not only character trademarks that indicated Kenshin's state of mind, but important elements to the story. However, neither is directly translatable to English, and in the end the company chose to replace "de gozaru" with "that I did" and "that I am. " Kenshin's signature "oro" was replaced with "huah" to simulate it being a "funny sound" that had no real meaning. ^[14]

Character outline

Background

Kenshin is born into a peasant family under the given name of "Shinta". After losing both his parents to cholera by age seven, he is sold into slavery. Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another ^[15] The slave-traders' caravan is attacked by bandits who kill all of the peasants except for Shinta, who is saved by a swordsmanship teacher called Seijūrō, who renames the boy "Kenshin", as the name 'Ken' (sword) and 'Shin' (heart) were more fitting for a swordsman. ^[15]

After a few years under Seijūrō's guidance, Kenshin's wish to protect the people with his skills results in his abandonment of both his master and his training. His sword skills soon attract the attention of Katsura Kogoro, a leader of the Chōshū clan. also referred as Kido Kōin was a Japanese statesman during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and the Meiji Restoration. The was a Feudal domain of Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867 occupying the whole of modern day Yamaguchi Prefecture. Kenshin is sent to Kyoto and assigned the role of an assassin, sharing the common goal of the Ishin Shishi upon the Tokugawa shogunate. Shishi (志士 sometimes known as 維新志士 Ishin-shishi) was a term used to describe Japanese political activists of the late Edo period The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the, and the, was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the Shoguns of ^[16] Within the first six months of his career, he kills over 100 people, and eventually became known as the "Hitokiri Battōsai". At one point, he comes face to face with a woman named Yukishiro Tomoe, who initially wanted to avenge the death of her fiancé, whom Kenshin had killed, but falls in love with him instead and starts a romantic relationship. After the crisis suffered by the Chōshū clan in the Ikedaya Jiken, both Kenshin and Tomoe get married and flee to a remote village. The Ikedaya Jiken (池田屋事件 also known as the Ikedaya Affair or Ikedaya Incident, was an armed encounter between the shishi from Chōshū- ^[17]

Sometime later, Tomoe meets with the leader of the Yaminobu, a fictional pro-Shogunate covert network of ninjas that had formulated a plan to assassinate Kenshin. She realizes that all along they had actually used her to create Kenshin's weakness. ^[18] Meanwhile, Kenshin runs off to find his wife, but is ambushed by Yaminobu ninjas and is severely wounded. ^[19] He manages to defeat them and eventually finds Tomoe with the leader of the Yaminobu. In a desperate attempt to defeat the leader, Kenshin blindly swings his sword, killing both his assailant and Tomoe, who jumps in at the last minute to save Kenshin from a fatal attack. Tomoe's knife flies into the air and coincidentally slashes Kenshin's already scarred cheek, creating the famous X-shaped scar across his left cheek. ^[20] Following the death of Tomoe, Katsura replaces Kenshin in his role as assassin, and is reassigned as a guerrilla swordsman protecting the Imperialists. ^[21] After the end of the Bakumatsu, Kenshin leaves Kyoto. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. ^[22]

Personality

Kenshin desires to protect people from danger without killing. Formerly known as "the strongest hitokiri," Kenshin is the main target of many old enemies, thus he avoids letting others get too close to him personally for their own protection. However, he eventually begins relying on his friends, allowing them to fight alongside him. ^[23] He also has a rivalry with the ex-Shinsengumi member Saitō Hajime since the Bakumatsu. For the NHK television series see Shinsengumi!. The were a Special police force of the Late shogunate period. is a Fictional character in the Anime and Manga series Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Although they become partners in the series, they both know that one day they will finish their duel. After the end of the Jinchu arc, Kenshin challenges Saitō to end the rivalry, but Saitō refuses to fight since Kenshin is different from the time they were enemies. ^[24]

Throughout the series, a young woman named Kaoru develops strong romantic feelings for him, and he also comes to love her. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS*************** Despite his feelings, he is constantly haunted by the wrongs committed in his past, and believes he does not deserve happiness. However, as he notes how Kaoru would feel if he dies, Kenshin decides not to leave her and regains a desire to survive. ^[25]

If he is not able to protect his loved ones, he begins to shift into his "Hitokiri Battōsai" personality, and takes extreme measures in order save others, caring little for the well-being of his opponents. ^[26] However, Kenshin avoids changing his personality, swearing that he will never kill, and will try to avoid the deaths of as many people possible. ^[27]

Kenshin's Japanese-language dialogue contains some unusual words and catch phrases which can cause problems in translations. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities A catch phrase (or catchphrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance Most of the time, he refers to himself with the extremely humble pronoun "sessha" (translated in the manga by Viz as "this one") and uses the formal verb "de gozaru" (conveyed by Media Blasters by phrases like "…that it is. Viz Media LLC, headquartered in San Francisco California, is an Anime, Manga and Japanese Entertainment company founded in 1986 "). He also addresses most women with an honorific which is generally reserved for feudal lords. The Japanese language has many Honorifics parts of speech which show Respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations The ( were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings In the English anime, "Miss Kaoru" is used instead of "Kaoru-dono. Japanese, like other languages uses a broad array of Honorifics for addressing or referring to people with respect " When in his "Battōsai" mode, Kenshin changes from being polite to serious; one of his quotes, "de gozaru", disappears and "sessha" is replaced with the more typical brash male pronoun "ore". ^[26] Along the series, Kenshin uses the quote "oro", which expresses surprise or dismay, based on the similar exclamation "ara" (generally considered feminine). As proper Japanese vocabulary, "oro" only exists as a word for lochia. In the field of Obstetrics, lochia is Post-partum Vaginal discharge containing Blood, Mucus, and Placental tissue In the English dub, "oro" has been translated into "huh". "Oro" is kept intact in the Viz manga. ^[28]

Techniques

Kenshin is a practitioner of the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū (飛天御剣流, Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū^? lit. "Flying Heaven Honorable Sword Style"), also referred to in the series as "Ultrasonic Sword Style", a fictional ancient sword art. Kenshin's mastery of the style allows him to possess superhuman speed and reflexes, study and predict his opponent's movements in battle, and perform many powerful sword techniques. In generalDO NOT ADD INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT CONCERN COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS In generalDO NOT ADD INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT CONCERN COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS ^[22] Among several of his Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū and battōjutsu skills, Kenshin can utilize Shinsoku (神速, Shinsoku^? lit. is a Japanese term meaning techniques for drawing a Sword. It is often used interchangeably with the terms Iaijutsu, battōdō, or "God-speed"), which allows him to quickly overpower and dispatch opponents with his sword before they have time to react. Although most of his techniques were originally intended to have deadly effects, Kenshin fights using his sakabatō, a katana that has the cutting edge on the inwardly curved side of the sword (in contrast to a normal katana, where the outwardly curved side of the sword is sharp, while the inwardly curved side of the sword is blunt), since he desires not to kill anyone. ^[22]

During the Kyoto arc, Kenshin learns the Kuzu-ryūsen (九頭龍閃, Kuzu-ryūsen^? lit. "Nine-headed Dragon Strike"), which simultaneously deals nine strikes to the fundamental targets of swordsmanship, making guarding and dodging virtually impossible,^[15] though there are a few characters capable of evading it, namely Seta Sōjirō. addressed as Sojiro Seta in the English-language dubs, is a Fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created ^[29] The Kuzu-ryūsen, however, is a byproduct used for the initiation in learning Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki (天翔龍閃, Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki^? lit. "Heavens Bridging Dragon Spark"; Viz translation - "Dragon Flight of Heaven"), a Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū battōjutsu that surpasses the speed of the Kuzu-ryūsen. ^[30] The secret behind the technique lies in an additional step with the left foot which adds instantaneous acceleration and weight to the sword. ^[31] In addition, if the initial strike is avoided or blocked, the force of the unusually fast slashing motion displaces the air around it, generating a vacuum in its wake and sucking the opponent in; as this happens, the body is spun around for a second strike, with the previous action adding force and momentum to the swing, making the subsequent strike far stronger. ^[32] Since the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū is only suitable to a wide-framed muscular build like that of Seijūrō's, Kenshin's body deteriorates and he is unable to use the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū ever again by the end of the manga. ^[24]

Plot overview

After receiving his sakabatō blade, Kenshin assumes the life of a wanderer. Ten years after the Revolution, he arrives in Tokyo where he meets Kaoru, who offers him to stay in her dojo despite her knowledge that Kenshin is the "Hitokiri Battōsai". ^[22] Numerous events transpire from that point, and Kenshin establishes lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies. However, he still makes his share of enemies like Shishio Makoto, the brutal once-successor to Kenshin's position as Chōshū's hitokiri, and mastermind behind a movement seeking to overthrow the Meiji Government. Shishio Makoto (志々雄 真実 known in western order as Makoto Shishio, is a fictional character from the Manga and Anime series Rurouni ^[32] To defeat such foes, Kenshin is forced to resume his training and mend his relationship with his teacher, while forging the strongest bonds with his allies and enemies. When Yukishiro Enishi, Tomoe's revenge-obsessed brother, found out about Kenshin's feelings towards Kaoru, he set out to kidnap her, doing so and leaving a professionally made decoy of Kaoru with a sword in her heart, making everyone believe that she had been murdered. Yukishiro Enishi (雪代 縁 is a character from the manga Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. ^[33] Kenshin falls into severe depression and runs off to a village of wanderers to mourn. ^[34] However, he breaks out of his depression and after his friends discover Kaoru is alive, the group goes to rescue her on Enishi's island. ^[35] A battle between Kenshin and Enishi follows and when Kenshin wins, he and Kaoru return home. ^[36] Five years later, Kenshin is married to Kaoru and has a son named Kenji. After an encounter with Yahiko, Kenshin gives his sakabatō to him as a gift for his coming-of-age. ^[37]

Appearances in other media

Kenshin first appears in two chapters of Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story in which he arrives in Tokyo and defeats several groups of villains attacking families. abbreviated (and sometimes as OAV) is a term originating from Japanese animation ( Anime) for animated films and series which are made specially to be In these stories, Kenshin is given a similar personality to the one he has in the series but his name is unmentioned. ^[9][38] Later, in the movie Samurai X The Motion Picture, Kenshin meets a samurai named Takimi Shigure, who tries to overthrow the Meiji Government and avenge the deaths of his family during the Bakumatsu. Kenshin encounters Shigure and defeats him in order to avoid the start of a war. ^[39]

In the OVAs, Kenshin is given a more humanized design and a different personality. There are also numerous changes to his life story compared to that of the manga, including the way he received his X-shaped scar in Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal. Samurai X Trust and Betrayal, released in Japan as, is a four part OVA that serves as a prequel to the Rurouni Kenshin television series ^[40] In Samurai X: Reflection, as time passes, Kenshin becomes tortured anew by the guilt of leading a happy life after such a destructive past. Samurai X Reflection, known as in Japan is the second OVA series of the Anime show Rurouni Kenshin. He makes the decision to wander again, and Kaoru strongly supports him, promising to welcome him home with a smile and their child. Kenshin eventually becomes ravaged by an unknown disease. However, he decides to assist in the First Sino-Japanese War as he had promised the Meiji Government. The First Sino-Japanese War ( 日清戦争 Romaji: Nisshin Sensō ( 1 August 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a war fought between After the war's end, Sanosuke discovers a gravely injured Kenshin on the shore, and arranges for Kenshin's return to Tokyo and Kaoru. The two finally meet, and Kenshin collapses into her arms as he clutches her to him. Kaoru then notices Kenshin's scar has faded away, signifying his death. ^[41] Nobuhiro Watsuki, after watching the last OVA, was quite unhappy with how his story ended, saying that "Kenshin went through so much crap and deserved a happy ending. "^[10]

Kenshin is a playable character in all of the Rurouni Kenshin video games,^[42] including Jump Super Stars^[43] and Jump Ultimate Stars. A player character or playable character (PC is a Fictional character in a Video game or Role playing game who is controlled or controllable is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. is a 2D Fighting game for the Nintendo DS. It was developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo. is a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. ^[44]

Tokiko Tsumura, one of the main characters of Buso Renkin, another series created by Watsuki, is based on the design of Kenshin as a hitokiri. is a Manga series written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki commented that Tokiko is the female version of the "Hitokiri Battōsai" when he drew her face. ^[45]

Reception

Kenshin has been highly popular with the Rurouni Kenshin reader base, having ranked first in every Shonen Jump popularity poll of the series, always with more than double the votes of second place. sometimes known as Weekly Jump and better known as Shōnen Jump, is one of the longest-running weekly Manga compilations in Japan ^[31][46] Watsuki received letters from fans describing Megumi Ogata's audio theatre voice as a "good fit" for Kenshin. ( June 6, 1965) is a female Seiyū and singer from the Tokyo Metropolitan area This article is about audio performance for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. Watsuki said that he imagined Kenshin's voice to be "more neutral. "^[47] A plethora of merchandise have been released in Kenshin's likeness including keychains,^[48] action figures,^[49] and plush dolls. ^[50] Since the manga was published, non-functional^[51] and functional^[52] sakabatō have been produced for purchase by collectors and fans.

Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other media have provided praise and criticism on the character. T. H. E. M. Anime Reviews criticized that the fact that Kenshin looks super deformed in comedy scenes is not suited for the context of the character and the series. Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese Caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way typically small and chubby with stubby limbs and ^[53] AnimeOnDVD. com remarks that Kenshin has a "smartass" attitude in a review of volume 8; while they noted that is a common attitude in the anime that makes him look out-of-character. ^[54] Anime News Network praises Kenshin for being a character that all people enjoy to watch due to his comedy scenes. Anime News Network (ANN is an Anime industry News Website that reports on the status of Anime, Manga, Japanese popular ^[55] SciFi.com remarked "Kenshin's schizoid personal conflict between his ruthless-killer side and his country- bumpkin" as a perfect way to develop good stories. ^[56]

The development of Kenshin in the OVA series has had negative reviews by many publications. Anime News Network also adds that in Samurai X: Reflection he continues to be his old mopey self and critizes that he never says "oro,"^[55] while IGN cited that some moments of the relationship between Kenshin and Kaoru were depressing. IGN (abbreviated and formerly known as I magine G ames N etwork is a multimedia news and reviews Website that focuses heavily on Video ^[57] However, some reviewers noted Kenshin's personality in the OVAs to be one of the most complex to ever be animated remarking the fact that he can not forget his bloody past, although having a peaceful life. ^[58]

A large number of video game characters were based on the character of Kenshin such as Keiichiro Washizuka from The Last Blade^[59] and Shizumaru Hisame from the Samurai Shodown series. This is a list of characters appearing in ''The Last Blade'' series. is a Fighting game series created by SNK for the Neo Geo system This is a list of characters appearing in the ''Samurai Shodown'' series. Samurai Shodown ( Samurai Spirits in Japan) is the name of a Fighting game series by SNK. ^[60] Kenshin's personality was also planned to be used in the character Kakashi Hatake from Naruto, but the idea was deemed as a failure. is a Fictional character in the Naruto Manga and Anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. is an ongoing Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto with an Anime adaptation ^[61] In an interview with Mayo Suzukaze, who is the seiyū for the character, she says that she started feeling similar to Kenshin after years of work as his voice, and comments that providing the voice for the character was one of her best experiences. born, is a Japanese film and television actress from Ishinomaki. ^[62]

Notes and references

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