Filler Episodes
Some of you die-hard Rurouni Kenshin fans might find me a disgrace to the RK fandom but I actually liked the filler episodes. Well, not all of them, but A LOT of them. Of course, they can't ever compare to the Jinchuu arc but nevertheless, I enjoyed watching them, sometimes just to get a glimpse of some K&K fluff.^_^X Anyway, here's what I think of the specific filler episodes.
Shimabara Arc
To be honest, I loved this part of the anime. There were a lot of sweet K&K moments that just made me want to swoon. It was K&K fluff heaven. ^_^X Also, I like this part because I saw a completely different side of Sano. He is boyfriend material after all! ^_^X He and Sayo had a promising relationship but maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Oh well... I really felt bad for Sano when Sayo died because I felt that she could have been the great love of his life. Also, this arc brings so much possibilities: A Shogo X Kaoru pairing (hey, I'm a big K&K supporter but I also like alternative pairings), Sano X Sayo etc. Hehehe, you might find Shogo X Kaoru pairing really weird but the chemistry between them was undeniable, at least on Shogo's side. 'Can't blame him though, 'cause Kaoru-chan's really adorable.
Black Knights Arc
This part is so-so. Not good, not so bad either. Yutaro was in it, which I guess is a plus, but then, the whole thing was just a little weird. One thing I liked about it though was the seemingly blossoming relationship between Misanagi (the pretty Okashira of the Sanada ninjas) and Schneider. On the other hand, one thing I didn't like very much about it is that Kenshin seemed so insensitive. When he carried Kaoru across the bridge, he actually had the audacity to ask her if she gained some weight. Geez, can you believe that guy? Another thing, though not really significant, is that Misanagi's hairstyle was, uh, not so pretty, to say the least. It's something I'd expect on a high school anime girl or a Sailor Moon villain, definitely not on a ninja.
Feng-shui Arc
This one's even weirder than the Black Knights arc. And the Kenshin-gumi are a bit OOC. Remember when Kaoru was dying? Only Yahiko seemed to be extremely bothered about it. I was sorely disappointed with Kenshin's reaction because although he was sad/outraged that Kaoru was dying, he seemed strangely detached... a BIG difference from his reaction in the Jinchuu arc when he realized it was Kaoru that Enishi was after. Okay so it's a different circumstance, but still, it goes down to him losing Kaoru. In the Fengshui episodes, based on his reaction, one would think that it was not the woman he loved that he was close to losing, unlike in the manga wherein one can see his despair to get to Kaoru when he thought Enishi was gonna kill her. Oh well...
The Engagement Ring Episode
I really, really, really hated this one! Others might have found it funny but I DEFINITELY did not! Kenshin was such a loser!!! I mean, he didn't have to faint and act as though the idea of getting married to Kaoru was so out-of-this-world. Geez, he acted like an inexperienced teenager, to think that he was married before, and at a much younger age too!!! For me, his reaction was such a letdown. A real man wouldn't have fainted when facing such a situation: A real man would have steered Kaoru to a private place and told her that although he cared for her, he wasn't ready to marry her yet. That simple!!! Others might argue that Kenshin just got surprised. Okay, granted that he was surprised, but I still think his reaction sucked... not to mention, totally out of character. The Kenshin I knew and loved in the Tokyo and Kyoto arc wouldn't ever be that insensitive. He was always composed, always conscious of how his actions would affect Kaoru. That Kenshin in the Tokyo/Kyoto arc is NOT the same Kenshin in the engagement ring episode.
Have I mentioned I hated that filler episode? :p
The Pirate Shura Episodes
I loved this one because of the sweet K&K moments. I especially loved that nighttime scene on the deck when both Kenshin and Kaoru couldn't sleep. It was so sweet when Kenshin told Kaoru that if he had found out earlier that Kaoru was in the ship with them, he would have made sure she never sailed with them so that she would be safe. I was like, 'aw, that is so sweet!'
The Painter Episode
For me, that episode was a big joke. Again, Kenshin was out-of-character. He was so oblivious to Kaoru's feelings for him and he wasn't a bit jealous that some other guy was in love with her. Again, it was a disappointment. And his reaction when he got a look at the painting was mean. He laughed along with the others, not caring or thinking that Kaoru might get embarrassed or something. The only thing I liked about this episode was Misao and Sano's scheming. Now that was funny! ^_^X
The Daigoro-Itsuko episodes
Unremarkable. I almost forgot it existed. If I wasn't going through the episodes earlier, I wouldn't have remembered them. Okay, I think that Daigoro is a cutie... a bit klutzy, but still a cutie nonetheless. But that's just about it. Next episode please!
The Girl's Day Out Episode (episode 89)
This has got to be my all-time favorite filler episode! It was funny, fluffy, and almost no one was out of character. I especially loved the hints about Misao and Aoshi. And have you noticed that how cute Aoshi looked in that episode? ^_^X The only thing I didn't like about that episode was Tae's nagging on Kaoru about her weight. Puhleeze, does Kaoru really have to worry about that when she's so damn thin?
I guess that's all for now. I can't remember all of the filler episodes so I can't really review them all. Maybe, I'll post more on my next update. ^_^X