Rurouni Kenshin Anime

You can access the TV anime through fansubs. I think its 'Shinsengumi' who did the fansubs. I have yet to find their site. Sony import LDs are available online, but they're a bit on the expensive side. Ruroken has been brought over to the U.S. is being slowly serialized by Media Blasters, a division of Anime Works. I think they did a good job of the translating and recommend the DVD.

Original Story: Nobuhiro Watsuki (Shueisha JUMP)
Executive Producer: Kenji Shimizu, Ryuzo Shirakawa
Producers: Koji Kaneda, Mitsuhisa Hida, Ayao Wakana
Animation Character Design: Hideki Hamasu
Animation Production: Studio Gallop
Prodution Copyright: FUJI Televsion Networks INC, SPE Visual Works INC
Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi

US Release Information:
English Producer: John Sirabella
Production Manager: Sam Liebowitz
Production Supervisor: Sean Molyneaux
Avid Editor: Scott Marchfeld
Translator: Rika Takahashi
Dubbing Studio: Bang Zoom! Entertainment
English Version Writen & Directed by: Eric Sherman

The TV Anime series began in 1994 and ended in 1997. There were a total of 94 episodes that aired, and the special episode #95 which was only available by buying. It basically followed the manga well, with slight variations here and there, including sometimes funny but pointless filler episodes. However, after the Kyoto Arc, the anime broke away from the manga and put in a lot of 'filler' series, which weren't all that great in my opinion. Gomen for not having a complete episode list & guide.

Although the TV series doesn't touch upon the Memory/Revenge Arc, about Kenshin's past, I personally didn't care much about that. If you are interested in that section of the Ruroken series, I'd recommend reading the manga beyond volume 20 or so. There is an OVA, "Reminisces" which tells the "Memory Arc", all that stuff in Kyoto and how Kenshin got his scar. But, for me, I think the animation was very poor and the story-telling wasn't smooth, considering it was an OVA and only 4 parts long. It's told better in the manga anyway. Unfortunately, there is no anime available for the final part of the manga, "Revenge Arc". Disappointing as it may seem, Kenshin & Kaoru will never get an appropiate 'resolved ending' in anime.

Despite all this, the anime does provide more of an interactive type of story-telling which the manga might have lacked. One will find this true in Episode 31, with the famous "Fireflies scene". The feelings conveyed by the beautiful music and beautiful animation makes the scene even more memorable and my all time favorite.

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