Rurouni Kenshin, Wandering Samurai, on Fuji TV
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Also called "Samurai X". Anyway, I quite like the opening theme, "Freckles" (or "Sobakasu")- rather than my posting an mp3 here, why don't you go watch it on Retro Junk? And I like the way Kenshin has of speaking, that I do. Ah yes, the main character is Kenshin Himura, who was known as Battousai the Manslayer during the Meiji Restoration which restored power to the Emperor of Japan in 1868, after a couple hundred years of the Tokugawa Shogunate. ("Rurouni" is a combination of the words "rurou," meaning "to wander," and "ronin," meaning "masterless samurai.") He was one of the greatest of the Imperialists, but now feels remorse for all the killing he did during the war, and will not kill again. He'll only use a reverse-blade sword, now. He uses an ultrasonic sword technique called hiten mitsurugi.

Anyway, the story is set about 11 years into the Meiji Era, after the revolution. Kenshin comes to stay at a dojo run by a girl named Kaoru Kamiya, whose father was the former master. There she teaches the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu style of martial arts. Also living there are Dr. Gensai, who raised Kaoru after her father's death, and his two young granddaughters, Ayame and Suzume. In the course of the series, they are joined by others. They include Yahiko Myojin, a young boy who Kenshin rescued from a life as a pickpocket for the local Yakuza; Sanosuke Sagara, formerly known as Zanza, master of a giant sword called a zanbatou, who wanted revenge against all Imperialists for betraying the Sekihoutai army, a unit which had fought for the Imperialists during the revolution; and Megumi Takane, a doctor who they rescued from the service of criminals who forced her to make a special lethal opium, in hopes of eventually being reunited with her family.

Anyway, for the most part it seems Kenshin wants a peaceful life, but he always ends up fighting to protect the oppressed, even when that means fighting corrupt police, or other agents of the Imperialist government Kenshin himself helped restore. In some ways I guess Kenshin reminds me of Vash the Stampede, from the anime Trigun. Just this great fighter seeking peace, refusing to kill anyone, but circumstances and his reputation always force him to fight, anyway... plus he can have some really silly moments, too. Anyway... the show's pretty good. Dunno what else to say, except that Cartoon Network didn't show the whole series, so there's alot I still need to see, and no telling when I'll get to that. If I ever do get a chance to see some more, hopefully I'll update this entry a bit....