Rurouni Kenshin follows the exploits of Kenshin Himura (Richard Cansino) and his closest friends as they leave Tokyo for Kyoto, based on a manga of the same name. In the second season, we watch Kenshin, well-settled into his life at the Kamiya dojo, approached by a mysterious figure. One Hajime Saito (Kirk Thornton) enters the dojo and challenges Kenshin. Kenshin’s closest friend and brilliant hand-to-hand fighter Sanosuke Sagara (Lex Lang) accepts the challenge instead and is critically wounded. In the events that follow, Kenshin hears rumors of a violent rebellion brewing in Kyoto and travels North.
On the path, he meets and defeats Misao Makimachi, the new leader of an infamous spy ring known as the Oni Gang. Kenshin is shocked to learn Saito once held her position and Misao had been Saito’s ward. Her intelligence network proves indispensable in singling out the threat to the Meiji government: Makoto Shishio (Steve Blum) a former slasher with skills to rival Kenshin has proclaimed himself a warlord and is gathering an army to conquer Japan and, eventually, the world.
If your patrons enjoyed the first season of Rurouni Kenshin, they will love the second season at least as much. The characters they’ve grown to love in the first 27 episodes are featured heavily throughout the second season and several new faces, like Misao and her Oni Gang, quickly become staple characters in the plot. The themes of non-violence, friendship, justice, and mercy continue into the second season with gusto.
Despite the great threat to Japan, the world, and himself, Kenshin refuses to take another life. Many plots by villains in this season attempt to force Kenshin back into the mindset of the vicious assassin Battosai the Slasher, and several nearly succeed. Only through great determination, reconnecting with his former master, and some deep mental healing does Kenshin find the strength to accept the monster he used to be and the man that he has become since. Highly Recommended.
What public library shelves does this title belong on?
Rurouni Kenshin: Season Two belongs on anime shelves in public libraries. The television series could also fit into the action and drama film collections, depending on your patron's tastes.