Samurai X: Reflection--Director's Cut

Anime director Kazuhiro Furuhashi re-edited the final episodes of his Samurai X television series into this feature (and it helps to be familiar with either the earlier episodes or the feature film based on them, Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal). Opening 15 years after Trust & Betrayal, with the samurai Kenshin married to his longtime love Kaoru and raising a teenage son, Reflection finds Kenshin called away by the Meiji government to fight a war in a distant region of Asia. When he fails to return, Kaoru continues her vigil, but eventually her health begins to fail. Meanwhile, Kenshin, in his wartime duties, carries the emotional burdens of murder and cruelty which marked his long career as a samurai. By anime standards, this is a remarkably mature effort--and quite frankly, how often do anime features carry an unmistakable anti-war message, even amidst the carnage of battle? Boasting fully dimensional characters (not only in design but also in personality), and a fine English-dubbed track (in addition to the original Japanese version), the 17-up rated Samurai X: Reflection is clearly the final part of a longer saga, but it's also a complex meditation on love, devotion, and memory in its own right. DVD extras include interviews with the Japanese voice cast, and a commentary track with the English voice cast. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: P. (P. Hall)