Samurai X: O Início (2021)

Um clássico para quem gosta do gênero

A saga de filmes Samurai X: O Filme, Kyoto Inferno, O Fim da Lenda, O Final e o último, a Origem. Eles formam o grupo das cinco histórias todas com o ator que é o meu queridinho do momento Sato Takeru. Não consigo encontrar palavras para dizer o quanto ele é talentoso e lindo! Ele está perfeito no personagem, consegue transmitir nas suas expressões, ternura nos momentos que está mais relaxado e uma impiedade nos momentos mais pesados, dando uma identidade ao personagem de forma perfeita.

Eu comecei a saga por “A Origem” e segui a sequência cronológica da história e não a sequência do ano de lançamento e afirmo que fui conquistada no primeiro segundo do trailer e já percebi que era uma obra prima. Eu nunca assisti o anime e acho que isso contribuiu muito para que eu pudesse ter uma visão da saga sem comparações.
O filme traz a conclusão da saga de Kenshin focando na sua personalidade. Narra os acontecimentos que o levaram a se tornar o personagem que conhecemos e o motivo pelo qual ele parou de matar, além de explicar o porquê de ele possuir uma cicatriz em forma de cruz no rosto e explora o antigo romance dele com a Tomoe.

O filme é mais focado na fase do Battosai “assassino” e já começa com um primeiro ato que é para aplaudir de pé. O cara já começa destruindo tudo com uma espada na boca, a construção da fama de Retalhador já são explorados nas primeiras cenas. O filme apresenta muito bem essa ideologia que ele insiste em lutar até o fim para criar uma “Nova Era”.
É perceptível a diferença de personalidade do Kenshin dos outros filmes da saga para o Kenshin Battosai mostrado em ‘A origem”. Ele tem um semblante triste e pesado, a forma de andar curvada, dorme sentado e alerta, olhar baixo, impiedoso, sem sentimento... Mostra a camada mais intensa do Kenshin que vivia exclusivamente para matar. No outros vemos um Kenshin mais paz e amor, mais leal, mais justiceiro. Mais uma vez meus parabéns para a atuação do Takeru.

Ao cruzar o seu destino com a jovem Tomoe, percebemos que ela despertava o seu lado humano, que aos poucos estava se perdendo, conforme matava mais e mais pessoas pela causa. A partir do momento que ele se muda com a Tameo até as cores do filme mudam, porque aqui ele faz a tal promessa de nunca mais matar o que já nos desenha o porque ele mudou a personalidade que é mostrada de forma mais leve nos outros filmes.

O mais espetacular nos filmes são as lutas, muito rápidas e emocionantes. E é importante citar que praticamente não tiveram dublês o que deixa as cenas de ação muito mais incríveis assim como o desempenho dos atores. Sato Takeru fez todas suas cenas de ação.

O filme é cheio de cenas de ação impecáveis com atuações de ponta. Um clássico para quem gosta do gênero. Me apaixonei por Samaurai X

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Thank you for such a wonderful movie.

Acting 10/10
Cast 10/10
Plot 9/10

I'm amazed at how the cinematography has matured since the first movie. Totally in love that they didn't focus much on the political side, because as I recall it wasn't really where the plot was in the original manga. But really I don't recall much from the 1999 movie (anime) I've watched before. But I can say for sure what they did here with Tomoe's character is superb.

So with that said, it's the same usual things since the first movie: Takeru Satoh's acting is just great. The action scenes always leave me wanting more. The camera work is splendid. The effects, script, and pacing are just what I'd want in this movie. I came here hungry and expecting for a good 2 hours and it did not disappoint.

If anything, the worst thing about this movie (and the series in general) is that I want MORE of Kenshin's story...(and fight scenes)

So to the director and writer: thank you for giving us a movie to remember. And this is just how I'd want a movie series to end. Somewhere at the peak.

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The Best and Most Grounded Rurouni Kenshin Film

Among all the Rurouni Kenshin live action movies, The Beginning is hands down my favorite. Unlike its predecessors that are pretty much just live action depictions of the anime and manga, this one is dark, bloody, brutal, mature, and a lot closer to the samurai movies of old than its anime/manga counterpart.

The movie opens in a bloodbath, with an almost unrecognizable Himura Kenshin slashing through his victims like a rabid animal and leaving pools of blood in his wake, much like Ryunosuke leaving piles of corpses behind in The Sword of Doom. Anime-watchers only may be shocked to see this side of their beloved wanderer, but the events that transpire in this film would help them understand the man behind the monicker Hitokiri Battousai and his motivations. This movie is basically a deeper look into the character that is Himura Kenshin, his violent past, his first love, and the ideals that shaped the man that he would become at the start of the Rurouni Kenshin series. But this is also Tomoe's story, the woman who changed the life of a young and impressionable samurai, and turned him from a killer into a protector.

Yukishiro Tomoe is probably one of the most complex characters in Watsuki's manga series but she has been misunderstood, criticized, and even vilified by Kenshin-Kaoru shippers. The manga doesn't delve deep into her psyche and the OVA Trust and Betrayal only managed to scratch the surface, so I'm glad that this live action version somehow shows her true intentions and feelings. I had my doubts with Arimura Kasumi's casting as I used to think that she has the emotional range of a cardboard. But she actually surprised me by her on-point portrayal of Tomoe, from the subtle facial expressions to her deadpan delivery of her dialogues. Tomoe is an introvert who has trouble expressing her emotions. She can be painfully blunt without sounding antagonistic or argumentative. Kasumi got those down to a tee. In fact, it's not her that I have a problem with surprisingly, but I'll get to that later.

The dialogues are so well-written and it's no wonder because some of them were taken straight from the manga. As for the fight scenes, they do not disappoint albeit they aren't as flashy as the ones from the previous films. The fight choreography in this movie is much more grounded and realistic, reminiscent of old samurai movies, which is more to my liking, really. My favorite is definitely the battle between Kenshin and Okita, I actually watched it twice because I thought it was so darn cool. The real-life Okita Soji was said to have been one of the finest swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, and in the manga, he would've been a great match for Battousai if only he had not been dying from tuberculosis. Nonetheless, their fight shows how big of a threat he is to Kenshin despite his debilitating disease, and I gotta give it to the fight choreographers and the actors for that well-crafted sequence. I just wish Murakami Nijiro had more screen time as I really liked him as cocky Okita.

Kitamura Kazuki as the head of the Shadow Warriors doesn't have much screen time either but he certainly makes the most out of what he was given. He manages to be menacing, despicable, but also sympathetic in the little time he was on screen. He's a great actor so I don't wonder how he does it. Takahashi Issey as Katsura exudes gravitas that you can't help but believe in his cause despite the brutality of his measures. The rest of the cast are great in their respective roles, I don't really have much to say except that I wish some of them had gotten more screen time. But then again, I also understand the need for the movie to focus on Kenshin and Tomoe as underneath all the politics, the fights, and the socially relevant themes, this is a love story. I'm glad that the filmmakers didn't hesitate to show the romance between the two characters like they did with Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship. And the fact that the chemistry between Kasumi and Takeru is palpable definitely adds to the believability of the romance.

But I'm a little disappointed with Takeru's acting in that pivotal scene. I was expecting to cry ugly tears like I did when I first read the manga, but I just ended up being stunned that he didn't openly weep and scream like Kenshin did in the manga. Oh, Takeru, you may be great at doing the stunts and action sequences, but your acting still needs a whole lot of work. I know I sound like I'm nit-picking but that's supposed to be an emotional scene, I expected to see shock, devastation, grief, and guilt! Kasumi shows more acting range than he does and that's saying something! This movie would've been perfect if not for that bit. I'm willing to forgive it because the film, as a whole, is just so beautifully made so I can't really hold one actor's lack of acting skills against the whole production. This is still the best Rurouni Kenshin movie ever made, in my opinion, though.

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Gripping and SO watchable... all 5 films together!

July 2024
I watched, back-to-back, in this order:
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, 2021
Rurouni Kenshin: Origins, 2012
Rurouni Kenshin 2: Kyoto Inferno, 2014
Rurouni Kenshin 3: The Legend Ends, 2014
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, 2021
I watched the first 3 ages ago, but decided to watch all of them again, in story, not release, order, which I recommend doing.

I absolutely love these films to bits. The life of the main character is a mix of almost aimless at times, tragic, enlightenment and atonement.

The fact the film about Kenshin's origins, was made 9 years after the character first appeared on screen, is amazing. The main reason being, when watched in the order I did, it is a seamless story.

Many cast members appear throughout, pieces from the earlier, film 1, are blended in so when watching the next instalment, it makes complete sense. I was honestly blown away.

Satoh Takeru is brilliant in every film. The sword fights are incredible and they must have taken all the cast involved, a huge amount of work and energy.

The pace of each film is excellent, with a balance of action, everyday life, love, friendships, fighting for a cause (sometimes blindly) and defeating not only enemies, but those taking advantage of the powerless. Some sad elements too. There is also humour and a growing camaraderie between some characters that began as enemies.

I love Himura Kenshin and how he evolves. Supporting characters are varied, some villains are pretty OTT, strong female characters and the cast in all the films is great.
Films are rarely, if ever, perfect, but these just do it for me. Firm favourites.

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Slow burn, different

So this one was so different from the rest of the other Rurouni Kenshin movies; it was much more of a slow burn and less of an action flick, but it still fit perfectly into the franchise.

It was kind of odd watching this and already knowing everything because I had watched The Final before, but that didn't stop this from being any less enjoyable. I'm a sucker for these sort of tragic origin story romances, and this movie was no different.

I loved the chemistry between the two leads, and I loved how the plot played out with its small nuances and future references. There were a little less action scenes than I had wished for (the first two movies had the best fight scenes I'd ever scene) but I understand that that wasn't the focus of the movie.

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With a sword, that boy cuts the rope, dividing this world from the next.

Came across this on Netflix and saw the trailer, it seemed intriguing and glad I got around to seeing the prequel to this popular manga series. I'll keep this review short since this is a well known series. As a warning, it is bloody and ultra violent at times but there were no annoying explicit sex scenes, thank goodness for that.

This was a fascinating watch about an assassin who was used as a part of a revolution to destroy the Shogunate. This drama had beautiful cinematography, historical settings, and costumes. The prequel storyline isn't complicated and had tight plotting so it was easy to follow even for people who are new or not familiar with the franchise. While it has its fair share of blood and a bit of gore, the sword fight scenes were choregraphed very well and there were some scenes were it was almost elegant despite the blood shed. I originally intended to watch this for the action and sword fighting but was rewarded with a lot more. The love story is subtle and stoic. While it is a main part of this prequel arc, it doesn't dominate and allows the other areas of the drama to stand out.

There were some well written scenes with poignant moments such as a philosophical conversation Yukishiro Tomoe has with Himura Kenshin, it questions whether all those murders were worth it for the peace he thinks he is fighting for and the morality he is sacrificing.

Even with the violence and blood shed it was tastefully done and executed.

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