SharP' Unfinished Symphony.

IN THIS CASE, "X" MEANS "NO"
Over a year and a half ago, there was talk of Sony releasing the KENSHIN anime here in the United States under the name of SAMURAI X. Those familiar with KENSHIN bristled at the title change. However, the plans to bring KENSHIN to American shores seem to have crumbled like the Tokugawa government at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration. No further plans have been announced for this series in America by Sony, and no one else has bought the rights.

MEIJI AND BEYOND
Yet, despite the fact that the plans for American release by Sony have faltered, and the fact that the manga has not been released commercially in the United States, the fans of KENSHIN remain strong. In fact, if the series keeps running, in a few years Kenshin may find himself facing the problems of the Taisho era.
The rich political and historical tapestry of the Meiji period can provide many additional stories of everyone's favorite samurai. Like any underdog, whatever the odds, Kenshin will keep fighting. And Kaoru will keep worrying.

THE ANIME
The television series can be divided into two parts. The Tokyo Chapter introduces Kenshin and the rest of the main characters who will come to call the Kamiya doujo home. After these characters become established, the show tells a variety of individual stories; there is not a unifying plot thread throughout the episodes. Many of these stories are not found in the manga.
The Kyoto Chapter begins when Kenshin departs for Kyoto to prevent Shishio from overthrowing the Meiji government. A marked change in the series occurs as Kenshin leaves behind his friends and adopted family in Kyoto. He refuses their help and their company, partly because they will only be a hindrance to him, but also because he does not want them involved in what he knows he must do. A somber Kenshin makes his way to Kyoto, dreading what he knows in his heart he must do. He must become the Hitokiri again. Of course, Kaoru and the others don't sit idly by and eventually they join him in Kyoto. The Kyoto chapter is much more faithful to the manga.
The television series ran 94 episodes (95, if counting the "unaired last episode"), a remarkable run when considering that the average length of an anime television series is currently 26 episodes and shrinking. For Kenshin to have run three times the length of the normal animated series is certainly proof of its popularity in Japan.
The movie REQUIEM FOR THE ISHIN SHISHI was released in theaters in 1997 and borrows again from the historical events. After the establishment of the Meiji government, some people began to see that the new government was as corrupt as the old one. There were several revolts in an attempt to oust the Meiji officials. In REQUIEM, Shigure is one of those who believes the government to be corrupt. He organizes a revolt, but it is put down. Once again, betrayal from within the Meiji government leads to the downfall of a character in RUROUNI KENSHIN.

The OVAs have just begun, and will continue the story from the end of the television series. The OVAs are being called the "Reminiscence Chapter," and the first volume should be released by the time this article is published. There are four volumes in the OVA series. The anime, like the manga, manages to be both serious and funny. At times, the anime is very serious, usually when Kenshin is fighting or trying to avoid a fight.
But humor presents itself during the more mundane events of everyday life. One such area is of course when Kenshin and Kaoru get into an argument. The anime manages to show a humorous side to the characters and their life in the Meiji era. Without such periods away from the overwhelming seriousness of the story, the series would surely become tired. The humorous moments always provide a laugh and keep the series from becoming stale.
Since the manga is still being serialized in JUMP, it is doubtful that the OVAs will be the finale of the series. While the "Reminiscence Chapter" may be the last animated KENSHIN, the story will no doubt continue on to its true end in the manga.

THE MANGA
The manga began running in WEEKLY JUMP in 1994. It was the first published continuing series of author Watsuki Nobuhiro. According to Watsuki, the story was only supposed to run for ten issues of JUMP, resulting in a series of approximately three or four volumes. However, it was obviously more successful than that, as there are currently 23 volumes of tankuobon available to date. KENSHIN came to be when Watsuki decided that he wanted to do a fantasy-type manga. After some consideration, he chose to set his manga in the Meiji era, partially because he was inspired by historical novels he was reading at the time. When he was planning the manga to be only a ten-installment series, he decided to use the eleventh year of the Meiji Period because things were less tumultuous. Before then, there was too much going on, too much background that would be required to tell a good story, he believed.
However, there is still plenty of historical background that comes to play in RUROUNI KENSHIN, which is perhaps one of the reasons that the series continues its run. After all, there were a lot of political factions at the time, and the transition from an isolationist feudal nation to a fully-modern industrial power was not an easy one.

The politics of the Meiji Restoration are felt in Kenshin, but serve as background rather than as the main story. Many of the actions of the characters are motivated by what the Meiji government or its officials have done to them in the past.
Kenshin is no longer fighting for the Ishin, but for himself. He does not want to fight at all, and will only do so to defend himself or those he cares about. He is no longer interested in the political power struggles and squabbles that were once a part of his past. Yet for a while he is plagued both by those who would have him join the Meiji government and by those who would exact their revenge for his past actions. Sometimes it seems that Kenshin will never find peace in Meiji Japan.
Saito is a different story. Since his days as part of the Shinsengumi, he has followed the credo of "San Zoku An" ("Destroy Evil Instantly".) It is this credo that allows him to justify changing sides after the Restoration and joining the Meiji police force. After all, he will still be allowed to carry out his quest for eliminating evil. It is this ideal that brings him first to Kenshin as an enemy, and later as an ally. In his case, politics is second to his particular brand of morality; they are a means to an end.
As a child, Sanosuke saw his squad leader and mentor brutally executed by the Meiji officials when his group was no longer of any use to them. As a result, he despises the Meiji government and what it stands for. Before Kenshin and Kaoru change his mind, he is obsessed with vengeance against those who dishonored his squad and killed his friend.
The character most personally affected by the Meiji government is, naturally, Shishio. As Kenshin's successor to the title of Hitokiri, he was invaluable to them while the battles raged. However, after establishing the legitimate government, the leaders decided that Shishio knew too much; his knowledge was dangerous and could destroy the Meiji government while it was still in its infancy. So they arranged to have Shishio wounded and set on fire. Shishio harbors an intense hatred for the Meiji government because of this (and who wouldn't?). He views those in power as liars who are unfit to rule, just as many did at the time, but his reasons are much more personal. He becomes willing to sacrifice any and everything to get the power he feels he deserves.

pic.]National pride could not hide the fact that the nation was still confused over its direction