Fans of the original Rurouni Kenshin who have been eagerly awaiting the 2023 reboot version of the anime and manga series may be delighted to know that the Liden Films has released a new teaser, with July 6 confirmed to be the premiering date of the series. The news of the 2023 TV re-adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin was first announced at Jump Festa ‘22, which was held on December 19, 2021, following which a promotional video was released at Aniplex Online Fest 2022. Now that the Rurouni Kenshin (2023) has a confirmed date, it remains to be seen if the series will be able to perform as well as the original series.
Rurouni Kenshin (2023) will re-adapt the original manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki
As mentioned earlier, the upcoming anime re-adaptation will start premiering from July 6 on Fuji TV’s Noitamina programming block. Further details on the airing of the series on other local Japanese syndicates or streaming platforms for the global audience is yet to be made. Aside from that, the official website of Rurouni Kenshin announced that the anime will first have its Japanese screening on June 18, after which there will be worldwide screening events in U.S., Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, France, Indonesia, and South Korea.
The above-embedded trailer is a retake on the animation of the previous one, which is why some fans may feel that the 90s aesthetics of the anime has been discarded in favor of inserting more sharp and vibrant animation. So far, the teaser gives a glimpse that the re-adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin will remain faithful to its original series, but reception on the anime will only be clear once it starts airing.
Nobuhiro Watsuki’s historical manga Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story has been a huge hit among fans, whose 1996 TV adaptation further contributed to the popularity of the series and accorded it the status of a cult classic. The story revolves around a former assassin and wandering samurai from the Bakumatsu named Himura Kenshin. After participating in the gruesome Boshin war, Kenshin vows to protect people and never again take human life, which prompts him to use a reverse blade katana. Along his wandering journey, he comes across a woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who later offers him to stay at her dojo.
Thus begins the story of Kenshin in his redemption journey that starts off on a peaceful note but soon picks up serious action after a while. As evident from the manga title, the story is set in the Meiji period and revolves around the theme of peace and atonement, along with hints of occasional comedic flair and romance.
Rurouni Kenshin (2023) is directed by Hideyo Yamamoto from the scripts of Hideyuki Kurata. The character designs and music composition are done by Terumi Nishii and Yu Takami, respectively. Additionally, mangaka Watsuki has supervised the scenes and character designs of Rurouni Kenshin (2023). The announced official cast for the upcoming TV series includes:
- Soma Saito as Himura Kenshin
- Rie Takahashi as Kamiya Kaoru
- Taku Yashiro as Sagara Sanosuke
- Makoto Koichi as Myojin Yahiko
- Yuma Uchida as Shinomori Aoshi
- Saori Onishi as Takani Megumi
Lastly, the ending song of the anime is revealed to be Kissaki (Sword Tip), which will be performed by Reol.
