Our take
Released a month directly after Kyoto Inferno, Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends continues Kenshin’s journey, the same journey that revived the samurai chambara genre in recent years. As Japan made its shift towards a modern society in the Meiji era, Kenshin fights in promise to his master’s teachings, to wield his sword for life, rather than for the violence that once was the basis of power. The Legend Ends continues Rurouni Kenshin’s cinematic style with all the outstanding fight choreography, excellent production design, and exceptional cinematography, making it a must watch for fans of the genre as well as action fans in general, but those new to the franchise or those who have only watched the films might still find themselves lost with regards to the way this arc was structured.
The story
Shishio sets sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the government. In order to stop him, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.
After jumping into the sea to rescue Kaoru Kamiya, swordsman Kenshin Kimura wakes up three days later, being rescued by his former master Hiko Seijūrō. To rescue Kaoru and to stop the notorious Shishio Makoto from burning down Tokyo, Kenshin trains with Master Hiko to learn the final Hiten Mitsurugi swordfighting technique.
The score!
I feel like I can just run into battle now.
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
