04-05-2010, 10:05 PM
Trust and Betrayal is available in two formats: a 2 episode OVA, or a single movie.
Just remembered, this is also referred to as "Samurai X".
When someone refers to the "Kenshin OVA" they are often referring to this even though "Kenshin Seisouhen" is technically part of the collection that is the OVA in entirety.
Whatever...
Trust and Betrayal is a prequel to the wildly successful TV series "Rurouni Kenshin". While the TV series is an action/comedy about a master-less samurai (who goes by the name "Kenshin") who keeps encountering old enemies from the revolutionary war in Japan (the Bakumatsu), this OVA takes place during the war.
A stark contrast from the TV series, the OVA is dark, serious, and full of bloodshed.
It opens as a group of bandits slaughter a group of traveling villagers. They are about to finish off the last survivor, a young slave boy, when a swordsman appears. He immediately slices the bandits to ribbons, and takes the young boy to train as him apprentice. At this point the boy is given a new name. A name fitting for a demon of the sword: Kenshin.
So, the master trains Kenshin in the secret arts of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu swordsmanship. Kenshin eventually has the urge to help people during the war, thus, he descends the mountain he was trained on. Despite his good intentions, he ends up being an assassin for the revolutionaries.
This short OVA is PACKED with samurai-esque battle. Kenshin is basically an emotionless demon who ALWAYS kills EVERYONE, all the time.
Eventually he is given his trademark scar, or more accurately, cut that never heals.
This is an excellent OVA and definitely worth a look. Think it's not for girls? I've lent it to girls and they've loved it. Actually, every girl I've talked to who has seen it admits to crying at the end. "Why would they do that?" you may ask. Watch it and see.
9.8/10
Just remembered, this is also referred to as "Samurai X".
When someone refers to the "Kenshin OVA" they are often referring to this even though "Kenshin Seisouhen" is technically part of the collection that is the OVA in entirety.
Whatever...
Trust and Betrayal is a prequel to the wildly successful TV series "Rurouni Kenshin". While the TV series is an action/comedy about a master-less samurai (who goes by the name "Kenshin") who keeps encountering old enemies from the revolutionary war in Japan (the Bakumatsu), this OVA takes place during the war.
A stark contrast from the TV series, the OVA is dark, serious, and full of bloodshed.
It opens as a group of bandits slaughter a group of traveling villagers. They are about to finish off the last survivor, a young slave boy, when a swordsman appears. He immediately slices the bandits to ribbons, and takes the young boy to train as him apprentice. At this point the boy is given a new name. A name fitting for a demon of the sword: Kenshin.
So, the master trains Kenshin in the secret arts of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu swordsmanship. Kenshin eventually has the urge to help people during the war, thus, he descends the mountain he was trained on. Despite his good intentions, he ends up being an assassin for the revolutionaries.
This short OVA is PACKED with samurai-esque battle. Kenshin is basically an emotionless demon who ALWAYS kills EVERYONE, all the time.
Eventually he is given his trademark scar, or more accurately, cut that never heals.
This is an excellent OVA and definitely worth a look. Think it's not for girls? I've lent it to girls and they've loved it. Actually, every girl I've talked to who has seen it admits to crying at the end. "Why would they do that?" you may ask. Watch it and see.
9.8/10