#FILM RUROUNI KENSHIN KYOTO INFERNO HOW TO#
#FILM RUROUNI KENSHIN KYOTO INFERNO SERIES#

As it happens, Kenshin and Battosai are one and the same -Р’В a revelation that, while unsurprising to audiences, complicates his relationship withР’В the woman who offered him shelter when he was but a wandering ronin. In short order, it is revealed that Shishio took over where the notorious assassin Battosai the Killer left off, only to be betrayed and left for dead by the very government that had enlisted his murderous skills. ItРІР‚в„ўs a spectacular opening -Р’В one that recalls classic Hollywood setpieces, where an entire soundstage might be dedicated to such a scene -Р’В and offers fiery foreshadowingР’В of the massive conflagration Shishio has planned for the city of Kyoto later in the film. WeРІР‚в„ўve already met the filmРІР‚в„ўs new villain, Makoto Shishio (Tatsuya Fujiwara), a bloodthirsty subversive covered head to fingertips in bandages, who appears in the first scene like the high priest of some demonic cult, surrounded by a giant burning set and backed by a daunting army of acrobatic fighters. HeР’В has been living peacefully in the dojo where Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei) took him in during the previous film, and itРІР‚в„ўs duringР’В this monk-lite existence, where heРІР‚в„ўs accompanied by comic relief SanosukeР’В (Munetaka Aoki), that a high-ranking officer of JapanРІР‚в„ўs new government (which has outlawed swords) comes to enlist his help. A strikingly epicene star in a culture where hearts race at the notionР’В of androgyny, Satoh has fair features, long chestnut hair and delicately pursed lips, compromised only slightly by the prominent X-shaped scar on his left cheek -Р’В a reminder of the savage dealings KenshinР’В has since put behind him. No doubt, leading man Takeru Satoh took no such convincing.

#FILM RUROUNI KENSHIN KYOTO INFERNO HOW TO#

Mind you,Р’В itРІР‚в„ўs not as ifР’В РІР‚СљKyoto InfernoРІР‚Сњ is short on action itРІР‚в„ўs just extremely long on feet-dragging, weight-of-the-world hemming and hawing as Kenshin wrestles with how to reconcile the call to bloodshed with his personal renunciation of such.

#FILM RUROUNI KENSHIN KYOTO INFERNO SERIES#

Working from a popular arc of the manga series (previously adapted in anime form as well), returning director Keishi Ohtomo provides the first and second acts of his climacticР’В saga, protracted across more than two hours. If thatРІР‚в„ўs true, then this film -Р’В which doesnРІР‚в„ўt depend on audiences having seen part one, filling in backstory via helpful flashbacks -Р’В is somewhat justified in serving as the long, patient buildup to an epic payoff. Rumor has it that the final chapter, РІР‚СљRurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends,РІР‚Сњ is a giant, two-hour-plus action extravaganza. And while the expansively imagined, patiently paced project feels far more substantive than a crass cash grab, theР’В conflicted character spends most of the first sequel, РІР‚СљRurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno,РІР‚Сњ slowly coming to grips with his burden, leaving things not on a cliffhanger, but in the lurch, with a shocking evasion of violence. Japan has commissioned a pair of back-to-back follow-ups, opening Aug.

ThatРІР‚в„ўs an admirable quality, until one realizes heРІР‚в„ўs susceptible to the same sequel pressures as anyone else: When the reluctant samurai laid down his sword in РІР‚Сљ Rurouni Kenshin,РІР‚Сњ he didnРІР‚в„ўt factor in the picРІР‚в„ўs stunning $37 million domestic box office.

Unlike most heroes of the Japanese swordplay genre, Himura Kenshin refuses to kill.

Film rurouni kenshin kyoto inferno