Rurouni Kenshin - Shadow Elite, Vol. 3

Rurouni Kenshin - Shadow Elite, Vol. 3
by Kaeko Sakamoto

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Movie Reviews of Rurouni Kenshin - Shadow Elite, Vol. 3

Movie Review: The epic battle between Himura Kenshin and Aoshi Shinomori
Summary: 5 Stars

Episode 10 "Fare Well, The Strongest Man" reminds us of the old lesson that the enemy of my enemy can be a strong ally as both Kenshin and Aoshi are provided with a rude reminder by Kanryu that technology is threatening to make the samurai and his sword obsolete. Unfortunately, despite the more adult and sophisticated turn these episodes take for the most place, we are still subjected to the cutesy anime pretty much every time Kenshin's interest in Karou is touched upon. This same thing is employed in Episode 12, "The Birth of a Boy Swordsman," where "little" Yahiko suddenly finds himself having funny feeling in the presence of the new girl working at the dojo. But like virtually every woman in "Rurouni Kenshin," this one has secrets and Kenshin and the others must let Yahiko fight his own battle.

Volume 3, "Shadow Elite," is where this anime series proves it is a cut above the rest and one of those classic examples of animation that is too good for the kids at which it is supposedly aimed. This is one anime that bridges the younger and older audiences. In terms of the Extras this time around the Liner Notes offer only a few new Japanese terms (e.g., "kempo," "Kougen Ittou-ryu"), there is an art gallery, rules for a fan art contest (too late), trailers for other anime, and the original Japanese credits (the original lyrics are an absolute hoot). I hear the series gets even better, which is pretty impressive given where it is at this point when we are only a dozen episodes into the saga. Of course, it is hard to be a wandering samurai if you stay in one place, but that is just another minor matter.