Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
rallyntando
This 4-part OVA has excellent reviews here, and an overall good reputation online. I have never seen any Rurouni Kenshin, but I'm always willing to give something new a try. Imagine my surprise then when I actually watched this and discovered some very mediocre animation quality, and very weak storytelling. The style is also very fugly at points, with strangely drawn faces, and genuinely not-excellent atmospheric nature shots. The plot is extremely dramatic and somewhat cringe-worthy, but more importantly it's just poorly crafted and poorly-paced. Even accepting that we are seeing things through Kenshin's (an immature and socially challenged character) POV there is zero weight or meaning to almost anything that is said, and little relation between the dialogue and what actually happens in…
Read at the sourceA7MD224
Pre-review:
I’m currently reading the manga and reached ch.163 (prior to the events which this OVA covers from the manga). Words can’t express how disappointed I was as I watched this. I wanted to experience Kenshin’s past in anime format w/out spoiling myself from the manga because I generally prefer anime over manga as it is more immersive and engaging. Most of my criticism will be due to the short length of this flashback. (I know it’s like 15 ch.in the manga, which is short also, so the manga isn’t excluded from this critique)
Before going any further I will SPOIL some of the chapters featured in the manga and the ENTIRETY of this OVA:
Characters and their motivation:
Every character featured in this OVA –aside from Kenshin- are bland and uninteresting. Now, let’s talk about the main…
Read at the sourceOptigisa
Battle shonen has always been a genre that is mostly frowned upon by the Anime community. Many fans tend to disregard most of the shows in that particular genre as something that is both unrealistic and imitative of one another. Add in to the fact that samurai Anime in particular always miss the point when it comes to their narrative, from the unnecessary hip hop style found in Samurai Champloo, to the redundant, hit and miss comedy that is prevalent throughout Gintama’s long run – it fails to work most of the time and it’s not hard to see why it does so. That is why going into Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal is like going to the lottery and winning the grand prize. It had all of the odds stacked up against it, yet it managed to stun the majority of those who unwillingly gave it a try, mysel…
Read at the sourceNervin
Throughout the past decades, japanese history and culture is often portrayed in various mediums, in particular that of movies which often take place in the last two centuries of Japan's history. This era is characterised by a slow shift from feudal traditions to the modernization brought from the west, being the transition from the Edo period to the Meiji period, also known as the japanese revolution in 1868, of importance in this case. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen narrates the tale of Himura Kenshin's past and his struggle with his own beliefs against the harsh reality he faced. It is truly a masterpiece, with a compelling story, flawless characterization, and fantastic animation and sound. It is a story of romance, trust and betrayal, as the english title suggests…
Read at the sourceliteraturenerd
Overview:
Is it possible for a prequel to actually be good? The answer is YES, because Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal exists! This prequel OVA has something for everyone: great story, great characters, beautiful music, amazing animation, and plenty of bloody samurai action! In this review I will explain not only why Trust and Betrayal is an absolute masterpiece of 1990s anime, but also give a little history lesson, since this IS a historical fiction afterall.
Bonus Section: History and Rurouni Kenshin (skip the next paragraph if you don't care about history!)
Rurouni Kenshin and its prequel can actually teach casual viewers a small amount of Japanese history. For example, Rurouni Kenshin shows that in 1868 there was a civil war between the Imperialists that wished to put the Emperor bac…
Read at the sourcedamned_33rd
I'll be honest here. I'm not a big fan of romanticized, revisionist historical animation. And when I mean romanticized; I mean to the fullest extent of the word and any other derivation of its definition.
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal's story concerns itself with a cold blooded and skillful retainer of a rising Shogun. There's some political intrigue yet most of it will require some extensive background knowledge of the era but its main focus is on the retainer's realization of his actions and how he has lost his way despite his original, noble intentions of saving people.
Most of this comes from a woman who he is initially cold to, but slowly cracks his stalwart emotional wall. Sadly the contrast between the extreme violence and the rather feeble attempts at building a romance comes a…
Read at the sourceHuntsman
"The moon peers down on a diseased world. There is no cure for the disease, an entire race walks mindlessly into destruction. Not even a man of colossal power, would be able to prevent the inevitable."
Every choice has a consequence, and every action will cause a reaction that will impact you whether realize it or not, and the decisions by the characters in Trust and Betrayal, but by more importantly the legendary Himura Kenshin will shape a nation for years to come, and cause a great deal of pain and suffering in his own life. For those of you unfamiliar with the character Himura Kenshin, he is the creation of acclaimed Japanese manga artist and author Nobuhiro Watsuki. Nobuhiro Watsuki likes to use real life characters and events for his stories, and very loosely basis Himura Kenshin on…
Read at the sourceTatterdemalion
Surprising though it may be, it’s really incredibly rare to find a samurai anime that is actually good. As far as the samurai genre goes, Akira Kurosawa pretty much closed the book with 1954’s “Seven Samurai” and since then, is seems as if whenever anyone attempts to tackle the genre, there exists a mysterious force that compels them to strip away any and all sense of authenticity and add in superpowers, vampires, aliens, or hip-hop (not that that is necessarily a bad thing but it certainly gets tiresome). That’s one of the reasons why Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen is so refreshing, it daringly tackles the story of young samurai-turned-assassin Himura Kenshin in the turbulent era of the Meiji Revolution with such bleak realism and solemnity that it’s really hard to believe it originated from…
Read at the sourcemahoganycow
There's a part of me that wonders if this review is even necessary. Whenever I have a discussion with someone about "great" anime--not the "funniest" anime, not the "saddest" anime, not the best "action" anime, but anime that breaks boundaries and defies classifications--this OVA is mentioned without fail. Being a little late to the party, I first saw this five or six years ago; having watched Rurouni Kenshin on English television as a child, and later rewatching a subbed release, my interest was piqued when I heard that there was an OVA in the franchise that was intelligently scripted and intended for more mature audiences. Everywhere I looked, people sung its praises. I'm one who doesn't take words like "classic" and "masterpiece" lightly, so when I saw this show drawing these words in l…
Read at the sourcekekekeKaj
Perfection is (probably) unattainable, but once in a while, an anime comes along that gets pretty damn close.
"Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuikuhen" is one such anime.
I originally watched "Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen" without watching the main series. I was drawn to the OVA's by its stella ratings, but was too daunted by the length of the main series to watch that. Eventually, I grew out of my allergy for long series and watched the 95 episodes of "Rurouni Kenshin". Coming back to this afterwards, I wished I wasn't so hasty to watch it before - as good as it was first time round, it's much more meaningful after the series, and it would have been great to experience this stunning piece of work to its full potential on the first watch.
[Note: For the remainder of this review, I'll be assuming tha…
Read at the sourcespaz4444
This was a great series (if you could call four OVA's a series). If I could give it a 9.5, I would. It was fantastic, only lacking something that made my jaw completely drop, which is why I just couldn't quite give it a 10. Totally worth watching and I would recommend this to anyone, though be immediately warned, there is a ton of blood and it can get pretty graphic (the opening of the first episode is actually as bad as it gets in terms of gruesome violence, so if can get through that, you should be good).
Story (10): The story was outstanding. This isn't just another action anime. No, the action and sword fighting are more of a means to advance the plot. The pace felt just right. Interesting story line that will keep you involved. Also pretty original.
Art (9): The action scenes were d…
Read at the sourcejs930
The word masterpiece is used too much these days.. I haven't seen anything that deserves that title as much as Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen. While the original Rurouni Kenshin is meant as a typical shounen (comedy, action, a bit of romance?), this is a serious historical drama. Those words might turn you off, but you'll be surprised how well it is done: never is Tsuiokuhen truly slowpaced, never will the action be disappointing, never will the animation cease to amaze you. And the music. Ah, the music. Taku Iwasaki at his best.
Story - 10.
A serious, sad story. A romantic drama. Or is historical a better word? After all, this isn't just the story of the Hitokiri Battousai. While the focus lies on his actions, the overall story is that of the Bakumatsu and the bloody war before the Meiji R…
Read at the sourcejmoriarty84
All I have to say is that this is a must see for fans of the series. Even though this serves as a prequel, I would not recommend this to people who have not yet seen the TV series because the tone and style is completely different and will probably give you the wrong set of expectations for the TV series which always implements humor. While in this OAV, it’s flat out drama and full of tragedy, and none of the comedic moments of what defined the TV series is present. But does it negate the quality of this OAV? Certainly not. The pacing is a little slow, but you get to learn more about Kenshin and what goes through his mind and will get to know the other characters.
Just like in the original TV series, this oav also implements events and characters from actual Japanese history. For example…
Read at the sourcesunrise110
I realize that this is only a 4 episode story, and that it probably shouldn't have the second place mark for all anime, but it definitely deserves to be the best OAV by far in my books. It also tops tengen toppa gurren-lagann, the current leader in anime on this site by far. I just had to mention that since I am angry that tengen toppa gurren-lagann has the top spot at the moment.
Theres really not much to say about this OAV, if you liked rurouni kenshin and your interested in more of the background story then its worth a watch. If you like blood and the classic samurai battles then you should also get a kick out of it. It isn't the easiest short series to find but its worth the trouble.
Overall I think it had a very old fashion feel to it with lots of interesting scenarios. The express…
Read at the sourceTheOutlawXanadu
Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen is a great film (which I will classify it as throughout this review, for all intensive purposes) because of the respect that it has for its audience. Throughout the work's two hour running length there are countless opportunities presented that could've allowed for the story to introduce twists and to attempt to shock the viewer, but instead, the turns that are taken in the final quarter of the production are foreshadowed early on, and are often revealed to the viewer before they are revealed to the protagonist, Kenshin Himura.
This technique, the method of hinting to the viewer what should happen early on in the film and then challenging us to interpret how specific situations are changing as the relationships between characters develop, is a masterful one. It…
Read at the sourceTheCriticsClub
There's a universally accepted truth as far as anime shounen stories go: nine times out of ten, the manga is better than the anime adaptation. While that is the case with Rurouni Kenshin as a whole, what Studio DEEN did with Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen can be called nothing short of a masterpiece. In the manga, Nobuhiro Watsuki describes Kenshin's past that's full of strife and hardship, but with a touch of comedy to help tone down the entire seriousness of the situation. Studio DEEN abolished what little comedy Watsuki went with and, along with flawless animation, a unique art style, and a beautifully composed soundtrack by Taku Iwasaki, Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen is an ideal example of as close to perfection as one can get.
Art/Animation - 9
Taking a step away from the style of the Ru…
Read at the sourcejaygold33
I figured it was about time I posted a review on one of my favorite anime of all time. Samurai X: Tsuiokuhen (Trust and Betrayal) is a masterpiece of an OVA, and the prequel to the Rurouni Kenshin anime series.
After having completed the series, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. This OVA series is what gave me a new appreciation for Rurouni Kenshin. Needless to say, you should watch the series before diving into this one, as it will allow you to feel the same as I did.
The animation is top notch. It is a beauty to behold. The musical score composed by Taku Iwasaki is as Epic as the anime itself though when listening to the soundtrack I felt that it was somewhat repetitive. As for the story, it was absolutely compelling from its action packed start to its ultra sad end…
Read at the sourceRedSwordHeart
This OVA restored my faith in RK animation. I hate the second set of OVAs and find the TV series just too childish for my liking, but this gem has it all. It's more serious than the anime, but isn't pointless emo tragicrap like the last OVA.
This is set during the Bakumatsu when Kenshin is a young assassin on the razor's edge of insanity. Every night, he spills blood in the hopes of bringing in the new era of peace for the people of Japan. Every night, his soul dies a bit more.
One night, he crosses swords with a young Shogunate swordsman who is able to wound him on the cheek before Kenshin does him in. As the young swordsman dies, he cries out the name of his beloved fiance.
One month later, Kenshin meets a mysterious woman in the rain. She passes out in his arms and he brings her to…
Read at the sourceFormidable_Delta
Samurai X: Turst/Betrayal is not like a lot of other animes. It doesn't stress swift justice, and eye for an eye sort of justice, but rather a way to live one's life (and it tells what happened to Kenshin before the series). It deals with how war can affect someone's life and the realization (looking at the story close enough) that your inner peace is where you must start if you really want to create a better world for you and others. I don't remember who said this, but someone once said, "Be the change you want to see," which is what Kenshin realized. Kenshin misunderstood or ignored Master Hiko's teachings, and only when he lived his life with Tomoe, he finally understood what was being taught to him years ago. She showed him the right way to bring about peace. Unfortunately, he has to p…
Read at the sourcemistress_reebi
Also named: "Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal", this is a prequel to the anime series 'Rurouni Kenshin."
One word for this anime: Amazing! It's so good that it's hard to decribe. This is one of the only anime series that will make the viewer's jaw drop to the floor and be filled with emotion. Those who are Rurouni Kenshin fans will love it; those who are new to the series will still like it. It's a drama and may not be as interesting among younger viewers and is more mature than the anime. Those who are sensitive to extreme violence and blood may want to turn their heads during some scenes.
The first episode is a little jumpy as it skips from past to present, which to non-Kenshin fans may be confusing. Besides the jumpiness, the plot is excellent. For a drama, the pacing isn't thin and slo…
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