#5-Keep it
Practical
There was so much detail thrown into the settings and
costumes of the Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy that I could swear they traveled back
in time to film everything. Save for a
couple of notable sequences that required it (the battle aboard the Rengoku
that closed out Kyoto Inferno), there’s hardly any CGI in any of those movies
and it added a sense of realism to the entire experience. I cant see why the Jinchu films wouldn’t
continue the filmmaking style of the rest of the series but just to be on the
safe side…let’s keep it that way, ok?
#4-A Good
Cliffhanger
Much like the two sequels that came out in 2014, Kyoto
Inferno and The Legend Ends, the new follow ups seem poised to be a two part
adaptation of the final arc of the original RuroKen Manga, the Jinchu Arc. I go back and forth on Kyoto Inferno’s
cliffhanger. Im not saying it was bad
but it did feel like the pause point for the two parter was chosen at random. Again, not knocking that, it is kind of tough
trying to find a decent “to be continued” point during the whole Kyoto Arc that
would have worked. If Jinchu plays out
the way I think it will, there is one scene in particular that would be the
most heartbreakingly effective spot to pause Kenshin’s latest adventure and
have viewers sit on that til the final chapter comes out in a few months. Im not sure any other stop point will do
really.
#3-Better Treatment
for Aoshi
One definite complaint I have about Kyoto Inferno and The
Legend Ends was the poor treatment of one of my favorite RuroKen characters,
Aoshi Shinamori. I forgave his absence
in the first film because his storyline, and that of the Oniwanbashu, was
properly handled by another group of
characters. Aoshi’s inclusion in
the two sequels lacked the depth and proper motivations set up for Aoshi in the
first Manga Arc and he kind of came off as less sympathetic and tragic and more
just another guy for Kenshin to square off against (and it was a sweet fight,
wont lie). Aoshi goes through a bit of a
redemption in the Jinhu Arc, rising to solidify himself as one of Kenshin’s
most trusted allies. I’m not sure if
he’ll be back for the new films or if his plotline can be salvaged. If he is, and if it can be, give this guy his
proper due and make him more than just an angry guy who wants to kill Kenshin
for no reason (God knows we’ve got more than enough of that type already).
#2-Continue to
Improve the Action
Say what you will about changes to the story, NO ONE will
argue that the action was the weakest part of the Kenshin films. The sword play, wirework and rapid paced
editing changed the way I looked at action films in general forever. Kenshin’s showdown with Kanryu’s henchmen and
Jine in the first film and the epic four v one brawl between Kenshin, Shishio,
Saito, Sano and Aoshi in The Legend Ends are still worth the price of admission
alone. The Jinchu films def have their
work cut out for them to surpass what’s come before. This goes double for the handling of main
villain Enishi’s fighting style. He
isn’t samurai but rather practices a special kind of Chinese swordsmanship and
martial arts combo that make him one of the most unique adversaries for Kenshin
to square off against. If you thought
Kenshin vs Shishio in the first sequels was something, if Enishi is handled properly,
we haven’t seen anything yet.
#1-Don’t skimp on
“Trust and Betrayal”
The Jinchu Arc coming to the big screen not only does
this mean we’ll get to see some form of the series finale done properly, it
also means we’ll get to see Kenshin’s backstory, aka Trust and Betrayal. This mini arc exploring Kenshin’s origins has
already had a fantastic Anime adaptation (I even gave it a 10/10 when I
reviewed it last November) and is arguably the high point of the original
Manga. So it does worry me a bit since
this story could be a movie all on its own…yet we’re only getting two films
dedicated to the Manga’s final arc. That
said, I don’t think Trust and Betrayal should be skimped on. Maybe it doesn’t need to be told in one
sitting like Kenshin does in the Manga.
Maybe it’s spaced out between the two films and everything culminates in
the final showdown between Kenshin and Enishi.
Whatever happens, they’ve been teasing eventually getting to this
material as far back as a flashback in the first movie back in 2012. Rurouni Kenshin means a lot to me in general
but Trust and Betrayal is by far my favorite Kenshin production yet (maybe
second after the first Live Action movie).
Considering the heights already reached by the original Live Action
trilogy, I have faith we’re gonna see something equally spectacular.
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