#enishi x kaoru x kenshin

[noonaenthusiast]

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)

[kenkao-love]

Thank you for protecting Kaoru-dono.

[enishikaoru]

Lovely works by @sharkaria for the 12 Days of EK challenge.

Consensus out there seems to be it's terribly hard to get cracking on the writing with all sorts of real world obstacles are in front of us this holiday season, but I appreciate Shark getting out there and putting us to shame by doing it anyway.

[ink-dusted-dreams]

An Analysis of Tomoe and Kenshin’s Relationship Part 2

In the subsequent chapters, Tomoe finally gathers the courage to open up about her life; a family full of peace and love, of being a sister and a mother to her beloved Enishi, and a lingering, impossible happiness from her engagement to her dearest childhood friend. As the mask of apathy slipped away, she found refuge in Kenshin's loving embrace.

In turn, Kenshin opened up about his own life, of his long-time struggle to find a balance between protecting others and being condemned to killing in the new era. In the midst of this discovery, Kenshin realized something else; he could no longer smell blood, only the sweet and reassuring scent of Tomoe's white plum, the future and his home. With a solemn promise to protect her happiness, Kenshin watched her smile in contentment.

Unspoken, Tomoe knew that however much she longed for it, she could not escape her tangled fate, and the spider's web she had become a part of.

Then, in heartbreaking silence, Tomoe left Kenshin's side without his awareness – a farewell to the man she loved, marked only by a gentle, bittersweet smile as he blissfully sleeps.

The crafty plot to get rid of Kenshin in the next chapter comes to life with him entering the forest of barriers, a place intricately crafted as his grave. Driven by his rage, Kenshin makes his way through the treacherous terrain, determined to reach out to Tomoe and rescue her, even if it means giving up his own life.

We are presented with the gut-wrenching scene when Tomoe throws herself between Kenshin and the Yaminobu, sacrificing her life to protect him instead and suffering a deadly wound from his sword. As she lies in Kenshin's lap, with his tears uncontrollably cascading down his cheeks, he is struck with the harsh reality and pain of losing the woman he loves. Tomoe leaves him the infamous X-shaped scar on his cheek, a symbol of all that has been lost, before peacefully slipping into eternal sleep.

Kenshin's anguish was palpable after Tomoe's passing. For countless days and weeks, he was in a despairing stupor as he endlessly contemplated and sought answers. Utterly broken, he discovered her diary and encountered an unbearable truth – that he had been the one who had squandered her joy.

Kenshin's emotions for Tomoe ran deep and passionate, yet the depths of his boundless love remained unexplored.

When the devious Enishi took his quest for revenge to a new level by simulating the death of Kaoru. Kenshin's world fell to pieces, unable to comprehend the sheer loss that greeted him. He sunk into a catatonic state of despair, leaving his friends to desperately plead for his return.

Yet, it was not their entreaties that broke the trance of his sorrow, but the enchanting fragrance of white plum blossoms that woke his wounded soul, once again.

As Kenshin stares into the abyss of his great despair over the disappearance of Kaoru, his face illuminates with a sorrowful yet endearing smile when he catches a vision of Tomoe. In his time of anguish, it is her vision that soothes his pained soul and imbues him with the courage to continue his journey to his new love, like a divine spirit watching over and guarding him from afar.

In a remarkable gesture of loyalty, devotion and adoration, she's promised him “If you smile, I who is inside yourself will always smile with you”. An indestructible bond, forged in pain, stands strong and unwavering between them.

As Kenshin clashed with Enishi, he was witness to the latter's vehement need to see him suffer and perish. Yet he was immutable in his conviction, stating that should Tomoe have wished for his death, he would have sacrificed himself without a second thought fifteen years ago. But that time had yet to come.

As the battle drew to a close, the story reached its bittersweet end. Kenshin led Kaoru to Tomoe's grave, explaining that the real Tomoe was kinder than "anyone or anything". With a sorrowful apology and a final goodbye, Kenshin then walked away, hand in hand with Kaoru, to embrace their future.

This story always captivated me as the most beautiful love story among the mangas I have read and the animes I have watched.

The life of the protagonist starts as a child facing death and despair, yet begins training at 10 and ultimately becomes the infamous Hitokiri Battōsai. Despite his accomplishments, he is as vulnerable and childlike as the 15-year-old he is when faced with attraction, trust, and love.

The loss leaves a deep scar, which fractures and then heals him in order to give him purpose-- atonement, a new life, and a transcendent, spiritual understanding of love. He embarks on a journey to protect himself and those around him, even in her absence, serving as the sheath to his sword until his final steps to peace and a renewed life-- a new love.

[graceverse]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Himura Kenshin/Kamiya Kaoru, Kamiya Kaoru/Yukishiro Enishi, enishi / kaoru / kenshin Characters: Himura Kenshin, Kamiya Kaoru, Yukishiro Enishi, Myoujin Yahiko, Sagara Sanosuke, Saitou Hajime, Takani Megumi, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: post The Final, movie verse mostly, Some Plot, lots of chaos, Love Triangles, hahahaha, because why not?, some angst also, Out of Character, I'm Sorry, really chaotic, also silly did i mention silly?

Summary: She raised her arms and prepared to swing it down on him. But of course, like before, his hands easily clamped around her bokken. Their eyes met and Kaoru could feel her the maddening pulse of her heart on her throat. She watched as the corner of his lips curled up in what could have been an actual smile before he snatched the bokken from her and with restrained viciousness, threw it somewhere against the wall where it noisily clattered.

Completely unperturbed by the events, Enishi then very casually asked her, "Do you want to go to Shanghai with me, Kamiya-san?"

And Kaoru thought, not for the first time in her life, that she was cursed to deal with incorrigible men that she would very much like to whack in the head with her bokken.

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Kenshin & Kaoru ~ Brotherly Antics | Yuko Calcabrina

[djappleblush]

Rurouni Kenshin fandom at the moment after being inactive for a while and then The Final was released:

[gone-forever-bye]

[eternal-echoes]

Kaoru and Enishi honestly act like siblings here.

[rainbowjamblog]

Something like a review of LA Kenshin: The Final

Spoilers ahead!

So, I watched the new LA Kenshin movie yesterday. And my immediate reaction was to take ot tumbr to see what others thought, which helped; and now I want to try and expand a bit on what others have already pointed out.

So. The Kyoto arc felt very well done. The changes mostly made sense, the emotional arc was there, it got me in the feels, it was cool, the action was great etc. Many others have elaborated on that. The only thing that really bothered me was how Kaoru got thrown overboard and never got a chance to fight. I mean, this arc is the *one* where she isn’t a damsel in distress, so they immediately change that? Ugh.

But anyway, I had all the trust and high expectations for this movie. As we all had, it seems.

So, what happened?

First: There are many things the movie is doing well. The casting and acting was still really good; I like how they tone down the more ‘colorful’ aspects of the manga to give them a more realistic feel, while keeping core elements of the caracter design. (Though, with some of the minor adversaries, I felt that didn’t work so well this time - a bit too manga-esque for the more realistic feel of the movies.) All the technical aspects worked well, as far as I could tell. What fell flat for me was the storyline. I understand that they had to make changes to make the whole arc fit into one or two movies, and I also understand that they might need to make changes because some stuff that works in a manga might now work as well in a movie. And that’s ok. The Kyoto arc worked so well because while they made lots of changes, the emotional core of the story was clear and intact. It was about Kenshin finding his reason to fight, his will to live and to adhere to his principles. At the end, it’s about finding home.

So, what about Jinchuu? To me, the core is about Kenshin finding a way to continue even when he fails. Enishi’s Jinchuu really tears everything down Kenshin has built, all the small parts of a good, peacful life he has managed to find, despite all he had done. But, most of all, Enishi shows him that he is unable to protect what he loves. And, since protecting is pretty much his reason to live - that means his life is suddenly meaningless. All the atonement wasn’t enough.

The Kyoto fight was about Kenshin’s past. It was about his sins and whether he was worthy to even have a present. And the ending showed that yes, he has a present, and he was truly able to change.

The Jinchuu arc, on the other hand, is somehow more about Kenshin’s future. He has found a measure of peace (a brittle one, obviously, since he kept his darkes demons hidden until the Dojo scene), and he has some hope that his philosophy of protecting is holding up. To atone for his sins, he has turned to help others; and in this he has found a possible way.

Enishi destroys that; completely. Kenshin has to learn in the most gut-wenching way possible that he cannot protect those he loves. This destroys him. And this, for me, is the emotional core of the arc: that Kenshins reason of being is shattered around him, and he nearly breaks because of it - but doesn’t. He finds the will to live, the will to continue, despite the most terrible failure he can imagine.

And this is the part that was missing from the movie. Yes, I understand that they couldn’t let Kaoru ‘die’ a second time (why, oh why did they do that before?!); but still, even with her kidnapped, or deeply hurt in a fight, they could have shown Kenshin shocked to the core that he wasn’t able to protect her. And that he must find a way to go on despite knowing that he can’t always protect thos closest to him.

Also. Kaoru gets short shrift by the script. Not only is she hardly allowed to fight (both in the past movies and in this one), but she is the emotional core of the whole thing. We get to see glimpses of that in her interactions with Megumi and Enishi; both beautifully done. But we hardly see that she is the person who matters most to Kenshin these days, that she lives and practices all those ideals he is trying so hard to hold on to; that without her, he loses his guiding light. Instead, he just ups and goes to fight all the bad dudes, and everone joins him in a kind of ‘yay, we’re all here for you’ moment - which would have been great, if the buildup had been there.

A thing I really liked, though, was the way they showed Kenshin’s backstory with Tomoe. It felt suitably quiet; two hurt people, no, deeply traumatised people, who come to understand each other, while we as the audience are also slowly understanding their connection.

So. Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts! I’d love to hear other’s takes on the whole thing!

[noonaenthusiast]

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)

[kenkao-love]

He’s not Battousai.

[vermaxen]

Enishi/Kaoru oneshot for @pinaytiger . Originally the request was for angst and I pretty much missed the mark, but hey.... have some fic for this rarepair anyway? :D

Also crossposted to The Pit.

[shintamsrn]

NEW TRAILER. DON’T TALK TO ME. I’M CRYING.

[phantomstatistician]

Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin

Sample Size: 804 stories

Source: AO3

[graceverse]

What I wanted to see in the movie. Or Kaoru waking up wearing a bathrobe and looking all: did that hentai took off my kimono?!!!!!

Instead we got NOTHING.

UGH. TAGAL KO MAKA MOVE ON SA THE FINAL 😭😭😭😭

I can clearly picture Mackenyu and Emi acting out this scene 😭😭😭😭