#myojin yahiko

[darius-1]

Life really answered my prayers. The Chibi moments have returned! We are so back!😊

[kenkaodoll]

Kamiya Dojo Monogatari Tale 78 (JUMP SQ 24/07)

About Kamiya Dojo Monogatari:

Tales of Kamiya dojo is written by Kaoru Kurosaki and published along with the “Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido” arc in JUMPSQ. The tale involves the Rurouni Kenshin character in daily life that takes time between Kenshin and Kaoru marriage until the epilogue chapter in the original manga before the Hokkaido Arc. Until this month (June 2024) there are a total 78 chapters in Tales of Kamiya dojo. This is an unofficial translation. 

Previous Story: https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/750191530648748032/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-77-jump-sq-2406

 

Kenshin leapt from the railing and first he swung down one bouncer on the bridge with the wet tablecloth on his hand.

“Uwaa!” 

Clang. The tablecloth hit the bouncer in the face. Kenshin landed on the bridge, kicking another bouncer who held a sword. 

The man whose face was pasted with a cloth was covering his face with his hands and groaned, "My eyes...! The other man who had been kicked was screaming "Aaaah" as his kicked sword fell under the bridge.

In no time at all, the two men on the bridge were out of combat.

“I owe you!” Mikio said to Kenshin and ran off across the bridge to somewhere else. It’s typical of him, a person who did not hesitate to run away.

“...”

Kenshin looked straight at Suwa. He was in the middle of washing dishes, so he had no reverse sword. How far could the opponent go against him with his bare hands and Kenji on his back?

“Tch. He is just a baby sister, what are you doing? Hey guys!"

Suwa backed up and looked at the three men who were waiting for him.

 The men step forward to protect Suwa and hold their swords ready.

Kenshin was standing on a narrow bridge over a waterway which was used for daily life. With the two men who were unable to fight and Kenshin himself, it was already cramped.

The three new men couldn’t attack Kenshin at once.

“Ah.. this…” Kenshin spoke to Kenji on his back.

“Yahiko once asked me about a way to fight multiple enemies by yourself.”

“Da—?”

“This situation is similar to the strategy we talked about then.”

That strategy to make the opponent come to himself one-on-one had come by chance on this narrow bridge.

Without a sword and with Kenji on his back, Kenshin had no choice but to play it safe and deal with the situation one-on-one.

“What’s wrong, hey babysitter? You talk to a baby. If you want to beg for your life, come to me."

Suwa wondered if it was a coincidence that Kenshin, who didn't have a sword, had knocked them both off the bridge at once. He completely underestimated Kenshin, who was carrying a child on his back.

“It’s an important old story between father and son, that it is.”

Kenshin took a fighting stance.

“Shut up, you’re a mess!”

 One of the men flashed a white blade at Kenshin, with all his might.

・

Meanwhile, a little while before that.

“I'm really sorry to bother you on such a big day… Oh, why on the first day of the cafe's opening,” Shino was talking to Megumi in a tone that sounded like she was asking for advice.

“What's wrong?”

“My stomach's just getting contractions…” Shino smiled helplessly and rubbed her stomach.

“Since when?”

“A little while ago. I was planning on asking a midwife near the tenement house to help me, but... ouch…”

“Then let's go back to the tenement house and get ready for the birth.”

“What if the baby is born now?”

Megumi encouraged the anxious Shino, “It'll be fine. The baby won't be born so soon. Anyway, where's the manager? By the way, I can't find him anywhere. Where is he?”

The only person who can take Shino home is her husband, Mikio. Megumi looked around and asked where Mikio was.

“Um, you see... he was called by a customer earlier and left. He hasn't come back since…” Tsubame said with a troubled look on her face.

“He's not here when he’s needed!” Megumi was irritated but still gave instructions,“So, where's Ken-san?”

“I just checked the washing area outside, but he wasn't there,” Yahiko reported immediately.

“We need a man! Oh dear! It can't be helped. I can't let Shino-san walk back to the tenement house, so I need to carry her on a two-wheeled-cart.”

“If Shino-san gives birth, it's a major event for the Nagaoka family... so... um, I'll do my best,” Tsubame offered.

“With your weak arms, it would be quicker for Shino-san to walk,” Megumi flatly refused.

“Ah... okay,” Tsubame retreated sheepishly.

“There's not enough strength here…” Megumi glanced at Kaoru.

"I'll do it! Got it. I'll borrow a handcart from a neighbor."

Kaoru rushed out of the store.

“I'll help too.”

“Me too!” Yahiko and Misao shouted.

“You guys stay here,” Megumi gave instructions to them .

“Since we won't have any adults here, don't let any new customers in from now on.”

“I got it!” Misao replied cheerfully.

“Then, once the customers who are currently in the store leave, we'll close up the store, a little earlier than planned.”

“We can run the store on our own.”

Yahiko pouted. He didn't want to close down the store early, which it's been going well.

“We deal with money and food, so when something goes wrong, we can't just say, 'The kids took care of it.'”

“We're not children.”

“If this was a shop that had been established for years, we'd leave it to you. Even though we're adults, we still don't know what to do…”

“Well, I guess there's nothing we can do,” Yahiko reluctantly agreed to Megumi's words.

“But... We'd have to turn away customers who want to come in... It’s regrettable…” Tsubame responded.

Misao made a suggestion, “If we close the shop, we'll have some leftover baked goods prepared for today, so why not give them out as an apology?”

“That's a good idea! If the cakes are delicious, maybe they'll come back again,” Tsubame smiled.

“It'll also be good advertising,” Yahiko nodded.

“Let's do that. The manager is not here to help us make decisions, but we can't ask permission from someone who's slacking off, so it can't be helped,”Megumi also agreed with the idea of ​​handing out baked goods.

And so, the group split up into a storekeeping team and a childbirth team.

・

“I've borrowed the two-wheeled cart!” Kaoru, who had rushed out earlier, jumped in.

“Leave the rest to us.”

Kaoru and Megumi put Shino on the platform of the two-wheeled cart.

“I'm so sorry... I wish my husband had been here.” Shino seemed to be in pain, so she obediently let herself be put on the two-wheeled cart.

“If you say that, this is a crucial time and none of our staff are here... Anyway, let's do our best!” Kaoru put in a lot of strength and pushed the cart. This thing was hard to start moving at beginning, she needed to put all her strength.

“Leave the cafe to us!”

“Please be careful!”

“Take care!”

Yahiko, Misao, and Tsubame sent them off until the cart was out of sight, then changed the "Open" sign hanging at the cafe’s entrance to "Getting Ready."

Not long after that,

“Oh, are you closed already?” A middle-aged male customer came in and asked regretfully.

“Yes. I'm sorry, sir. Please take this as an apology,” Tsubame handed him a baked cake.

“It's the first day of business, why are you closing so early?”

“Ojisan, today is an auspicious day for the opening of the café, but we have something even better to celebrate!” Misao blabbered on about the manager's wife giving birth.

“Oh, that's great! Then I think I'll share the sweets with my eldest son's wife, maybe she’ll get some luck.”

"That would be great."

Thanks to Misao's customer service skills, what she learned from Aoiya, even the customers who couldn't get in the store received sweets and left with smiles on their faces.

And then…

Something noisy started going on inside the store.

“Where is it? Where…?”

Mikio came in through the back door and was making a big fuss inside the store.

“Damn, what the hell is that guy doing here just now!”

 Yahiko returned to the store, leaving Misao and Tsubame to give out the sweets.

“Hey you! Where's the sakabato?” Mikio’s face was pale and he was searching for the sakabato.

“What? There's no way someone like you would touch Kenshin's precious sword. You should keep talking in your sleep!”

“Shut up, I really need it! Ah, there it is!” Mikio found the sword on his own, grabbed it, and  left through the entrance of the store.

“Oi, wait! Hey!” Yahiko tried to stop Mikio, but unfortunately...

“Excuse me, can I have the bill please?” 

A customer who was still in the store called him. Yahiko couldn't ignore him, so he served the customer.

“Mikio-sama?” Tsubame, who was handing out sweets at the entrance, noticed Mikio but she didn't quite understand what happened to him.

“Hey you! There’s something important!” Misao tried to tell him about Shino, but Mikio ran past as fast as he could, as if that wasn't the time for him.

“Hey! Listen to what I’m saying!” Misao called out, but Mikio only showed his back as he ran away and her voice didn't reach him.

・

“This is getting messy”

One of the men flashed his white blade at Kenshin with all his might.

The blade almost hit Kenji if Kenshin didn’t dodge it in time, so he jumped back and landed behind the bridge.

All he had left as a weapon was the tablecloth in his hand. He put some distance between himself and his enemy, buying himself some time to think about what to do. At that moment...

"Here you go! Now there's no debt!” Mikio's voice rang out as the Sakabato came flying.

Kenshin caught it with his hand.

“Kyaa kyaa!” Kenji cried out happily.

“Hey! But what's the point of handing a sword to some babysitter?” Suwa still underestimated Kenshin.

But...

Kenshin quickly pulls out his sword.

“!”

Blood drained from Suwa's face.

“That's a reverse-blade sword... A cross scar on his cheek... That babysitter, I can’t believe this…”

Notes:

*sakabato: reverse-blade-sword

.…..to be continued in chapter 79……  https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/757126529274806272/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-79-jump-sq-2408?source=share

TLnote(1): translating Japanese is so hard because the sentence structure is very different compared with English. Also the style of writing is different, plus there’s a lot of figurative, poetic language and things that don't make sense if it’s directly translated into english. So forgive me if this is very weird to read, and please tell me if you want to give corrections. 

TLnote(2) I will provide the original Japanese text for correction if any of you who read have better knowledge of the Japanese language. Just dm and I’ll send the file.

TLnote(3) Dtninja had translated some earlier chapters on his website. You can go and check on there

Read the rest of the story here: https://at.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/kamiya-dojo-monogatari/5dqxxnmq29m0

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (July 2023)

In downtown Tokyo, on the 11th year of Meiji — a romance begins.

[aestheticallypleasinganimeboys]

Myojin Yahiko - Monster Strike

[gladyscontrerasart]

Something old.

I do like some of the redesigns. Especially Saitou and Sanosuke's looks. Others are questionable.

Watsuki Nobuhiro Redesigns Part 1

I don’t recall when I first came across these, but I did recall thinking “some of these are cool, others are just questionable”. A prime example is Hiko Seijuro (at least I think that’s him)… I honestly hate that design. A tux? Not even an old fashion tux, but something you would probably see on your prom date after the 1980s. His one saving grace in that design is the flask of sake. And I’m sure that’s supposed to be Yutaro, his master (his name escapes me at the moment), and Sano’s family, but who’s that kid on the bottom right of that page?

Anyways, for the most part I do love these and wish there were bigger, better images out there.

[romancemedia]

[rurounixkenshin]

[itsmaferart]

Talking about Rurouni Kenshin 2023

I'm going to write a lot and I might have a bit of spoiler!!!

As a fan of Rurouni Kenshin from 1996, and now that a new adaptation came out this year I wanted to give a little opinion of my own, focusing on the comparisons I've seen of the current animated version with the 96 version.

However, I think that in order to see and enjoy both adaptations it is necessary to clarify several points, and the first of them is the intention behind each adaptation and which points can be compared and which others cannot.

Clearly, both adaptations have been made under different directions, by different companies and different times, aimed at different target audiences. And this can be clearly reflected from the first chapters aired to date (at the time of writing this review). Actually, I don't want to talk in depth about Jin-e Udo's arc yet, since in anime 2023 the battle between them and several of the arcs that are still to be broadcasted have not been released yet, but I think episode 6- Kurogasa, serves to illustrate how the current adaptation seeks to move away from its 96 counterpart despite being the chapters with less changes from each other.

To begin with, the contextualization and presentation of characters...

While in both the manga and the anime 2023, we are given a little contextualization of the situation. We are not introduced to Mr. Tani, the person Kenshin must protect at the request of one of the policemen, he is a rather arrogant man who currently holds a political office so he has enough money at his disposal to hire many men to protect them against the threat of an assassin. Although, at the beginning he refuses with arrogance, when Kenshin reminds him how he protected him during the Bakumatsu, Mr. Tani's expression changes radically, adding that all his bodyguards are useless since Sanosuke himself has crushed them in previous times.

Much of this context is omitted in the 1996 version, and it is only pointed out that Kenshin has to go to protect Lord Tani, in the face of Kurogasa's threat.

Also the presentation of Jin-e are very different proposals. In the original version, it is done from the viewer's point of view. We can see Jin-e ruthlessly murdering the guards until he appears in the room. In that way, we are introduced how this is a ruthless killer who makes his way.

While in the 2023 version (and in the manga) it is left to the expectation. Neither Sano nor Kenshin see Jin-e killing directly, they only see the bodies he has left in his path until he makes a surprising presence in the room just when he attacks one of the bodyguards and that is when we see him kill the bodyguards.

Here we see how the approach of both anime is very different. While the original version, seeks to focus more on the killer Kenshin will face and the combat, to convey to the viewer the intimidating feeling of a new enemy. The current version, focuses more on setting the context and showing us the relationship Kenshin has had in the past during the battles. Each chapter shows us key pieces of what Kenshin was like during his Hitokiri era, as well as how those who participated in the war relate to the current government and Meji era.

In Rurouni Kenshin the social and political context is one of the bases of its story, as it is directly inspired by real events. While the character of Lord Tani is irrelevant in many ways. It serves to expose once again that many of those who participated in the war took positions of importance in politics and economics, becoming arrogant people who use power to their convenience. Something Kenshin is against.

Now, really my point is not to talk about which version is better or worse....or if the current version is better for being faithful to the manga or if it is a bad adaptation for not being the same as the 90's version.

But to understand that the original version was never intended to be 100% faithful to the manga, but rather an interpretation using the manga as a guide. The fundamental elements of the manga are respected and maintained, at the same time subtle and continuous changes are made that change the story. I understand that many of these changes are not really important but substantially give a very different interpretation at the narrative level. While this adaptation seeks to be faithful to the manga, following almost in its entirety the events that the original format raised.

The remake is not a remastering of the '96 anime, but rather an adaptation completely detached from its predecessor to stick only to the manga. And this can be reflected in all the number of decisions that the direction has had, from not using the original voice cast, the change in the drawing style, not using the (iconic) soundtrack of the original, not remastering the ending and opening version. Evidently, the current version aims to capture a more current audience, proposing a version that is more attached to modernity. The goal in itself is not to appeal to nostalgia to please the established fandom, but to capture a new one that may or may not have seen the original. And that's why I think many people don't like the differences between the two adaptations.

In my opinion, I don't see anything wrong with the adaptations being different. In fact, I think to a certain extent it's good that they don't play it safe by copying what the '96 anime achieved.

However, despite how faithful the Remake is to the manga, I consider that it has several points to be solved that makes it subtract points.

For starters, several of the comedy scenes that ARE in the manga are omitted. (There are scenes that are adapted while others are omitted) Which, well… I understand the desire to stick to a serious tone and rhythm, I don't pretend that they add comic scenes that are not necessary. But the comedy in the manga was not randomly placed, but emphasized the dynamic between the characters and gave more contrast to Kenshin's personality which is sweet, relaxed and somewhat silly, contrary to his Battousai personality. Subtle details like Kenshin ready to unsheathe the sword, but seeing Kaoru they end up cutting their finger, I think details that make the difference.

Not to mention that really the OST is unremarkable. It's not bad, but it doesn't usually stand out with the scene. I can understand not recycling the previous one, but a new one could be proposed to go with a better scene.

Most importantly, do not raise new technical resources:

Just like the OST, I really don't think that making a carbon copy of the '96 work is the best thing to do. But it would be great if, while not using the same techniques, they at least come up with some new ones.

In '96, the change of color, the use of negative, slow motion, worked to make the dramatic scenes stand out. The drama was intended to be more impactful and contrasting with the comedy and serenity of the rest of the scene. While in the current version (2023), we can see Kenshin's face very well drawn, his anger as Battousai is clearly seen, but there is a lack of ambience that envelops us in the tragic atmosphere as Kaoru's kidnapping. Although these are just details, I hope that for future fights they will focus on giving more emphasis to the combats and manage to transmit the epicness of this work.

Finally, I think that the 1996 adaptation is an incredible work that unfortunately was not completed, and really as a fan of the original anime and manga I think it is worth giving a chance to the remake that shows a lot of potential. The voice cast seems very good (I personally like the new voice of Kenshin) and the animation is quite fluid, and I like the drawing style, however, it has some considerable details to be polished. Although at the moment there are very few chapters broadcasted, there is still a long way to go to see the best fights. The point of comparing is in a constructive way to see those details that can or could have been better in both adaptations, without detracting from the achievements that each one has. Since both stand out in very different ways.

[herthoughtswandered]

Kenshingumi!!!

Scenes from new episode 😇

[darius-1]

[kenkaodoll]

Kamiya Dojo Monogatari Tale 76 (JUMP SQ 24/05)

About Kamiya Dojo Monogatari:

Tales of Kamiya dojo is written by Kaoru Kurosaki and published along with the “Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido” arc in JUMPSQ. The tale involves the Rurouni Kenshin character in daily life that takes time between Kenshin and Kaoru marriage until the epilogue chapter in the original manga before the Hokkaido Arc. Until this month (April 2024) there are a total 76 chapters in Tales of Kamiya dojo. This is an unofficial translation. 

Previous Story: https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/745210446270889984/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-75-jump-sq-2404 

The night passed.

Finally the day had arrived. It was the first day of the opening of the Rabbit Cafe. Kaoru, Megumi, Misao, and Tsubame, all dressed as waitresses in bluish-gray, wide-brimmed dresses and frilly white aprons, they had finished their preparations before the opening and were all gathered around, looking somewhat restless and uneasy.

“I'm kind of nervous about opening a rabbit café for the first time,” Kaoru told Misao.

”Shall I teach you a method to relieve the tension that has been passed down through the Oniwabanshu?”

“It sounds like it might work. Please let me know.”

“Write the character for "person", *hito (人) in the palm of your hand…”

Before Misao could finish, Megumi immediately interrupted.

“Everyone does it, not just the Oniwabanshu.”

“Eh! Really?” Misao was surprised.

“You write the hito (人) character in your palm three times then put it in your mouth and act like you swallow it, right?”

“Bingo! So this wasn’t a special method handed down to the Oniwabanshu,” Misao was disappointed at Megumi’s words.

“Yes, I know that too,” Kaoru followed up.

“Damn, Jiiya has played me for a sucker!”

“I know that old men would do such pranks. He didn’t tell you immediately, but eventually you will find out that everyone knew about it, even if they weren't the Oniwabanshu. Then when you realized it for the first time, you were already tricked by him.” The lie was like a time bomb.

“I've been tricked!” Misao was very frustrated.

He is a funny old man, isn't he?” Tsubame said, and Yahiko, who had been listening from the back room, came out and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yes, he can be too funny sometimes.”

Since today was the first day, Yahiko and Mikio's wife, Shino, were waiting behind the room, just in case they needed help.

Yahiko and Shino were not dressed in Western-style clothing because they were waiting in a place where customers couldn’t see them. They were dressed normally.

The plan was that while everyone was working in the cafe, if a customer came in and wanted to buy rabbit, whoever was available would take care of it. However, if there were too many customers who wanted to buy rabbits, the situation would be very hectic. The cafe had a fixed number of seats, so there was a limit to how busy it could get.

However, since it was completely unknown what would happen, it was decided that Yahiko and Shino would wait and see to respond in case of an emergency.

However they had their own reasons. Yahiko wanted to see the usual face of his friends, and Shino wanted to see Mikio in his high spirit.  

“Today, the members of the Rabbit Club, which Usagawa-san represents, will be here, so we will definitely be busy,” Mikio spoke at the morning briefing before the store opened.

“The first impression you make on the first day is very important! I look forward to working with you today.”

“Eh! What he just said? I didn't know he could say such an auspicious thing,” Yahiko was so surprised that he unintentionally whispered to Tsubame.

“Well, um…” Tsubame lost a word.

“He’s going to be a parent now, he'd better be able to say something like that, or else we'll be in trouble,” Shino patted her big belly and spoke to Yahiko in a whisper.

“Ah... Mikio-sama's…”Tsubame bowed his head.

She had wanted to greet Shino ever since she arrived at the store, but she had somehow missed it.

“You must be Tsubame-chan. I heard about you from him,” Shino looked at Tsubame and smiled.

“Eh?” Tsubame was very curious about what was said, but she didn’t have the courage to ask her about it. 

“Hey, there!” Mikio looked at Yahiko, Tsubame, and Shino and shouted.

“The manager is giving you a very important briefing, so you should not chit-chat casually.”

“Hey, hey!”

“I.. I'm sorry, sir.”

“My bad.”

Yahiko, Tsubame, and Shino each apologize to Mikio.

“All right, everybody, take your positions! We're about to open!”

 Mikio cheerfully urged everyone to get ready, like he was commanding a battle.

The waitresses line up in front of the entrance door, while their helpers, Yahiko and Shino, wait in the back room.

Mikio glanced out the window and saw a few customers waiting for the store to open. Are they members of the Rabbit Club, or are they just a fan of new things?

“All right, everyone. I'm going to open this door. Once we open this door, there's no going back.”

“Yosh!”

 Kaoru, Megumi, Misao, and Tsubame all pumped their fists in the air and shouted with all their might. From the room behind Yahiko and Shino’s voice also could be heard.

・

And then the store opens!

“Welcome!”

Mikio opened the door, and Kaoru, Megumi, Misao, and Tsubame greeted the customers in cheerful voices.

The first guest to come in was....

It was Kenshin.

He entered with a smiling face, carrying Kenji on his back.

Mikio opened the door and saw an unexpected person, letting out a strange voice.

“Ooooh! Oh, you!”

For a moment, he almost ran away. He had reflexively turned away, remembering once he stared at him with scary eyes. But this time Mikio was not just a thug. He was the manager of the Rabbit Café.

“…”

Mikio took one deep breath to prepare himself.

”Why did you come here?” He sounded intimidating.

This was a completely wrong response for a manager, but it was better than running away.

“Mikio-sama,” Tsubame helped him out in a whisper.

“This is the time when you say 'irasshaimase' (welcome).”

Mikio gasped hearing her voice

“Irasshaimase!”

 He greeted Kenshin with a stiff smile.

“Today, I came to see my wife in her finest clothes,” Kenshin told Mikio.

“Oh no, Kenshin,” Kaoru broke into a smile.

“Does it look good?” She picks up the hem of her waitress dress and spins around.

“For me, my favorite is your regular training clothes, but the Western clothes suit you as well, that you do.”

Kenji who’s carried by Kenshin, was also cackling happily.

“What are you guys doing? Cut the crap and get to work.”

“Then let's have some tea,” Kenshin replied to Mikio's request with a serious expression.

“Please come to our seat over here,” Kaoru led Kenshin to a table.

“Tsk… our first guest is her family. How long has he been waiting in line with his child?” Mikio grumbled and invited the next guest in.

“Irasshaimase!”

The second guest was a member of the Rabbit Club.

The third and fourth guests were also members of the rabbit club.

 “Usagawa-san told me I could see cute rabbits while sipping a cup of delicious tea.”

 The men in the group look fondly at the rabbits.

 “Can I take a good look at that rabbit over there with the nice fur?”

“Please let me see that little rabbit with the brown ears.”

“I'd like to see that little rabbit over there!”

“I want to give the rabbits some *komatsuna. Eh, it’s sold separately? How much?”

The members of the rabbit club seemed very satisfied with this breakthrough opportunity to interact with the rabbits.

Then it got out of hand, not only for Kaoru and the waitresses, but also for Yahiko and Shino, who were also really busy helping out.

“It can't be helped…” Mikio looked at the rabbits and growled at Kenshin, who was slowly sipping his tea.

“You know, it's so crowded, can you think about it a little.”

Hearing that, Tsubame hurriedly apologized.

“I am terribly sorry!”

She then chided Mikio.

“Mikio-sama, you shouldn't talk to customers like that.”

“You’re so annoying. I don't like to treat him like a customer.”

“But you said it's important to make a good impression on the first day.”

Kenshin smiled at Tsubame.

“I don't mind. The rabbit café was so interesting that the manager had a hard time. I'll go home soon.”

“No, I didn't ask you to leave the store. It's the other way around.”

“What do you mean by ‘the other way around’?”

“I need your help. Your wife and her students are helping. As a house head you should help out too,” Mikio threw the apron at Kenshin.

“Oro~?”

・

Although the first day had only just begun, this rabbit café seemed to have a promising future.

They served tea and sweets, sold live rabbits, and had a lot of customers! Sales are also going well!

It was a wide difference from last year, when Mikio was selling rabbits by himself.

Will there really be customers for such an unprecedented new-age business as a rabbit café, or will anyone buy rabbits there? Mikio was a bit skeptical about Usagawa's plan for this rabbit café. But even if this did not work out, it was Usagawa’s money, not Mikio. His pocket would remain unschated. On the contrary, he would be paid as a hired manager, so it could only be a good thing whether it sold well or not. He thought it would be convenient no matter which way it went.

When he actually saw customers coming in and being pleased with the product, he was glad I could sell it. A sense of fulfillment that he had never felt before welled up from the bottom of his heart.

・

Mikio was in a good mood.

The door of the store opened.

“Irasshaima-…”

“Hey”

Suwa appeared at the store.

 “I've come to pick up... The clay.”

Suwa's smile brought down Mikio’s mood.

Notes:

*Hito(人): Kanji character for man/ person

*Jiiya: grandpa

*Irasshaimase: welcome

*komatsuna: Japanese mustard spinach, a leafy vegetable.

.…..to be continued in chapter 77……  https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/750191530648748032/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-77-jump-sq-2406

TLnote(1): translating Japanese is so hard because the sentence structure is very different compared with English. Also the style of writing is different, plus there’s a lot of figurative, poetic language and things that don't make sense if it’s directly translated into english. So forgive me if this is very weird to read, and please tell me if you want to give corrections. 

TLnote(2) I will provide the original Japanese text for correction if any of you who read have better knowledge of the Japanese language. Just dm and I’ll send the file.

TLnote(3) Dtninja had translated some earlier chapters on his website. You can go and check on there

Read the rest of the story here:

https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/686193523858538496/rurouni-kenshin-tales-of-kamiya-dojo

[medea10]

My Review of Rurouni Kenshin (2023)

If you grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s, chances are you’ve come across this title.

Rurouni Kenshin’s original anime aired in Japan from 1996-1998. It managed to make it out west with being licensed by Media Blasters and aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block in the early 2000s. With 95 episodes to its name, Rurouni Kenshin was pretty popular everywhere. In later years, a couple of OVA’s were released. One of them was a prequel that was never seen outside of the manga. The second one was a sequel to the main series that goes in a different route from the manga. And the third was a retelling of one of the series best moments.

And just laying it out there, yes, this series is sadly also known as “Samurai X”. I say “sadly” due to what was done to the series with that name. What with the bastardization of people’s names and what have you! The name of the series is Rurouni Kenshin. If you see that other name, turn around and don’t look back.

Now, does this series live up to the hype? Yes and no. While this was one of Japan’s most rewatched animes of all time, the series could have been better. Pretty much everything after what is known as the Kyoto Arc is seen as garbage to many. In some cases, they’re not wrong. It’s just a sea of fillers until the series ended in 1998. I guess some of the blame could be that they changed studio hands during the run of the original anime. Studio Deen has such a lousy reputation for messing with a good thing.

Case and point, Rozen Maiden 2013!

It’s just that when Kenshin gets into the swing of things, it’s a thrill to watch. So, having a retelling of the story and have it be faithful to the manga is welcoming for long-time fans and curious newbies.

Just. One. Thing. Though.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: Nobuhiro Watsuki is the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. Back in late 2017 while he was releasing more Rurouni Kenshin in manga form, it was discovered that he was in possession of child pornography. This news alone is an immediate red flag, drop everything, cancel this bro right stat now kind of thing. What happened was he was arrested, paid a fine, and went back to releasing his manga after a several-month hiatus.

Obviously, everything about the story is disgusting. I’m not sure how much child porn was removed from this man’s place but I feel like it was somewhere between what Jared Fogle had and a fuck-ton. And now every fan is having this moral dilemma of watching this anime if it’s supporting this man. When it comes to me, fuck yeah, I’m still watching it. Do you have any idea how many things I still watch where the original creator is a fuck-bucket? And don’t lie, you probably do the same. Ren and Stimpy, The Loud House, Rick & Morty, Earthworm Jim, all of these and more are the product of some sick ass-banana. Just keep that in mind before tossing stones. You all know who you are and you all aren’t squeaky clean in what you watch. None of us are.

In the end, it’s your call to make on watching this or reading anything else that comes from Watsuki. Certain companies have made their call already when it comes to Rurouni Kenshin. Weekly Shounen Jump still prints whatever Watsuki puts out. Viz Media however has put an end to the latest Rurouni Kenshin manga that’s been put out in the last few years, but has kept the original manga up.

OKAY, NOW LET’S ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THE ANIME: I know it’s a lot to go over, I just felt it necessary to do the frank discussion before I talk about the anime. This anime is a full reboot. That means, it’ll be a different studio animating it, it will supposedly take after the manga instead of diverting into a different path like the original series, and yes, the cast will be different. Which cast? All of them!

Rurouni Kenshin goes like this. It has been well over a decade since the end of a brutal war. With the entering of the Meiji era, peace was assumed as weapons like swords are banned. Of course, that won’t stop people from killing. And the never-ending fight with the government can cause this peaceful time…it was never really peaceful. Kenshin Himura is a wandering rurouni. He carries with him a double-edged sword despite the sword ban law put in place. Prior to this moment, Kenshin was known as “Hitokiri Battosai”, a ruthless killer. But after certain events, Kenshin swears to never kill again.

One day, he meets a young girl named Kaoru Kamiya. She’s the owner of a dojo that specializes in a certain style. At first, she confronts Kenshin thinking he is the dreaded Hitokiri Battosai. Most of it was a misunderstanding because yes, Kenshin is that, but he’s not the one using the name in vain and using Kaoru’s fighting style. After several incidents between the characters, Kenshin decided to set up shop and stay with Kaoru at her dojo. Eventually, two other characters join along. Yahiko, an orphaned boy who is training to be a great swordsman one day. And Sano, who once served during the brutal war is now a bit of a drifter. But he’ll have Kenshin’s back when they’re in a battle.

BETWEEN THE NEW SUB AND THE NEW DUB…AND EVERYTHING ELSE: I’ve gone on in length about the dubs to Rurouni Kenshin in the past. Prior to the 2023 remake, there were a total of three English dubs. The first one was for the original television run featuring Richard Cansino, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, and Wendee Lee. This was dubbed by Media Blasters. The second one consisted of the OVA’s featuring folks like Shannon Weaver, Gray Haddock, and Katherine Catmull. These were dubbed by ADV films and later Sentai Filmworks. And as for the third dub, that would be Sony’s sad attempt at redubbing Rurouni Kenshin filled with bastard names, a bastard name title, and new voices.

In the beginning, I was hoping for the absolute best-case scenario when it came to an English dub for this retelling. When it comes to me, I will always pick the first dub and that is for one big freakin’ thing. Steven Blum voicing Makoto Shishio. That and I always thought Richard Cansino was the best Kenshin. I’ve already been disappointed when Sentai didn’t reunite the original cast when retelling the Kyoto Arc several years ago and that’s why my skepticism is in play here. Plus, I’m pretty sure some of the original dub cast has already retired from voice acting. Sadly, the original voice for Misao (Philece Sampler) passed away in 2021. Much to my dismay, there was a new cast alright. Who they are was the bigger question.

Crunchyroll dropped the episodes without warning three months after the premier and without stating who would be in the cast. That’s certainly out of character for them. They get chatty when showering the masses who is going to be in an English dub cast everywhere they can including all social media platforms. I would have chalked it up to the SAG-AFTRA strike. But then I remembered, Crunchyroll has a conniption when it comes to that certain union. Plus, it never stopped them before as they’ve been whoring other English lists that same week this dropped. So, the obvious reason has got to be fear of having the audience badger the cast for being in Rurouni Kenshin after what the creator did. Only Kenshin’s voice actor came forward a week after the actor’s strike. The rest, most of us had to guess. Except for Yahiko, he just sounded like an angrier Gon. So, it’s Erica Mendez.

Just so you know, Aniplex had a live festival with seiyuus promoting the shows they’re on back in September of 2023. And what do you know, Souma Saitou and Rie Takahashi were on stage promoting Rurouni Kenshin. Out and about, no one getting doxxed, threatened, hate-mailed, or anything of the sort. I have a few scattered thoughts here. First of all, if there’s any bad-mouthing of Rie Takahashi of any kind, you and I are going to have a problem. Second of all, American fan-bases are fucking toxic and would harass the voice actors relentlessly to the point of no return. And third, why couldn’t they just come up with some fake-ass alias names for the English cast? On the other hand, I’ve seen how people on social media has harassed voice actors over trivial bullshit and it’s only getting worse. So, I kinda understand why this happened.

As for the sub, yes, the voices here have changed. So, when I originally watched Rurouni Kenshin, I watched nearly everything dubbed. It wasn’t until much later when I stumbled upon the sub, I discovered that Kenshin was voiced by a woman. Now, I’m getting another case of whiplash as I’m getting used to hearing Kenshin having more of a manlier voice. With all of that said, here’s the cast of Rurouni Kenshin 2023!

JAPANESE CAST: *Kenshin is now played by Souma Saitou (known for Diavolo on Jojo’s Pt. 5, Yamaguchi on Haikyuu, Kain on Rinne, and Miyano on Sasaki to Miyano)

*Kaoru is now played by Rie Takahashi (known for Ai on Oshi no Ko, Megumin on Konosuba, Emilia on Re:Zero, Sumi on Rent-A-Girlfriend, Ena on Laid-Back Camp, Mash on Fate/Grand Order, and Tomo on Tomo-chan is a Girl)

*Yahiko is now played by Makoto Koichi (known for Elza on Interspecies Reviewers, Young Jun on Tomo-chan is a Girl, Sumika on Yuri is my Job, and Sakura on Lycoris Recoil)

*Sanosuke is now played by Taku Yashiro (known for Friede on Pokemon Horizons, Natsuo on Domestic Girlfriend, Kouichi on Horimiya, Vulcan on Fire Force, and Arai on Chainsaw Man)

ENGLISH CAST: *Kenshin is now played by Howard Wang (known for Piers on Pokemon Journeys, Anastasia on Jojo’s Pt. 6, Kokonoi on Tokyo Revengers, Atsushi on Lovely Complex, Goshiki on Haikyuu, and Chuusaku on Komi-san)

*Kaoru is now played by Risa Mei (known for Futaba on My Senpai is Annoying)

*Yahiko is now played by Erica Mendez (known for Gon on Hunter x Hunter, Haruka/Uranus on Sailor Moon [redub], Ryuko on Kill la Kill, Raphtalia on Shield Hero, Retsuko on Aggretsuko, and Megumin on Konosuba)

*Sanosuke is now played by Darius Johnson

SHIPPING: Can I delve into this topic without going off the deep end and bringing up spoilers?

No, not really. These spoilers are over 30 years old. Deal with it.

Kenshin x Kaoru is a ship that has set sailed into the sea. No matter how much sex appeal Megumi can throw at it! Trust me on the matter, it’s a signed deal. I know that it almost seems one-sided in these 24 episodes, but that’s how it is.

WHAT TO COVER: In a reboot, you’ve gotta see what this version kept and what they didn’t and if it’s all in the right part of the story. Of course, we get the stories everyone is used to with this series like Kaoru being duped by that old creep and the debuts of Sano and Yahiko. Near the halfway mark, we’re already introduced to Aoshi and watched Kenshin and Sano take on the drug lords that were using Megumi. There have been a couple of episodes dedicated to some familiar storylines like Sano’s old comrade and the young lad Yutarou who wound up on the wrong side of the blade. Meanwhile, I’m squirming around in my seat waiting to hear something from a certain awesome villain. I have made no secret to loving the Kyoto arc and its main villain, Makoto Shishio.

Come episode 19, I heard his name uttered and know that it’s coming up.

Wait a sec! There are only 5 episodes left in the season. If this studio dares to even cram the whole Kyoto arc in that short amount of time, I’m throwing this entire media out the window. There’s gotta be a second season. Even if it’s only like 12 episodes that covers the span of the Kyoto arc, it’s better than the worst-case scenario. Thankfully, they did not cram the entire Kyoto arc into an episode. No mad man would ever do…Studio Deen would do that.

Case and point, Rozen Maiden 2013!

I am now being informed that I have already insulted Studio Deen’s attempt with Rozen Maiden twice now in this review. Let me get back to what I was saying. Thank the great good lord those guys are not in charge of Rurouni Kenshin again.

Actually, two of these episodes were a flashback episode that was originally an extra chapter to the manga. And if you’re wondering if this flashback episode contains Kenshin back when he was the legendary manslayer, it does not. It’s a story of Kenshin a couple of months prior to meeting Kaoru and the rest. For Kenshin’s past…just watch the OVA’s from 30 years ago.

The final episodes of the season set the stage up for the Kyoto arc with the introduction to Hajime Saito. Ten years prior, he was a bit of a rival to Kenshin back when he was the noted manslayer. Now, Hajime is part of the Shinsengumi. Kenshin and Hajime end up facing off like back in the day and he wound up reverting back to his manslayer mode.

Apparently, Kenshin can turn off that mode with a punch in the face.

As one does! The last time Kenshin was in that mode was when Kaoru was kidnapped earlier in the series. This time, Kaoru’s voice had no effect. This moment leads to Kenshin’s crucial decision at the end of the season. After the spar, he is confronted by Okubo Toshimichi, the man who has been trying to make the Meiji era a more peaceful time. He asks Kenshin for help of taking out a certain someone. Yes, it’s Makoto Shishio. Also known as, the man who just won’t die. Case and point, he’s been stabbed, knocked unconscious, and even set on fire. He’s still standing! Hell, he’s even known as the new Hitokiri Battosai manslayer. Kenshin gave this a lot of thought as he wants to remain peaceful and never kill again. Unfortunately, he’s given no choice when Okubo…well, he…

He fucked around and found out!

One of Shishio’s commrades (Soujiro Seta) murdered Okubo and sent a stark warning to Kenshin about going forward with anything brash. Kenshin truly wants for a peaceful nation and doesn’t want to kill again. In the final moments, we see him have a few precious moments with Kaoru before proceeding to leave her.

DON’T CRY, FANS! HE AIN’T GONE FOREVER! But a season two must, must, must, must, MUST COME!

Thankfully, two days after the finale we get the announcement that Rurouni Kenshin is indeed getting a sequel in 2024. Unknown to when in 2024, if the same studio will be doing it, how many episodes it’s going to be, or if Steven Blum is going to return as the voice of Shishio. Seeing as NO ONE from the original English cast has returned to do this project, I’ll shut up about it...

For now.

Was this a great reboot? That’s your call to make. For me, it’s too early to tell as there’s only been 24 episodes and none of them are the classic Kyoto arc. It’s too preliminary to call it a masterpiece or trash. Manga readers are somewhat split as they will always find fault with everything. Not every anime adaptation is going to do everything by the book and that’s their conniption. I read the manga too and I wasn’t picky about the adaptation. It’s not like they skipped 50 chapters and went right into unknown territory.

And before you say, “Oh, there goes Medea again bashing Rozen Maiden 2013”. NO! I was actually poking at The Promised Neverland this time.

Thankfully, Rurouni Kenshin was done well. The art was beautiful. LIDENFILMS did a spectacular job. If you’re not familiar with the studio, they have recently done Call of the Night and Tokyo Revengers. The music was great. Every opening and ending were bangers. Reol was the real stand-out star in that department. They kept the language Kenshin uses when he speaks, that they did. I’m satisfied. I know more fans would want to see some more footage of Kenshin back when he was the notorious Battosai. I’m just going to say to be patient. You’ll see some stuff soon enough. And if you’re an impatient fuck, the OVA’s are around. Trust & Betrayal will give you what you want.

Can I recommend this? Not without having a giant elephant sitting on my shoulders.

For now, Crunchyroll has Rurouni Kenshin 2023 available for streaming.

Now then, for those who are looking for the original series, OVA, and even the live-action movies, here’s where to find them.

The original 96-episode series is currently on Hulu. The recent live-action movies are currently available on Netflix. All of the OVA’s (Trust & Betrayal, Reflections, and Kyoto-arc retelling), I can’t seem to find them streaming wise. Also, unsure if the hard copies are out of print or not.

[herthoughtswandered]

Babies!!! ❤️❤️❤️

yeahhhhh!

😲

good bye!

kanryu bye!!

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.

消したった！

[insiderzx]

Yahiko Myojin - Rurouni Kenshin

[kenkao-love]

Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023)