Rurouni Kenshin is indeed a 2012 Japanese period action-adventure film based on Nobuhiro Watsuki’s manga of the very same title, which he wrote and illustrated. Takeru Satoh and Emi Takei feature in the movie directed by Keishi Tomo. It tells the narrative of a wanderer named Himura Kenshin, formerly known as that of the assassin Hitokiri Battsai, who takes part in imaginary events set in Japan during the early Meiji era. Kenshin travels the countryside of Japan following participating in the Bakumatsu war, providing protection and help to people in need as atonement for the killings he had committed.
Before the announcement, rumours of a live-action version of the manga surfaced. According to the Sankei Sports daily, the team hoped to promote the film globally and eventually turn it into a series. This would be the manga’s first live-action adaptation. Watsuki contributed suggestions for the film during production, which were incorporated.
Warner Bros. was in charge of worldwide distribution for the picture.
Rurouni Kenshin was released in Japan on August 25, 2012, and until November 2012, it has grossed over $36 million domestically and over $60 million globally. Over 60 countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia have received distribution rights to the film. On December 14, 2012, the film premiered in North America as the opening selection for the 2012 LA EigaFest.
Funimation Films announced on June 14, 2016, that they would have purchased the film’s rights, as well as the sequels Kyoto Inferno and The Legend Ends. In August 2016, the film was released in North American theatres with just an English dub.
The movie was the tenth highest-grossing picture in Japan in 2012, making $3.01 billion at the box office. Prior to its premiere in the Philippines, the film grossed $61.7 million internationally through December 2012.
In addition, the picture grossed $728,085 in Malaysia, Thailand, as well as the Philippines between May 2013 and May 2016, $8,389 inside the United Kingdom in October 2013, and $32,445 in the United States (27 theatres) in August 2016, bringing the total to $62.5 million worldwide.
The majority of critics gave the movie good reviews. The Hollywood Reporter’s Deborah Young lauded the picture at the Busan Film Festival, stating, “The choreography is quick and fierce, and the sword battles ably demonstrate Battosai’s remarkable talents.” The combat sequences are pounded out to a barbarian beat by Naoki Sat’s aggressive music.” The film “treats the original material with respect and affection,” according to Michelle Nguyen of Geek.com, and it “…is many things: part Japanese historical drama, part action movie, and part nostalgic emotional trip.”
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