Anime lovers are spot on when they said that Rurouni Kenshin: Samuai X is the best live action adaptation ever! I am one of those firm believers that live action adaptions of our favorite anime franchises should be done only by its creators, the Japanese. Look at how Dragon Ball Z turned out. Or even Tekken and Street Fighter. Japs don't always get it right, but theirs would come out more authentic and believable. And with Rurouni Kenshin, they indeed got it right.
Generally, Rurouni Kenshin seems to not your typical Japanese action movie. The cinematography seems different. The production set seems different from all the Japanese live action movies that I've watched.I was looking for the usual computer generated houses but didn't notice one. And that is not a bad thing. In fact, I think that added to its charm. Everything seems so real. It retains though the gory blood splatting an in your face hacking and slashing which everyone loves.
Being a follower of its anime version, I know that the series has a huge number of arcs. One would wonder how Keishi Ohtomo (director) would create a plot that is plausible, effectively mixing drama and action, making an adaptation that even those not aware of the anime or manga can follow with ease. He definitely did an awesome job! He was not entirely faithful to the first two arcs of the anime but I think it helped him introduce the main characters well: how Kenshin got his scars and why he made a vow not to kill, how Kaoru's innocence strengthen Kenshin's resolve and how their love story came to be.
I definitely have no qualms about the action scenes. The movie opened with a gritty killing spree with its usual hacking and slashing. And up until the climax, I was like a kid in martial arts wonderland. The swordplay was fast yet beautifully choreographed. There wasn't a hint of CG which made even Kenshin's flash steps very believable.
The only aspect of the film that I had mixed feelings on would be its casting. First, I think Takeru Sato (Kenshin) struggled to portray the clueless ex-assassin who was coming back to his old innocent self with every person that he helps out. Takeru had his moments but mostly came out to be too serious (when he is not fighting). I was also expecting Megumi (Yu Aio) to be a bombshell. Munetaka Aoiki did a good job playing the smug tough guy Sanosuke but I was hoping for a hotter actor. How I wish, they gave the part to Yosuke Eguchi who I think is too goodlooking to play as Saito.
Overall, Rurouni Kenshin exceeded my expectations. I was expecting a problematic plot and CG fest of action scenes. Fortunately, i was blown away by its amazingly choreographed action scenes and superb story. It easily becomes the best live action adaptation I have ever seen.
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