Wanderlust

Kenshin: Would you like to watch the new era with me?

Kaoru: I want to stay with you, Kenshin.

I admire Kaoru in this scene, I think this is an underated KenKao scene. Kaoru chose to stay by Kenshin side while their friend were taking a break.

And her determination to hear the rest of the story was amazing. She didn't even flinch when hearing the darkest past and love story from her crush the man she loved.

[CONTAIN SPOILERS]

Oro?

He's my childhood manga hero and I grew up reading the manga. Watching my favourite Takeru reliving Kenshin is like the strawberry and cream on top of a really delicious vanilla cake!

The Final's storyline was a bit different from the manga. They didn't insert the part where Enishi faked Kaoru's death that it totally threw Kenshin to the bottom of his life. Her (faked) death hurts him so much that he couldn't even swing his sakabato anymore. Then again, for Kaoru's sake, he's up and faces his fate again.

But it doesn't mean I didn't like the movie. I mean, they put Himura Kenshin and Seta Sojiro fighting together side-by-side, so who am I to complain?! I really love the part Kenshin and Kaoru left Tomoe's grave while holding hands, exactly the way it was in the manga. The cinematography, fighting scenes, all those have been really awesome since the first instalment.

I have A LOT OF FEELINGS

In the spirit of my last 2 RK movie HOT TAKES here are some brand-new, certified fresh HOT TAKES on an actual NEW movie!

In no particular order, btw

SPOILERS ABOUND

SATOU TAKERU!

He's the perfect Kenshin, okay? They could not have cast him better

He does SO MUCH ACTING with just facial expressions and changes in tone and body language

Also, he has a beautiful heart-shaped mouth. YOU SHOULD ALL APPRECIATE THAT

But like he's just... *chef's kiss* perfection, okay?

But holy fuck, MACKENYU ARATA, everyone!

He is the son of martial artist SONNY CHIBA, which explains a lot about how this bitch moves

You wanted a perfectly cast, psychotic, yet somewhat sympathetic Enishi?

MACKENYU ARATA WILL GIVE THAT TO YOU

He also just... fucking firebombs Tokyo, so like... idk man

If the gummint wanted to kill this bitch at the end because of those acts of TERRORISM

I appreciate that Enishi and his goons actually spoke Chinese here and there

Enishi doesn't even draw his sword til the end, okay?

HE FUCKS DUDES UP ON THE TRAIN WITH A FUCKING CHILD'S TOY

HE STABS A DUDE WITH A CHILD'S TOY

Misao is such a fucking BAMF in this movie

Look, LOOK, I'm pretty cool on Misao in the anime/manga, but the movies clearly knew they needed to do better by her

And they did!

I love this Misao. ONLY THIS MISAO. This Misao is best Misao

I always forget about Aoshi

And so did this movie LOL

RIP Aoshi but Misao will take over from here

In Japan, a bag of weed is a more punishable offense than fucking CHILD P*RNOGRAPHY, which is why Aoshi was mostly excised from the movie

That's all I can say about that without lapsing into blind rage, so moving on

Kenshin and Kaoru, babes, doing the most we're gonna get

Look, LOOK, I know that Japan is all about SUBTLETY and NUANCE

And so this HAND HOLDING might as well be a mothafuckin SEX SCENE

But DAMMIT, DAMMIT, IT'S BEEN 4 MOVIES, OKAY?

Would it KILL THEM to do the CONFESSION SCENE?

"I want to stay with you, Kenshin."

LET HER SAY IT!

LET HER SAY IT!

MY UNSUBTLE AMERICAN ASS NEEDS IT SPELLED OUT FOR ME, OKAY?

Okay, but this was a good movie for Takei Emi

She got shafted in the 3rd movie

But she got to show some range and understanding and empathy and all kinds of Kaoru-y goodness in this one

Also they gave her a MUCH BETTER WIG than she got in the 1st movie

APPARENTLY I'M AT MY IMAGE LIMIT

I'M GOING TO CONTINUE THIS IN A PART 2

My original RK first movie hot take

I really like the scene where Enishi read Tomoe's diary and cry like a child. It expresses his essential childish and pureness.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)

Takeru Satoh as Kenshin Himura

Rurouni Kenshin (2012)