Cheap Rurouni Kenshin - Shadow of the Wolf (DVD) (Kazuhiro Furuhashi) Price

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Customer Reviews of Rurouni Kenshin - Shadow of the Wolf

Himura Kenshin takes his sword and wanders the Earth again
Every time I watch the opening credits for "Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai" in addition to trying to sing along with the original Japanese version of "Freckles" I note the irony that Himura Kenshin has not exactly been doing a lot of wandering in these episodes. So when I suddenly noticed that the title of the series is now "Rurouni Kenshin: Legend of Kyoto" and ironically our hero might be returning to his wandering ways:

Episode 28, "Prelude to the Impending Fight: The Shadow of the Wolf Draws Near" begins with a scene from Kenshin's past, showing the Battousai earning his title of man-slayer. One of the recurring elements of the series has been people from Kenshin's past showing up to pick a fight. This time the visitor from the past is Saitou Hajime, A former member of the Shinsengumi and his most formidable opponent form the days of the Revolution. In his first effort to get the Battosai to resurface, Saitou attacks Sanosuke and wounds him the Gatotsu, Saitoh's signature attack. From this calling card Kenshin knows that Saitoh has returned and the question is whether our hero still has the skills to defend himself and his friends. This was actually the final episode of the first season, and since 28 is divisible by 4 you have to appreciate that they did not leave this as a cliffhanger ending to volume 7.

Episode 29, "Strongest Opponent From the Past: Merciless Fangs Strike!" has Saito biding his time before he faces Kenshin, allowing another assassin, the bully Akamatsu, to take his turn. Meanwhile Kenshin's friends are catching on that someone is after him. Akamatsu is not really a match for Kenshin, which means it is time for him to come face to face with Saito and for the battle to begin.

Episode 30, "The Devil of Vengeance: Makoto Shishio's Plot" continues the fight between Kenshin and Saito, while Kaoru worries she will lose Kenshin to the Battousai. But at the height of the battle a new character arrives and changes everything as "Rurouni Kenshin" takes a dramatic turn towards an even larger story arc.

Episode 31, "A Wish Unrequited: Kenshin Departs" is where everything changes as an assassination attempt forces Kenshin to make a fateful decision.

The episode ends with a bit of text that had me panicing because I thought that I had reached the end of the series (I watched the end of "Cowboy Bebop" last week, so I would not have been suprised). However, this is only the start of the second season of "Rurouni Kenshin" and the Kyoto story arc. "Shadow of the Wolf" is actually the prelude for this epic story. If you thought "Rurouni Kenshin" was good before, and that should be a given since you have made it to Volume 7, you should be impressed with how they have upped the ante again for Season 2.

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Ultimate Manslayer Intensity!
Contained in this DVD is arguably the most spectacular fight scene of the Rurouni Kenshin series. Although some might claim that the Battosai's later battles rival this one between Saitou and Kenshin, I do not share this opinion. Finally viewers get a glimpse of the real manslayer, not only through flashbacks to his revolution exploits, but more importantly with the masterful use of color, contrast, and motion in this, Kenshin's ultimate battle.
I am almost afraid to say too much, and spoil the surprise for you.
The fight begins in Episode 29 and is concluded in Episode 30.
I really cannot express in words how much I love the contract of color used in the fighting.
The shadowing affect obtained with the employment of various shades of brown and duskier, duller colors not only emphasizes the seriousness of this clash and the emotionless stances of both fighters, but it gives incredible contrast to the bright scarlet blood, shining blades, and the hues used to paint the other characters aside from Himura and Saitou.
I urge you, if you want a taste of true anime greatest, no other DVD could be better to introduce you to this awesome world of Japanese animation.
If I was to buy only one Kenshin DVD, this would definitely be it. A true masterpiece of modern media, you will really be missing out on something great if you pass this up. Indulge a little and treat yourself to a great product.

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Greatest fight sequence so far...
This is absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it incredible! Saito is creepy and mean, but there is honor there, and a small bit of kindness. A former Shinsengumi leader, he is now a police officer, and uses his position (both of them) to his advantage. Of the "bad guys" Kenshin's faced so far, Saito is tied with Aoshi for number one on my list of favorites. I can't say I'd ever like to meet Saito in person, but as a character he is great!

Now, for the fight scene. I'm not kidding when I saw that this is the coolest fight so far. I'm not going to give anything away, but just let me say that this fight alone is worth the money for the dvd. I was blown away by it, and I think you will be too.

Voice acting is normal for this series. The subbed version is awesome, and the dubbed version needs to be destroyed as soon as possible. The English acting sounds stilted and the voices are wrong, especially Kenshin's. My God, I hate the dubbed version!

The art is gorgeous! I love how they did the fights. The animators did a terrific job with the Saito-Kenshin fight, considering that it was taking place at dusk and both characters move incredibly fast.

So, to sum it up--WATCH THIS! If nothing else, you at least need to see the Saito-Kenshin fight! I also loved the scene where Kenshin leaves. Now go WATCH IT!