The Review:
(I am not really good at writing a movie review but I will do the best as I can, and without spoiling too much..haha)
After watching two movies back to back, the impression that it was the highest point of making a live-action manga into a live action movie remains unchanged. The production value, the action, the setting, I think RuroKen movies can rivals a high budget Hollywood productions.
I never thought that I will be so moved by "Rurouni Kenshin" tale that I have been acquainted with since I was in elementary school. Especially in the last movie...I am very sad to see and at the same time I am happy to see all Kenshin's main story being told in complete and satisfying ends.
I am especially want to focus on "The Beginning" which told the background story of the previous 4 movies. I was very excited because there is a lot of history of my favorite historical figures and periods such Shinsengumi and Kogoro Katsura, Takasugi Shinsaku in the turbulent periods of the late Shogunate era.
For Shinsengumi especially, I am surprised that they appear a lot and not just some cameo thrown. (After watching the movie, I really want Shinsengumi movie spin off that exist in this RuroKen world!)
And the first thing that surprised me when the movie started was the desaturation of the screen. Previously, "Ruroken" had a vivid and bright image, but "The Beginning" has a darker tone overall. So, the image and the color is more dark and bleak.
As for the cast...Takeru Sato is once again proved why he is not just an actor playing Kenshin...HE IS KENSHIN! Takeru came a long way from starting his acting debut as Nogami Ryotaro/Kamen Rider Den-O (2007) as one of the most profilic Japan's modern actor now.
Arata Mackenyuu is not the same psychotic Enishi from the manga...here he is more calculating more calm and more composed. I think he is done a good job here.
And Takahashi Issei as Katsura Kogoro is also good but sometimes I feel that he is not quite well in embodying Katsura (who is a real Japanese historical figure). Katsura was a very calm, calculating, and manipulative samurai at his era...but in this movie portrayed, I feel Issei plays him as someone who is sometimes immature.
And I'd like to specially talk about Arimura Kasumi who plays Yukishiro Tomoe. She is cute, very cute and some of the scene she shows little of her erotic side, contrast to her usual soft cutie idol image.
But here I thought she is a little bit miscast as Tomoe.
Watsuki Nobuhiro-sensei (the author) is also displeased with her casting because her soft atmosphere is a contrast to the more cool beauty of Tomoe from the manga.
Thats some minor complaint though..
Bottom line...I cannot talk more without spoiling some aspect which I believe many here won't be able to see it until it comes out in theatres in US but "The Beginning"... I can say is the straight up live action adaptation of the "Tsuioku-hen" OAV which tells the origins of Kenshin and how Kenshin grown from becoming the most ruthless assassins at the end of shogunate era into the kind and loving wanderer coming Meiji era.
When the end credits are over, I believe many fans will probably want to see the first movie from 2012, "Rurouni Kenshin" back again. You'll want to look back at the trilogy and up to "The Final" and also "The Beginning" in order.
And I cannot wait to watch it again.
I also cannot wait for all of friends in this forum to watch it and give it opinions also. (Hope it will be release in US...If not, I hear that at the end of the year, these 2 movies will be on Netflix, so be sure to watch it when it finally arrive
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