Himura Kenshin, save me from teen ennui!

[dangermousie]

After watching more Hana Yori Dango (aliterati, you are right, Doumyouji does grow on you), I decided I couldn't take a minute more of teen girls and their love problems and if I had to watch more pastels and weirdly drawn faces I was going to kill someone, but there was no one to kill in the house!

So I finally stopped (when you look with dread on other disks in the set, it's probably a hint) when I thought my head was going to explode and put in Rurouni Kenshin instead.

Happy sigh. My stress is goooooone. There are reds and blacks present. There are no high schoolers. And if anyone tried to behave like a spoiled rich kid, Kenshin could hit them prety hard even with his reverse-blade sword. Seriously, I feel back to liking anime and I am actually enjoying myself hugely.

Hmmm, it says something about me that I seem to prefer stories about fucked-up good guys trying to atone for their past or deal with their fucked-uppedness to stories about high schoolers. Maybe I am too old. Or maybe I just like Kenshin and Vash because they have legitimate issues.

And when I get back, Lee, Kara and the rest of the fun awaits.

Comments

[kaseido.livejournal.com]

Kenshin's wonderful! He's good people....

[thekatebeyond.livejournal.com]

Or maybe I just like Kenshin and Vash because they have legitimate issues.

This made me grin. It's all about perspective - the high schoolers think their issues are legitimate.

I know what you mean though. My first intro to anime was DBZ, and when I started watching RK it was a whole new level of fascinating. It deals with real world issues - war, politics, organized crime, drugs, guilt, grief, love, family. The thing I love about RK in particular is the quiet way in which it addresses the emotional issues.

My favorite scene ever was the one when Kenshin is leaving, and Kaoru follows him to say goodbye and they are watching the fireflies. You know which I mean? (I need to get the DVDs. I haven't seen it in ages, so I can't give you a better description.) They slow the pace to let you quietly absorb the emotion of the moment. It's so... adult.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Kenshin throws in every issue it can find AND the kitchen sink. I'm not much for HYD as I don't like the anime style at ALL. Kenshin is one of the first anime series I watched. I'm still thoroughly fond of Aoshi. I love the tentative friendships that the men in RK have. It's not that they all like each other, but there's a certain respect that forms between them all; Sanosuke, Kenshin, Aoshi, and even Saito. This is an interesting series to watch and compare to Peacemaker, which has different takes on most of the same characters. Both Sanosuke and Saito show up in PK. It's also a more critical look at the whole samurai thing.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Icon!!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

the high schoolers think their issues are legitimate

I guess. Obviously when you are in school and people are beating on you or a cute boy won't return your affection it can hurt as much as anything greater. But to me, as a viewer, it's "oh, snap out of it. Do you have a gang of psycho baddies out trying to drive you insane? Or past killings you want to atone for? No, then snap out of it" :P

They slow the pace to let you quietly absorb the emotion of the moment. It's so... adult.

Oh, it's the adultness of it that I like. Kenshin (and Kaoru) are both grown-ups and it shows in their interactions with the world and I like that tremendously.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Kenshin throws in every issue it can find AND the kitchen sink.

I am only 4 episodes in so it's not super angsty as of yet. Does it get angstier? I did love the Sanosuke-Kenshin interaction and fight and that little story about Sanosuke's background was pretty sad. Mmmmm, like RK a LOT.

As to Kenshin himself? I really like him.

I'm not much for HYD as I don't like the anime style at ALL.

Phew. I thought I was the only one. The bizarro style (and incessant, bombastic classical music) were really getting on my nerves.

Both Sanosuke and Saito show up in PK. It's also a more critical look at the whole samurai thing.

Ooooh, can't wait.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it does get angstier depending on the story arc. RK was one of the first animes to seriously look at the American/ Japanese interaction from a historical point, so there's a weird mix of modern and traditional samurai. PK is during the exact same time period about most of the same people (since there really was a Sanosuke and Saito and even a Kenshin, but he doesn't show up in PK), but it shows how ugly warfare is especially with things like the heartbreaking story of Suzumu and his sister. PK is a special anime. It's like RK only more serious in issues. RK is the most fun when Kenshin is battling with his own demons, specifically the one called the Battosai.

I always thought Sanosuke's massive sword was a bit of overkill, but Aoshi's fighting style was very cool and Saito was snarky, sarcastic fun.

[kaseido.livejournal.com]

I love that scene - and, omg, what a gorgeous icon!

[katranna.livejournal.com]

But to me, as a viewer, it's "oh, snap out of it. Do you have a gang of psycho baddies out trying to drive you insane?

But, uh... Tsukushi kinda does. :-D

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Both of you are so weird!

I thought the HYD style and music were great! And it hadn't even occured to me previously that someone could dislike it. It's so obviously refreshingly elegant to me after the hyper-colorization of most anime.

[aliterati.livejournal.com]

Well, obviously, totally agree. And see, to me, the drama issues of HYD, dealing with class hubris and gender roles and conformity, etc, are the adult issues. Shows like Kenshin, about legendary swordsmen who spend all their angsty, brooding lives trying to make up for some incredibly dramatic past sin, are the ones that strike me as contrived and kinda juvenile. Plus I hate the requisite fight scenes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

But I like fight scenes.

Leaving that aside, to me HYD issues aren't very important. How many of us are likely to meet a severely classist society of snobs and be stuck in it. Usually, if company is uncongenial, we don't stick around.

Honestly, the hyperbole of wealth, and just hooooow wealthy they are removes it from reality and makes it into a rather darker Cinderella story for me, than anything I can relate to. Also, the exaggeration works less well in such a quasi realistic setting. I mean, I liked it as much as the next girl when Doumyoji rescued her from being dragged behind a car on a rope made of handkerchiefs, but how realistic is that?

As to Kenshin (or Vash or any similar 'outstanding' type person), I like stories about people who aren't 'common.' I can see the appeal of 'kitchen sink' drama but I personally don't find it too interesting.

I think the background story for Kenshin isn't that contrived. The fact that he is the best swordsman ever might be an exaggeration, but the story about someone who is very competent and is trying to deal with past bad choices is common enough and interesting enough and I like what it has to say about regret and redemption. I don't think Kenshin's past sins are that dramatic (and the interesting thing to me is that he repents having to kill, but he would do it over again if he had to choose again). It reminds me of all those Wild West people who were gunslingers or wild cowboys or what not and then became 'civilized' and settled into a society quite different from their original wildness. Or soldiers who come home from wars and have to cope with what they did.

I think the anime I've liked so far all had in common interesting pondring about rather abstract philosophical points (Trigun about pacifism, RK about atonement, Escaflowne about free will and choice) as well as rather sci-fi/fantasy setttings. And some male characters who, fucked up or not, were "good guys." And actually, when I look at live action shows I like, that is what I find as well. It's just my affinity.

But ultimately, with HYD, what it comes down to is that I really really hate the artwork style. The problem with doing something so idiosyncratic is that it might not work for some people and it doesn't work for me.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

always thought Sanosuke's massive sword was a bit of overkill,

That thing looked huuuuuuge Heeee. I really like him, though.

most fun when Kenshin is battling with his own demons, specifically the one called the Battosai.

Can't wait.

I stopped RK though and am rewatching Trigun :P I am such a sad fangirl.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Naaaah, they were just trying to get her with baseball bats and trash in her loker and tying her up to a car and making her run. :P

[thekatebeyond.livejournal.com]

Thank you for knowing what I was talking about! And there's a little collection of Kenshin icons looking for a good home, here (http://kate98.livejournal.com/10097.html).

[kaseido.livejournal.com]

I owned the first season in fansub, till bits got borrowed and never returned. One of my favorite things - but when I tried to get Allie hooked on the "Samurai X" dubs on Cartoon Channel, she couldn't understand what I saw in it - and neither could I. They *really* did a disservice to it...

Snagged several - I *love* your icons!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, Kenshin icons. *salivates*