Objections to Kenshin

[Ingemar]

I know this may sound a little nitpicky, but there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of times Kenshin could have killed people... that is, the Rurouni Kenshin with the "no-killing-policy."

I am talking specifically about all shots he makes to the head. The battle against Saitou is an egregious example. Saitou makes his attack and Kenshin gets out of the way and counters with a Ryu Kan Sen (the sword version of a spinning back knuckle). We see that the reversed edge sword makes a huge impact on Saitou, so much so that Saitou gags when he is hit. But he gets right back up, ready for more.

That is nonsense. That blow should have killed Saitou instantly, even if Kenshin's sword was reversed edged. The infamous "rabbit punch" (a blow to the back of the head) can render the opponent permanently brain-damagded (or dead), so it was banned in boxing. The show itself seems to have a faulty premise that "If it isn't bullets or a blade, it can't kill you." As an Arnisador, I should know that any swift blow to the head could end the fight immediately, if not kill the opponent. If you can kill a man with a single blow to the head with a piece of hardwood (or even rattan, if you place your hit extra well!), why couldn't you do so with a [blunt] sword made using unmatched Japanese workmanship?

[Retten]

Nah its because all the bad guys are super-human. So they have amazingly strong bones, must be all the milk they drink. Or possibly they have an adamantium skeletal system like Wolverine from the X-Men. Just my 2 cents.

[Godly Paladin]

Your argument is artfully constructed, Ingemar, except that you overlook one vital point:

It's not a realistic show.

Sorry, but that's the truth. Anime--as a rule--has millions of such illogical things in it. You're well versed in anime, and so I'm a tad surprised you'd be bringing up something like this. It's just a cartoon, and not even one that strives for 'realism', so there's your answer.

Yes, it would kill someone, but the Kenshin designers didn't pay attention to such things. They needed a cool fight scene but they didn't want people to die.

[Doubleshadow]

Godly Paladin pretty much summed it up. Besides, isn't Saitou suppossed to be hardy beyond all reason like Kenshin, who bleeds enough for three people and keeps right on ticking?

[Shao Feng-Li]

I say "Who cares?"

[yukinon]

Kenshin can like....jump to roofs from the ground. It's anime. It's stylized. It makes little sense.

And sometimes making fun if bad logic or huge gaping plot holes simply makes a movie/show more fun. Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?

Each form of entertainment is to be taken in a different way. You don't watch a musical the same way you do a serious drama. It's just features of the genre.

[Mave]

LOL Ingy, you are being nitpicky. There are many more anime fight scenes where logic is completely non-existent. XD

I'm not complaining that Saitou made it out of that fight mean and alive. <3 <3 <3

[yukinon]

I'm not complaining that Saitou made it out of that fight mean and alive. <3 <3 <3

Oh no. You too?

[ChristianKitsune]

Bah.. what normal human can jump 50 ft in the air (the water fall scene from epise...42..I believe the fight between Kenshin and Hiko..yahhhhh.. that is impossible too..)

It is a cartoon...it isn't real..

IT IS TOTALLY AWESOME! So.. I ain't complainin...

[Radical Dreamer]

LOL, of course it's not realistic! For instance: Saito uses the Gatotsu against Usui's metal ball, and it crumbles. Then Saito uses the Gatotsu against Shishio, and it hits him in the head. It doesn't hurt Shishio since he had a metal helmet thing on underneath his bandages, but the Gatotsu was able to peirce metal before. Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that Saito-kun was weakened by his leg injuries...Whatever! Just as long as the story keeps me hooked! XD (Which it does an exceptional job of, by the way!)

[ChristianKitsune]

LOL, of course it's not realistic! For instance: Saito uses the Gatotsu against Usui's metal ball, and it crumbles. Then Saito uses the Gatotsu against Shishio, and it hits him in the head. It doesn't hurt Shishio since he had a metal helmet thing on underneath his bandages, but the Gatotsu was able to peirce metal before. Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that Saito-kun was weakened by his leg injuries...Whatever! Just as long as the story keeps me hooked! XD (Which it does an exceptional job of, by the way!)

(R_K I am disappointed...What RK fan wouldn't know that it wasn't a helmet it was a hajigane...or something like that...

I mess.. I kid! ^^ ) \

[Joshua Christopher]

I am going to agree with Ingy just because.

[Radical Dreamer]

(R_K I am disappointed...What RK fan wouldn't know that it wasn't a helmet it was a hajigane...or something like that...

I mess.. I kid! ^^ ) \

Lol, 'cause I just saw that episode yesterday...XD I got my Legend of Kyoto boxed set in the mail on Monday, and have been fully enjoying it all week! ^_^ Agh...It was SO good!

[ChristianKitsune]

AWESOME!! ( I haven't seen that epi since........um.....last fall? I just watched that epi over and over again.. I LOVED KYOTO ARC!! )

have u watched the bloopers yet?

[Radical Dreamer]

AWESOME!! ( I haven't seen that epi since........um.....last fall? I just watched that epi over and over again.. I LOVED KYOTO ARC!! )

have u watched the bloopers yet?

Oh, you bet I have! ROFL!! I actually downloaded them offline before I got the set, and I laughed 'til I cried numerous times! The downside? During some of the most serious scenes (i.e. Kenshin vs Shishio) I would laugh SO HARD, because I would remember the outtakes! XD "In other words, Usui, despite his grudge, has proven himself to be highly nutritious to me after all...and delicious!" ROFL!!

Another favorite: "Please go to Kyoto, Himura. Not only for my sake, but because my pants are so tight." XD I love those outtakes!

Also, I can't tell you how much I flipped out in my fangirlish ways at these three things...
[SPOILER] When you see that Saito is still alive after the explosion...He's way too cool to die! Another unrealistic point (to stay on topic, LOL ^_^), but the coolness FAR outweighs the unrealistic-ness! XD

When I figured out that it was Tomoe's grave that Kenshin was visiting...I just wish they had animated the Jinchuu arc! XD

Not to mention basically any time that they would flashback to the scene where Kenshin left Kaoru (or any scene involving Kenshin and Kaoru, really XD)...Agh, that scene was perfect!!
[/SPOILER]

[Arnobius]

Well, I think RK has this bit about it: It's realistic when it wants to be, and then hides behind "It's a cartoon" when they start screwing around with DragonBallZ powers.

I quit watching after the Kyoto arc, because it got too lame IMO with the super powers and bizziarre chara. Season 1 and the movie were the only parts I liked

[Heart of Sword]

I know, this gets on me too...but he stays Rurouni by like 1/9999999999999 the skin of his teeth. So maybe he holds back 0.00000000000000000000000000000001% and that's just enough to not kill them?

[Godly Paladin]

I'm not ridiculing our man Ingemar by any stretch of the imagination. It was a valid point and, like I said, was really well stated. Highly impressive.

[ChristianKitsune]

ROFL!! My favorite Bloopers are when Sano is constantly making light of Kenshin's Attacks during the shisio battle..

"TWO HIT COMBO.. WITH SUPERSIZE FRIES!" HAAHAHA

"BIG BOY COMBO!"

"Hey kenshin, Let's Get a sandwhich.!!" GREAT STUFF MAN!!


OH I KNOW AH!!..

[yukinon]

The Jinchuu arc is cooler than everyone's collective mothers. I'm kind of glad they didn't animate it though...I'm afraid they would've messed it up.

[Heart of Sword]

It WAS animated, actually. But only as the OAV "Reflections." ^_^

[Radical Dreamer]

ROFL!! My favorite Bloopers are when Sano is constantly making light of Kenshin's Attacks during the shisio battle..

"TWO HIT COMBO.. WITH SUPERSIZE FRIES!" HAAHAHA

"BIG BOY COMBO!"

"Hey kenshin, Let's Get a sandwhich.!!" GREAT STUFF MAN!!


OH I KNOW AH!!..

ROFL, YES!! Those are hysterical!

"Hey, there's no smoking on this bridge!!"

"You idiot apprentice! The will to live is absolutely essential! Rock on, Kenshin!"

LOL, I LOVE the outtakes that Hiko does (the VA's name is...rrg, something C. George or George C. Something...Ack!)...Anyways, those are great, along with all of Steven J. Blum's as Shishio..."Sojirou, Usui, and Anji will stay and fight! I'm going out for a cappuccino!!" XD Man, I love that stuff...

[Destroyer2000]

Another unrealistic point. In Season 1, Ep 3, the fight with the Sword Corp. He hit that guy in the back, and a blow that hard should have broken it.

[yukinon]

The Shishio cappucino bit is my favorite, and I usually hate those outtakes.

Before I watched the show, I thought Shishio was the dumbest villian ever. I was like "dude...why does he have palm trees in his head?".

Even the Reflections dvd wasn't the exact Jinchuu arc. I love both versions, but there was a lot more to the manga arc.

[Radical Dreamer]

Aw, I thought Shishio was pretty cool, and a good villain...Until he started fighting DIRTY...~.>

[SPOILER]I HATED him for freaking biting Kenshin! NOT COOL![/SPOILER]

I need to rent Reflections and Trust and Betrayal..I just recently found out that i have a Blockbuster card! w00t! XD

[yukinon]

Ohmyholycrudmonkeys. You haven't SEEN them? Get a double box of tissues, hon, 'cuz you're gonna need them. Gorgeous, gorgeous movies. I have the boxset.

Note that I thought Shishio was dumb BEFORE I watched the show/read the manga. I just saw pictures and thought he looked pretty funny.

[Radical Dreamer]

Ack, I've heard! I wanna see them so bad...Once I rent them, I'm almost certain I'll buy them. It'd probably be cheaper to just buy them first, but whatever! XD I can't wait to see them, though! ^_^

[Retten]

Wow Ingermar sure knows how to start a thread xD and Rurouni the movies are pure brilliance if you liked the anime you will love the movies

[Kaligraphic]

How about this: he doesn't even break bones with his sword, aside from the first episode, as I recall - yet a few episodes in, he breaks an assassin's arm with his saya. Now even an unsharpened blade will have more cutting power than a saya, simply because of the cross-section. His early Ryu Tsui Sen should have broken multiple bones simply by the brute force of the attack. (doesn't have to be sharp to break bone - even a cudgel with less force behind it would cause serious damage. And a dull sword used like that would still break the skin - among other things.)

The idea that a concave blade cannot kill is totally ludicrous. But then, the super move of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu is kinda lame, too. It would make the sword stroke less powerful. It's the old volume and length bit.

[Radical Dreamer]

How about this: he doesn't even break bones with his sword, aside from the first episode, as I recall - yet a few episodes in, he breaks an assassin's arm with his saya. Now even an unsharpened blade will have more cutting power than a saya, simply because of the cross-section. His early Ryu Tsui Sen should have broken multiple bones simply by the brute force of the attack. (doesn't have to be sharp to break bone - even a cudgel with less force behind it would cause serious damage. And a dull sword used like that would still break the skin - among other things.)

The idea that a concave blade cannot kill is totally ludicrous. But then, the super move of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu is kinda lame, too. It would make the sword stroke less powerful. It's the old volume and length bit.

Actually, somewhere in the manga, Kenshin mentions that his sakabatou will break a few bones, but it won't kill. Might be vol...3? Or was it 1...I dunno, one of those! ^_^ And hey...Don't mess with the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki! You know it rocks! XD