Ever since news of a live adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin came out, I have been constantly blogging about it. From movie announcements to casting news, to their visit to the Philippines and of course my thought and review on the movies.
Now that I've seen the last movie of the 3 part adaptation of an Anime I grew up with- it was actually hard for me to start writing whatever Movie Review or Movie Reflection I had on The Legend Ends.
For the first two movies, thoughts on the movie would immediately flood through me and I would have to grab a notebook or start working on a draft for for the blog post just to be able to take down the many "feelings" coursing through me.
After seeing the third movie though, I didn't feel the same, I thought maybe it was just because I was tired since we saw the film, right after a long day at work. It was well beyond my bedtime as I was watching the movie and so I resolved my lack of vigor to write as due to fatigue, but then the weekend came and went and still inspiration had not struck, another weekend came and went and still nothing.
When I started to ask myself why I wasn't spouting out paragraph after paragraph (as I had in previous movies) it suddenly dawned on me- it was over. All the anticipation and the excitement would cease to exist once the last "." In this blog post would be placed.
Looking back at the trilogy adaptation of the beloved manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin, it really was a feat not yet attempted and now that the dust has settled and rabid fans have already seen all three movies, it is safe to say that the adaptation of the trilogy as a whole was really well done, so much so that the trilogy itself could very well stand on it's own.
I don't know if it's just me but there seemed to be less "hype" for the third movie, perhaps people were still hung over from Kyoto Inferno and the fact the Director, Keishi Otomo and actors Takeru Sato, Emi Takei and Aoki Munetaka came to Manila added fuel to the already burning (pun intended) love Filipino fans had for the wandering Samurai.
The Rurouni Kenshin posts, photos of long lines in the cinemas, including those Rurouni Kenshin memes were probably still fresh from the time lines to start posting them again, just one month later.
Warner Bros. decided to release the third movie a month after the second-unlike it's Hollywood counterparts where sequels to movies as well as trilogies oftentimes take a year after they are released. (The Hunger Games, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings)
Now I don't know if this was a good idea as in my opinion the excitement to the second movie was not replicated in the third, although the weekend box office numbers have shown that "The Legend Ends" was still at number 1 during the weekend release.
The final numbers have yet to determine if the successor would be able to overcome the predecessor (in this case, movies 2 and 3) or did the horror movie ANABELLE have a longer run in cinemas?
Think about it, if the movies were released a year apart, there would definitely be a renewed anticipation for the last movie as waiting for a year would surely bring that feeling. Also it wouldn't have been too far fetched for Director Otomo and the actors to make another trip to the country.
I also got to talk to some people, who opted not to see the third movie, since they were not able to catch the second, if ther was a year difference, people who weren't able to watch Kyoto Inferno could have had the chance to see it on DVD or (and I frown upon this) by downloading it online.
Now that my thoughts and feelings on the one month difference in release are out there I can go ahead and write about my thoughts on the movie itself.
The movie opens with a young Shinta (pre-Kenshin days) digging graves for the good and bad alike, he is seen by his would be Master Hiko Seijuurou and is taken in but not without changing his name first, since 'Shinta' was a too kind name for a swordsman, Sejiro gives the young boy the name we would all come to love-Kenshin, when translated means, KEN-sword, SHIN-heart.
This flashback scene is important for the viewers to understand the relationship between Kenshin and his master who happens to be the man who picks him up when Kenshin washes ashore after falling off Shishio's Rengoku in the "Kyoto Inferno" movie (What are the odds!)
Teaser poster for Rurouni Kenshin: The Legnd Ends with Hiko Seijurou as Kenshin's mysterious savior.
I was very happy with the portrayal of Masahiro Fukuda as the 'man who taught Himura'. Fukuda was able to capture the all too cool Master who does pottery for a hobby. I wish the movie could have featured a more 'wonky' cup as Seijurou's pottery skills are not comparable to his sword skills. There was also that subtle humor which makes Seijurou a fan favorite, of course him calling Kenshin his "idiot student" is a nice touch to their complicated relationship.
A trivia I encountered (just yesterday) was that it was actually Takeru Sato who asked Masahiro Fukuda to play the role of Hiko Seijurou in the movie and as we all know, Masahiro accepted. The two actors first worked together in the period drama Ryomaden which was also helmed by Keishi Otomo.
The sequence of Kenshin and Hiko training would have probably been the weakest in the movie, especially for people who have not seen the anime or read the manga. To me this part of the movie could have been perceived as draggy and too long, there were a lot of people who went on bathroom breaks during this part. Although some people saw this scene as being draggy it is important to note that this part of the movie is very important since this is where Kenshin learns to value his own life.
In his determined state to stop Shishio he is willing to throw away his life just to bring Shishio down but in this part of the movie, Hiko teaches him that it his in valuing for his own life and having the will to live where he will find the strength to succeed.
While Kenshin was learning this life lesson from his master as well as the ultimate technique to defeat Shishio, Kaoru is recovering from her fall into the ocean. For a minute I was worried she'd wake up with amnesia or something :p
Back in Kyoto, there is a heavy atmosphere at the Aoya Inn after a fight between Aoshi and Okinawa left the latter in critical condition. Okina sends Misao to fetch Kenshin at Hiko's after it is confirmed that Kenshin is still alive, brought about by the governement's agreement with Shishio to bring in Kenshin and have him publicly executed.
Things quickly increase in pace and you know that those awesome fight scenes are up next and they do not disappoint! Another trivia I read online was that the famous fight between Kenshin and Shishio, or should I say, Shishio versus Kenshin, Sanosuke, Saito and Aoshi really did last 15 minutes. If you would time it from the start of the fight until the end it really only lasts for 15 minutes! A detail that the Japanese staff were able to follow in a subtle way.
Another part of the movie, worth noting was the "salute the Samurai" scene in the end. I love how all three movies came full circle with this scene and brings the "end of a legend" so to speak.
Towards the end of the movie, I was actually worried how the last scene was going to play out since for me the ending scene to the first movie was just perfect- so how can you top that? But Director Otomo doesn't dissapoint as Kenshin gives Kaoru 'the most beautiful leaf' from a pile of fallen ones and he asks her to "watch over this new age" with him. Apologies if I wasn't able to get it word by word. (^^x
I loved "The Legend Ends" like the other movies that came before it as well, will definitely be grabbing the DVDs when they are released but maybe waiting for a year would have been a better decision from a marketing perspective but that's just me, maybe I haven't fully come to terms with the trilogy ending but like Paul told me in a sudden moment of epiphany: "Let us remember that in life, may it be a manga, an Anime series or books or movies-- whatever is finite-remains eternal in our hearts.
Even if the movie trilogy has ended, the spirit of Kenshin Himura still remains." (^^x
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