[JAPAN MOVIE 2012-2014] るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- / RUROUNI KENSHIN

[Guest farstrep]

@buguz: I thought you're leaving? Have you watched the movie yet? Any particular scenes there that stood out for you? @Hanjae, you can answer this last question too.

[Guest buguz]

@farstrep
I'm sneaking out from my big family reunion for NY morning )
The one that really stood out for me was actually the one in your signature.  It's like Kenshin, the rurouni resurrected from his own redemption, with the light that shine upon him, the smile that for once, so self- reassuring
@Hanjae:
Yay, finally someone who ready to let Kenshin go pass Tomoe! Not that I don't like her or the ex-girlfriend cliche. Rather, I want him for once, find the peace in the girl that he settled down with
Is everybody leaving? :-SS

[Guest myphim]

buguz said: @farstrep
I'm sneaking out from my big family reunion for NY morning )
The one that really stood out for me was actually the one in your signature.  It's like Kenshin, the rurouni resurrected from his own redemption, with the light that shine upon him, the smile that for once, so self- reassuring
@Hanjae:
Yay, finally someone who ready to let Kenshin go past Tomoe! Not that I don't like her or the ex-girlfriend cliche. Rather, I want him for once, find the peace in the girl that he settled down with
Is everybody leaving? :-SS

[Guest farstrep]

@buguz: I think everyone has left except me. You better get back to your family reunion. Don't let me keep you.

EDIT:

@myphim: You're here!! Why were you so silent earlier?

[Guest buguz]

farstrep said: @buguz and @everyone: What are your thoughts on the "umbrella" scene in the film? And Megumi's relationship with Kaoru?

[Guest farstrep]

buguz said: That's another beautiful scene among many of them )  It's like a pat in his back saying that: "Don't worry, I'll always be waiting for you at home" It must have hit him so hard realizing that maybe, just maybe, for so many years, there is somewhere he belongs to.  
The relationship between Megumi and Kaoru to me like the one between the two sisters that fall in love with the same person, yet at the same time, wanted to protect each other as well from the potential broken heart  I think that from the very beginning, Megumi was well sure that Kenshin would pick Kaoru over herself, yet she never stopped to push Kaoru to grow, to be more matured and more ready to protect Kenshin's heart! In that aspect, I really respect her for that, for the courage to look pass her own interest in the game for the happiness of the ones she care for
@Hanjae: it must have been late for you huh?! Has the coffee made you feel better? 

[Guest myphim]

buguz said: farstrep said: @buguz and @everyone: What are your thoughts on the "umbrella" scene in the film? And Megumi's relationship with Kaoru?

[Guest buguz]

farstrep said: @buguz: I think everyone has left except me. You better get back to your family reunion. Don't let me keep you.

EDIT:

@myphim: You're here!! Why were you so silent earlier?

[Guest buguz]

@myphim @farstrep
I think the movie chose to focus more on Kenshin encounter to Kaoru and his first test of being a rurouni. There are many more conflicts that needed to complete the path he has chosen and weren't focused on the first movie.  Let's all root for the sequel!!
As for the sismance, they actually argued a lot at Megumi's initiatives )

[Guest farstrep]

@myphim: Multitasking? Cleaning your room while typing on the keyboard? What about you? Which is your favorite scene in the film?

@buguz: Are there any other characters in the manga that Kenshin meets who forms a strong bond with him eg. Sanosuke, Goro etc?


EDIT:
@azzurri: I'm here and yes, movie night is over. How's your seminar?




buguz said: @myphim @farstrep
I think the movie chose to focus more on Kenshin encounter to Kaoru and his first test of being a rurouni. There are many more conflicts that needed to complete the path he has chosen and weren't focused on the first movie.  Let's all root for the sequel!!
As for the sismance, they actually argued a lot at Megumi's initiatives )

[azzurri]

Hi everybody! Is the show over? I'm sneaking in during lunch hour, hi @buguz... are you the only one left? 

[Guest myphim]

buguz said: @myphim @farstrep
I think the movie chose to focus more on Kenshin encounter to Kaoru and his first test of being a rurouni. There are many more conflicts that needed to complete the path he has chosen and weren't focused on the first movie.  Let's all root for the sequel!!
As for the sismance, they actually argued a lot at Megumi's initiatives )

[Guest Hanjae]

Late replies, sorry. I went for another coffee. It's only late afternoon here for me, @buguz, but I was up late last night watching Kenshin and so I'm in the panda zone. =))

@myphim - I never liked her motivations for approaching Kenshin and she wasn't portrayed in a very likeable manner in the anime OVAs, from what I remember. Since it's been so long since I watched it I can't exactly pinpoint why, other than the fact that she's reticent to the point of appearing stuffy and I prefer the pure, open type like Kaoru, even if the latter tends to overstep the line into irritatingly naive. That aside, Tomoe is actually a much stronger character on paper - she's resourceful, intelligent and a calming presence for Kenshin.

Like @buguz, though, I'm all for letting the ex-gf rest in peace rather than continuing to debate her merits in comparison to the girl he chose in the end (Kaoru), as many Kenshin fans used to do. ) It's sort of like debating whether Young would have been better with Mae Hee or even preferring Mae Hee over Eun Soo - it's so silly! If anyone's ever read Inuyasha, it's very much the same as the Inuyasha/Kikyou (his very dead-but-revived ex) vs. Inuyasha/Kagome argument.

@farstrep - My favourite scene is the one where Kaoru meets Kenshin with the umbrella in the rain. The only very minor complaint I had with the movie (if you can even call it a real complaint) is that the Kenshin/Kaoru relationship was left underdeveloped in order to focus on extensive action scenes and plot concerns. I'm aided by having read the manga/watched the anime and therefore I buy their relationship, but I'd imagine that many first time viewers would not feel very attached to this pairing. The very few interactions between Kenshin and Kaoru, I thought, could have been given more depth, more emphasis so that the audience could really understand why the danger to Kaoru was enough to almost turn Kenshin back into the Hitokiri. I understood it on paper, but emotionally it didn't resound with me.

The scene where Kaoru meets Kenshin with the umbrella, however, was one of the few exceptions to this - it was a very simple scene with limited dialogue, but it so beautifully and succinctly expressed why Kenshin could have formed a deep attachment to Kaoru. In her, he found someone who was not concerned with his past as the Battousai but willing to accept him - scars and all. Not only that, but she offered him a home at one of his weakest moments after Goro had scoffed at his vow not to kill and planted the seed of doubt in him that he could not protect those who are important without killing. It's a heartfelt and very sweet moment.

[Guest buguz]

farstrep

said: @myphim: Multitasking? Cleaning your room while typing on the keyboard?

What about you? Which is your favorite scene in the film?

@buguz: Are there any other characters in the manga that Kenshin meets who forms a strong bond with him eg. Sanosuke, Goro etc?

[Guest myphim]

@Hanjae   No, I don't like to compare between a dead first love and the current one either. I'm just curious about Tomoe since I don't know her story. Also, you're right about the lack of romance development between Kaoru and Kenshin. I didn't really buy into their romance like you said. )  Hmmm, maybe I will like Kaoru more if they show more romance in the movie.  :-??

[Guest farstrep]

@buguz: Aoshi sounds like another interesting character. I haven't met him but I think I like him already. I have faith in the friends Kenshin makes.

@myphim, @Hanjae: I would think Kenshin and Kaoru are developing an emotional bond to each other (family?) in the film, but not necessarily along the lines of romantic love though.

@buguz, @Hanjae: What about the vegetarian we see fighting with Sanosuke in the kitchen in the film? What's his story?

[Guest Hanjae]

@farstrep - I agree. Based on the movie alone, I would have thought Kaoru was only a special person who had become much like a family member to Kenshin. Granted, that was also what she was in the manga/anime, but the romantic side didn't really come through in the movie. The only problem with this is that the director/screenwriter probably needed to push a little more of the romance through if they were going to use Kaoru as the reason for Kenshin almost going back into Hitokiri mode as the movie climax - we could see that he didn't have the same crazy reaction when either Megumi, Sanosuke or even Yahiko may have been in danger. "Particularly special family member" doesn't quite cut it based on the extreme reaction he had to Kaoru's distress.

As for Mr. Vegetarian, I'll have to leave that to @buguz, citing my memory of a goldfish. I don't remember a thing about him in the series. )

@myphim - Oh, I know, I was only referring to other Kenshin fans who like to compare Kaoru with Tomoe and Megumi. After all, you're Daejang who's completely dedicated to your Imja @sia3. =))

[Guest myphim]

@farstrep

Favorite scene: There are too many. Most of them are the fight scenes. )

However, I do have two memorable scenes.



1. When he came back to the scene of the crime and realized the horror he had committed.



2. Kenshin sitting in the dark and thinking about what has happened that morning.
After witnessing the villagers being poisoned and hearing Megumi's story, he finally took the initiative to confront the villain.

[Guest buguz]

@farstrep @Hanjae: I don't quite remember Mr. Veggie being significant in the manga either )  He was just told being a subordinate of Aoshi. Originally he was in the same side with Saito Hajime/Goro and was defeated by Aoshi. Aoshi didin't kill him but rather, recognized him for his strength and convinced him to join his force. That's all I remember, nothing about him being a vegetarian )

[Guest farstrep]

@Hanjae: I would think that's because Kaoru is the first who embraces Kenshin for who he is and gives him a second chance. She always has a smile for him and takes care to ensure that he eats enough etc. This might have provided him with some family warmth, hence his stronger emotional bond with Kaoru? Frankly, I don't know how he can survive the past decade without any family attachments or emotional bonds with people. Did the manga portray that part of his life?