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

[pechumori]

Movie Review | Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno

With minor spoilers

The sequel to 2012's Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X), Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno has the old charm of the anime we all grew up watching. The movie is a flawless adaptation of the Kyoto arc, though it made some liberties so to avoid making a convoluted narrative. It still managed to surprise those familliar with source material while being true to the characters' core.
Takeru Satoh's strength in acting different personalities, as seen in his previous show Kamen Rider Den-O, is well utilized in the movie. Aside from the usual flashbacks during the time he was the ruthless assasin Battosai, Satoh's Kenshin is in constant struggle between his pacifist personality and his deeply rooted killer instinct.
Emi Takei's Kaoru remains as the voice of reason in the movie. Unlike in the anime, probably because of the restraints of adapting the story arc into a film, Kaoru does not get her spotlight as a reliable fighter. She becomes a damsel in distress in the movie, used to move the story to the next unexpected twist.
Munetaka Aoki's Sanosuke is endearing. Viewers will root for him no matter how stupid his decisions are. There's a huge part in the movie where Sano is missing but fans of the anime have an idea of course where he went off to. Or do we?



New additions to the cast look like they came straight out of the anime. You will be amused at the perky ninja Misao (Tao Tsuchiya). You will even cheer for the grinning villain Sujiro (Ryunosuke Kamiki). Yes, Yumi, portrayed by Filipino-Japanese actress Maryjun Takahashi was as ruthless as her looks.
And then there's Shishio (Tatsuya Fujiwara), a sympathetic antagonist with a twisted backstory. Unlike in the anime where he generally keeps on evading to fight Kenshin, Shishio is shown as a mastermind terrorist, a great turn of events that offsets the undermining of Kaoru's characterization.
The fight scenes are not peripherals to the movie. Unlike the usual violence porn, the dynamic swordfights add value to the characters. There is a lot of fan service to Samurai X's fans, with some tweaks to the over-the-top swords we have known but may not be apt in the movie.

But at its core, it's all about Kenshin vs. Battosai, the constant battle against his dark self. People with past mistakes, addiction and anger issues can relate to the character's struggle to redeem himself.

All in all, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is the biggest sequel Samurai X fans have been wanting to watch. 
Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno opens Wednesday, August 20 in Philippine cinemas.

POSTSCRIPT
I hope you were able to grab a copy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Sunday!



credit: jeralduy

[pechumori]

id="ns_pagetitle"Rurouni Kenshin: The Great Kyoto Fire Arc and The Last of a Legend Arc Movie Sequels to Release This Summer

Arc and Rurouni Kenshin: The Last of a Legend Arc, a two-part sequel to the film Rurouni Kenshin that will be released this summer. The second half of the trailer even shows Kenshin Himura’s archenemy, Makoto Shishio. Visuals related to the series are also being introduced on the official site.

Rurouni Kenshin is a live-action film series based on Nobuhiro Watsuki’s Japanese manga Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story. The first movie in the series was released simultaneously worldwide (64 countries) on Aug. 25, 2012. The film gathered support from fans due to its original story, gorgeous action scenes, and its ability to capture the atmosphere of the manga. Even just within Japan, more than 2 million people saw the film and it grossed ￥3 billion in box office revenue.
Now, the cast for the newest films in this popular series has been completely revealed. The cast is currently travelling all over Japan filming for the movies. Reprising his role as Kenshin from the first film is Takeru Satoh. Other members include Yūsuke Iseya as Aoshi Shinomori, Ryūnosuke Kamiki as the naturally gifted swordsman Sōjirō Seta, and Tatsuya Fujiwara as Makoto Shishio.

However, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the new films. The Kyoto arc of the original manga included Makoto Shishio’s subordinates “The Ten Swords” which Sōjirō Seta is a part of, and Kenshin’s master, Seijūrō Hiko. Will these characters also appear in the film based on this arc? Will Kenshin learn the mysteries of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū? Look forward to more information to come.



These film sequels are making headlines the world over, and it’s already been decided that they will open in 64 countries and be screened at 31 international film festivals. Rurouni Kenshin fans, even though it’s still a ways off, there is a lot to look forward to this summer!

credit: otakumode

[pechumori]

class="date-header"Tuesday, August 5, 2014

RUROUNI KENSHIN: THE LEGEND ENDS Gets A New Poster!

It's official. Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is a commercial hit among fans and moviegoers having topped the box office over the past weekend, earning $8.1 million dollars for the first three days, including $2.25 million dollars in ticket sales on August 1, as per Japan's monthly cinema tradition, Movie Service Day for discounted tickets.
Ticket sales also topped that of the first film by 48%, even beating out Gareth Edwards' colossal epic, Godzilla, in addition to its critical success, lending further credence to director Keishi Otomo in his efforts to bring one of the most memorable manga and anime characters to life. As such, the tradition continues with the forthcoming September 13 release of the epic third installment Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, with lead actor Satoh Takeru reprising his role.
In light of this, we now have the first official poster which you can check out below:




Satoh and select cast members will be going on the road to promote the film between eleven Asian cities within five days. The film also had its North American premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival two days ago in Montreal with a second screening scheduled for this Thursday. Beyond that, hopefully all three films some overseas acquisition news!

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno has more dates scheduled between now and September in several territories, so check your local listings!

credit: filmcombatsyndicate

[pechumori]

Sato Takeru to tour 11 cities in 5 days for Rurouni Kenshi promotions

August 4, 2014

Actor Sato Takeru (25) attended the premiere stage greeting for his new movie "Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Taika-hen ("Kyoto Inferno")" (directed by Otomo Keishi). 

It was announced that the film premiered in North America at Montreal in Canada on August 3, and an Asia premiere will also be held on August 6 in Manila, Philippines. The first Rurouni Kenshin movie broke the box office records for a Japanese film by bringing in over $540,000. This will be the first time for a Japanese film to premiere in Philippines. 

Including the premiere in Manila on the 6th, Sato will be touring 11 cities in two countries until August 10th. After returning to Japan on the 8th, he will be visiting Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya on the 9th, and Sapporo, Sendai, Morioka, Saitama and finally Tokyo on the 10th. While co-stars Takei Emi (20) and Aoki Munetaka (34) will also attend the Asia Premiere, only Sato and director Otomo will go on the Japan nationwide tour as it include Otomo's hometown Morioka and Sato's home town Saitama. 

Sato commented, "This is a movie we made for the world. After taking in critics for the first movie, the sequel will be even better. I am happy to be able to have our premiere in all these places." 

credit:  tokyohive

[pechumori]

Rurouni Kenshin - Kyoto Inferno 

("Ruroni Kenshin – Kyoto Taika-hen")

Quick, cunning, and unstoppable with a sword in his hand, Himura Kenshin was once a fearsome warrior-assassin. The day came when he could no longer face the consequences of his actions, and so he turned his back on these violent ways. The violence, however, didn’t turn away from him… following the criminal conspiracy and furious conflicts in Tokyo, Kenshin is sure that he can now live the quiet, peaceful life he desires in the company of Kaoru and his other friends. But the tranquility is interrupted by a call of duty that cannot be ignored. Makoto Shishio, a high-ranking assassin like Kenshin, was seen as a liability by the new Meiji government. Their efforts to eliminate him left him horribly burned — but alive, and hungry for vengeance. He has gathered a host of killers in Kyoto, and now the reluctant killer Kenshin must draw his sword once again, for the sake not just of his loved ones but of the entire nation.

Following the huge popular success of RUROUNI KENSHIN, both at home in Japan and when it screened at Fantasia last year, we’re pleased to unveil the second work in the trilogy of live-action adaptations of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s celebrated manga (the third and final film, THE LEGEND ENDS, will follow fast enough). Takeru Sato returns as the handsome, taciturn hero, while his nemesis this time is played by Tatsuya Fujiwara of BATTLE ROYALE and DEATH NOTE fame (he’s also in MONSTERZ at the fest this year) — a pretty face all but hidden in this unusual role. A grand epic set at a time of great change for Japan, the RUROUNI KENSHIN arc is an imaginative revisiting of history, the backdrop for a complex and emotionally resonant drama bound together by outbursts of superior-grade samurai swordplay. Given the love out there for the manga series, the first film didn’t disappoint, and its sequel won’t either. Get ready for the kind of spectacular summer thrills that could only come from the Land of the Rising Sun!

— Rupert Bottenberg

credit:  fantasiafestival

[pechumori]

VIDEO: Latest 3 CMs for "Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends"

The final chapter hits theaters September 13

Mikikazu Komatsu August 28, 2014

Cinema Today has posted three new TV CMs for Rurouni Kenshin: Densetsu no Saigo-hen (Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends), the second part of the final installment of the Rurouni Kenshin live-action film series starring Takeru Sato as Kenshin Himura. The CMs will be started aired on Japanese TV stations from tomorrow August 29. The much anticipated final chapter hits Japanese theaters on September 13.

The first part Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Taika-hen (Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno) was released in Japan on August 1 with 439 screens. It has earned an amazing 3.9 billion yen (about US$39 million), and still ranks in a third place in the box office of August 23-24 in its fourth weekend

TV CM "Saigo(end)-hen".

TV CM "Shinjitsu(truth)-nen"

TV CM "Romance-hen"

via: Cinema Today

credit:  crunchyroll

[pechumori]

Fukuyama Masaharu Joins Live-Action "Rurouni Kenshin" Cast for Latest "The Legend Ends" Poster

Musician plays master swordsman Hiko Seijūrō

Scott Green August 19, 2014



Popular singer-songwriter-musician Masaharu Fukuyama is shown joining the Rurouni Kenshin cast as master swordsman Hiko Seijūrō for Densetsu no Saigo-hen (Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends). The follow-up to Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is scheduled to hit theaters September 13.



credit:  crunchyroll

[pechumori]

VIDEO: Mascot Kumamon Shows Kenshin His Elite Sword Skills

The two Kyoto sequels hit theaters successively this summer

Scott Green July 24, 2014



Kumamon, the mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, has been spending a lot of time with Himura Kenshin. The bear took the ex-political assassin's place for April Fool's. Kenshin's movie has been promoted with mascot merch. Now, for the Tokyo premiere of live-action film Rurouni Kenshin - The Kyoto Fire, Kumamon has taken the stage to show off his skills.

Actors above include Takeru Satoh (Kenshin Himura), Emi Takei (Kaoru Kamiya), Aoki Munetaka (Sanosuke Sagara) and Kaito Oyago (Yahiko Myojin).

Actor Tatsuya Fujiwara (Death Note's Light Yagami) is being introduced as the political assassin/revolutionary villain Shishio Makoto. Keishi Otomo returns to direct the movies.

Yusuke Iseya (live action Casshern, live-action Ashita no Joe's Rikishi, 13 Assassin's Kiga Koyata) will play strength obsessed Oniwabanshū ninja Aoshi Shinomori and Ryunosuke Kamiki (Kazoku Game, Summer Wars' Kenji Koiso, Howl's Moving Castle's Markl) will play cheerful, deadly young swordaman Sōjirō Seta.



Kaito Oyagi (Abacus and Sword) will replace Taketo Tanaka for the role of Yahiko Myojin in the sequel



Ryosuke Miura (Kamen Rider OOO) will play the role of Cho Sawagejo.

Maryjun Takahashi (Fashion Story - Model) will play the role of Shishio's lover, Yumi Komagata.

 Min Tanaka (The Twilight Samurai) will play the role of former Oniwabanshū leader Nenji "Okina" Kashiwazaki.

THE BOOM's Kazufumi Miyazawa will play the role of Okubo Toshimichi, a statesman and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration.



Yukinoshi Ozawa (Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home) will play the role of Japan's first Prime Minister, Ito Hirobumi, a historic figure who didn't factor into the original  manga.



credit: crunchyroll

[pechumori]

Press Photos Preview Life-Action "Kenshin" Sequels' Aoshi Fight

Yusuke Iseya and Min Tanaka square off in ninja showdown

Scott Green February 11, 2014

The latest photos from this summer's Rurouni Kenshin - The Kyoto Fire and The Legend's Conclusion adaptation of samurai manga's Kyoto Arc offer a look at the showdown between Yusuke Iseya (live action Casshern, live-action Ashita no Joe's Rikishi, 13 Assassin's Kiga Koyata) as strength obsessed Aoshi Shinomori and Min Tanaka (Twilght Samura) as the elder Nenji "Okina" Kashiwazaki in the Oniwabanshu ninja's Aoiya inn/secret headquarters.

 

Other recent photos offered a look at Tatsuya Fujiwara (Death Note's Light Yagami) as Shishio Makoto and Maryjun Takahashi as Yumi Komagata







and Ryunosuke Kamiki (Kazoku Game, Summer Wars' Kenji Koiso, Howl's Moving Castle's Markl)  as  young  Sōjirō Seta versus Takeru Satoh as Kenshin Himura









Rurouni Kenshin: The Great Kyoto Fire Arc hits Japanese theaters August 1st with The End of a Legend Arc following in September 13th.

credit:  crunchyroll

[pechumori]

From the Japanese side of things, Takeru Sato has blogged photos of reading the manga on the set of next summer's sequels.





credit: Takeru Satoh's blog and crunchyroll

[pechumori]

Live-Action "Rurouni Kenshin" Star Posts More Set Photos

Set of Cho duel seen in Takeru Satoh photos

Scott Green September 07, 2013 8:55am PHT (9/6/13)
Takeru Satoh, who returns as political assassin turned wandering swordsman Himura Kenshin in next summer's Rurouni Kenshin - The Kyoto Fire and The Legend's Conclusion, posted a pair of new set photo on his official site. The new ones shows him with his new sakabatō (reverse-edge sword) and around the point of his duel with Cho Sawagejo (played by Ryosuke Miura in the movie) from the adaptation of the popular Kyoto Arc.

A staff report mentions that the shoot had to contend with bad weather and rain delays.

 via OrendsRange

credit: crunchyroll

[pechumori]

Things you may want to know about Rurouni Kenshin (Movie)

1. The movie installments (RuroKen 1, Kyoto Inferno & The Legend Ends) are adaptation from the MANGA 'Rurouni Kenshin' . Some changes were notably discussed by Director Keishi Otomo (You can watch the interview here by Rappler , spoilers ahead

) .

2.Takeru Sato, is creator Nobuhiro Watsuki's first choice for the role of Himura Kenshin. Sato admitted that his favorite technique of Kenshin’s would be Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki . (More of his insights in an interview with otakumode http://otakumode.com/news/53bd0b5eda7285ee74001ad4/Interview-Takeru-Satoh-Kenshin-Himura-in-Rurouni-Kenshin-Kyoto-Inferno-The-Legend-Ends

**Takeru Sato knows how to break dance too.. >

3.Takeru Sato and Taka of ONE OK ROCK are best of friends.

4. Action Director Kenji Tanigaki is actually the assistant to Donnie Yen and worked on many of his movies including Ip Man 2, Wu Xia, Flashpoint, Special ID (thanks to BingXiong Stan for pointing this out). If you've already watched Kyoto Inferno, you can go to his tweets' translation thru stephany's for more behind the scenes bits http://stephany-310.tumblr.com/tagged/Tanigaki-Kenji

5. The film Rurouni Kenshin (2012) has performed extremely well, earning $36,798,585 in Japan in its debut and US$25 million in a limited international release, for a total gross of US$61.7 million.[3][12] The film garnered to become Japan's sixteenth highest-grossing film of the year.(Wikipedia)

6. Kyoto Inferno & The Legend Ends digits :

Filming began July 1, 2013 and finished December 27, 2013. Filming took place in Ibaraki, Yamagata, Kumamoto, Shiga, Hyogo, Kyoto, Nagano, Tochigi, Chiba, Kanagawa and Tokyo, Japan. More than 5,000 extras were used for the film.

*compiled by Rurouni Kenshin るろうに剣心

[pechumori]

Live-Action "Kenshin" Introduces Its Shinomori Aoshi and Sōjirō

Yusuke Iseya and Ryunosuke Kamiki join sequels

Scott Green August 05, 2013

Last month, the announcement that the live-action adaptation of samurai manga Rurouni Kenshin will continue next summer with the popular Kyoto Arc split into two movies was followed with news that actor Tatsuya Fujiwara (Death Notes's Light Yagami) will play political assassin/revolutionary villain Shishio Makoto. If it's going to feature everyone from the manga, including all of the Juppongatana (10 Swords), there's a lot of casting to be done.

 

Yusuke Iseya (live action Casshern, live-action Ashita no Joe's Rikishi, 13 Assassin's Kiga Koyata) will play strength obsessed Oniwabanshū ninja Aoshi Shinomori. Iseya commented that he remember the manga starting from when he was reading the Shonen Jump magazine. He commented on Aoshi's character design and how it reflected the swordsman's way of internalizing his emotion. The challenge of playing the role was also compared to his work as the classic rival in the 2011 adaptation of Ashita no Joe.

Ryunosuke Kamiki (Kazoku Game, Summer Wars' Kenji Koiso, Howl's Moving Castle's Markl) will play cheerful, deadly young swordaman Sōjirō Seta.

credit: crunchyroll

[pechumori]

Takeru Sato's arrival pictures when he visited the Philippines last Aug.6 for the Asian premiere of "Rurouni Kenshin" Kyoto Inferno

at NAIA via RUDY SANTOS





credit: Philstar

[pechumori]

Sato Takeru Interview From Oricon.co.jp - Translation

1) Takeru was really surprised to get the part of Kenshin. The thing is Ruroken was his favourite manga when he was a kid so naturally he couldn’t believe that he got the chance to play his favourite hero. Takeru said that all guys his age must be loving Ruroken.

2) Takeru’s favourite side of Kenshin is that Kenshin could forgive every bad thing done to him - you could beat him, humiliate or insult - he won’t become mad at you. Kenshin becomes angry only when persons important to him are hurt. Takeru really admire that Kenshin’s quality and despite all the efforts of interviewer he denies that he shares that quality with Kenshin.

3) Takeru said that during shooting in Kyoto the movie cast used to go together to the restraunts, cinema or famous spots. Takeru used to eat a huge amount of food because he needed a lot of energy to make action scenes and that his diet included mostly meat. Takeru remembered that because of it Kagawa Teruyuki (Kanryu) asked him a lot “You still keep ordering more food?!” Aoki Munetaka (Sano) though used to eat as much as Takeru.

4) Takeru said that he was really impressed by Takei Emi (Kaoru) - that it was impossible to believe that she’s just seventeen years old girl as her conduct wasn’t that of a child. Aoi Yuu (Megumi) shared this opinion with him. Takeru thinks that Emi’s grown-up conduct must be result of her family efforts. Takeru also noticed that Emi was working really hard practicing over and over her moves.

5) Takeru reveals a funny detail about Emi’s acting: when she needs, for example, to look somewhere instead of just turning her head she turns her whole body. I.e. she tends to overdo things a little. According to Takeru it only makes her more cute.

6) When asked which type of women Takeru prefers - Kaoru or Megumi - Takeru answered without hesitation that Kaoru is his ideal woman and that he loved her since the time he read manga. What really makes her attractive in Takeru’s eyes is “tsundere” quality of her, i.e. that behind strong-willed swordswoman hides vulnerable little girl. Takeru said that this type of female characters (quite popular type in manga) is his favourite so to play Kenshin in front of his favourite female character was a big pleasure for him.

7) Takeru said that Aoi Yuu played very attractive character as well - a woman of bewitching charm that makes you want to be seduced by her. Of course, Takeru was in awe of such great actress and he was really impressed by her dedication to the part - she was going to pluck her eyebrows according to Megumi’s appearance but the crew stopped her and they only dyed it in pale color. Takeru thinks that Yuu managed to add to Megumi’s character new interesting shades.

8) One of the most memorable moments from the movie for Takeru is the scene where Saito uses his Gatotsu. As proper Ruroken fan Takeru enjoed that iconic moment a lot. Also Takeru thinks that Teruyuki’s Kanryu was pretty amazing - his platform shoes, false teeth and glassess that pressed really hard on his nose made him in completely different person.

(Source: oricon.co.jp)

credit: kateviardo

[jeenee]

myphim said: @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.

 

[Maja]

From 大友組/Otomo Set @TeamOTOMO @Ruroken_movie
Rurouni Kenshin るろうに剣心 Kyoto Fire Edition photo book will release on 9/13. Photogrpaher Osamu Kikuchi had taken the battlefield too, with tears and laughter accompanied the shooting Staff for almost half a year to capture the moments. You will surely enjoy the photos in this photo book. I am also happy to contribute."

~Rough English translation by Rurouni Kenshin るろうに剣心 Fan Page.

大友組

『る ろうに剣心 京都大火編/伝説の最後編』の写真集が公開日、９月１３日に発売されます。撮影してくれた菊池修さんは戦場カメラマンでもあり、去年半年間我々の「戦場」 に同行し、泣き笑いを共にしてきた仲間です。鮮烈な写真の数々は、きっと楽しんでいただけると思います。僕も寄稿させていただきました。ぜひぜひお手元に いかがでせう。

Source https://www.facebook.com/TeamOTOMO/photos/a.131514716925374.32161.130174933726019/694877330589107/?type=1

[chii87]

eeeekekkkkkkkkkk!! im so excited to watch it soon!!

[pechumori]

Rurouni Kenshin 2015 calendar
credit: Baidu Takeru Sato

[Maja]

BTS of Rurouni Kensin Legend Ends ) )









from ankei.jp.msn.com