Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends
File:Rurouni Kenshin The Legend Ends film poster.jpg
Directed by	Keishi Ōtomo
Produced by	Satoshi Fukushima
Based on	Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Starring	Takeru Satoh Emi Takei Tatsuya Fujiwara Yosuke Eguchi Munetaka Aoki Yūsuke Iseya
Music by	Naoki Satō
Cinematography	Takuro Ishizaka
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release dates	September 13, 2014 (2014-09-13) (Japan) April 17, 2015 (2015-04-17) (UK)
Running time	135 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	US$30 million (shared with Kyoto Inferno)
Box office	US$42.7 million (international)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (Japanese: るろうに剣心 伝説の最期編, Hepburn: Rurouni Kenshin: Densetsu no Saigo-hen) is a 2014 Japanese jidaigeki action film directed by Keishi Ōtomo and based on the manga series Rurouni Kenshin. The story follows two prior films, Rurouni Kenshin (2012) and Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014).

Plot

In a flashback, Hiko Seijūrō finds young Shinta digging graves for bandits and slavers killed in battle. Shinta explains that all people are only bodies after death. Hiko decides to take Shinta as his student and names him "Kenshin". Kenshin wakes up at Master Hiko's home, and asks if his friend (Kaoru) was also washed up. He has been unconscious for three days, and master tells him that his friend is most likely dead. Kenshin asks to learn the final Hiten Mitsurugi technique, "Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki", in order to defeat Shishio Makoto and prevent his onslaught. Hiko agrees, and the two engage in a duel to start his training.

Shishio appears off the Tokyo coast in a large black iron-clad battleship, and demands that the prime minister visit him to discuss the situation. After inviting the ministers to join him for food, one of them loses his temper, and is killed by one of Shishio's men. The prime minister tries to restore order and decorum, but Shishio takes them prisoner when they try to leave - killing all the government men apart from the prime minister. Shishio demands that Battousai be brought to him for the life of the prime minister. Fujita is still searching for Battousai, and is disgusted with the way the government is handling the matter by giving in to blackmail from Shishio.

Yahiko finds a poster demanding "Battousai" Kenshin be arrested, which he and Sagara realise suggests that Kenshin must still be alive, and they leave for Tokyo and the Kamiya Dojo with Misao to find him and search for Kaoru. A young woman approaches them with a scarf as they are leaving, which Misao recognises as one she bandaged Kaoru with and they rush off. They appear outside a hospital and enter to find Kaoru unconscious and alive.

Kenshin is unable to understand what is missing in himself, and so engages in another duel with Master Hiko. He learns that he had thrown away his will to live during his time as the assassin Battousai, and as he has no intention of coming out alive he will be unable to defeat Shishio. Hiko points out that he has lost his killer instinct with his oath to not kill and his "ridiculous" sword, after all it is the strong who survive and the weak who die. That night, Hiko says that something is missing in Kenshin, and that he will be given the night to think about it. If he cannot find what it is, he will die tomorrow. Next morning Hiko reveals his final task as Master to Kenshin - without realising what is missing, Kenshin will return to his old ways and so Hiko has to kill Battousai. Kenshin listens as he is told that he cannot learn the secret until he realises that the will to live is paramount; and so he has learned the secret of Amakakeru.

Kaoru awakes from her coma, and as Kenshin concludes his training and is about to depart, Misao arrives with the news. She also tells Kenshin that he has been branded a wanted criminal throughout Japan for his work as Battousai during the Bakumatsu era. Knowing that Shishio intends to take Tokyo next, Kenshin intends to return home by a secret route given to him by the Oniwabanshu at the Aoiya Inn. They discover that Okina has gone on ahead and encountered Aoshi, who was lying in wait for Kenshin on that route. Kenshin and Misao arrive and Kenshin duels with Aoshi, during which Okina dies of his wounds. Back at the Aoiya, Misao tends to Aoshi and convinces him to return to the Oniwabanshu. On Shishio's battleship, Shishio, his partner Yumi, and one of his men Hori, discover that because of Shishio's inability to sweat, he can only fight for fifteen minutes without putting his health at risk.

Kenshin arrives back at the Kamiya Kashin dojo. Megumi, who has been looking after the dojo in Kaoru's absence, welcomes him back, but shortly after his arrival police arrive to apprehend him. Wishing to prevent further violence, he surrenders, and is taken to the Home Ministry head, Ito. Ito explains that he had tried to talk Shishio into abandoning his plan to overthrow the Meiji government, but the negotiations had ended in disaster and Shishio, still bitter about his cruel treatment by the new government (being burned alive), would only leave the government be for the time being if Kenshin were arrested and executed. Otherwise, he intends to attack Tokyo. Kenshin convinces Ito that he can defeat Shishio if Ito helps him. Ito seemingly decides to go through with the execution anyway. Kaoru, Sano and Yahiko return to Tokyo soon after and, to their horror, discover that Kenshin is to be executed the same day. Shishio's men attend the execution to ensure that Ito carries through with the negotiations.

The execution, however, is merely staged, and Kenshin is freed and assisted in defeating the men by Hajime Saito. Sano joins them, and the three are rowed to Shishio's battleship. While searching for Shishio, Kenshin meets Seta Soujiro again and the two rematch. Kenshin comes out victorious, and Soujiro, who originally believed Kenshin to be weak, is crushed and confused. Kenshin finally finds Shishio, Yumi and Hori waiting in the ship's hold. a duel ensues between Kenshin and Shishio, who easily overpowers Kenshin. Saito arrives immediately after, followed by Sano and Aoshi, who followed them from Kyoto, but even the four together are no match for Shishio. Shishio hits his limit and Yumi attempts to shield him from Kenshin while Shishio stabs both of them, killing her. Meanwhile, Ito's men begin firing at the ship, intending to sink it and drown Shishio and Kenshin inside. Shishio condemns Kenshin for helping such a government. Kenshin agrees that the new Meiji government is faulty, but argues that the age of assassins like himself and Shishio is over and that there should be no more violence. He manages to defeat Shishio using Amakakeru, though not physically harming him. Shishio, who has long hit his limit and whose body has become overheated, catches fire and burns to death before the group's eyes.

Saito, Aoshi, Sano and Kenshin escape from the ship before it sinks and are brought back to shore, where Kaoru, Yahiko, Misao and the Home Ministry are waiting. Ito acknowledges Kenshin as Kenshin for the first time and declares Battousai dead, and his men salute the group as heroes. Aoshi and Misao return to Kyoto, and Kaoru, Kenshin, Yahiko and Sano return to the dojo. Kaoru notes the change of season, as well as the end of Kenshin's life as Battousai. Kenshin expresses his desire to continue living at the dojo and to move forward into the new era, and invites Kaoru to move forward with him.

Cast

• Takeru Satoh as Himura Kenshin
• Emi Takei as Kamiya Kaoru
• Munetaka Aoki as Sagara Sanosuke
• Kaito Ōyagi as Myojin Yahiko
• Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shishio Makoto
• Ryunosuke Kamiki as Seta Sōjirō
• Yu Aoi as Takani Megumi
• Maryjun Takahashi as Komagata Yumi
• Yūsuke Iseya as Shinomori Aoshi
• Tao Tsuchiya as Makimachi Misao
• Yōsuke Eguchi as Saitō Hajime
• Min Tanaka as Kashiwazaki Nenji/Okina
• Masaharu Fukuyama as Hiko Seijuro

Release

The DVD was released on January 21, 2015.

Reception

The film debuted in the box office second, earning JPY 919,479,200. In its fourth weekend, it ranked 1st in the Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 177,419,216 yen. It was number-one for four weeks. The film earned a total of US$42.7 million internationally.

Music

ONE OK ROCK's song "Heartache" from their newest album, 35xxxv, is featured in the movie.

External links

• Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends at IMDb