Finished Manga
Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story

“Ex-assassin Kenshin vows never to kill again while protecting a dojo in Meiji-era Japan.”

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story

8.55
155 rank · 105,049 readers · 7,273 favorites
Shounen Historical Samurai Action Drama
259 chapters · 28 volumes · 1994 - 1999 · Manga
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Chapters · 259 0/259
CH 01 + 159 more CH 259

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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...

However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...

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Synopsis

Ex-assassin Kenshin vows never to kill again while protecting a dojo in Meiji-era Japan.

Ten years have passed since the end of Bakumatsu, an era of war that saw the uprising of citizens against the Tokugawa shogunate. The revolutionaries wanted to create a time of peace, and a thriving country free from oppression. The new age of Meiji has come, but peace has not yet been achieved. Swords are banned but people are still murdered in the streets. Orphans of war veterans are left with nowhere to go, while the government seems content to just line their pockets with money. One wandering samurai, Kenshin Himura, still works to make sure the values he fought for are worth the lives spent to bring about the new era. Once known as Hitokiri Battousai, he was feared as the most ruthless killer of all the revolutionaries. Now haunted by guilt, Kenshin has sworn never to kill again in atonement for the lives he took, and he may never know peace until killing is a thing of the past. Now in the 11th year of Meiji, Kenshin stumbles upon Kaoru Kamiya, owner and head instructor of a small dojo being threatened to close its doors. The police force is powerless to stop the string of murders done in the name of her dojo by a man claiming to be the famous Battousai. Kenshin's wanderings pause for now as he joins Kaoru to clear both their names. But how long can he stay before his past catches up to him?Included one-shot: Volume 28: Meteor Strike

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

What people say

Community consensus

Derived from 38 sampled reviews

8.6 /10

What 38 readers settled on.

97% recommend
Score distribution
median 9 mode 10 σ 1.46
1510
Agreement

Mostly aligned

σ 1.46 · some divergence

mixed
The polarity gap

2.9 pts

Recommenders 8.9 · others 6.0

Yes
No
Score over time

↓ 1.42

Running avg · Mar 2008 → Mar 2026

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Publication slate

A Manga Publication

  • Format 259 × 28 ch × vol
  • Total read 34h 32m approx
  • Published Apr 1994 – Sep 1999
  • Source Manga media type
  • Ref. BS-M0020 catalog

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