It was a good show more or less, but it had so much more potential that wasn't realized. No backstory on where Ran came from, no real underlying message or conflict either. It's like an unfinished version of Samurai Champloo when it comes to wandering, penniless ronin and chance encounters while walking across the countryside. Then again, the lack of blood and more adult themes in this show probably indicates it wasn't meant for a mature audience and so the sophistication of the plot likely wasn't a priority. The art, sound, and character development all felt like it came straight of Rurouni Kenshin given the timeit was made, so it's at least pretty decent. I'd only watch it when I have nothing else to watch though.