I keep falling behind on reviewing manga >.<; during this quarantine, I keep reading ongoing series. so to make up for that, I’ve decided to review another one of the series that I own. it’s always faster for me to read something I can hold in my hands >.>; so, here we go!
(image: Since I own this series, I will be reading the official English translation. I have the omnibus volumes.
summary:
“Shinomori Aoshi was once the leader of Edo Castle’s elite guard, the Oniwabbanshuu. When the shougunate was overthrown, Aoshi and his men were deprived of both home and purpose. All that’s left to them now are their fighting skills, which they’ve put to service as a mercenary guard for the industrialist Takeda Kanryuu. However much sympathy Kenshin might feel for the Oniwanbanshuu, he’s sworn to stop Kanryuu’s corrupt plans. But in order to do so, he’ll have to defeat Aoshi, a shinobi prodigy and master of a deadly twin-sword style.
“Shinomori Aoshi was once the leader of Edo Castle’s elite guard, the Oniwabbanshuu. When the shougunate was overthrown, Aoshi and his men were deprived of both home and purpose. All that’s left to them now are their fighting skills, which they’ve put to service as a mercenary guard for the industrialist Takeda Kanryuu. However much sympathy Kenshin might feel for the Oniwanbanshuu, he’s sworn to stop Kanryuu’s corrupt plans. But in order to do so, he’ll have to defeat Aoshi, a shinobi prodigy and master of a deadly twin-sword style.
Later, Isurugi Raijuuta, a swordsman of incredible strength and ferocity, requests Kenshin’s aid in reforming Japan’s swordsmanship schools, to save them from their decline in the modern age. Although Kenshin is intrigued by Raijuuta’s ideals, he’s disturbed by his increasingly brutal methods. Sanosuke runs into some trouble of his own when he’s reunited with a member of the Sekihou Army -the doomed civilian-run unit that they both served in during the revolution- who’s determined to exact revenge from the Meiji government.”
I am going to be doing shorthand as I read. These descriptions are really more of a reminder to myself about what all I have been able to read so far. Sorry if this bothers anyone! I will do a full description on the final review page of each series I read.
Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!
ch29: Yahiko and Sanosuke kick the door down; Megumi’s alive! but seeing Kenshin hurt, she decides to take her own life, feeling it’s the only way to repay the lives her opium took. Sanosuke stops her, saying it’d be a waste of her life since Kenshin and Yahiko almost died trying to save her (he doesn’t mention himself; I find that interesting). the police arrive, and she decides to turn herself in. Kenshin reminds her that the penalty for dealing opium is death; she goes anyway. when the police ask who she is, Kenshin stops her and answers that she’s the protégé of a skilled doctor who was forced to make the opium. Kanryuu tries to say otherwise, but Kenshin tells him to be quiet in the most satisfying glare <33 Yahiko and Sanosuke also speak up for her in their own ways, and the police chief decides to believe Kenshin because he knows him. Kenshin reveals to Megumi that he was the legendary hitokiri battousai, but he’s making up for the lives he took by saving lives now; she could do the same with her medical knowledge. it’ll save more than if she took her own life. Yahiko mentions that she may even find her family again, and she agrees to return to the dojo with them. Kenshin asks the police about Aoshi, but he’s gone, as are the heads of the Oniwabanshuu.
random side note: Megumi’s so much taller than Kenshin xD he’s such a little guy ❤
random side note: Megumi’s so much taller than Kenshin xD he’s such a little guy ❤
ch30: Aoshi escaped through the secret passage in the attic, and everyone follows. Sanosuke tries to tell him that the Oniwabanshuu gave their lives happily; it’s not his fault. Kenshin challenges him to another fight, and Aoshi accepts. now he has a reason to keep living. everyone goes home. Megumi gets a job with the doctor from before -who’s a bit of a perv, but she can take care of herself. she flirts with Kenshin -he doesn’t get it- and tells Sanosuke that if he can grow up a bit, she’ll flirt with him, too. (turns out she’s 22; now we know). she leaves, and elsewhere, Aoshi goes into a section of woods so dangerous that even locals, swordsmen, and martial artists avoid it.
ch31: bonus story! Yahiko keeps missing training, and the adults try to guess why. Sanosuke thinks a girl, Kaoru thinks food, and Kenshin thinks to train. they follow him, and he’s working at the Akabeko café. he’s trying to save up for something, but we don’t know what yet. there’s a girl named Tsubame there who started after Yahiko, and he takes over her work when she’s falling behind. he calls it training. turns out, she’s from a samurai family -like Yahiko-, and the family her family served is still trying to make her work for them despite it being Meiji. they want the restaurant owner’s house key so they can steal his money, or they threaten his life if she won’t pass on the mold of the key. Yahiko steps in
ch32: bonus story, cont.! Yahiko takes on the bad guys and defeats some, but then they gang up on him. Tsubame gives up the key mold to make them stop. Kenshin won’t let Kaoru or Sanosuke jump in to help since they aren’t supposed to know about the fight and Yahiko didn’t ask for help; it’s not their fight this time. the next day, Yahiko asks for advice on how to fight multiple opponents. Kenshin mentions a tactic used in the Bakumatsu; basically, you have to create a scenario where you only fight one on one. he asks if Yahiko’s in trouble, and Yahiko says no. Kenshin reminds him that he uses the katsujinken, a sword to protect, so it’s more than just Yahiko’s life on the line if he loses. Yahiko runs off that night to take on the robbers
random note: this chapter and the last one focus a lot on Yahiko-chan. “-chan” is generally used for a child’s name; that’s why Yahiko dislikes it so much. he accepts the name after his defeat because he feels like a child still. it can be derogatory to someone who’s not a child, though Tsubame isn’t trying to belittle him (Yahiko doesn’t see himself as a child even though he is still a minor)
random note: this chapter and the last one focus a lot on Yahiko-chan. “-chan” is generally used for a child’s name; that’s why Yahiko dislikes it so much. he accepts the name after his defeat because he feels like a child still. it can be derogatory to someone who’s not a child, though Tsubame isn’t trying to belittle him (Yahiko doesn’t see himself as a child even though he is still a minor)
ch33: bonus story, cont.! Yahiko steals the key from the boss and runs down an alley so they can only chase him 1 at a time. the boss figures it out and tells his remaining men to throw their wooden swords, but they say it’ll kill Yahiko? (how? O.o) Kenshin and Sanosuke appear on the roof and scare off the rest while Kaoru talks to Tsubame and tells her to strengthen her heart so this doesn’t happen again; the old rules don’t apply anymore; she doesn’t owe that family anything anymore just because her samurai family used to serve them. the boss uses a kougen ittou-ryuu (Idk; a sword with a real blade), but Yahiko defeats him. Sanosuke asks why Yahiko was saving money, and he admits it was because he wants to buy a sakabatou like Kenshin’s someday. Sanosuke and Kaoru find this hilarious
ch34: Kaoru and Yahiko head to Maekawa dojo for training, and Kaoru convinces Kenshin to come with. turns out the sensei’s been wanting to fight him (Kaoru wasn’t told), but he quickly realizes he doesn’t stand a chance, so Kenshin just watches everyone practice peacefully. most students show up just to fight Kaoru -but she doesn’t realize. kenjutsu’s becoming less common. a man comes to challenge the dojo master; he (Raijuuta Isurugi) still cares for the future of kenjutsu.
ch35: Raijuuta has an apprentice named Yutarou Tsukayama; he and Yahiko are already ready to fight xD Raijuuta doesn’t own a shinai, so he borrows 1 for the match. Kaoru’s the judge since she’s not from the dojo. it’s a 2/3 fight. Raijuuta gets 2 hard hits, the 1st breaking the sensei’s shoulder, but he keeps going anyway. when he loses, Raijuuta tries to kill him, but Kenshin stops the match. he says that real swords have only 1 round, and if you lose, you die; shinai are just toys and anyone who uses 1 is just playing. according to him, they don’t deserve a sword
ch36: Raijuuta challenges Kenshin to a match with real swords, but because of Kenshin’s sakabatou, they can’t. Raijuuta tells Yutarou to burn the dojo’s sign, but Kaoru challenges him to defend it. Kenshin steps in instead, and they agree to use shinai, 1 hit round, no judge. Kenshin dodges but doesn’t strike back; something’s weird about Raijuuta’s technique. Raijuuta breaks Kenshin’s shinai -and the floor- before saying the match is over. the dojo is safe. Raijuuta’s sweating when he leaves which surprises Yutarou -who has another arguement/showdown with Yahiko about whose role model better. Kenshin and Raijuuta wonder about each other; Raijuuta intends to use Kenshin for his shinko-ryuu (whatever that is; I’m guessing his sword style). supposedly (according to Kenshin), Raijuuta could’ve cut a diamond in half with his last sword strike if he’d been using a real blade
that’s all I could read this time, but to keep reading with me, then please click here!
Completed Manga Review 