Kenshins death

[The Atheistic Messiah]

In the final ruroken movie, they kill off kenshin and kauru. What is up with that?  

[TheIllustriousBlueJay]

that was not the real ending. it was a hashed up ending made by sony, not Watsuki. In the real ending, they both live, but Kenshin can no longer use Hiten Mitsurugi.  

[Tasha21]

That's true that's why I didn't like the ending because all main characters in any movie should live happily ever after. I know, I just LOVE fairy tale endings.  

[The Atheistic Messiah]

I know thats not the real ending. im just asking why did the stupid producers killed them both off.  

[NewtypeS3]

rouroken

I know thats not the real ending. im just asking why did the stupid producers killed them both off.

Honestly, I'm thinking it's because the producers of the OAVs and Movies were pretty much convinced of the 'what goes around, comes around' idea - Kenshin was a murderer in his past, so he doesn't deserve to be happy, no matter what.

Of course, I think it's a load of BS, but that's why we've got the actual ending.  

[The Atheistic Messiah]

yeah!  

[samuraichikX]

it wasnt the real ending, the manga is the true ending because it was written by nobohiro watsuki and watsuki had nothing to do with the OVA, he didnt even agree to it and he didnt have a say in any of the anime after he signed it or something. some people may beleive it's the real ending but in all honesty it's not, at least a killer deserves some happiness and the characters were so out of place it was disgusting  

[The Atheistic Messiah]

Stop treating me like an idiot! i know its not the real ending! Watsuki shoud of had a say in the OVA's! scream  

[The Atheistic Messiah]

sorry......  

[The Atheistic Messiah]

just keeping it alive.......  

[Safiya15]

The ending was terrible- and it didn't make sense- yes, in the manga, they hinted near the end that because of the way of the Hiten-Mitsurugi style, only huge people like Hiko would be able to using it without damaging their body. Kenshin, however...

In any case, all Megumi said was that in time kenshin wouldn't be able to use it any longer- NOT that some horrible red rash looking thing w/ tuberculosis looking symptoms would take over his body and be transmissible.

And Kaoru "got it" I cried for Kenshin, but was consoled with the fact that that never happened in the manga. My only regret was that I didn't get to see Kaoru die.

So Yes, kill 'a main character' not THE main character.  

[The Atheistic Messiah]

He had those blotches all over his body because he had a fatal desease, not because of his swordstyle. He passed the disease onto kauru and she died too.  

[BunnyCupCakes]

I didn't think the last OVA was THAT terrible.
I found it really touching but then again,there's like no REAL emotion in there I mean,call me stupid but I think what Kaoru did was crazy(meaning she actually WANTED to get the sickness too)It's like she forgot she even had a son & doesn't care if she dies,as long as she's with Kenshin...leaving Kenji all alone

Shallow much rolleyes
And I didn't like how they made Ken so miserable crying
At the same time I hated it,but then again,I liked it.
Kenshin can finally rest in peace now...  

[The Atheistic Messiah]

Finally rest in peace? He wasent dead before!  

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

No one dislikes Seisouhen more than I do, but it helps to understand the spirit in which it was made. The manga was made in the tradition of shonen manga, which usually have happy endings. Watsuki believed the essence of shonen manga is "smiling faces and a happy ending".

The anime/OVA director, Kazuhiro Furohashi had a vision of RuroKen as a historical period epic. While he was obligated to honor the manga style in his work with the anime, he was given more freedom with the OVAs. Thus you see the story "reworked" in Tsuiokuhen and Seisouhen to a much more sombre tone.

Seisouhen was portraying Kenshin and Kaoru, not as Watsuki's manga characters but as the tragic characters in the tradition of many Japanese love stories, such as Madame Butterfly.

Kenshin is the samurai husband, walking the path of Bushido, which often means neglecting his own family. Kaoru is the good Japanese wife, who follows her husband into death at the end.

It's also more historically accurate. Many samurai husbands did leave their wives and children alone for months while they were off serving their daimyo and fighting. Kenshin in this story is portrayed as the samurai and the Meiji government is his "daimyo".

Even today, many husbands live separately from their wives and children so they can be close to their jobs while their families remain close to their in-laws. The husband sends money and gifts home to the wife and children and visits them on holidays.

So, as far as being a Japanese period drama, Seisouhen is historically and culturally very accurate. But as a RuroKen story, it sucks a**.