WHY IS KENSHIN'S HAIR RED?

[AHURA MAZDA Ormazd]

OK THIS IS AN ODD QUESTION BUT I HAVE CURIOSITY! WHY IS KENSHIN'S HAIR RED? (AND I KNOW IT'S ANIME /MANGA, SO THAT DOESN'T COUNT!) DOES THAT MEAN ONE OF HIS PARENTS WERE FROM SOME OTHER COUNTRY?
I WOULD LIKE PEOPLE'S OPINIONS ABOUT THAT!


ORO?

 

[Akira_Hoshino]

Since Watsuki never mentions it, I assume it's just to make him stand out. That's the advice manga-ka often give, after all. To make their main characters stand out in a see of dark hair and dark eyes, they give them multi-colored hair and eyes. As far as why Watsuki chose red, probably because he liked it. XD

You could also speculate that he picked red to signify how Kenshin's past is bathed in blood, or to represent the passion innate in Kenshin. I have also read a couple fanfics that theorized one of Kenshin's parents was a foreigner. There's a lot you can do with that plotline.

I like to think Kenshin's hair is read because he's special. I mean, his eyes even change color!

Redheads rock!  

[imadoki_idgit]

I have to agree...he wouldn't be kenshin without his unique hair and eyes.  

[Namika-chan]

Maybe 'cause it's boring to have black-haired people only..?
It wouldn't be much fun to color,either. xD  

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

Kenshin is based off Kawakami Gensai, one of the Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu no Douran. I read somewhere that Kawakami had reddish highlights in his hair (born with, not dyed). This is probably the basis for Kenshin's hair color.  

[AHURA MAZDA Ormazd]

Yami no Hitokiri

Kenshin is based off Kawakami Gensai, one of the Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu no Douran. I read somewhere that Kawakami had reddish highlights in his hair (born with, not dyed). This is probably the basis for Kenshin's hair color.

Really how interesting! Is there like a link or website that tells about this, that you can share with me> Please!  

[Lost in Fiction]

i always thought it just symbolised blood, its more blood red on the ovas but in the series on tv it looks more red orange  

[Akira_Hoshino]

But Kenshin's manga hair (his birth hair I call it, since it was the original writer/artist who chose it) isn't blood red at all - it's carrot orange. I really think Watsuki just wanted Kenshin to stand out, or he had a Leprechaun fetish. (Short, redhaired, somewhat magical... XD)

Though, I don't think Kenshin would look good in green.

Not that he looks good in pink. (Kenshin: It's MAGENTA!) ... It's pink.

That's also an anime only thing. In the manga he dresses much less tacky. They all do, as a matter of fact...

Getting back to the hair, why not ask why Cho's hair is blonde? We know Enishi's hair is white because he was so shocked by his sister's death that it turned white at the roots (I believe this is a scientifically possible phenomenon, but I could be wrong). Maybe Kenshin and Cho were shocked too? XD Lol, jk!  

[Fireshaper]

If you must ask why Kenshin's hair is red/orange then we must ask why most manga and anime characters look like white people. As everyone else says, it's mainly to make Kenshin-san stand out, it's just the manga style.

..... why don't any of the characters look Japanese?  

[Kuro Maata]

I'd say just to draw attention to the main character? That's why so many anime/manga characters have different colored hair (ie. pink, green, purple with stripes) whee  

[miken-chan]

Hmm...Red is a very rare natural hair color in Japan...and so are lavender/gold eyes...

And thank yu Yami no Hitokiri for the insight...I can't believe I didn't try to look up Gensai's picture...well, that's what happens when you go off in a roleplay and have to do a lot of background research on other characters...

 

[samuraichikX]

AHURA MAZDA Ormazd

Yami no Hitokiri

Kenshin is based off Kawakami Gensai, one of the Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu no Douran. I read somewhere that Kawakami had reddish highlights in his hair (born with, not dyed). This is probably the basis for Kenshin's hair color.

Really how interesting! Is there like a link or website that tells about this, that you can share with me> Please!

i'm pretty sure watsuki says something about that in the manga, which is probably where i've heard it before, and also i agree with the fact that watsuki drew it to make him stand out, and not make it boring. i dont think it gets into the technical stuff with this parents and honestly they never actually mention or show his parents ever so u can never really tell.  

[Chaos_The_Chosen_One]

Because red hair is awsome!  

[Lycorius]

Chaos_The_Chosen_One

Because red hair is awsome!

Works for me! But Yami no Hitokiri really did a good job with his research. Yami no Hitokiri, you rock!  

[samuraichikX]

Lycorius

Chaos_The_Chosen_One

Because red hair is awsome!

Works for me! But Yami no Hitokiri really did a good job with his research. Yami no Hitokiri, you rock!

well watsuki does mention it in the first manga book of the series i dont know if he said anything about red hair so yami no hitokiri probably did a lot more.but he does mention a lot about who kenshin is based on in the manga