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Click on the number of the episode that you want to read a summary of. Or you could just scroll down. Most of these contain spoilers, so read them at your own risk |
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1. Legendary Samurai! The man who fights for love. When Kaoru first meets Kenshin, a handsome wandering swordsman on the streets of downtown Tokyo, she accuses him of being the 'Hitokiri Battousai', the legendary swordsman of the Meiji Restoration, and more recently the serial murderer who has been claiming to use the Kamiya-Kasshin style of swordsmanship to kill people, disgracing Kaoru and her late father’s reputation. After Kenshin proves his innocence by showing her his reverse blade sward, she invites him to stay at her dojo after he saves her life from the "Battousai". Kenshin soon learns that Kaoru is an orphan, and is practically all alone in the world except for her family friend, Dr. Gensai and his two grandchildren Ayame and Suzume. Kenshin stay at Kaoru’s dojo until the night and then vanishes. It is later revealed that the real killer is actually an exiled student of the Kamiya Kasshin school named Gohei Hiruma who is out for revenge. He and his men capture Kaoru and are about to kill her when Kenshin suddenly shows up again. He tells them all that he is the true ‘Battousai’ and then easily defeats Gohei and all of his men without actually killing any of them. Kaoru invites Kenshin to come back to her dojo for good. He accepts and begins living with her. |
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2. Bratty Samurai! Why don't you become my student? Kaoru's dojo has been vindicated with Kenshin's help, but for some reason none of her old students are coming back. Kaoru is still wondering why this is when she, Kenshin, Dr. Gensai, Ayame and Suzume go out to lunch in downtown Tokyo. Once downtown Kenshin and Kaoru bump into a bratty pickpocket named Yahiko Myojin, who tries to steal Kenshin's wallet. Later during lunch at the Akabeko, Kaoru's waitress friend Tae explains about Yahiko's difficult past and how he was being forced to work as a pickpocket by a local yakuza syndicate. When Kaoru hears this she becomes so outraged that she races out of the restaurant to free Yahiko from the syndicate's control by means of brute force. She soon gets in over her head but luckily Kenshin comes to her rescue in the nick of time. He easily takes care of all of the yakuza men and convinces the leader to let Yahiko go and in return Kenshin promises not to hurt anyone else. Yahiko is in awe of Kenshin’s strength but he still wants to become strong enough so that he can defend himself, so in the end Yahiko agrees to become Kaoru’s student in order to one day become as strong as Kenshin despite the fact the he and Kaoru constantly bicker. |
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3. The Samurai in Sorrow. The man past forgiveness. Yahiko is now Kaoru's one and only student, but all he wants to do is to learn how to beat up people. Kaoru has a tough time keeping the fact that Kenshin is the legendary 'Hitokiri Battousai' a secret from Yahiko who is starting to grow curious about Kenshin. Kaoru too starts to wonder about Kenshin's past. But before she can ask Kenshin anything, he leaves the dojo to run errands with Ayame and Suzume. Right after he leaves, policemen show up at the dojo looking for Kenshin for classified reasons. Kaoru yells to Yahiko to find Kenshin and warn him before it's too late. Yahiko races off to look for Kenshin but is caught up in downtown dispute with the Police Swordsmen, an special and corrupt police unit that is allowed to carry swords and exercise their power with random acts of terror. Yahiko is captured and he and three others are ordered to be executed in the streets. Just when they are about to kill them Kenshin shows up. He rescues Yahiko and the others and quickly defeats all of the Police Swordsmen. Kaoru suddenly appears and she and Yahiko try to escape the scene with Kenshin ( since they know that the regular police are also looking him ). Just then, a high-ranking government official and an old friend of Kenshin’s named Aritomo Yamagata arrives. He tells them that he used the police to search for him because he wanted to talk to him about offering him a position in the new Meiji Government. Kenshin refuses, saying that he has made a vow to never kill again. Yamagata tries to convince him otherwise but in the end accepts Kenshin’s decision. Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko then depart to the dojo, and Yahiko gains a new understanding of Kenshin as well as the Kamiya Kasshin ways of protecting others. |
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4. Something stinks. It's the Gangster Sanosuke! The gang is out to lunch again at the Akabeko. There they run into a serious looking gangster who wears the symbol 'evil' on his back. After beating up a bunch of rowdy customers the gangster leaves without paying his tab, but not before challenging Kenshin to a friendly fight which Kenshin declines. Later in the day the gangster is approached in his home by Gohei Hiruma (the fake Battousai from the first episode). Gohei tells the gangster of Kenshin's history as the Hitokiri Battousai and then hires him to defeat Kenshin. Meanwhile Kenshin and company are enjoying a quiet night at the dojo when Kenshin senses someone's presence at the door. It turns out to be the gangster, carrying a giant sword [called a Zanbatou] slung across his shoulders. He introduces himself as Sanosuke Sagara, also known as Zanza [fighter for hire], and then challenges Kenshin again and this time it's not optional. They begin to do battle but Zanza quickly calls the fight off temporarily since he did not want to duel with women or children close by but he vows to fight Kenshin again. Kenshin wonders why Zanza seems to bear a grudge against him for being a part of the Inshin Shishi (a political group back in the Restoration). |
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5. Sakaba versus Zanba! Fight the desperate fight. Kaoru and Yahiko are still rattled by Zanza's visit to the dojo, but Kenshin seems perfectly at ease. When chatting with Dr. Gensai Kaoru and Yahiko learn about Zanza's past. It turns out that he had been part of an army troop called the Seikihou Tai, and had looked up to the troop's Captain a lot. But then the captain and the rest of Seikihou Tai were executed by the Inshin Shishi for spreading lies to the public, though Zanza had managed to escape. This explains why Zanza has a grudge against Kenshin. When Kenshin suddenly goes missing Kaoru and Yahiko panic. They search around town and finally find him about to fight with Zanza. It becomes clear after a short time of battling that Kenshin will be the winner, but Zanza stubbornly refuses to give up. After a rather unexpected interference by Gohei, it is revealed that the Seikihou Tai had been wrongly executed for something they hadn’t done. After some convincing by Kaoru and Yahiko ( sideline viewers ) and finally being defeated by Kenshin, Zanza realizes that Kenshin wasn't the bad man that he thought he was and finally admits defeat. A while later, the gang bumps into Zanza downtown, who announces that he's quit being a fighter for hire and now his name is just Sanosuke Sagara. He also announces that he's going to hang around Kenshin to see for himself how good person he is. |
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6. Visitor from Darkness. The Kurogasa appears. The whole gang, including newcomer Sanosuke (Sano for short) are eating Kaoru's cooking for lunch and are not enjoying it. But their meal is interrupted by the police chief (who tried to arrest Kenshin in ep. 3). After apologizing for trying to arrest Kenshin, the police chief asks Kenshin's help in apprehending a mysterious serial killer, code-named Kurogasa. Since the killers victims are announced before-hand, Kenshin agrees to help guard the house of the next intended victim. Sano decides to tag along. The killer turns out to be a crazy manslayer named Jineh Udoh, who can paralyze people just by looking at them. Kenshin fights with him, but it is clear that he is no match for Jineh. Jineh decides to give Kenshin one day to turn back into the 'Hitokiri Battousai' before they fight again, and then vanishes without even killing his intended victim. Kenshin asks Sano to tell Kaoru and Yahiko that he can't come back to the dojo yet. But when Sano tells them this Kaoru gets worried that Kenshin will turn back into the Hitokiri he once was and break his vow never to kill. She runs off to find Kenshin, leading to disastrous results. |
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7. Fight Under the Moonlight. To save the one I love. Now that Kaoru has been kidnapped by Jineh, Kenshin is REALLY mad. Meanwhile Sano and Yahiko decide that they are going to save both Kaoru and Kenshin from Jineh and set off to find them. Kenshin and Jineh begin to fight again. Though Kenshin's anger gives him strength, he's still not strong enough to defeat Jineh. To make Kenshin even more angry Jineh puts a spell on Kaoru (who's tied up and watching the fight with horror) so that she can't breathe, and if Kenshin doesn't turn back into a Hitokiri and kill Jineh Kaoru will die. This pushes Kenshin over the edge and he finally turns back into the 'Hitokiri Battousai'. Kenshin and Jineh start to fight again, but now Kenshin is much stronger, and quickly defeats Jineh. Kenshin almost kills Jineh, but Kaoru manages to break free of Jineh's spell in time to cry out and stop him. Kenshin turns back into his peaceful self and races to help her. Disappointed in Kenshin for not finishing him off and not wanting to be taken alive by the police, Jineh stabs himself. As he dies he tells Kenshin that there's no way Kenshin will be able to stay a wanderer forever. As Kenshin heads back to the dojo with Kaoru, Yahiko and Sano (who feel annoyed since they weren't needed), Kenshin silently tells the dead Jineh that he can stay a wanderer forever if he wants to. |
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8. Unexpected Battle. A beautiful woman runs us ragged. Sano and Kenshin go out gambling with some of Sano's friends, where Sano is shocked to learn that one of his friends died recently from taking opium. Suddenly a woman rushes into the room and throws herself on Kenshin, pleading for him to help her. It turns out that the woman is named Megumi and she is being chased by the bodyguards of an businessman named Kanryuu Takeda, one of whom is Beshimi of the Oniwaban-shu (ninja group) . Kenshin and Sano easily defeat the men and take Megumi back to the dojo with them. Megumi constantly flirts with Kenshin, which causes Kaoru to get really mad. Later that night the dojo is attacked by Beshimi and Hyottoko and Hanya of the Oniwaban-shu. Kenshin and Sano are able to fend them off but Yahiko is hit by one of Beshimi's poison darts. Fortunately Megumi surprises everyone by turning out to be a doctor and uses her knowledge of medicine to try and save Yahiko's life. However, she unknowingly drops several small packets on the ground which are picked up by Sano. The packets turn out to contain opium, causing Sano to grow very suspicious of Megumi. |
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9. The Strongest Ninja Clan. Fear the Oniwaban-shu! Thanks to Megumi, Yahiko's life is saved. The next the gang (minus Sano) has a party to celebrate Yahiko's recovery and Megumi makes ohagi. Megumi is struck by how everyone at the dojo is like a family. She leaves the room to get some tea and is confronted by Sanosuke, who demands to know by she was carrying opium. Everyone else hears his shouting and arrive in the room in time to hear Megumi admit that she was the maker of the opium, making her the one responsible for the death of Sano's friend. Sano is outraged. Megumi explains about her past and how she came to Tokyo to become a doctor but instead ended up being forced to make opium for Kanryuu Takeda, so she decided to escape from him. Though everyone else is sympathetic Sano still doesn't forgive Megumi. Soon after Megumi is captured by Hanya, who takes her to Kanryuu. Kanryuu tells her that if she doesn't start making opium for him again then he'll have the Oniwaban-shu burn the dojo down. Megumi sadly decides to go back to Kanryuu. Sano (who has been spying on them the whole time) races to stop her. He manages to change her mind at the last moment, but they are both suddenly attacked by Shikijou of the Oniwaban-shu. Sano barely defeats him but is unable to stop Megumi from being re-captured by Beshimi. Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko arrive soon after to help Sano. They all swear to rescue Megumi at all costs. |
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10. Aoshi! Lethal power raised to beauty. Kenshin, Sanosuke, Kaoru, and Yahiko break into Kanryuu's mansion to rescue Megumi. Meanwhile inside the mansion, Kanryuu tries to get Megumi to make more opium for him right away. She responds by trying to stab him but is stopped by Hanya who comes up behind her. Kanryuu is about to torture Megumi to get all of the information about making the new opium when he looks out the window and sees Kenshin and the others outside his door. Kanryuu is terrified of Kenshin and calls down to him from the window offering him a high paying job in an attempt to buy him off. Kenshin refuses and tells him that he intends to rescue Megumi. Aoshi then angers Kanryuu greatly by saying that he and the Oniwaban-shu refuse to be his bodyguards any more and that they only care about defeating Kenshin in order to prove their strength. When Kenshin and the others enter the mansion, they find Hanya waiting for them. Kenshin manages to defeat him, but does not have an easy time and ends up getting wounded. Before he passes out, Hanya tells Kenshin that he will be no match for Aoshi, the leader of the Oniwaban-shu. The Kenshin-gumi arrives at the next room where Aoshi is waiting for them. Sanosuke attacks him, but Aoshi defeats him with just one blow. Kenshin and Aoshi begin their match and Aoshi quickly gains the upper hand. |
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11. Adios my strongest friends...crashing shadows and light. The fight goes on and Aoshi continues to dominate. Kenshin finally figures out a way to match his speed to Aoshi's, but is still hit by Aoshi's ultimate attack. Everyone assumes that Kenshin is finally dead and Aoshi coolly tells the very distraught Kaoru, Yahiko and Sano to quietly leave the mansion. But then Kenshin manages to stand up and announces that he can't die in such a place. Aoshi tries to hit him again with his ultimate attack but this time Kenshin finds a way around it and hits Aoshi in the throat, knocking him out. The Kenshin-gumi assume they have finally won but then the entire Oniwaban-shu (Hanya, Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Shikijou) enters the room as Aoshi regains consciousness. But to everyone's shock Aoshi asks that Kenshin kill him or else he will continue to challenge him until he wins. Kenshin refuses and the two are about to resume their fight when Kanyruu suddenly breaks down the door with a gattling gun and tries to shoot everyone, especially Aoshi who he's still mad at. The Oniwaban-shu protect Aoshi from gunfire with their bodies and are all shot and killed except for Hanya. Hanya tells Kenshin where Megumi is being kept and then sacrifices his life to help Kenshin by diverting Kanryuu's attention. Kenshin disables Kanryuu's gun and knocks him out. The Kenshin-gumi then races off to find Megumi, who is about to stab herself but is stopped by Sano at the last moment. He and Kenshin convince Megumi it's worth staying alive in order to help other people. Later, after the Kenshin-gumi have said their good-byes to Megumi, who is going to work with Dr. Gensai Kenshin learns that Aoshi and the bodies of the Oniwaban-shu are nowhere to be found. He prays that Aoshi will never try to fight him again. Meanwhile off in the woods Aoshi stands by the graves he dug for his fallen men and vows to someday place flowers on their graves by becoming the strongest. |
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12. Birth of a Junior Samurai. First disciple, Yahiko's first battle. While trying to practice swordsmanship by the river, Yahiko meets a pretty young girl who helps him fix his broken shoe. He later finds out that her name is Tsubame and that she is a waitress at the Akabeko when he and the rest of the Kenshin-gumi have lunch there. Unfortunately, Tsubame is being forced to work for a greedy man who wants her to help him steal money from the Akabeko. Yahiko tries to help her but is easily beaten up by the man and his followers. Kenshin decides that he and the others should not try and help Yahiko since he is determined to fight this battle by himself. Later, Yahiko tries to teach himself how to fight many people at once, but can't figure out a way to do this. However, he receives some advice from Kenshin who 'happens' to see him training. Kenshin also tells Yahiko that defeat is not an option for someone using the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu since it is a style used to protect others. Keeping this in mind, Yahiko races off to stop the Akabeko from being robbed. He manages to trick Tsubame's master and his men into following him into an ally where he can fight them each one on one. The men draw real swords and start to close in on Yahiko when Kenshin and Sano appear silently behind Yahiko, and their presence is enough to scare all of the man's henchmen away. They then quickly hide since they don't want Yahiko to know they're helping him. Yahiko faces of with Tsubame's master, who quickly gains the upper hand since he has a real sword. Yahiko is about to lose when he sees Tsubame watching the fight and shouting for him to win. Yahiko remembers Kenshin's words and finally manages to defeat the man. And so Tsubame is now free, although Yahiko is annoyed that Kenshin and Sano came to help him. |
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13. You can do it Toramaru! The Dosukoi journey. While out buying lots of miso, Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko run into a kind-hearted failed sumo wrestler named Toramaru who is being picked on by his former teacher, a popular and famous sumo wrestler and his men. The three later run into him again at the bridge where he tries to commit suicide by jumping off. Kaoru tries to stop him and they both fall over into the water, which fortunately for them is about a foot deep. Toramaru stays for dinner at the dojo and explains about how he was kicked out of his school by his teacher who said he was no good. Kaoru decides that she'll be Toramaru's instructor after he announces that he actually likes her cooking. They start training the next day. Meanwhile, when Toramaru's old teacher finds out that he's taking sumo lessons again he grows angry and he and his men set off to stop him from training. Kenshin and Sano start to grow wary when they see the teacher and his men snooping around near the dojo. They set off to find Toramaru, who is being trained by Kaoru at a local shrine with Ayame and Suzume looking on. Suddenly the teacher and his men show up at the shrine, intent on making sure that Toramaru can never sumo wrestle again. Kaoru and Toramaru are able to fend them off long enough for Kenshin and Sano to arrive and take care of the rest of the men. Toramaru sumo wrestles his teacher and manages to pull off an astonishing victory. It is revealed that Toramaru's teacher kicked him out of the school because he was worried that Toramaru would one day be better than him. After making peace with his old teacher and with the support of his new friends, Toramaru decides to go back to his old sumo school. |
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14. To save a small life! Challenge! Doctor Megumi. Megumi's clinic is now up and running, and she's getting very popular. She's even able to save the life of one of Sanosuke's good friends. But then a new medicine man shows up in town, claiming to be able to heal people with prayers. The medicine man then starts to spread rumors about Megumi with the help of a local yakuza called the Hishimanji gang, causing Megumi to lose a lot of business. Sano hears about this and decides to help Megumi by putting a stop to their plan to discredit her medical practice. Eventually Megumi and Yahiko discover that the medicine man was actually just conning people with fake prayers. The Hishimanji gang tries to kill them in order to keep them from telling anyone but Sano shows up and rescues them, followed closely by Kenshin. Despite having a wooden cannon on their side, the Hishimanji gang is soundly defeated by Sano, Kenshin and Yahiko, although Sano sustains a slight injury to his face. When Megumi offers to do something for it but Sano quickly turns away and tells her not to worry about it. The medicine man comes crawling to Megumi for forgiveness, telling her that he is in a great deal of pain. Megumi ‘takes pity’ on him and gives him medicine in exchange for a written confession of what he’d done. The medicine completely gets rid of the man’s pain ( despite the fact that it was just plain water ). And so Megumi’s reputation as a doctor is restored, and people begin to rave that she can heal anything – except for lovesickness. |
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15. The Operation Starts! The Terrorist Group Jinpu Tai. There is a terrorist group on the run called the Jinpu Tai that is murdering government officials. But since all of the victims were corrupt they are looked upon as bringers of divine justice. In the mean time, a schoolteacher who is an old friend of Sanosuke’s comes to the Kamiya dojo in search of Dr. Gensai’s help to care for one of his students who has fallen ill. Kenshin recognizes him as one of the highly trained swordsman that he fought back in the days of the revolution. The teacher soon gets paid a visit by the Jinpu Tai which happens to be lead by a former swordsmanship student of the teacher back in the revolution. The former student demands that he join the Jinpu Tai and even threaten his school students. He finally agrees to join them. Sanosuke who over hears the whole thing races off to find his friend before he commits his first assassination, closely followed by Kenshin. They manage to stop the Jinpu Tai's plans and rescue the teacher, but the leader of the Jinpu Tai vows to fight and defeat Kenshin soon. |
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16. Take a Pledge! The Hidden Sword Technique, Shiden No Tachi! The Jinpu Tai is now out to get Kenshin, Sano, and Sano's old schoolteacher friend. Kenshin is soon paid a visit at the dojo by the Jinpu Tai leader, they begin to fight and the leader almost uses the Shiden no Tachi, a technique which he claims is invincible. However, their fight is postponed when the leader is suddenly called away to commit another assassination. Meanwhile Sano and the teacher start to panic when they can't find Kenshin, but before they can look for them the Jinpu Tai attacks the dojo. Sano and the teacher easily defeat them and force them to say when their next assassination is going to be. In the mean time the rest of the Jinpu Tai are out to kill again, and this time their target is Yamagata Aritomo. But their plans are ruined by Kenshin. Kenshin tries to warn the leader of the Jinpu Tai that the man giving him orders is just using him to do his dirty work but the leader refuses to listen and orders that Kenshin be killed. Sano and the teacher arrive on the scene and take care of the rest of the Jinpu Tai as Kenshin faces off with the leader. Surprisingly, Kenshin pulls off an easy victory since the technique that the leader used was not the real Shiden no Tachi. The police arrive soon after and the corrupt politician giving orders to the Jinpu Tai is found and arrested. The leader of the Jinpu Tai realizes that he really was just being used and tries to kill himself but is stopped by his old teacher, who tells him that he should live to atone for what he has done. Later while everyone is sitting back in the dojo and talking about what they had just been through, Kenshin reflects about how he and the teacher both used to be hitokiris but have now no longer kill and live to help others. |
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17. Blast to Your Dream. The Adventure of Marimo the Flying Bullet. The Kenshin-gumi are off to a festival, where they get to see a circus act that includes a man and his daughter as a human cannon ball. The girl's name is Marimo and Yahiko thinks that she's cute. But the show is interrupted when the owner of another circus named Sumidaya ( who Marimo and her father used to work for ) walks in and demands the money that Marimo's father owes him which Marimo's father promises to pay back by the next day. However, Sumidaya actually plans to make sure that he DOESN'T get his money back so that he can force Marimo and her father to work for him again. Later on during the night, Yahiko takes a walk and runs into Marimo again and defends her from Sumidaya's henchmen who are trying to rob her and her father. The men escape but Marimo's father is seriously hurt. Marimo is worried that she can't perform the next day and make enough money to pay off their debt, but the Kenshin-gumi say that they'll help her. When Sumidaya finds out that Marimo is still performing he sends his other circus acts after her, all of whom are assassins who enjoy killing. Meanwhile the circus is about to start but the gunpowder for the cannon has been stolen by Sumidaya's men. Yahiko and Marimo run off to buy some more. Sumidaya and his men try to stop them but Yahiko 'subdues' them long enough for Marimo to get the gunpowder. Kenshin and the others try to stall the audience so they can get back in time, but then Sumidaya assassins show up. Kenshin and Sano take care of them but Sumidaya steals all the money and tries to get away. But Sano fires Marimo out of the cannon at him before he can escape. And so Sumidaya and his men are arrested, and Marimo invites the Kenshin-gumi to come perform with her any time, much to the horror of Kenshin and Sano. |
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18. Run! Yahiko, Bring the Sakabatou back! After stopping the Akabeko from being robbed, Yahiko gets overly confident about his swordsmanship skills and says that he's too good to fight with a wooden sword. Kaoru gets annoyed with him and insists that he's still a beginner. Meanwhile, Gohei Hiruma ( the fake Battousai from ep. 1,4 and 5 ) hires a pair of assassins to get rid of Kenshin called the Tsuchikumo Ryuu. To make things easier for them, Gohei tricks Yahiko into stealing Kenshin's Sakabatou ( that infamous reverse-blade sword of his ). Gohei and the Tsuchikumo Ryuu then capture Yahiko, and leave him tied up in a shack. Gohei then leaves a letter at the Kamiya Dojo for Kenshin, saying to meet him if he wants to save Yahiko. Despite having no weapon Kenshin has no choice but to go, accompanied by Kaoru. They meet with Gohei, who has the Tsuchikumo Ryuu with him. The Tsuchikumo Ryuu fight with Kenshin, who is able to defend himself, but then the Tsuchikumo Ryuu use 'magic', which make it so that Kenshin can barely move. Meanwhile Yahiko manages to untie himself, and escapes with Kenshin's Sakabatou ( which for SOME reason Gohei left right next to him ). Arriving just in time, Yahiko manages to return Kenshin's Sakabatou to him after defeating Gohei by kicking him in the 'unmentionables' . Kenshin easily defeats the Tsuchikumo Ryuu, who it turns out use very thin wires to hold their opponents down instead of magic. Yahiko apologizes to Kenshin for stealing his Sakabatou, but still remains somewhat cocky, claiming to have invented a new move called "the Kamiya Kasshin Flying kick to the Crotch". |
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19. Raijuta's Desire. Vision of a forbidden empire. The Kenshin-gumi take a vacation at Izu where they visit Dr. Gensai's sister ( who looks exactly like him ). They also meet the person she works for who turns out to be a conceited boy around Yahiko's age named Yutaro. Yutaro and Yahiko immediately start fighting since they're so much alike. Later on in the day Yutaro's life is saved by a swordsman named Raijuta and Yutaro is so impressed by him that he appoints him as his swordsmanship teacher. Later the Kenshin-gumi pay a visit to the hot springs where hilarity ensues ( tee hee ). Kenshin grows more and more suspicious of Raijuta's intentions especially after learning that he uses the Shinko Ryu of swordsmanship. Kenshin is soon confronted by Raijuta and his four assistants on top of a cliff. They tell him about how they hate the peaceful and non-violent times of the Meiji era and so they plan to build a new empire in Izu where the greatest warriors can live. They ask Kenshin to join them but he of course refuses. Raijuta orders his assistants to kill Kenshin since he now knows of their plan. Kenshin is easily able to hold his own until Yutaro ( who's been secretly watching Kenshin fight with amazement ) is knocked over and falls off the cliff into the water. Kenshin is distracted and lets his guard down long enough for Raijuta's assistants to pin him to the ground. |
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20. Shinko Ryu's Revived! Show of Evil, Ultimate Killing Technique. On the verge of being killed by Raijuta's assistants, Kenshin reverts back into 'Battousai' mode ( like in ep. 7 ). He easily defeats Raijuta's assistants and then jumps off the cliff to save the drowning Yutaro. Raijuta assumes that Kenshin will drown and leaves. Kenshin manages to save Yutaro and carries him unconscious back to the house where the Kenshin-gumi stay. Yutaro regains consciousness thanks to Megumi's medical attention but insists on going back to his mansion and Raijuta, but Yahiko won't let him leave and challenges him to a fight. Yahiko easily wins since Raijuta never gave Yutaro a single sword lesson, but Kaoru sees the potential in Yutaro and offers to teach him. Yutaro eagerly agrees. As time goes by Yutaro becomes less arrogant and much better at swordsmanship. Back at Yutaro's mansion, many more warriors are arriving. Led by Raijuta and his assistants, they make plans to take over Izu. But the police get wind of their plans and prepare to counter attack. The chief of police informs Kenshin of these events but also makes the mistake of telling Yutaro as well. As Raijuta's men and the policemen begin to fight Yutaro rushes off back to his mansion to find out what is going on. |
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21. The Nightmare Falls Apart! Raijuta's Dream. Raijuta and his men continue fighting the police. Kenshin and the others arrive at the mansion and Kenshin tries to intervene but it’s to no avail and one of Raijuta’s main assistants is shot to death. Kenshin shouts outs out that everyone stop fighting and announces that he will challenge Raijuta to a final match to decide the end of the battle. Nearby in the woods Yutaro finds one of the men who tried to kidnap him who tells him that he and the others were hired by Raijuta to kidnap him so that Raijuta could rescue him and look like a hero. Just then Raijuta and his (remaining) assistants appear and the kill the man. Yutaro is shocked and doesn’t believe what he has just been told and when Kenshin arrives w/ the others and starts fighting Raijuta he tries to reason w/ him. But Raijuta attacks him and severely injures his arm. Yutaro passes out and Kenshin orders Kaoru and Sano to take him to get medical attention. Kenshin and Raijuta continue to fight and Raijuta manages to give Kenshin a small cut on his hand. This angers Kenshin even more and he defeats Raijuta in two moves. A while later after things have settled down a sad and betrayed Yutaro decides to travel to Germany to seek treatment for his arm and also to get away from his bad memories of Japan. The Kenshin-gumi gather at the harbor to say goodbye to him. Yahiko suddenly attacks Yutaro before he can get on the boat though and calls him a coward for just leaving because of the whole Raijuta incident. Yutaro returns to his old self and retaliates, swearing that he will return to Japan one day and defeat Yahiko. And so Yutaro departs for Germany, while back at the dojo his name is added to the wall of students of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. |
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22. First Time! Crazy, Insane Steam Engine Train Trip. The Kenshin-gumi take a train ride to Yokohama, much to Sano’s dismay (he hates trains). However it just so happens that the train they choose to take is the target of a group of bank robbers aiming to rob an extremely wealthy passenger. Kenshin tries to stop them but is eventually pushed off the top of the train (while it’s moving and into water none the less, since the track runs next to the ocean) when Yahiko is momentarily taken hostage. The robbers try to disconnect the train car containing them and the wealthy passenger, but Sano, Kaoru and Yahiko are able to stop them. But the train is forced to stop due to a barrier put up by the robbers. Pirate ships (of a sort) start to surround the ship. Just then Kenshin reappears (having swam to shore and found a horse in record time). Kenshin easily wards off the pirates and is able to get rid of the barrier blocking the train w/ a single Ryu Tsui Sen. Thanks to the Kenshin-gumi the train makes it safely to Yokohama. As a show of gratitude they are given money by the grateful passenger who was almost robbed. Kaoru decides that they should spend it on a group photo (which was cutting edge back then). Sano likes this idea even less than he likes trains (he thinks cameras suck out your soul). |
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23. Betrayed by Sanosuke?! Greetings of Fate. It turns out that Sano isn’t the only member of the Sekihou Tai left alive. Sano’s old best friend Katsu also managed to survive and went on to become a well-known artist, changing his name to Tsunan Tsukioka. Sano and Katsu reunite and are very glad to see each other since they each thought the other one had died. Unlike Sano however, Katsu has devoted all of his life to making bombs and plotting to overthrow the Meiji government for what it did to the Sekihou Tai. He asks Sano to join him but Sano refuses. Meanwhile there have been series of murders in Tokyo and the ones behind them are claiming to be the ‘new’ Sekihou Tai. Sano becomes worried that Katsu is involved. So does Kenshin, who up until this point had chosen to stay out of the whole situation. They each do some separate investigating and it turns out that the leader of the ‘new’ Sekihou Tai is the same man who ordered the execution of the original Sekihou Tai many years ago. Sano is outraged. He is joined by Katsu (who also did some detective work) and the two are able to defeat the ‘new’ Sekihou Tai, although Katsu is shot in the arm. The fight is secretly watched by Kenshin, who decides he isn’t needed. After the fight is over Sano tells Katsu that he’s changed his mind and that he’ll help him try to overthrow the government… |
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24. Midnight Fight! Sanosuke Versus Kenshin Again! Sano asks Kaoru to have a party at the Kamiya dojo and even asks that Megumi be invited. She agrees but everyone is wondering what the occasion is. The party is a big hit. Kaoru gets drunk and fights over Kenshin w/ Megumi. Yahiko drinks some sake and passes out, and before that he teases Megumi and Sano about their love/hate relationship and gets punched by both of them. Sano and Kenshin even have a drinking contest. After everyone is asleep/passed out, Katsu arrives at the dojo. The party was actually to be Sano’s last night w/ the Kenshin-gumi. He says goodbye to them and leaves w/ Katsu. They head for an important government building which they plan on bombing but Kenshin is waiting for them there, having only pretended to be asleep. Katsu tries to fight him w/ his hand bombs but is easily beaten. Sano then tries to fight Kenshin but is quickly knocked out. Kenshin hands the unconscious Sano over to Katsu and leaves. While passed out Sano mumbles that he owes Kenshin because he stopped them from really becoming the ‘false imperial army’. Katsu realizes what a fool he’s been. The next day Katsu gets rid off all his bombs. Sano goes back to the dojo and gets made fun of for looking beat up. Later on they all go into town and hear that Katsu has become a journalist reporting on the injustices in the Meiji government. Sano is pleased to hear this. |
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25. Scarlet Pirate! Kenshin and Kaoru Separated! The Kenshin-gumi are broke, and they have nothing to eat. So Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko decide to become guards on a merchant ship. The job pays well but this is because there have been a series of pirates attacks led by the mysterious Shura, who’s face nobody has seen and lived to tell about it. During nighttime on the ship Kenshin confides in Kaoru that had he known that she would be on the ship (since she also took a job on the ship without telling anyone) then he would have tried to stop her at all costs. Kaoru is confident though that she can take care of herself. Shortly after, the pirates attack, led once again by Shura. While fighting the pirates Kenshin is hit w/ a poison dart. Shura reveals herself to be a woman and singles Kenshin out as her opponent. Kenshin is able to defeat her despite being barely conscious. Shura is stunned. The pirates begin to retreat w/ the stolen cargo. One of them catches Kaoru off guard and takes her hostage. Kenshin makes a desperate offer to Shura to exchange himself for Kaoru. Shura agrees, eager to fight Kenshin again. And so Kaoru is set free and Kenshin is taken prisoner by the pirates… |
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26. An Incarnation of Tunderstorm! The Mysterious Nobility of the Female Pirate Shura. Kenshin is taken to the island where the pirates live and remains a prisoner under Shura’s control. Although Shura is unaware of it her own pirates have begun plotting against her, resentful of the fact that she became their leader only because she was the daughter of the old leader. Led by the greedy Ginjo, they make plans to get rid of her for good and become drug lords after discovering that the cases they stole from the ship guarded by the Kenshin-gumi are filled with opium. Without telling Shura, they sail back to Tokyo and kidnap the ship’s merchant and take him back to the island. However they unwittingly pick up a group of stowaways when Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko sneak onto their ship before it leaves. Back on the island Kenshin is closely guarded by Sarujirou, Shura’s only loyal pirate, to make sure that he doesn’t escape ( even though he doesn’t actually plan on escaping since he willingly gave up his life to save Kaoru ). Kenshin talks to Shura about her father and learns that she was very fond of him. Meanwhile the other pirates arrive back on the island. As soon as they are off their ship they blow it up ( with Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko still on it ) the pirates then attack Shura and manage to shoot her in the leg. Kenshin rescues hers and dives off a nearby cliff into a waterfall while still holding her in his arms… |
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27. Ferocious Fighting Island! Scarlet Pirate. Ginjo and the other pirates assume that Kenshin and Shura could not have survived the dive off the cliff but they send out a search party to recover the bodies just in case. Menawhile Sarujirou quietly sneaks off to a secret cave behind the waterfall that Kenshin jumped into. He finds Kenshin and Shura alive though Shura has passed out. Kenshin and Saurjirou work hard to remove the bullet from her leg and bandage it. Elsewhere, Kaoru, and Sano, and Yahiko somehow all survive the ship explosion. They become more determined than ever to rescue Kenshin. Back in the cave Shura comes to and remembers how her men betrayed her and decides to kill herself. But before she can do it Kenshin stops her and tells her not to give up, stunning her with his kindness. Meanwhile Ginjo and the other pirates give up looking for Kenshin and Shura. They test out their opium by forcing Iwazu ( Shura’s elderly servant ) to take some. They then dump him in a storage room where Sarujirou, who has come to steal Kenshin’s sword back from the pirates rescues him. Back in the cave Shura realizes that she has feelings for Kenshin, but after Sarujirou returns with a very sick Iwazu she quickly sets her emotions aside and vows to kill Ginjo. She tries to get Kenshin to leave the island with Sarujirou and Iwazu and then runs off to find Ginjo and the other pirates who are all celebrating her demise on another part of the Island. Shura fights Ginjo and is about to win when Ginjo tricks her. But before he can kill her Kenshin shows up and easily defeats him. One the other pirates panics and throws a bomb at Kenshin, but since there is so much gunpowder close by it causes the whole area to catch fire. Kenshin and Shura escape the fire and meet up with Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko who have just arrived. Shura’s sees Kaoru with Kenshin and realises that there is no way she can compete with her, but she is comforted by Sarujou. Shura thanks Kenshin and the others for all their help and then sails off with Sarujirou and Iwazu on a small boat into the sunset. |
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