kelly. 20. Scottish. anime. writing. drawing. fanfiction. japan. the english language. escapism. procrastination. epic romances. history. stars.

waterinks
my tumblr: ichiruki-ing.tumblr.com

i love the smell of morning.

Inuyasha (sesskag), Rurouni Kenshin (kenkao), Fushigi Yuugi, Samurai Champloo, Naruto (sasusaku), Buso Renkin, Ouran High School Host Club, Bleach (ichiruki, hitsuhina, ulquihime, ginran, urayoru), Fruits Basket, Studio Ghibli films (Hayao Miyazaki), The Girl who Leapt through Time, My So-Called Life (angelajordan), Doctor Who (Ten/Rose), Torchwood, Robin Hood (robinMarian, guyMarian) and Final Fantasy VII (cloti), VIII (squinoa), X (tidusYuna), X-2 and XII, True Blood (ericsookie).

Bleach: IchiRuki ; how can i keep up with the speed of the world without you?

Fandoms: I've been an Inuyasha fan for about 2 years now. To begin with, like many fans, I liked the centre canon pairing aka. Inuyasha and Kagome. After a few months, I finished the anime and looked into fanfiction. Soen enough though, I fell in love with an alternative pairing- Sesshoumaru and Kagome, probably due to their conflicting personalities and one brilliant story: Tales From The House of the Moon by Resmiranda, a novel-length fanfiction whcih I do believe has inspired and created many new lovers of the pair. However, after reading possibly every half-decent S/K fic out there, I decided to give fanfiction a rest since mid-terms were coming up at the time. One night, when I was supposed to be studying for Chemistry I believe, I ended up on Youtube and watched a mixed anime video. The video had about 20 animes, each lasting 10 seconds and were jumbled up to suit the music. One anime caught my eye...a 10 second clip mind you...

Two words.

Rurouni Kenshin.

Thus a new obsession was born.

Rant: Okay, now for my rant. It's about Rurouni Kenshin. Specifically the 2nd OVA. Surprise, surprise! Well after watching half of the anime, I decided to be a smart ass and watch the OVA's. Do not ask why. I had already read about the Jinchuu arc so I knew the storyline. What can I say...! I like spoiling stories for myself, it's a bad habit of mine. Anyway, I watched Seisouhen first since it was the one I knew most about...Oh boy...

Now, I don't cry alot...I've never cried at a film. Okay my eyes stung a bit at the Green Mile but come on! I did cry at HotM however but that's the only time I've cried at something that doesn't inflict pain on me; as in hurting myself or someone dying. I digress. I admit that I cried at Seishouhen. At the end...after all the hardships...struggles...and everything the couple went through in the series...they died...of a lung infection (It's never specified what exactly but it's something like tuberculosis or syphilis judging from their symptoms) anyway...it was so sad. Especially to a little old ameteur me! At the time, I thought that Watsuki had written it (I know better now), but it took me even to watch the anime without thinking of what was going to happen less than 20 years later, and especially when they walk along the sakura tree path leading to the dojo and you just think: in a few years time he lies dying in her arms there...

I accept this concept, written by Sony, was not what Watsuki wanted and would have preferred Kenshin to get a happy ending but still. It was a shock to my system. The OVA, despite it being discredited, will stay with me for a long time.

Believe me, when I watched it, I thought "Nah, Kenshin's not smiling, he doesn't joke, there's no 'Miss' Kaoru'" and to me he looked like he was kinda obliged to marry her in the end...and that's not what it was supposed to be like. He does love Kaoru, he protects her and she's never far from his mind. This is made clear in both the anime and the manga. The ending of the manga was obviously very open-ended. The message to the reader being- 'interpret the ending by yourself.' The immortal utopia where they live happily ever after, have 10 children and live to their nineties, eventually dying happily together in old age...or the sadder route, not unlike Seisouhen.

I don't know what Sony wished to achieve in their portrayal of Kenshin and Kaoru in the OVA. Kenshin is actually my favourite character out of every anime. He kicks ass, he's merciful, he's polite, sweet, talented, handsome and such a nice person, despite his bloody past. One of the most rivating parts of the OVA which may seem insignificant, was actually when Sano found Kenshin and he could hardly speak and had lost his memory. The precise scene was when Sano threw him a fish from the fire and it landed at his feet before he could even respond...that was probably the most upsetting thing I've ever seen...for a man who had been so talented with his sword; mastering precision and accuracy to have been brought to such a pitiful low. It was truly heart-breaking.

We all know that Kaoru loves Kenshin unconditionally but I don't think she'd necessarily be happy about him hitting the road again and leaving her and Kenji. With her personality she'd probably knock him out with her bokken and chain him to their bed. Hehe...I just can't see her being as accepting, docile and happy as she was portrayed as in the film.

The lack of comedic moments does hit home pretty soon, with both OVAs. Don't get me wrong, the serious theme does bring out the bittersweet and dark shadow that covers Kenshin's life, that we don't see in the canon series, but it was just so hard. The artwork was obviously different and conveyed a sense of realism and gave a better feel of the time. Maybe that's why the writers felt the need to have them die realistically instead of heroically or favourably.

In the end, I do not take OVAs as canon. Some of the events tie in with the manga but their depiction of later events do little but tarnish a good story. Seisouhen is just one route for Kenshin's future and as shown in Resmiranda's fic- Not all fairy tales have happy endings (HotM does have an excellent, unique ending. I can't say it's your customary 'happy' ending but like Seisouhen's ending it is rather bittersweet and after everything, the characters are reunited). Kenshin's cheery demeanor is obviously covering up his hard past and it would be hard to let go. But I do think the OVA takes his guilt to the extreme. Would he leave Kaoru and his son without protection, to help others? Possibly.

In my mind however, I firmly believe that if Watsuki had had a hand in the writing of the OVAs, Kenshin would have eventually had a good life. Despite everything, I believe that Kenshin atones for his sins every time he helps someone and his love for Tomoe and for Kaoru only further this atonement. My utopian hope for the couple's future, I believe, is shared by many aswell as my belief that he deserves a truly good ending.

Or perhaps, I am still in denial...