Both he and Shishio have endured great betrayal that set them on the path of villainy. Shinomori was cut from the first movie, but his story fits perfectly with Kyoto Inferno’s themes. However, she is in for a wake-up call, as the man she loves, Aoshi Shinomori (Yusuke Iseya), has turned into a heartless killer out for Kenshin’s blood. The young ninja’s optimism shines in the otherwise bleak movie. A new addition to his unusual team appears in the form of Misao Makimachi, played by the adorable Tao Tsuchiya. The quiet moments are endearing, highlighting the relationships Kenshin built in the first movie.

Kyoto Inferno sets him on the path, littered with several eager to fight the infamous Battousai, to the ultimate showdown.ĭespite being a transition film, Kyoto Inferno contains enough backstory to not require knowledge of the manga/anime or the previous movie. Kenshin (Takeru Sato), however, is reluctant, but with an entire city at stake, he has no choice.

The former assassin is plotting to take down the government that betrayed him-a government that must rely on another one of its former weapons, the man once known as the Battousai. The second live-action adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin covers the infamous Kyoto Arc, bringing to life Himura Kenshin’s most formidable opponent, Makoto Shishio (an unrecognizable Tatsuya Fujiwara). That's how good he was.The red-haired wanderer is back, and so are the demons of the past. I was in a theater full of people like me who grew up watching the anime (known as Samurai X here in the Philippines) and when Satoh crouched deep with his sword hand ready to unsheathe his sword Hiten Mitsurugi-style, the crowd went absolutely nuts. And despite having the most physically-demanding role in the film, Satoh makes it look so easy jumping around and slashing dozens of goons left and right with god-like speed. As the emotional heart of the film, Satoh pulls off both the slapstick and the seriousness of anime Kenshin so well that you'd almost think you ARE watching the anime. But the heart of Kyoto Inferno is Takeru Satoh, who delivers a fine performance as assassin-turned-hero Kenshin Himura. And even with little screen-time, Yosuke Eguchi nails the role of Saito Hajime so hard. Munetaka Aoki is hilarious and awesome as Sanosuke. The beautiful Emi Takei as Kaoru is more badass this time around.

With an ensemble cast as good as this, it's hard to find the one performance that stands out.

Rurouni kenshin kyoto inferno vostfr