Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno
Directed by	Keishi Ōtomo
Produced by	Satoshi Fukushima
Based on	Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Starring	Takeru Satoh Emi Takei Yūsuke Iseya Munetaka Aoki Yu Aoi Ryunosuke Kamiki Masaharu Fukuyama Yosuke Eguchi Tatsuya Fujiwara
Music by	Naoki Satō
Cinematography	Takuro Ishizaka
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release dates	August 1, 2014 (2014-08-01) (Japan) November 28, 2014 (2014-11-28) (UK)
Running time	139 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	US$30 million (shared with The Legend Ends)[1]
Box office	US$52.9 million (international)

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (Japanese: るろうに剣心 京都大火編, Hepburn: Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Taika-hen) is a 2014 Japanese film directed by Keishi Ōtomo and based on the manga series Rurouni Kenshin.^[2] It is one of two sequels to the 2012 film Rurouni Kenshin.

On June 21st, 2016, Funimation Films announced that they acquired the rights to the Rurouni Kenshin live-action trilogy. The three films, distributed by GAGA Corporation, include Rurouni Kenshin: Origins (renamed for the re-release), Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno, and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. The movies will be released in Japanese language with English subtitles and will be released sequentially during fall 2016. The license covers North American theatrical, home video, video on demand, and broadcast distribution.

Rurouni Kenshin: Origins will be screened August 8-10, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno will be screened September 12-14, and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends will be shown October 3-5.

Plot

In Settsu Mine, Hyogo Prefecture, Saitō Hajime leads the Japanese police in tracking Makoto Shishio, a notorious renegade who was betrayed by the government after he had helped them defeat the Tokugawa shogunate during the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. However, Shishio's men massacre through the police, telling Saitō his plan to conquer Japan.

After the events of the first film, Himura Kenshin continues to live in the kendo dojo of Kamiya Kaoru alongside Yahiko Myojin, Sagara Sanosuke, and Takani Megumi. He is called by a government official to track down Shishio, who is terrorizing Kyoto and its surroundings. Though he declines the request at first, he relents when the official is murdered by Seta Sōjirō, Shishio's underling. Just after Kenshin's departure, an individual arrives at Tokyo and searches for him, beating Sanosuke along the way.

While on the way, Kenshin meets with Makimachi Misao, who attempts to steal his sakabato. While the two converse, they are alerted by a boy to the plight of his parents and brother, all of whom are killed by Shishio's men for trying to report their atrocities to their village to the authorities. Kenshin beats Shishio's men, though his identity as Hitokiri Battōsai is revealed. Kenshin is taken to Shishio himself, the latter ordering Sōjiro to duel Kenshin, which ends with Sōjiro breaking Kenshin's sakabato. As he leaves the scene, Kenshin urges the villagers, including the orphaned boy, not to take their revenge against Shishio's men. Arriving at Kyoto, Kenshin is asked by Misao, who is impressed by his words, to take shelter at an inn run by Kashiwazaki Nenji, actually a semi-retired ninja called Okina once employed by the Tokugawa shogunate; Misao herself is also an aspiring ninja. Okina warns Kenshin that a lieutenant of his, Shinomori Aoshi (the one who beat Sanosuke previously), has made his life goal to kill the strongest man in Japan—Kenshin.

Meanwhile, Kaoru decides to follow Kenshin to Kyoto, accompanied by Yahiko and Sanosuke. At the same time, Kenshin discovers to his dismay that the person who made his sakabato, Shakku Arai has died years before. His son, Seiku, initially refuses Kenshin's plea for another sakabato, but when Shishio's elite warrior, Sawagejō Chō, kidnaps his baby, Seiku asks Kenshin to defeat him. Seiku gives him a twin of the previous sakabato, which Kenshin uses to defeat Chō. By interrogating Chō, the government learns that Shishio plans to raze Kyoto to the ground that night. The government police, together with Kenshin, the ninja, and the newly-arrived Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke, battle Shishio's men, while to prevent Aoshi from interfering Kenshin, Okina challenges his former pupil into a duel, which ends in his defeat. However, Kenshin realizes that Shishio's main goal is to set fire not to Kyoto, but Tokyo.

Kenshin discovers Shishio's ship about to set sail to the capital after learning that Sōjirō has kidnapped Kaoru. There, he has an inconclusive battle with Shishio, which ends when Kaoru is thrown off board. Kenshin jumps to the sea, but is unable to locate her. The next morning, a mysterious man finds Kenshin's unconscious body on the beach and carries him away.

Cast

The cast at the premiere

• Takeru Satoh as Himura Kenshin
• Emi Takei as Kamiya Kaoru
• Munetaka Aoki as Sagara Sanosuke
• Kaito Ōyagi as Yahiko Myojin
• Tatsuya Fujiwara as Makoto Shishio
• Ryunosuke Kamiki as Seta Sōjirō^[3]
• Yu Aoi as Takani Megumi
• Maryjun Takahashi as Komagata Yumi^[4]
• Ryosuke Miura as Sawagejō Chō
• Yūsuke Iseya as Shinomori Aoshi
• Tao Tsuchiya as Makimachi Misao
• Yōsuke Eguchi as Saitō Hajime
• Min Tanaka as Kashiwazaki Nenji/Okina
• Masaharu Fukuyama as Hiko Seijuro

Release

DVD was released on December 17, 2014.

Reception

Box Office

At the box office the movie earned a total of US$52.9 million internationally.^[5] The film also held the top spot at the box office in Japan during its first week.^[6] The film made its United States premiere at LA EigaFest 2014.^[7]

Critical Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics, with widespread praise regarding the film's action direction and fight choreography conducted by Kenji Tanigaki. Christopher O'Keeffe of TwitchFilm declared that the film "Delivers grand thrills" and "Satisfies with its mix of character drama and sword fights as it leads up to an intense battle on the streets of ancient Kyoto. By the time the sea-set finale roles around, everything is left in balance for what promises to be an epic ending to this thrilling tale." Marcus Goh of MarcusGohMarcusGoh praised the film, stating that Kyoto Inferno "is a wonderfully executed adaptation that manages to wield together all the highlights of the manga and anime, while still fully utilising the film medium to tell its tale. Despite being the first part of a two-part sequel, it manages to be a self-sufficient, coherent story – not an easy feat for a two-part sequel."

Mikhail Lecaros of GMA News Online stated "Ohtomo presents Kyoto Inferno with deliberate pacing, making the most of his now-extended runtime (“Kyoto Inferno” and “The Legend Ends” were filmed simultaneously), wisely giving the film moments to breathe. When the prerequisite sword fights and various punch-ups do show up, they are pitch-perfect live action extrapolations of the hand-drawn scenes that have enthralled fans for the past fifteen years." Jahanzeb Khan of SnapThirty awarded the film an "A" rating, and goes on to describe how "Kyoto Inferno does an excellent job of setting the scene for the epic conclusion that follows in The Legend Ends, and without this methodological build up the grand finale in the third film would not have the same weight to it at all. Kyoto Inferno does an apt job of establishing Shishio and his minions as a force to be reckoned with, a legitimate threat to the vulnerable Japanese society that is still struggling to transition into the Westernized values of the new government."

Sequel

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends

Music

ONE OK ROCK's song Mighty Long Fall from their new album, 35xxxv, is featured in the movie.^[8]

References

External links

• Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno at the Internet Movie Database