‘Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning’ drops on Netflix on July 30

Now that you’ve witnessed Himura Kenshin’s story, it’s time to go back to the very beginning and relive his days as the notorious assassin, Hitokiri Battousai.

The long-awaited prequel and the second part of the Rurouni Kenshin films’s final chapter, titled Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning,  will drop on Netflix July 30 this year. 

The film this time focuses on Himura Kenshin’s past, before he received his iconic cross-shaped scar, as well as his relationship with Tomoe Yukishiro, his wife during his Hitokiri Battousai days. 

Takeru Satoh reprises his role as Himura Kenshin while Tomoe Yukishiro is portrayed by Kasumi Arimura. Keishi Otomo also returns as the director of the films with the internationally acclaimed Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK who performed the theme song ‘Renegade’. 

The two sets of films, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final/The Beginning, were slated to be in cinemas on July 3 and August 7 last year but were delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the mishaps, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning has successfully sold a total of 1.25 million tickets since its release last June 4.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning also welcomes three new cast members, Issey Takahashi as Katsura Kogoro, Kenshin’s mentor; Nijiro Murakami as Okita Soji, the captain of the Shinsengumi or the special police force unit; and finally, Masanobu Andou portrays Takasugi Shinsaku, Katsura Kogoro’s best friend and the man who opposed the recruitment of young Kenshin as Hitokiri Battousai.