Not long ago Rurouni Kenshin started hitting Blu-ray thanks to Aniplex. With a simultaneous release between Japan and America, Aniplex definitely had something special going with the release. The first OVA, Trust & Betrayal was a success and it was totally worth picking up. It stands to reason that the second, Reflection, should receive the same praise.

Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection was released in 2001 and proved itself to be different than the four-part prequel Trust & Betrayal. For starters, Reflection is actually more of an ending of sorts as it follows the manga’s final moments. Once again it presents a gripping experience done in a way that should keep fans and newcomers happy. It’s dark, deep, and viewers most definitely have a hero to root for in all that happens.

The OVA begins with Kenshin leading a peaceful life with his wife Kaoru. Considering he’s a wandering samurai, just sitting content in one place leaves him feeling antsy and unsatisfied. He takes to the road again and spends a number of years roaming the countryside, returning only once in a while to the woman and child he loves. It’s a character flaw, sure, but it also makes Kenshin very human. He’s a man that lives and dies by the sword and it’s simply not natural to ask him to put it down and live peacefully. He’s a restless tormented soul and he finds solace out in the world helping people wherever he can.

As the film moves forward it becomes clear that Kenshin’s legacy has spread far and wide. He’s renowned for his skill with a blade and his tenacity for life and protecting people. Living in the shadow of his father is no easy task, so Kenshin’s son, Kenji, heads out to learn the same style of swordsmanship that helped make his dad so famous. He quickly learns that raw talent alone isn’t quite enough to make oneself known and feared with a blade, and his father possesses an ability nobody else can match. It’s an interesting angle that highlights Kenshin’s character even more, but it does disservice to his son in some ways.

Tragedy strikes part of the way into the film and it would seem that an enemy is lurking deep within Kenshin in the form of an illness. The OVA heads down some emotional paths once this plotline is introduced and it brings about an inevitable and worthy conclusion that is ultimately a tear jerker.

On Blu-ray Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection is a force to be reckoned with. The colors are refined, details are sharp, and black levels are rich enough for a ten year old animated film. It doesn’t look “hot off the presses”, but the 1080p high definition transfer and AVC encoding come together to make for a powerful visual experience. Of course it all stands as testament to the quality of the production by Studio Deen. Awesome looking film.

The OVA sounds good as well with three options being available: Japanese PCM stereo, Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1, and English 2.0 stereo. The PCM and DTS-HD stand out as the better of the three, though the English is much appreciated. The quality of the original tracks is just better all around. From presence on the soundstage to clarity of the audio, quality of the voice actors, and soundtrack, everything here sounds great!

Bonus features are a little on the light side with some trailers and commercials being all you’re going to find. The packaging is gorgeous, however, and there are two booklets (original Japanese and a translated English one) included along with the release.

Once again Rurouni Kenshin makes a profound impact. Reflection is well-thought out and executed even better. The film withstands the test of time and is both a great accompaniment to the series and a standalone experience. Fans of the franchise absolutely must pick this title up and newcomers will get something out of it as well. I’d say if you’re the latter you’ll probably want to grab the previous Aniplex Blu-ray release for Trust & Betrayal to fill in the blanks, but Reflection is good enough. Actually, it’s great. Buy it.

Highly Recommended

Tags: Action, Anime, Aniplex, Blu-ray, Review