Samurai X fans alert: New ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ films set to premiere next year

Takeru Satoh as Kenshin Himura (Image: Screengrab from YouTube/ワーナー ブラザース 公式チャンネル)

Two new live-action films based on the popular manga “Rurouni Kenshin” will be released next April and June.

Warner Bros. revealed the new dates along with an action-packed trailer on its Japanese YouTube page on Dec. 3. “Rurouni Kenshin: The Final” will show on April 23, while “Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning” will debut on June 4.

The video also features a snippet of an intense fight between the protagonist Kenshin Himura and the villain Yukishiro Enishi. Japanese star Takeru Satoh will portray Kenshin, while American-Japanese actor Mackenyu Maeda will bring Enishi to life.

Along with the fast-paced fighting sequence, the trailer shows scenes of a wrecked village up in flames.

The two movies were originally slated to premiere last July 3 and Aug. 7, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per Anime News Network.

Filmmaker Keishi Ōtomo, who directed previous “Rurouni Kenshin” films, will return to helm the two new installations. “The Beginning” will center on how Kenshin got a cross-shaped scar, as per report. Meanwhile, “The Final” will focus on the manga’s final arc and Kenshin’s fight with Enishi.  /ra

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