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Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 was released on Friday, September 15, 2023, bringing with it the continuation of Team Kenshin’s assault on Kanryu Takeda’s palace. With the last episode ending as Han’nya confronted Kenshin Himura, Sanosuke Sagara, and Yahiko Myojin in the mansion’s entryway.
While Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 doesn’t quite handle its fights in the way fans were hoping for, it’s nevertheless an exciting and engaging episode. Especially welcome is the brief time dedicated to Han’nya’s backstory, which makes the most of the relatively short screen time it’s given.
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 sets the stage for two exciting concurrent duels in the Takeda mansion
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Brief episode review
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 began where the last episode ended, with Han’nya confronting Team Kenshin. It was then revealed that Han’nya was wearing iron gauntlets under his gloves, which is how he was able to parry Kenshin’s attack when they last met. The two then began their fight, with Kenshin seemingly dodging Han’nya’s blows initially before being struck by them regardless.
Kenshin confirmed that he was reading Han’nya’s moves, but it seemed as though his arms were growing at the last moments. Han’nya teased that Kenshin had already fallen for his technique, with Aoshi Shinomori also emphasizing how dangerous this technique is. Kenshin then assumed a Shinken stance, holding his blade parallel in front of him and pointing at Han’nya’s eyebrows.
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 then saw Han’nya rush at Kenshin since the Shinken stance is a defensive one that is difficult to make offensive. Han’nya then rushed at him, but Kenshin was able to successfully dodge and counterattack, hitting his enemy’s mask. Kenshin then revealed that the horizontal stripes on Han’nya’s arms created an optical illusion that made his reach seem more than an inch shorter than it actually was.
Han’nya’s mask then split apart, revealing his mutilated face. He revealed that he burned off his own lips, cut off his own nose and ears, and crushed his cheekbones in order to disguise himself as anyone he needed. He also revealed that he was born in an area where a secret tradition of parents killing children to lessen food expenses existed. Even if the child survived, they were left all by themselves with no one to care for them.
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 then saw Han’nya praise Aoshi for taking him in and giving him comrades and a new life, while also revealing steel claws from his gloves. He and Kenshin then resumed their fight, with Kenshin eventually winning after a short struggle. Kenshin then commented on how Han’nya should’ve been able to understand Megumi’s feelings of isolation more than anyone else, questioning why he couldn’t be considerate of Megumi.
Kenshin then hurried his group onward, while Takeda spoke to Megumi through the door of the room. He apologized, saying they should both escape together. Megumi questioned what she gains from this, to which Takeda basically said they can make drugs and help people. He then claims he is a changed man who wants a new lease on life because he loves her, but Megumi says she won’t fall for his lies and that they have no way to atone for their sins.
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 then saw Takeda reveal his true colors, angrily blaming Megumi for the situation and calling her all kinds of names. The focus then shifted back to Team Kenshin, where they were met by a new foe wielding a steel ball and chain. The enemy introduced himself as Shikijo, launching another attack at the group, which Sanosuke blocked.
Sanosuke then said he’d handle Shikijo while Kenshin went ahead to save Megumi. He and Yahiko then moved forward, with Shikijo not attempting to stop them. Shikijo then revealed that he knows Sanosuke’s identity as underground fighter Zanza, calling him a nobody now that he’s without his Zanbato. Sanosuke countered that he’s still powerful, saying he’s the one settling for the underling in this situation.
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 then saw Yahiko express concern for Sanosuke. However, Kenshin countered that he’ll not only be fine, but that he wouldn’t let them help out even if they were there. The episode then cut back to Sanosuke’s fight, where Shikijo disputed being an underling. The two then started their fight in earnest, with Shikijo breaking his chain off of the steel ball.
He then trapped Sanosuke’s hand within the chain when he went to throw a punch, using it to keep pulling Sanosuke towards him and hit him away in a constant cycle. Shikijo asserted that the fight was over, but Sanosuke stood and disputed this. He then broke Shikijo’s chain, exciting him as the two rushed at each other once again.
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 saw Shikijo thrust Sanosuke into a wall and headbutt him, seemingly causing serious injury. Sanosuke tried responding, but he fell to his knees as blood spilled from his head. Shikijo then offered Sanosuke a spot in the Oniwabanshu, sharing that he was once on the Imperialist side in the revolution but was still welcomed by Aoshi into the group.
Sanosuke then rose to his knees, commenting on how powerful Aoshi and the Oniwabanshu seemed before rejecting the offer to join. He asserted that the Oniwabanshu are just strong, meaning that they don’t have the friends, admirers, or morals that Kenshin does. Sanosuke then caught Shikijo’s punches but was headbutted by his enemy several times for his comments.
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 eventually saw Sanosuke break both of Shikijo’s hands before punching him into the air, jumping on top of him, and slamming him into the ground. With Shikijo defeated, Sanosuke then passed out himself. The episode then ended with Kenshin and Aoshi coming face-to-face with each other for the first time, with Aoshi refusing to step aside and demanding a fight.
In review
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 was, overall, an exciting installment that featured two fantastic fight scenes. While both were great in and of themselves, it almost seems as though a major opportunity was missed by not giving Yahiko any meaningful fighting to do. While he could prove to be an invaluable asset in Kenshin’s fight against Aoshi, this seems fairly unlikely to be the case.
That being said, there are things Yahiko could do other than fight in the coming episodes, which would justify his lack of combat. This includes rescuing or finding Megumi or stopping Kanryu Takeda from escaping Kenshin’s judgment. Aside from this small issue, however, the episode is essentially perfect, successfully building up Aoshi as a charismatic and powerful leader without significantly cutting into each fight.
In summation
Rurouni Kenshin episode 11 likely serves as the best episode of the Oniwabanshu arc yet, with both fights being very memorable and very well produced. Han’nya and Shikijo’s dialogue about who Aoshi is as a leader is also very engaging and helps to build him up as a charismatic equal to Kenshin. With the two set to clash in the coming episode, it’ll be intriguing to see how the series handles Aoshi following his presumed eventual loss to Kenshin.
Be sure to keep up with all Rurouni Kenshin anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news, as 2023 progresses.
