Rurouni Kenshin episode 23: Release date and time, countdown, where to watch, and more

Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 is set to release on Friday, December 8, 2023, at 12:55 a.m JST. With Kenshin occupied by Akamatsu as Hajime Saito stalks Yahiko Myojin and co at the dojo, it seems that fans are in for an especially bloody episode of the smash-hit anime series.

Unsurprisingly, fans are desperate to learn what’s next for Kenshin and co in the 2023 readaptation of the world-famous manga series. However, there’s sadly no verifiable spoiler info available for Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 at the time of this article’s writing. Thankfully, fans do at least have a confirmed release date and time for the highly-anticipated episode.

Follow along as this article fully breaks down all currently available release information for Rurouni Kenshin episode 23, as well as speculates on what to expect from the episode.

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Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 likely to end Akamatsu versus Kenshin, set up Saito versus Kenshin in the finale

Release date and time, where to watch

Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 is set to begin airing on local Japanese networks at 12:55 a.m JST on Friday, December 8, 2023. For a minority of international fans, this translates to a Thursday night or day local release window. A vast majority of international fans, like Japanese viewers, will instead see the episode become available extremely early on Friday morning locally. The exact time of release varies by region and timezone.

International audiences can stream the episode on Crunchyroll roughly one hour after the episode begins airing in Japan. While the delay is unfortunate, Crunchyroll is nevertheless the best way to watch and support the series legally, even possibly the only way to do so via streaming depending on the specific region.

Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 is set to become available on Crunchyroll at the following times in the corresponding time zones:

• Pacific Standard Time: 7:55 a.m, Thursday, December 7
• Eastern Standard Time: 10:55 a.m, Thursday, December 7
• Greenwich Mean Time: 3:55 p.m, Thursday, December 7
• Central European Time: 4:55 p.m, Thursday, December 7
• Indian Standard Time: 9:25 p.m, Thursday, December 7
• Philippine Standard Time: 11:55 p.m, Thursday, December 7
• Japanese Standard Time: 12:55 a.m, Friday, December 8
• Australia Central Standard Time: 2:25 a.m, Friday, December 8

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Episode 22 recap

Kenshin is set to do battle with an old rival in Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 (Image via LIDEN FILMS)

Rurouni Kenshin episode 22 began with Kenshin dreaming of fighting the Shinsengumi’s Hajime Saito, before being woken up by Kaoru Kamiya and Yahiko Myojin. Kenshin couldn’t shake the feeling his dream had given him as the focus shifted to Sanosuke Sagara at Kaoru’s dojo. He was approached by a medicine vendor trying to sell a miracle drug, who eventually revealed himself as the Hajime Saito who Kenshin was dreaming of.

Saito quickly dealt with Sanosuke while Kenshin and the others ran into Megumi Takani. After the four returned to the dojo, Megumi tended to Sanosuke for the next three days, while Kenshin contemplated the return of his enemy. Saito was then revealed to be working for a government man, who was also responsible for Jine Udo attacking Kenshin. Saito then left to go to his job, revealing him to be a police inspector under his alias Fujita Goro.

Akamatsu then confronted Saito the next day, seemingly upset that he wouldn't be the one to fight Kenshin. Saito then struck a deal with Akamatsu, saying he had a plan to lure Kenshin into a trap. He did so by sending Kenshin a letter, which eventually led to Akamatsu getting the upper hand on Kenshin thanks to said trap. The episode ended by revealing that Saito had infiltrated Kaoru’s dojo as Kenshin struggled to free himself from Akamatsu’s grip.

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What to expect (speculative)

With the finale right around the corner, Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 will likely open with a focus on Kenshin freeing himself and ultimately defeating Akamatsu. With time to breathe, he’ll likely realize shortly thereafter what Saito’s true intentions are, racing back to Kaoru’s dojo to save his friends after realizing this.

In the meantime, Rurouni Kenshin episode 23 will likely reveal that Sanosuke has healed just in time to get a rematch with Saito, likely just as Yahiko or Kaoru would’ve been killed. Sanosuke will likely put up a better fight than last time, but still lose to Saito in the end, setting up Kenshin’s triumphant return and declaration of war against Saito.

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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.