Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 review: Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko get set to chase after Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 was expected to primarily focus on Kenshin Himura, seeing him journey to Kyoto after leaving Kaoru Kamiya and co behind. Officially released on Thursday, October 3, 2024, the episode instead focused primarily on Kaoru, Sanosuke Sagara, and Yahiko Myojin. Specifically, it confirmed that the trio planned to head to Kyoto and chase after Kenshin.

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 continues Kenshin’s story from season 1. The first season saw him develop a close bond with Kaoru, Yahiko Myojin, and Sanosuke Sagara, forming what many fans call Team Kenshin.

However, as enemies from Kenshin’s past continued to show themselves, he decided to abandon the others for their safety, heading to Kyoto to confront mastermind Makoto Shishio.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 sees Kaoru and co gear up to chase after Kenshin

Brief episode highlights

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 opens with a brief flashback focus on Kenshin Himura (Image via Liden Films)

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 opened with a brief scene of Kenshin Himura traveling. This quickly transitioned into the night of Kenshin’s departure from Tokyo, where he spoke with Hajime Saito before leaving. He claimed they should be comrades who fight together since he has access to a wealth of information, but Kenshin rejected this.

He specifically cited the idea of putting innocent people in danger as why, prompting Saito to say Kenshin should hurry up and become Hitokiri Battousai again. Preparing to fight, Kenshin said he’d never become Battousai again, with Saito then backing down and saying that as long as he gets to Kyoto, it doesn’t matter. He warned Kenshin of Shishio’s intelligence network before the flashback ended, returning to the present.

However, Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 shifted its contemporary focus to Kaoru Kamiya, who was reliving her final goodbyes with Kenshin. Sanosuke Sagara, meanwhile, was furious that Kenshin left in the middle of the night, to the point of threatening to go to Kyoto himself.

Yahiko Myojin then appeared, seemingly the only one handling Kenshin’s departure level-headed. Saito, meanwhile, was seen observing all of this from the shadows.

Expand Tweet

Sanosuke visited his old friend Tsunan Tsukioka to borrow money and weapons for the journey, with Yahiko running into him as he left Tsunan’s house. Saito was also there, claiming they’d only make things harder for Kenshin by nature of needing protection. However, Sanosuke and Yahiko both rejected this idea, making their determination and path forward clear.

After a brief skirmish which ended with Sanosuke earning Saito’s respect, Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 shifted focus to Megumi Takani, who Yahiko met up with. Kaoru’s friends then tried rousing her out of bed to eat a meal, but they were unsuccessful. Megumi then appeared, mocking Kaoru and getting some life out of her as a result.

Megumi then spoke of what Kenshin taught her, which resonated with Kaoru and brought her to the point of tears. As Megumi walked away with tears running down her face, Yahiko motivated Kaoru to head to Kyoto along with him and Sanosuke. The episode ended with Kaoru agreeing to this course of action, as the focus briefly shifted back to Kenshin and his journey down the Tokaido road.

In review

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 sees central and supporting characters alike shine (Image via Liden Films)

While not quite what fans were expecting, Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 was still an exciting installment that gets the new season started on the right foot. The focus on Kaoru and co was specifically welcome, serving as a good connecting thread from the season 1 finale.

The brief focus on Kenshin was also nice, giving viewers what they need now while saving more exciting events for later on.

The season 2 premiere also impresses by nature of how eclectic it is in terms of major focuses and accomplishments. Even as plot setup and character development are the main focuses, action is not only worked into the episode but used for both. Sanosuke’s fight against Saito specifically highlights this, showing growth for the former largely but also the latter to a lesser degree.

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 also impresses with vocal performances across the board. Performances from Taku Yashiro as Sanosuke Sagara, Saori Onishi as Megumi Takani, and Rie Takahashi as Kaoru Kamiya are exceptional, palpable with the emotions the characters are feeling in these moments.

Expand Tweet

Yashiro’s as Sanosuke is especially noteworthy for how varied the inflictions and deliveries are, mirroring the tumultuous emotions the character is confronting. While there were no particularly egregious outings from the cast in the first season, it’s nevertheless exciting to see such a strong start here. Hopefully, this momentum will be maintained as the second season goes on.

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 also excels in animation, maintaining the quality seen in season 1 at worst and greatly improving upon it at best. One major difference seems to be stylization, with the first episode having moments that make it feel like directorial choices are being made much more open-mindedly. Sanosuke’s skirmish with Saito specifically highlights this change.

In terms of negatives, there’s not much that the season premiere deserves significant criticism for. One point that could be argued as a negative is a general lack of Kenshin in the episode overall. While he is certainly present, it can be argued that he should’ve played a more active role in the season premiere as the titular protagonist. This could’ve also led to a deeper explanation of what his current thoughts are, further framing the Kyoto Arc.

In summation

Ruoruni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 delays Makoto Shishio's reappearance for a later time (Image via Liden Films)

Rurouni Kenshin season 2 episode 1 serves as an exciting reintroduction to the titular samurai and his cohorts. While Team Kenshin is undoubtedly the main focus of the episode, protagonist Kenshin Himura also makes some notable appearances for an acceptable total amount of screen time.

Important supporting characters like Megumi Takani are also given relatively significant involvement in the episode’s events. This signals that the second season won’t simply ignore these characters, but build upon their season 1 characterization and ensure their continued involvement.

Overall, the Kyoto Arc’s anime premiere is an exciting outing that eliminates a significant amount of setup, framing a full-steam-ahead focus on Makoto Shishio and co.