The new Rurouni Kenshin anime revealed character visuals for Sagara Sanosuke and Myojin Yahiko, ahead of tomorrow’s Jump Festa panel dedicated to the series. The anime is set to premiere in 2023. Soma Saito and Rie Takahashi are voicing the main duo, Kenshin Himura, and Kaoru Kamiya, and more cast will be introduced tomorrow. In the original version, Yahiko was voiced by Miina Tominaga, while Sanosuke was voiced by Yuji Ueda.
Studio LIDENFILMS is animating the reboot of the anime, which will be directed by Hideo Yamamoto. Terumi Niishi is doing the character designs, while Hideyuki Karuta is in charge of the series composition. Yu Takami is composing the music. The first trailer for the anime was revealed in September.
The series is based on a manga by Nobuhiro Watsuki, which ran from 1994 to 1999 in Weekly Shonen Jump. A direct sequel to the series, Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc, started serialization in 2017. Watsuki’s wife, Kaworu Kurosaki, is also involved in the project. The sequel was briefly on hiatus (February-June 2018) after Watsuki was charged with possession of explicit materials focusing on children.
Gallop and Studio DEEN animated the adaptation, which aired from 1996 to 1999. Multiple manga side-stories and OVAs also exist, as well as a movie. The franchise also has a live-action adaptation, which contains 5 movies. The first one came out in 2012, while the latest premiered in 2021.
Viz Media licensed the manga in English and describes the plot as:
One hundred and forty years ago in Kyoto, with the coming of the American “Black Ships,” there arose a warrior who, felling men with his bloodstained blade, gained the name Hitokiri, manslayer! His killer blade helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu era and slashed open the progressive age known as Meiji. Then he vanished, and with the flow of years, became legend.
Source: Official Website
© Nobuhiro Watsuki/Shueisha, “Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story-” Production Committee
