Samurai X - Trust & Betrayal (Director's Cut)

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Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi has recut the four-episode Samurai X OVA into a seamless feature that serves as a prequel to both Samurai X: The Movie and the light-hearted TV series. The action unfolds in 1864, at the beginning of the revolution against the Tokugawa Shogunate that culiminated in the Meiji Restoration. The orphan Shinta is transformed by master swordsman Hiko into Kenshin, an assassin who believes he is using his sword to bring about a better world. When he and the mysterious Tomoe hide from the intrigues of Kyoto in a remote mountain village, Kenshin finds peace, raising crops and savoring the passage of the seasons, but this tranquility cannot endure. Furuhashi choreographs the characters' inner conflicts as skillfully as the epic sword fights, infusing them with an elegant sensuality. In either format, Samurai X OVAs capture the violence and poetry of samurai culture in a story of exceptional emotional depth. (Rated 17 and older: violence, alcohol use, mature themes) --Charles Solomon

Description

Nineteenth century Japan: a land torn by rebellion and civil warfare; small bands of soldiers roam the land, seeking to overthrow the tyrannical Tokugawa Shogunate. Enter the young orphan Kenshin, trained as a fighter by the master swordsman Hiko. Kenshin's desire for peace is at odds with his brutal life, and the tension seems unreconcilable until he meets a mysterious woman named Tomoe. The enigmatic Tomoe's actions may show Kenshin that another life can exist for him, or may instead conceal a destructive secret. Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal Director's Cut follows the progress of the rebellion against the Shogunate and the complex evolution of Kenshin's and Tomoe's involvement, and reveals how Kenshin received the distinctive cross-shaped facial scar that gives the film its name.

Customer Reviews:

life's moments.......2007-09-11

New to anime. Read other's review's and bought director's cut for 3 dvd's. I was not disappointed. Very moving all three. Each dvd in my opinon, was well done. This is what I continually look for in anime, a story and lesson's learned more of a mature outlook on life's reflections. I would recommend this to anyone.

Samurai X - Trust & Betrayal (Director's Cut).......2007-08-29

Very Boring. For something title Samurai X, there really wasnt much fighting.... just lots and lots of repetitive dialog. not even worth adding to your anime collection

Delicate, graceful, touching.......2007-08-04

I totally understand that people with no background on Kenshin would rate this item 1 star. Having seen the Kenshin series before Trust and Betrayal is a MUST. Otherwise, the characters won't mean as much to you and because of the gloomy environment and reserved characters, you probably can't care less what happens to them. BUT, see Kenshin and if you liked it, come back for these. You won't regret it a bit...

Huge Kenshin Fan.......2007-01-28

I really enjoyed both of these movies; however, I would not recommend this to someone who has not followed the Rurouni Kenshin Series. If you have not seen the Rurouni Kenshin Series - primarily Arcs 1 & 2 - I would recommend holding off on purchasing this DVD set. If you watch these without watching the first two Arcs, you will most likely not enjoy the movies; and more importantly, in the case of Reflections, they will ruin the series for you.

Now I know a lot of people get confused about the order of the Series & OVAs, so I'd like to clarify the issue. As far as I know, this is how it goes (If I am wrong, feel free to correct me):

Arc 1 = Introduces the Main Characters
Arc 2 = The Shishio Story
Arc 3 = Consists of several "Mini Stories" (They seem like filler episodes)
Arc 4 = The Enishi Story (This Arc was never animated)

Trust and Betrayal is the Kenshin story that takes place before Arc 1 - This story really describes the events and tragedies that cause Kenshin to become the Kenshin we know from the series.

Reflections takes places after Arc 4 - This story is a recap of the Kenshin story (hints the name "Reflections") and ultimatley concludes the Kenshin story.

Theses DVDs are a lot more violent and serious when compared to the action/comedy series. The mood is completely different from the series. They are very "emotional" and really allow you to "feel" and "understand" the characters (Another reason why I recommend watching the series first). If you are a huge Kenshin fan like me who loved the series and always wondered what happened before and after the series, then I would highly recommend purchasing this DVD set.

Tragic, beautiful, captivating anime.......2006-08-07

I watched this first, then bought the TV series, which is quite enjoyable, and not quite as dark and depressing as this movie. However, the art work is just beautiful, and the voice acting is well done. The power of the Samurai code and of love itself is palpable in this film, and I will watch it many more times!

Average customer rating:

Part 2 of one of the best anime films ever
Revealed at last: how Kenshin earned his cross-shaped wound
Better or Worse?
Only for the Kenshin fan
EXCELLENT!!!

Samurai X - Betrayal (Rurouni Kenshin)
Starring: Mayo Suzukaze , Miki Fujitani , Yûji Ueda , Mîna Tominaga , and Mika Doi
Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi , and Kaeko Sakamoto
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000050GC8
Release Date: 2000-11-14

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The peace that reigns over the remote mountain village of Otsu contrasts sharply with the rapid-fire violence of the previous episodes (Samurai X: Trust) set in Kyoto. Working as a farmer, growing crops and savoring the passage of the seasons, Kenshin comes to terms with the discontent festering in his soul. He regrets the death and suffering he has caused, and hopes to find a better life--with the mysterious Tomoe. A conventional story would end on this note of self-discovery and moral growth. But Samurai Xunfolds like a Kabuki tragedy: the desire for revenge remains strong, especially among the agents of the last Tokugawa Shogun, who are anxious to crush the nascent rebellion led by the Choshu clan. Kenshin was an important agent for the Choshu; Tomoe is just a pawn, but the outcome of a game may hinge on a strategically positioned pawn. Kenshin finally grasps the lessons his master, Hiko, attempted to teach him: the need for inner peace and the possibility of defending the weak without resorting to violence. The exquisitely detailed artwork evokes 19th century Japan, and director Kazuhiro Furuhashi depicts these understated inner conflicts as skillfully as the epic sword fights in the first episodes. Samurai X demonstrates the power of animation to present stories of great emotional depth, earning it a rightful place among the top anime series. Unrated; suitable for ages 18 and up for explicit violence. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

Part 2 of one of the best anime films ever.......2006-08-04

Prequels for the most part are tricky: they tend to not include fan favorites from the show/movie/book while setting up the backstory of some of the main characters. While the story does include Kenshin(and even Saitoh makes an appearance), the film is missing characters like Kaoru, Sanosuke and Aoshi and our favorite "oro" speaking Kenshin is gone. In the show, Kenshin is atoneing for his life as an assassin, so what made him change? This second part answers it, revealing probably one of the most fleshed out and haunted characters in anime.

At the end of the first half, Kenshin and Tomoe had to escape the city when soldiers try to track down everyone in Kenshin's group. Now posing as husband and wife in the countryside, Kenshin starts to become more human and experience a sense of peace he never had. However it's shattered when a truth comes out which will make him lead the life we see in the show.

One thing that many will notice is the explanation of Kenshin's star-shaped scar on his cheek. Most stories just explain it with a simple "that battle 5 years ago..." but it usually doesn't amount to nothing but a simple minor annoyance, a wrong place-wrong time kind of thing. How Kenshin got his is a great image and a daily reminder of the catalyst that changed his life.

The film ultimately works because of its imagery. When Kenshin starts imagining crossing a field of bodies, or, in my opinion, one of the most touching images involving Kenshin and Tomoe right at the end, you know this isn't just your run-of-the-mill anime that's either way too fun/violent or just way too confusing and abstract. You notice just how well-done the visuals are and how better they are compared to traditional cinema.

If you're into anime at all, honestly, you have to watch this. Watching this after the show gives a better explanation for how Kenshin is, not to mention it's a great movie.

Revealed at last: how Kenshin earned his cross-shaped wound.......2004-06-02

Telling fans of the "Rurouni Kenshin" series that "Samurai X: Betrayal," the second half of a four-episode anime mini-series is where we find out why Kenshin has that "X" shaped scar on his face should be enough to get them to check out this prequel. The story is set in 19th-century Japan and in the first half, "Samurai X: Trust," Shinta, a young man sold into slavery after his parents died, is trained by the mystic swordsman in Japan to be the most feared assassin in Japan and given the name Kenshin. When he grows up our young hero meets Tomoe Yukishiro, a mysterious young woman whose fiancé had been murdered by Kenshin.

This DVD of "Romantic Tales from the Meiji Era" includes "Act 3: The Previous Night at the Mountain Home" and "Act 4: The Cross-Shaped Wound." In Act 3 Kenshin tries to live a life of peace that is at odds with his brutal life as he and Tomoe hide out in Otsu, posing as a simple farmer and his wife. Kenshin even thinks of making the fantasy real, although there does not seem to be any reason for him to fall in love with the mysterious Tomoe, but then the "traitor" is revealed to Kenshin, setting up the tragic end game in Act 4. As the title indicates, this is where we learn how Kenshin received his distinctive wound and the most impressive part of the tale is that writer Nobuhiro Watsuki and director Kazuhiro Furuhashi come up with something that is both surprising and lyrical. You might have trouble reconciling the contemplative Keshin we see at the end of "Samurai X" with the more childlike one of "Rurouni Kenshin," but it is hard to deny the power of this story.

I think watching "Samurai X" after enjoying "Rurouni Kenshin" is the correct order for viewing, even though it is the prequel to the series. There are profound differences between the two, with "Samurai X" being more sophisticated that the series, with the violence heightened and the comic elements stripped away. The prequel is not intended for young viewers, even if they are fans of the series, because even though we all know that Kenshin becomes the "Hitokiri Battousai" (i.e., "the man who slashes even as he draws his sword"), his being an assassin constitutes an even darker chapter in his early life.

Better or Worse?.......2004-03-20

Some people say it's much better than the TV series,or it's not that much more violent,there wrong.Samurai X is a whole lot gory than the TV series because in this they show swords going through people's heads,etc.In the TV they don't,so that ends there.Anyone who says this is ok for kids has problems.THIS IS NOT FOR KIDS,that's why it says 17+.
Personally I like the TV series better,because it's got a better story,and in the TV series it's got better fighting.Let me tell you why,anyone can kill someone with a sword,but it's much different with a reverse-blade sword,with a reverse-blade sword you have to have skill therefore making Kenshin to use better techniques of the Hiten-Mitsurugi style.In samurai X he doesn't do any cool moves,just cut slice,off goes your head.
If you like gore and not that good and an ok story this is for you.If you like alot of action,awesome moves that you've never seen or thought you'd ever see,no gore(not a whole lot of blood),and an awesome story the Rurouni Kenshin TV series is for you.
2 stars for the story & art,that's all.

Only for the Kenshin fan.......2004-01-08

If you like Kenshin, you will like this DVD. It is, however, quite different than the t.v. series. First, the animation is quite a bit better. Second, there is none of the silliness of the series. This is 100 percent serious, which may be good or bad, depending upon if you like some of the foolishness of the series. I felt like Kenshin loses some of his appeal in this by being too serious, although the series could perhaps tone down SOME of the silliness. Third, the characters are never quite developed in this movie (although they are more Asian-looking. I never understand why Japanese anime heroes always look more American than me, but the villains always seem to still look Japanese. Is this a Japanese ideal?) In the series, we see Kenshin's struggle and turmoil, but in the movie he is basically portayed rather one dimensional and flat until the sees the errors of his ways. Finally, while everyone else seems to think it was violent, I don't find it that much more violent than the t.v. series. I personally don't have a problem with my children watching it, because it's animation and loses the edge that reality violence has.

The main problem I see with this movie, and not to give anything away, is that I had trouble figuring out why Kenshin and Tomoe fell in love to begin with, because there was nothing overly interesting or particularly redeeming in their personalities to spark a romance. While the Kenshin in the t.v. series is quite lovable and adorable, the movie version of Kenshin is a little bland and not as personable or caring. The relationship does explain, however, why he might be a little shell shocked about falling in love again, and why he is so hesitant to fall in love with Kaoru in the series. If you like Kenshin, you will want to have these blanks filled in, as the first two movies fill the gaps of what happened to Kenshin to make him what he is in the series.

The reason I give this only four of five stars is because if you are not a Kenshin fan, you will not appreciate the movie. It is SLOOOOOW moving for the most part, almost painfully so in some parts, (in fact I thought my DVD player had stopped during one scene), and if you are not familiar with Kenshin the man from the series, it is doubtful you will appreciate or understand his character. People I watched the movie with who had not seen the series did not think the movie was very good, and could not figure out why I like Kenshin so much to begin with.

I would recommend this if you are a Kenshin fan, and you have any desire to find out about his first love, how he got the famous X-shaped scar, what made him decide to become the manslayer, what made him decide he needed redemption, and how he almost found it prior to his meeting Kaoru. If you are not a Kenshin fan, I wouldn't buy the movie, but maybe start with the series. Buy one DVD with three episodes and I can almost guarantee you will be HOOKED.

EXCELLENT!!!.......2003-09-21

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The english version isn't dat good while the Japanese/subtitles can't get any better! This is the last 2 epidsodes of the Samurai X: Trust and Betrayel movie. Overall, this movie is very serious, bloody and just one of the best out there, not only in anime!

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