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Watch this if you liked: "Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X" manga

"Rurouni Kenshin" may not be the most accurate comic-to-film adaptation, but it is definitely one of the best yet.

Based on the manga (comic) by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the film covers the early chapters of the manga that assembles Kenshin Himura's loyal group of friends - Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei), Megumi Takani (Yuu Aoi), Sanosuke Sagara (Munetaka Aoki) and Yahiko Myojin (Taketo Tanaka). In 1868, after the end of the Bakumatsu war, the former assassin Kenshin promises to defend the innocent without killing and wanders through Japan with a sword with inverted blade through the dawn of a New Age. When Kenshin helps the idealistic Kaoru Kamiya from the gangsters of the powerful opium drug lord Kanryuu Takeda (Teruyuki Kagawa) that wants her kendo school for his production of opium, Kaoru invites Kenshin to stay in her school. But the cruel Kanryuu is not so easily deterred, of course.

In light of the premise, it is impossible to imagine that any director can pull off a feature film adaptation of "Rurouni Kenshin". The manga was praised for its character designs and historical setting, and to transfer these qualities from the limitless boundaries characteristic of a manga series is almost unimaginable. However, director Keishi Otomo has managed to achieve this remarkably without deviating too much from the manga. The live-action film for "Rurouni Kenshin" is not only engaging but also believable, with a depth of character that the running time allows the script to explore.

Without a doubt, when it comes to casting, not everyone will be happy with the producers' choices. While not every actor/actress fit the mold of their characters to a tee, it is difficult to imagine that any other star would have performed as well as they did, especially Takeru Sato, who is hands down the most accurately casted actor in the film as he got every mannerism Himura Kenshin is known for in the manga down pat. Although Yuu Aoi looks too innocent to be the foxy Megumi from the manga, it is commendable that the producers actually bothered to make sure that the actress is older than Emi Takei, since Megumi is created to be the more mature woman. By that same reasoning, the producers also did well to try to recreate the characters' look from the manga as precisely as possible, right down from Kenshin's red kimono and blue hair tie to Sanosuke's white happi jacket with black trim and the kanji character 'aku' (evil) and Saito's Gatotsu.

The cinematography of the film is also hard to fault. Every shot is made to impress, from the blue-hued massacre in the beginning to the warm colours of spring in the village. Cinematographer Takuro Ishizaka is fond of using negative spaces and a warm filter, which helps to illustrate the film's historical setting and themes of isolation and despair. The sword fight scenes in this film are gorgeously staged and elegantly choreographed to an energetic score by Sato Naoki. While they do not accurately recreate the feeling of the manga, they do not feel cheap either. There are no extras overreacting or poorly done CGI thrown in for CGI sake, instead, it is fast and furious, invoking the feeling of the stylish sword fights in the manga but never shying away from the violence they are meant to portray.

The film's long running time of 134 minutes leaves it open to drag its feet sometimes, but it is admirable all the same that they take the time to develop the characters, especially Kenshin, which elevates the film from being a hollow film adaptation. Keishi Otomo somehow managed to seamlessly weave in Kenshin's background story of how he got one part of the sword scar on the face (fans of the manga will know how the sword scar became a cross-shaped) in a scene where he looks upon a dead police officer's crying wife. By establishing effective characters and neatly wrapping up an arc, Keishi Otomo sets the stage for more exciting possibilities in the upcoming sequel.

Overall, "Rurouni Kenshin" is the kind of film that Hollywood should take notes from. Fans of the manga will delight in this new addition to their fandom while non-fans will find that the likeable cast, interesting story and stunning cinematography a worthwhile addition for Asian cinema. Give it a chance and you will never look at manga-to-film adaptations the same way again.

Cinema Online, 18 March 2013