Live-Action Rurouni Kenshin ‘Final Chaper’ Films Confirm Yōsuke Eguchi to Reprise Role as Saitō Hajime
It was revealed last Friday that Japanese-American actor Mackenyu will play the part of Enishi in the upcoming ‘Final Chapter’ film adaptations of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s popular manga series Rurouni Kenshin. Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final and Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Beginning will premiere in Japan on July 3, 2020 and August 7, 2020 respectively.
The original Rurouni Kenshin manga, along with its anime adaptation, is an internationally beloved series the world over that has made it to over 100 countries worldwide, including North America, UK, Europe Hong Kong, South Korea, and so on. It is one of the best-selling manga series, with over 72 million copies in circulation.
In commemoration of the birthday of real-life Japanese samurai Saitō Hajime, which fell on Tuesday February 18, it was revealed that Japanese actor Yōsuke Eguchi will reprise his role as Rurouni Kenshin character Saitō Hajime.
Saitō Hajime has been an indispensable character in the Rurouni Kenshin films, being at times Kenshin’s friend and at others his foe. But who will he turn his sword on in the final chapter?
Eight years have passed since the release of the first film in the series. Speaking about involvement, Yōsuke Eguchi said: “Getting to continue playing Saitō like thisーand getting to play the same role for this many year isn’t something that happens, so I’m truly honoured. On the other hand, it’s precisely because I’ve built up this character for so long that I can’t just walk away now. Plus, there are things I’m not free to do. The first thing that springs to mind was how difficult the shoot was this time around. It lasted over half a year, and during that time I had to constantly maintain a feeling of tension. But when I think about how these films link to the others, it makes me think how unbelievable of a film they really are <laughs>.”
He also elaborated on how it was to shoot for both The Final and The Beginning, as well as the conflict between Kenshin and Saitō. “I put quite a bit of energy into them [the films]. The stories in ‘The Final’ and ‘The Beginning’ are completely different, so the way we deliver the lines as well as our tones change. They enter a new era with Meiji following the Bakumatsu. Kenshin and Saitō also change along with those societal changes, which is a highlight of the films. I believe those contrasts make these two films worth seeing.”
The first on-set photo of Eguchi as Saitō was also released, which shows him in a scene on a train with Enishi.
The Rurouni Kenshin live-action film series will conclude with The Final and subsequently The Beginning. Stay tuned for any updates.
©Nobuhiro Watsuki / Shueisha ©2020 “Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final/The Beginning” Production Committee
Information
Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final
Release Date: July 3, 2020
Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Beginning
Release Date: August 7, 2020
Official Website: http://rurouni-kenshin.jp
RELATED ENTRIES
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Announced at Jump Festa 2022 on December 19, a new Rurouni Kenshin anime project is coming soon! The series is being led by studio LIDENFILMS, known for working on Tokyo Revengers and Blade of the Immortal. More details will be released soon! Rurouni Kenshin Teaser Trailer
Information
Rurouni Kenshin
Teaser Site: https://rurouni-kenshin.com
Official Twitter：https://twitter.com/ruroken_anime/（@ruroken_anime） -
The 13th Kyoto Historica International Film Festival has announced its screening lineup and will be held both in-person and online. In addition to all five live-action Rurouni Kenshin films being screened, five carefully-selected historical films from around the world have been chosen from over 200 applicants. These will be screened at the Japanese event and can only be seen during the festival. Italian film Inferno, produced in 1911 and shown at Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna in 2021, will make its Japanese premiere along with a piano accompaniment. Oshuraga: Land of Souls will also be screened in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Kyoto-Quebec Friendship and Collaboration Agreement. 41 films will also be available to stream on the MIRAIL streaming service, with tickets going on sale on January 22, 2022.
Information
13th Kyoto Historica International Film Festival
Running: January 22 – January 30, 2022
Theater Screenings
Location: The Museum of Kyoto 3F Film Theater
Pre-order Tickets Starting December 25, 2021 at Ticket Pia
*Advance Tickets are available for Historica Special only. All other tickets will be sold at the door.
Watch Online
Available on MIRAIL Video Streaming Service
How to Watch: Purchase tickets from MIRAIL on or after January 22, 2022
Official Site: https://historica-kyoto.com/
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Rurouni Kenshin is one of the most popular anime and manga series around the world, hitting the scene in Japan back in 1994. Original manga author Nobuhiro Watsuki spent most of his childhood in Nagaoka, Niigata prefecture, an area known throughout the country for its delicious rice. Harasho, a liquor store in Nagaoka, has announced a new collection of Rurouni Kenshin-themed sake to celebrate the series. The Rurouni Kenshin manga series was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1994 until 1999. The sequel, Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc, is currently ongoing in Jump Square. The series has been a smash hit, selling over 72 million copies and inspiring both animated and live-action film adaptations and an anime series. The sake will be produced at three distilleries in Nagaoka city, and each of the three will feature unique characteristics. Each label features imagery from the manga series and would make the perfect gift for fans (as long as they are of age!)
Information
Rurouni Kenshin x Niigata Sake Series
Fukusen Natural Sake: ¥1,350
Koshino Hakugan Ginjo Sake: ¥1,500
Ofuku Shuzo Ginjo Sake with No Added Alcohol: ¥1,800
Special 3-bottle Set: ¥4,650
Number of Bottles Released: 2,000 of each type, special 3-bottle sets available until sold out
Preorders Now Open
Release Date: December 1, 2021
Details: https://echigo.sake-harasho.com/shopbrand/ct332/
Where to Buy:
Online Store: https://echigo.sake-harasho.com/
Liquor stores part of the Echigo Meimon Collective
Major tourist facilities in Niigata Prefecture
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Japanese hanko stamp shop HANKOS released a new collection of hanko with designs of characters from the manga series Rurouni Kenshin on June 8, 2021. These order-made hanko stamps, which are used in place of signatures in Japan, let you pick your favourite character to be engraved along with your name or a word written in Japanese.
There are 31 designs to pick from and include familiar faces from the manga series, including the legendary assassin Himura Kenshin, kendo instructor Kamiya Kaoru, Kenshin's best friend Sagara Sanosuke, and more. Pick from three different fonts, such as a more classic hanko font or a cutesy design. You can have your name, pen name, handle name, or a message engraved on your hanko such as “OK” or “Thank You.” Each stamp comes with a case too in a box featuring Kenshin and his friends. ©和月伸宏／集英社 Information
Rurouni Kenshin Hanko Collection
Released: June 8, 2021
Buy on Rakuten (Japan): https://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/hankos/rurounikensin/
Buy on Yahoo (Japan): https://shopping.geocities.jp/hankos/rurounikensin/ -
In promotion of the forthcoming live-action films Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, both of which will be released on April 23 and June 4 respectively this year, the series is rolling out a collaboration with Sanrio's globally-beloved character Hello Kitty on April 14.
Original Merchandise
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Plush Toys (2 Designs) | ¥3,850 Each (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Plush Toys (4 Designs) | ¥2,750 Each (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty A4 Folder Set | ¥495 (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Bottle | ¥1,540 (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Tote Bag | ¥2,200 (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Ballpoint Pens & Mechanical Pencils (2 Designs) | ¥770 Each (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Hand Towels | ¥1,430 (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Pins (6 Designs) | ¥330 Each (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Acrylic Stands (8 Designs) | ¥715 Each (Tax Included)
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Sweets Paradise Collaboration Cafe
Menu Excerpt Kenshin Hello Kitty Beef Bowl / Battousai Hello Kitty Omurice
Enishi Hello Kitty Orange Crepe / Tomoe Hello Kitty Anmisu / Kaoru Hello Kitty Strawberry Pancake
Acrylic Mascot Key Rings
10 Designs
This marks the second collaboration between Rurouni Kenshin and Hello Kitty, the first taking place back in 2014 in promotion of Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. Fans can get their hands on a collection of cute merchandise with Hello Kitty dressed as various characters from the series, as well as tuck into a themed menu which will first be served at Sweets Paradise Ueno ABAB from April 22 before rolling out to six more Sweets Paradise branches in Japan. ©和月伸宏／集英社 ©2020 映画「るろうに剣心 最終章 The Final/The Beginning 」製作委員会Plush Toys Information
Rurouni Kenshin x HELLO KITTY
Release Date: April 4, 2021
Buy Merchandise: At Sanrio stores and shops stocking Sanrio merch in Japan
Store List: https://www.sanrio.co.jp/goodsinfo/kt-rurouni-kenshin-202104/?shop
Also Available Online
Sanrio: https://shop.sanrio.co.jp/
Rakuten: https://www.rakuten.co.jp/sanrio/
PayPay Mall: https://paypaymall.yahoo.co.jp/store/sanrio/top/
*Pins and acrylic stands unavailable online, available in-store only
Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty IN SWEETS PARADISE
Start Date: April 22, 2021
Details: https://www.sweets-paradise.jp/collaboration/kenshin_kitty
Sanrio Official Website: https://www.sanrio.co.jp
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ONE OK ROCK to Perform Rurouni Kenshin ‘Final Chapter’ Live-Action Film Theme Songs, New Visual Released
The ‘Final Chapter’ film adaptations of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s popular manga series Rurouni Kenshin, titled Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, will premiere in Japan on July 3, 2020 and August 7, 2020 respectively. The original Rurouni Kenshin manga, along with its anime adaptation, is an internationally beloved series the world over that has made it to over 100 countries worldwide, including North America, UK, Europe Hong Kong, South Korea, and elsewhere. It is one of the best-selling manga series, with over 72 million copies in circulation. To date, live-action film adaptations as a whole have earned over ¥12.5 billion, and have been seen by 9.8 million people in cinemas.The Rurouni Kenshin live-action film series will conclude with The Final and The Beginning. Kenshin will once again gather together with his fellow members of the Kamiya Dōjō to face Kenshin's greatest enemy. The new visual released for the films reveal that Yūsuke Iseya will reprise his role as Shinomori Aoshi, as will Tao Tsuchiya as Makimachi Misao. When asked about returning to the film series after 6 years, Yūsuke Iseya (Shinomori Aoshi) said: "I was over the moon about it as the previous two films were really popular. It was my first time appearing in a film series so being involved has given me a wholly new experience." He also commented on the film shoot itself: "The characters in the manga don't age, but I do, and my 30's mentality and 40's mentality have been completely different <laughs>." When asked about what he feels he accomplished during the shoot, Iseya said: "I'm always 120% grateful for the things I've been given the chance to do. The action team, including the directors [Keishi] Ohtomo and [Kenji] Tanigaki, really encourage the actors. They've given me a place where I can be at my most confident when I act. Thanks to them, I've had no worries, and was able to take the character's meaning and principles to heart. I feel blessed to be an actor. I feel at ease that we've been able to safely finish the shoot." Tao Tsuchiya (Makimachi Misao) was asked about filming the action scenes: "It was difficult, and a lot of hard work, but even in the action scenes I made sure to portray her as having taken responsibilities on since the last film too. I think we've bumped up the action even more to the previous films." She also commented on this continuation of the film series: "My dream has come true getting the opportunity to be involved in something like this, where everyone in the staff and cast are putting all their strength in [...] I'm over the moon that I was born in a time where this series can be made into a live-action." ONE OK ROCK will return to perform the main theme songs for the final films. They have provided powerful tracks for each film in the live-action series so far. This has included the first film main theme The Beginning, which tells the story of the beginning of Kenshin Himura's journey, not an assassin but a lone wolf; Mighty Long Fall , a song about despair, hope, and comeback which was used in the Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno film; and Heartache, a ballad that was used in Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. Information
Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final
Release Date: July 3, 2020
Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Beginning
Release Date: August 7, 2020
Official Website: http://rurouni-kenshin.jp