Way to do everything right on this masterpiece, Japan. For once I don’t need to send angry hate mail across the ocean. Last August the long-awaited live-action movie adaptation of the classic early Meiji period swordsman manga Ruruoni Kenshin (るろうに剣心) was released and proceeded to be even better than everyone dreamed, hoped, and prayed for. It was Da Bomb, that is all. Starring Sato Takeru as the titular Himura Kenshin, the movie dealt with only the first arc from the long-running manga series, when Kenshin goes to Tokyo and meets Kaoru after wandering for ten years after the end of the Bakumatsu war. Jump SQ, the publishing house behind Ruruoni Kenshin, dropped the thrilling bombshell news on its latest weekly shonen magazine that the next two live-action film sequels have been green lit and will be filming simultaneously. What that what? The original director Otomo Keishi is returning as well the main cast, which includes the deliciously perfect and quietly sexy Sato Takeru as both bumbling sweet Kenshin and deadly quiet Hitokiri Battosai. The two sequels will be released within months of each other slated for next year during the Summer of 2014. The second movie will be called The Great Kyoto Fire, which of course deals with the Kyoto arc in the manga with successor Battoasi Shishio Makoto’s plan to overthrow the new Meiji government and instill his new chaotic world order. Playing Shishio Makoto (and likely already getting measured for bandages) is Fujiwara Tatsuya, no stranger to edgy roles after playing the lead in the Battle Royale movies a decade ago and also headlining the Death Note movies. Good choice. The third movie is called The End of the Legend and will deal with Jinchu arc in the manga when Yukishiro Enishi returns after ten years to seek all-hell-breaks-loose revenge on Kenshin for the death of his older sister and Kenshin’s wife Tomoe. Enishi hasn’t been cast yet but it’s a meaty role for sure. Filming is slated to begin in late Summer and wrap up by year end for both movies. I wouldn’t mind if leading lady Takei Emi gets swapped out since she was the sole weak link but I can deal with it if she returns since Kaoru is such a figurehead at times anyways. I seriously CANNOT wait for the next two movies to drop, in the meantime watch a well-made thrilling MV containing all that is epic about the first movie Continue reading →