Overview
A deadly assassin finds love and redemption in a time of turmoil.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- grim
- melancholic
- intense
- samurai movie night
- manga adaptation marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the lead performances, emotionally rich romance, realistic and exceptionally violent sword fights, and the film's effective closure of Kenshin's live-action saga, while noting its lengthy pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story unfolds in 1864 during the Bakumatsu period and foregrounds samurai assassins, swords, and Shogunate loyalists.
Kenshin and Tomoe's marriage offers a possible escape from his assassin's life while political enemies and violence threaten their future.
Kenshin's identity as the Battosai and his attempt to abandon the sword establish the film's central movement toward moral change.
Critics highlighted the unusually violent, bloody fights and the more realistic portrayal of Kenshin as a working assassin.
Films like Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, and why
The Last Samurai
period samurai action, tragic romance, and morally conflicted swordsmanship
13 Assassins
stylized historical swordplay, intimate romance, and a protagonist shaped by violence
Blade of the Immortal
jidaigeki action, revenge, and emotionally severe character drama
The Flowers of War
tragic romantic drama set amid political upheaval and impending violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Keishi Otomo
- Release Date
- 2021-06-04
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (566)
Cast
- Takeru Satoh
- Kasumi Arimura
- Issey Takahashi
- Nijiro Murakami
- Masanobu Ando
- Kazuki Kitamura
- Yosuke Eguchi
- Towa Araki
- Shima Onishi
- Soko Wada
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning about?
- A lethal Bakumatsu assassin seeks redemption through love, but political violence turns his hoped-for escape into a tragic origin story.
- What is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning as graphic.
- What did critics think of Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?
- Critics broadly praised the lead performances, emotionally rich romance, realistic and exceptionally violent sword fights, and the film's effective closure of Kenshin's live-action saga, while noting its lengthy pacing.
- Which films are like Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Samurai, 13 Assassins, Blade of the Immortal, and The Flowers of War.
- How long is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?
- Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning runs 138 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?
- In United States, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
