Kyoto Inferno
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, also known as ''Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno'' in North America, is a 2014 Japanese ''
jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...
''
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
based on the ''
Rurouni Kenshin is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins in 1878, the 11th year of the Meiji era in Japan, and follows a former assassin of the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work against ...
'' manga series, and serves as the second installment of the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' film series', following the first film ''
Rurouni Kenshin is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins in 1878, the 11th year of the Meiji era in Japan, and follows a former assassin of the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work against ...
'' (2012). The story follows
Himura Kenshin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga ''Rurouni Kenshin'' created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin's story is set in a fictional version of Japan during the Meiji period. Kenshin is a former legendary assassin known as , more ...
as he heads to
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
to face a powerful group led by
Shishio Makoto , known in the English anime in Western order as Makoto Shishio, is a fictional character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki and the main antagonist from the ''Kyoto Arc'', the second arc of the series. Shishio ...
, a man who wants to rule Japan after being betrayed by the government. ''Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno'' released in Japan on August 1, 2014, by Warner Bros. Pictures Japan, and received positive reviews from critics. The film was followed by a direct sequel, '' Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends'', which released the following month, and takes place immediately from the ending of ''Kyoto Inferno''.


Plot

In Settsu Mine,
Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...
,
Saitō Hajime (born ; February 18, 1844 – September 28, 1915) was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, who most famously served as the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. He was one of the few core members who survived the numerous wars ...
leads the Japanese police in tracking
Shishio Makoto , known in the English anime in Western order as Makoto Shishio, is a fictional character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki and the main antagonist from the ''Kyoto Arc'', the second arc of the series. Shishio ...
, a notorious renegade who was betrayed by the government after he had helped them defeat the
Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
during the
Battle of Toba–Fushimi The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 (or fourth year of Keiō, first month, 3rd day, according to the lunar calendar), when the forces of the sho ...
. However, Shishio's men ambush and massacre the police in the mine; Sishio tells Saitō his plan to conquer Japan before leaving. After the events of
the first film ''The First Film'' is a 2015 British documentary film about cinema pioneer Louis Le Prince, made by David Nicholas Wilkinson. It argues the case that Le Prince, rather than the Lumière brothers, was the true inventor of moving pictures, making ...
,
Himura Kenshin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga ''Rurouni Kenshin'' created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin's story is set in a fictional version of Japan during the Meiji period. Kenshin is a former legendary assassin known as , more ...
continues to live in the
kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms o ...
dojo of
Kamiya Kaoru , known as Kaoru Kamiya in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Kori Kamiya in the English Sony ''Samurai X'' dub, is a fictional character in the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the story Kaoru is the instruct ...
alongside
Myōjin Yahiko , known as Yahiko Myojin in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Yoshi Mujin in the English Sony ''Samurai X'' dub,Sagara Sanosuke is a fictional character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga and anime series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the English anime adaptations he is known as Sanosuke Sagara and nicknamed Sano. Watsuki, being a fan of the Shinsengumi, created Sano ...
, and
Takani Megumi The manga series ''Rurouni Kenshin'' features a large cast of character (arts), fictional characters created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Set in Japan during the Meiji period, several of the characters are real historical figures who interact with the ...
. He is called by a government official,
Ōkubo Toshimichi Ōkubo Toshimichi (; 26 September 1830 – 14 May 1878) was a Japanese statesman and samurai of the Satsuma Domain who played a central role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration (維新の ...
, to track down Shishio, who is terrorizing
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
and its surroundings. Though he declines the request at first, he relents when the official is murdered by
Seta Sōjirō , addressed as Sojiro Seta in the English anime, is a fictional character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is Shishio Makoto's 16-year-old right-hand man. Sōjirō has been favorably popular with the ''Ru ...
, Shishio's underling. Just after Kenshin's departure, an individual arrives at
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
and searches for him, beating Sanosuke along the way. While on the way, Kenshin meets with
Makimachi Misao , in the Media Blasters dub, is a character from the fictional ''Rurouni Kenshin'' universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Misao is a 16-year-old girl and the youngest member of the ninja group called Oniwabanshū. She leaves her home to find ...
, who attempts to steal his sakabato. While the two converse, they are alerted by a boy to the plight of his parents and brother, all of whom are killed by Shishio's men for trying to report their atrocities to their village to the authorities. Kenshin beats Shishio's men, though his identity as
Hitokiri The was a term given to four samurai during the Bakumatsu era in Japanese history. The four men were Kawakami Gensai, Kirino Toshiaki (also known as Nakamura Hanjirō), Tanaka Shinbei, and Okada Izō. They opposed the Tokugawa shogunate (and ...
Battōsai is revealed. Kenshin is taken to Shishio himself, the latter ordering Sōjiro to duel Kenshin, which ends with Sōjiro breaking Kenshin's sakabato. As he leaves the scene, Kenshin urges the villagers, including the orphaned boy, not to take their revenge against Shishio's men. Arriving at Kyoto, Kenshin is asked by Misao, who is impressed by his words, to take shelter at an inn run by
Kashiwazaki Nenji The manga series ''Rurouni Kenshin'' features a large cast of character (arts), fictional characters created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Set in Japan during the Meiji period, several of the characters are real historical figures who interact with the ...
, actually a semi-retired
ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...
called Okina once employed by the Tokugawa shogunate known as the
Oniwabanshu The or was a group of government-employed undercover agents (''onmitsu''), established by the 8th Tokugawa ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684–1751). They were under the direct command of the shōgun and were in charge of assassination of ...
who were previously employed by the Tokugawa shogunate; Misao herself is also an aspiring ninja. Okina warns Kenshin that a lieutenant of his,
Shinomori Aoshi , known in Western order as Aoshi Shinomori in the English version of the anime, is a fictional character in the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Shinomori Aoshi is the genius young of the Oniwabanshū group for ...
(the one who beat Sanosuke previously), has made it his life goal to kill the strongest man in Japan - Kenshin. Meanwhile, Kaoru decides to follow Kenshin to Kyoto, accompanied by Yahiko and Sanosuke. At the same time, Kenshin discovers to his dismay that the person who made his sakabato, Arai Shakku, has died years before. His son, Seiku, initially refuses Kenshin's plea for another sakabato, but when Shishio's elite warrior, Sawagejō Chō, kidnaps his baby, Seiku asks Kenshin to defeat him. Seiku gives him a twin of the previous sakabato, which Kenshin uses to defeat Chō. By interrogating Chō, the government learns that Shishio plans to raze Kyoto to the ground that night. The government police, together with Kenshin, the
Oniwabanshu The or was a group of government-employed undercover agents (''onmitsu''), established by the 8th Tokugawa ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684–1751). They were under the direct command of the shōgun and were in charge of assassination of ...
ninja, and the newly-arrived Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke, battle Shishio's men, while to prevent Aoshi from interfering Kenshin, Okina challenges his former pupil into a duel, which ends in his defeat. However, Kenshin realizes that Shishio's main goal is to set fire not to Kyoto, but
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. Kenshin discovers Shishio's ship about to set sail to the capital after learning that Sōjirō has kidnapped Kaoru. There, he has an inconclusive battle with Shishio, which ends when Kaoru is thrown over board. Kenshin jumps into the sea, but is unable to locate her. The film ends with a mysterious man finding Kenshin's unconscious body washed up on the beach and carries him away.


Cast

Principal cast list as presented on the Funimation Films website in Western name order: *
Takeru Satoh is a Japanese actor. He is best known for his leading role as Kamen Rider Den-O (character)#Ryotaro Nogami, Ryotaro Nogami in the ''Kamen Rider Den-O'' franchise, and as Himura Kenshin in the live-action ''Rurouni Kenshin (film), Rurouni Kenshin ...
as Kenshin Himura *
Emi Takei is a Japanese actress and model. Biography Takei was born in Nagoya. Aspiring to become a model, she declared to her parents on her entry to junior high school that she would become a model within three years. In 2006, she entered the 11th Japa ...
as
Kaoru Kamiya , known as Kaoru Kamiya in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Kori Kamiya in the English Sony ''Samurai X'' dub, is a fictional character in the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the story Kaoru is the instruct ...
*
Munetaka Aoki is a Japanese actor. He played Sanosuke Sagara in the live action adaptation of the manga and anime series ''Rurouni Kenshin'', and engineer Sōsaku Tachibana in ''Godzilla Minus One''. He is married to Japanese actress and model Yūka. Film ...
as
Sanosuke Sagara is a fictional character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga and anime series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the English anime adaptations he is known as Sanosuke Sagara and nicknamed Sano. Watsuki, being a fan of the Shinsengumi, created Sano ...
*
Yū Aoi is a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film '' All About Lily Chou-Chou''. She subsequently portrayed Tetsuko Arisugawa in '' Hana and Alice'' (2004), also directed by Iwai, Kimiko Tanigawa ...
as Megumi Takani * Kaito Oyagi as Yahiko Myojin *
Yōsuke Eguchi is a Japanese actor and singer. Since 1986, he has appeared in a number of television series and movies. Personal life He is married to the singer-songwriter Chisato Moritaka (born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is ...
as Hajime Saito *
Tatsuya Fujiwara is a Japanese actor. Internationally, he is best known for his leading roles as Shuya Nanahara in the '' Battle Royale'' films, Light Yagami in the ''Death Note'' films, Kaiji Itō in the ''Kaiji'' films, and Rikuhiko Yuki in Hideo Nakata's '' ...
as Makoto Shishio *
Ryunosuke Kamiki is a Japanese actor. Starting his career as a child prodigy, he has garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards for his performances across 25 years in the industry. Kamiki debuted in a 1995 commercial. Four years later, he had a leading rol ...
as Sojiro Seta *
Maryjun Takahashi , is a Japanese actress and model. She has appeared in ''CanCam'' magazine and various television commercials. Biography Takahashi was born in Ōtsu, Shiga to a Filipino mother and a Japanese father. She has a younger sister, Yu Takahashi, w ...
as Yumi Komagata * Ryosuke Miura as Cho Sawagejo *
Tao Tsuchiya is a Japanese actress. She is best known for her memorable role of Makimachi Misao in the movie series ''Rurouni Kenshin'', as Mai Nakahara in '' The 8-Year Engagement'', Koharu in ''The Cinderella Addiction'' and most recently as Yuzuha Usagi i ...
as Misao Makimachi *
Min Tanaka is a Japanese dancer and actor. Biography Tanaka was trained in ballet and modern dance, but in 1974, turned his back on these forms. He began his solo career with a series of nearly-naked primarily outdoor improvisational dances that took place ...
as
Okina Okina may refer to: * ʻOkina, a letter used in some Polynesian languages, visually resembling a left single quotation mark * Okina () or , a character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series * Okina, Spain, a village in the Basque Country * , ...
*
Masaharu Fukuyama is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor from Nagasaki. He debuted in 1990 with the single "Tsuioku no Ame no Naka". Fukuyama is represented by the agency Amuse, Inc. Career While Fukuyama can also be seen in Japanese television drama ...
as Seijuro Hiko :
Yūsuke Iseya is a Japanese actor, director, artist, and businessman. Career Iseya co-starred with Arata Iura, Yui Natsukawa, and Susumu Terajima in Hirokazu Koreeda's ''Distance (2001 film), Distance''. He appeared in Takashi Miike's ''13 Assassins (2010 fi ...
makes his first appearance in the film series as Aoshi Shinomori. : Miyazawa Kazufumi as
Ōkubo Toshimichi Ōkubo Toshimichi (; 26 September 1830 – 14 May 1878) was a Japanese statesman and samurai of the Satsuma Domain who played a central role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration (維新の ...
, one of historical
Three Great Nobles of the Restoration The is a term used in Japan for three figures that played an important role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and are regarded as the founders of the modern state of Japan.『維新元勲十傑論』、16頁 The Three Great Nobles were: * Ōkubo ...


Production

''Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno'' was shot in a variety of locations around Japan, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagano, Ibaraki, and Kanagawa. Over 5000 extras were hired for the production, and filming wrapped on December 27, 2013. For the Kyoto duology films, director
Keishi Ōtomo is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is known for psychological thrillers and historical dramas, as well as adapting a variety of manga and novels to film, including ''The Vulture''  (2009), ''Ryōmaden'' (2010), and the ''Rurouni Ke ...
said he did not have to put much advice to
Takeru Satoh is a Japanese actor. He is best known for his leading role as Kamen Rider Den-O (character)#Ryotaro Nogami, Ryotaro Nogami in the ''Kamen Rider Den-O'' franchise, and as Himura Kenshin in the live-action ''Rurouni Kenshin (film), Rurouni Kenshin ...
as his acting in the first film attracted multiple positive reactions by the staff and the audience. He then stated "Even without saying this or that from the side, he created an image of Kenshin, including his behavior, swordplay, and speech, through the necessary preparation and hard work. So I didn’t worry at all". Due to the Kyoto films showing a darker characterization of Kenshin as he struggles against different strong rivals, Satoh also said his work became more challenging. Still, he found it interesting. A scene that Satoh enjoyed was Kenshin's fight against Sawagejō Chō due to the fact Kenshin is forced to attack his enemy even though he does not know his weapon is deadly which goes against his morals; as a result, Satoh briefly showed Kenshin's ''hitokiri'' side for a brief moment. The actor said he discussed this scene with the director who pleased with the result.


Music

One Ok Rock's song " Mighty Long Fall" from their seventh album, ''
35xxxv ''35xxxv'' (read as ''thirty five'' or ''Sātīfaibu'') is the seventh studio album by the Japanese band One OK Rock. It was released on February 11, 2015. This is their first album recorded abroad, primarily in the US. The song "Mighty Long F ...
'', is featured in the movie.


Release

''Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno'' was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures Japan in Japan on August 1, 2014. It was later released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 17. In June 2016, Funimation Films announced that they acquired the rights to the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' live-action trilogy for American distribution, and released subtitled in American theaters in September 2016. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Funimation on December 6, 2016 in North America which includes an English dubbed version of the film, with
TV-MA The TV Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system in the United States that was first proposed on December 19, 1996, by the United States Congress, the American television industry, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ...
rating.


Reception


Box office

At the box office the movie earned a total of internationally. The film also held the top spot at the box office in Japan during its first week. It was the third highest-grossing film of 2014 at the Japanese box office with . The film made its United States premiere at
LA EigaFest LA EigaFest, is an annual film festival held in Los Angeles, California hosted by the Japan Film Society. It showcases the latest Japanese films to the American audience. The festival also hosts a Shorts Competition (the Golden Zipangu Awards) an ...
2014.


Critical reception

The film received positive reviews from critics, with widespread praise regarding the film's action direction and fight choreography conducted by
Kenji Tanigaki is a Japanese action choreographer, stunt performer, and film director. He is best known for his works in Hong Kong action cinema, and has expanded his career in Japanese cinema and Hollywood. Inspired by Jackie Chan's action films, Tanigak ...
. Christopher O'Keeffe of
TwitchFilm ScreenAnarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...
declared that the film "Delivers grand thrills" and "Satisfies with its mix of character drama and sword fights as it leads up to an intense battle on the streets of ancient Kyoto. By the time the sea-set finale roles around, everything is left in balance for what promises to be an epic ending to this thrilling tale." Marcus Goh of
Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
praised the film, stating that "''Kyoto Inferno'' is a wonderfully executed adaptation that manages to wield together all the highlights of the manga and anime, while still fully utilising the film medium to tell its tale. Despite being the first part of a two-part sequel, it manages to be a self-sufficient, coherent story – not an easy feat for a two-part sequel." Anime News Network enjoyed the film for expanding the lore by introducing new enemies and settings with entertaining fight scenes superior to the ones from the first movie but felt the film suffered from being filled with several sidecharacters and subplots. Remy Van Ruiten praised the film, stating that "''Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno'' is a fantastic movie...Even in the age of a high budget
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
, ''Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno'' is a very rare treat. As there aren’t as many of these movies being made based on anime of this caliber and the few that do get made avoiding sticking to the same formula, both overall and for the choreography during the battles, the experience still manages to feel fresh." Mikhail Lecaros of
GMA News Online GMA Network Inc., commonly known as GMA, is a Philippine media company based in Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. GMA is primarily involved in radio and television broadcasting, with subsidiaries dealing in various media-related ...
stated "Ohtomo presents ''Kyoto Inferno'' with deliberate pacing, making the most of his now-extended runtime (''Kyoto Inferno'' and ''The Legend Ends'' were filmed simultaneously), wisely giving the film moments to breathe. When the prerequisite sword fights and various punch-ups do show up, they are pitch-perfect live action extrapolations of the hand-drawn scenes that have enthralled fans for the past fifteen years." Jahanzeb Khan of Snap Thirty awarded the film an "A" rating, and goes on to describe how "''Kyoto Inferno'' does an excellent job of setting the scene for the epic conclusion that follows in ''The Legend Ends'', and without this methodological build up the grand finale in the third film would not have the same weight to it at all."


Accolades


Sequel

A direct sequel, '' Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends'', released on September 13, 2014. The film takes place immediately after the ending of ''Kyoto Inferno''


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Film, Japan, 2010s, History, Anime and manga 2014 films Funimation 2010s Japanese-language films Japanese sequel films Jidaigeki films Live-action films based on manga Rurouni Kenshin films 2010s samurai films Warner Bros. films Films directed by Keishi Ōtomo Films shot in Kyoto Prefecture Films shot in Tokyo 2010s historical adventure films Japanese historical action films Films set in the 19th century Films set in the Meiji era Films scored by Naoki Satō Japanese historical adventure films 2010s Japanese films