Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014) (DVD) (Normal Edition) (Japan Version) DVD Region 2

The film opens with Meiji government assassin turned pacifist Kenshin (Sato Takeru) washing up on a beach, having failed to rescue Kaoru (Takei Emi) after her being thrown off the battleship of the maniacal Shishio (Fujiwara Tatsuya). Found by his former master Seijuro (Fukuyama Masaharu), Kenshin begs to be taught the secret of his ultimate move, despite having sworn never to kill again, knowing that this is his only chance to defeat Shishio and stop him destroying the country. Suitably prepared, he heads off to confront the villain and his men in Edo, ready to do whatever it takes to bring down his deranged opponent. Meanwhile, Aoshi (Iseya Yusuke) continues his own vengeful pursuit of Kenshin, whose friends desperately try to track him down and add their strength to his in the battle against Shishio.

By now, anyone who has seen the prior instalments of Otomo Keishi's new Rurouni Kenshin trilogy should have a very good idea of what to expect, and thankfully The Legend Ends keeps up the high level of quality and craftsmanship the series has displayed throughout. With Kyoto Inferno having clearly been a build-up teaser for the final chapter, the pressure was always going to be on for Legend to deliver on promises made, though thankfully Otomo manages to do this successfully, showing a steady hand through to the end. A three film series obviously results in a lot of subplots and loose ends alongside the main narrative, and these are all tied up satisfactorily, Kenshin's crusade to bring an end to Shishio's lunacy and to take on his own personal demons coming to a conclusion which, if not exactly unpredictable, certainly fits. Otomo again shows a pleasing attention to character detail, and while the story is undoubtedly Kenshin's, the rest of the supporting cast all get their own resolutions, even poor, mad Shishio, who stands out as one of the genre's most interesting villains for some time. Praise goes to all the performers involved, each of whom has turned in stalwart work across the three films, giving it a level of depth and engagement not generally seen in manga or anime live action adaptations.

The film also scores highly when it comes to action, offering up the many battles and tense duels that Kyoto Inferno laid the groundwork for. With plenty of swordfights and set pieces along the way to Kenshin's inevitable clash with Shishio, the film moves at a brisk pace, with the training sequences giving it an at times pleasantly old-fashioned feel. When it arrives, the sequence with Kenshin and his comrades storming Shishio's huge battle ship is suitably bombastic and thrilling, and the climatic bout is, happily, just about worth having waited three films for. Excellent action choreography and impressive production values help, and the film looks great during both its loud and quiet moments, giving it the grand air of a top-pedigree epic.

The Rurouni Kenshin trilogy has been entertaining and enjoyable from the start, and The Legend Ends provides it with the conclusion it deserves. Although there's nothing particularly new or clever about the narrative arc or its themes, the series has served fans well throughout, each instalment standing comfortably among the better Japanese sword films of the few years.

by James Mudge - EasternKicks.com