Rurouni Kenshin: The Final Is The Best Live-Action Anime Movie On Netflix
When it comes to legitimately good live-action anime adaptations, the pickings are pretty slim. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. If you’re looking to check out a good example of a live-action anime, then Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is the movie you should check out on Netflix.
Before diving into why Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is probably the best live-action anime movie currently available on Netflix, it’s worth giving a quick disclaimer and mentioning the controversy surrounding the creator of the manga, Nobuhiro Watsuki.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final keeps the original themes from the manga, and, perhaps most importantly, it really delivers when it comes to the fight choreography.
Watsuki was arrested in 2017 on charges of possession of child pornography, and fans of Rurouni Kenshin have had to reconcile their love for the franchise with this reprehensible act ever since. Watsuki, however, was not involved in the making of this film, and the cast and crew undoubtedly worked hard on this creative endeavor.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final on Netflix adapts the final arc of the manga and was directed and written by Keishi Otomo. The film follows protagonist Himura Kenshin as his past as a former assassin comes back to haunt him when Shangai mafia leader Yukishiro Enishi seeks revenge for the death of his sister at Kenshin’s hands.
The film stars Takeru Satoh in the lead role, along with Emi Takei, Mackenyu Arata, Yusuke Iseya, Munetaka Aoki, Yo Aoi, Tao Tsuchiya, Ryunosuke Kamiki, and Yosuke Eguchi.
Although Rurouni Kenshin: The Final on Netflix does incorporate the final arc of the manga, the Jinchu Arc, fans will likely notice that the film doesn’t incorporate some original elements of its own. It certainly doesn’t take away from the story or the quality of the film, but it’s worth noting. It keeps the original themes from the manga, and, perhaps most importantly, it really delivers when it comes to the fight choreography.
While the fights in something like Rurouni Kenshin are certainly a bit more grounded than something you might see in Dragonball Z or One Piece, it’s still typically more kinetic than your average Hollywood fight scene.
The debate of whether or not anime ever needs to be adapted to live-action formats will rage on, but perhaps one way to get more people into the idea is by executing the dynamic fights from the manga and anime mediums in a believable and dynamic way when filmed in live-action.
That is one area where Rurouni Kenshin: The Final on Netflix really exceeds expectations. While the fights in something like Rurouni Kenshin are certainly a bit more grounded than something you might see in Dragonball Z or One Piece, it’s still typically more kinetic than your average Hollywood fight scene.
The direction, fight choreography, and the performances by the leads all work in tandem to make Rurouni Kenshin: The Final easily one of the best live-action anime adaptations on Netflix.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final on Netflix has some amazing fight scenes and is really able to highlight the unique fighting styles and swordplay of the different characters. Fans of the manga or anime will be well aware that Himura Kenshin wields a katana with a blunt blade on the striking side of the sword, to make it virtually impossible to use the blade for killing as a way to atone for his sins as a former assassin. Capturing Kenshin’s unique fighting style is essential for a live-action adaptation, and the film pulls it off with aplomb.
The direction, fight choreography, and the performances by the leads all work in tandem to make Rurouni Kenshin: The Final easily one of the best live-action anime adaptations on Netflix. The film received mostly great reviews and even managed to be a bit of a box office hit despite Japan being in a national state of emergency in 2021.
Plus, if you like this film, there are various other Rurouni Kenshin films on Netflix, including Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part II – The Beginning, which acts as a prequel to the film and gives more emotional depths to the characters, along with diving deeper into Kenshin’s past.
Both Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part II – The Beginning are worth checking out, but if you only watch one, then the first part is definitely the superior entry. Netflix seems intent on continuing to adapt animes to live-action, so maybe it could take a page from these films that it licensed when creating its own adaptations. The recent Cowboy Bebop live-action adaptation fell flat on its face, and the Death Note live-action film that Netflix tried to make was similarly a failure, so hopefully, the streamer can learn from its mistakes, and we’ll see the upcoming One Piece live-action adaptation finally get everything right.
