Raijūta's Ambition: The Fantasy of the Forbidden Kingdom is the 19th episode of the Rurouni Kenshin anime.
Synopsis[]
The Kenshin group go on vacation in Izu. While being there, a wealthy boy named Yutarō falls under the bad influence of Raijūta, who intends to create an independent kingdom with the help of his warriors and plans to use Yutarō as a scapegoat. Are Kenshin and the group going to stop Raijūta's ambitions? How strong are Raijūta and his followers?
Plot[]
Kaoru grabs Kenshin in fear of the wooden bridge
Himura Kenshin and his friends travel to Izu on vacation to visit Doctor Oguni Gensai's little sister Hana, deciding to stay with her for a week. The house she looks after belongs to Tsukayama Yutarō, the son of a samurai who died years ago. Yutaro is a very rich and arrogant little boy who looks down on others, due to being raised and looked after by servants his entire life.
Tsukayama Yutarō, the master of region
When he learns that Kenshin is a swordsman, he states that the former looked scrawny and weak and rudely demands him to prove his skills, whereby Yutarō would accept him as his mentor. but Kenshin says that he does not have the desire to train him in the first place. Yutarō continues being arrogant and Myōjin Yahiko, who is disgusted by his behavior the whole time, has enough and pins him to the ground. Sagara Sanosuke pulls Yahiko off him and Kaoru tells Yutarō that in order to be a great swordsman, he needs to be a humbler and more respectful person. Yutarō then demands all of them to leave his mansion at once.
Raijūta and the followers of the Shinko-ryū
Soon afterwards, while riding on a horse, Yutarō and his servants get attacked by a group of thugs, but he is then saved by Isurugi Raijūta, who begins to brutally kill the thieves one by one. So Yutarō declares he will be as important as his late father, and invites him to his mansion, where he states everyone must respect Raijūta. But when he tries to start taking kendo classes with him, Raijūta breaks his wooden sord and gives him a proper Katana. Then he presents to Yutarō some of his lieutenants (Sakuramaru, Kiriji, Tsukiō and Tsuruzaemon) of the Shinko-ryū.
All the ladies enjoying their time at the hot springs
Some time later Kenshin, his group and Yutarō go to fish at the river, and then go to a hot springs. While being there, they learn by Hana that Raijūta and his followers have been taken control of the Tsukayama estate and have already been selling some of the Tsukayama's possesions to buy weapons for some war.
Yutarō falling to the fierce ocean
Raijūta and his lieutenants discuss about Kenshin being the legendary Battōsai, and later that night Raijūta asks Kenshin about his opinion about the current state of the swordsmanship in Japan, and they try to convince him to join the Shinko-ryū. When Kenshin refuses to join Raijūta, his followers start to attack him. In the midst of the fight, Yutarō falls to the fierce ocean.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Isurugi Raijūta
- Oguni Ayame
- Oguni Suzume
- Sagara Sanosuke
- Myōjin Yahiko
- Kamiya Kaoru
- Himura Kenshin
- Takani Megumi
- Oguni Hana
- Tsukayama Yutarō
- Sakuramaru
- Kiriji
- Tsukiō
- Tsuruzaemon
Anime Notes[]
- There are significant differences in the events of this episode between the anime and the manga:
- In the original manga, the Tsukayama family live in Tokyo, in contrast with the anime where they live in Izu.
- The character of Oguni Hana is anime original.
- In the original manga, Yutarō's father is alive, being a shy and nervous person who works as a merchant, in contrast with the anime where he was a samurai and died.
- In the manga, Kaoru, Kenshin and the group go to the Maekawa Dōjō where Kaoru sometimes trains as an assistant instructor. While being there, Raijūta apepars and defies the Dōjō, fights against Maekawa Miyauchi and hurts him. So Kenshin steps in and (in a kendo contest) forces a draw against Raijūta. So he leaves after threatening Kenshin. All of this is ommited in the anime.
- In the original manga, then Raijūta sends a letter to Kenshin, and days later they have a conversation at the Tsukayama state, where he asks Kenshin about his opinions on the current state of swordsmanship in Japan. This is in contrast with the anime, where Raijūta and Kenshin speak at night on a cliff by the ocean.
- In the manga, Raijūta dispatches his 4 followers to attack Himura Kenshin at the Kamiya Dōjō with an ultimatum: join them or die. The four enter the Dōjō and surround Kenshin. When Kenshin declines to join them they attack him, but Kenshin quickly defeats them. All the scene in the cliff at night with Yutarō's life on danger (by falling to the ocean) is anime original.
Trivia[]
- The instrumental parts of the song "Kokoro no Hadaka" (Naked Heart), which is an image song of Sanosuke Sagara, are heard at several moments of this episode.
- The instrumental parts of the song "Shiroi Ichigo" (White Strawberry), which is an image song of Ayame and Suzume, are heard in the scene where everyone is crossing the hanging wooden bridge.
- The Province of Izu was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture, that bordered Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Nowadays, the Izu Province is the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands are now part of Tokyo.
Gallery[]
