The State of Meiji Swordsmanship is the thirty-fourth chapter of the Rurouni Kenshin manga.
Synopsis[]
Kenshin accompanies Kaoru to the Maekawa Dōjō where she teaches Kendo as a guest instructor sometimes. The main instructor, Maekawa Miyauchi, tries to challenge Kenshin to a kendo combat but Kenshin declines. Suddenly a person enters the Dōjō challenging the owner, and defeats (and injuries) Maekawa Miyauchi with a mysterious technique. Who really is this Dōjō challenger?? Can Kenshin stop him for good?
Summary[]
To be added
Characters[]
Chapter Notes[]
This chapter has several differences with the only other portrayal of the events of the story in a different iteration of the franchise:
Differences with the 2023 anime[]
- At the beginning of the manga chapter there is only one panel of Kaoru changing clothes in her room. This is in contrast with the anime where Yahiko opens the door and watches her.
- In the manga Kaoru carries Yahiko tied aroud her bokutō on their way to the Maekawa Dōjō in punishment for him watching her changing clothes. This is in contrast with the anime where Kaoru carries Yahiko dragging on their way to Maekawa.
- In the manga when Maekawa Miyauchi meets Kenshin at the throws several challenging looks at Kenshin trying to force him into battling Maekawa until he desists. In the anime, Maekawa just gives one (rather long) challenging look at Kenshin before desisting.
- In the manga Raijūta and Kenshin fight using shinais. This is in contrast with the anime where they fight using bokutōs.
Trivia[]
- The first two pages were originally released in color.
- This is the only manga chapter of the early story (Tokyo Arc) that has never been animated in any way up to the 2023 anime.
- The 1996 anime heavily changed the Isurugi Raijūta Arc, to ommit the Maekawa Dōjō and Maekawa Miyauchi. Instead it presented Yutarō as a wealthy orphan living in Izu (where the Kenshingumi traveled on vacation).
- The Maekawa Dōjō (and Maekawa Miyauchi) made a cameo appearance in the live action film Rurouni Kenshin: The Final.
Gallery[]
To be added