Can assassins ever get a second chance?  Manga and anime would like to think so.  The anime RUROUNI KENSHIN - THE COMPLETE TV SERIES, based on.

The manga of the same name, stars former assassin Kenshin.  He worked as an assassin in the Meiji Revolution, a rather bloody job to say the least, and afterward decided to turn his life around.  Do things for the good of humanity.  Can it be done?

When Kenshin’s introduced to the audience, he doesn’t act much like an assassin.  These days he calls himself a wanderer.  He carries a reverse blade sword so.

He can keep from harming anyone.  And he’s . . . well . . . kind of a dork.  He gets embarrassed easily.  He makes mistakes.  For instance, he tries to save a girl from drowning, only to barge in and find out she’s bathing.  Oops.

But he’s known as the man slayer, and he got this name for a reason.  It’s not unusual for his friends and companions to get into trouble with dangerous people.  And, with perfect timing, Kenshin shows up to save the day.  He may not kill people with his reverse blade sword, but he can do some serious damage and scare them away.

Kenshin is backed up by a colorful cast of characters.  It doesn’t take long for this wandering swordsman to make a sort of new family.  The first is Karou, a martial arts instructor who is initially impressed by Kenshin, then decides she hates him when she learns he can cook better than she can.  Other people would consider that a good thing.  There’s Yahiko, a boy who got in some trouble with the yakuza but still acts obnoxious people like Kenshin or Karou try to help him.  And there’s Megumi, a doctor who has her eyes on Kenshin, though Karou also does.  Wait . . . wasn’t Karou angry about Kenshin’s cooking?

RUROUNI KENSHIN is an interesting mix.  On one hand, it seems to try its best to be silly, goofy, and sometimes absurd.  It’s rated 13+ and a lot of children watch it.  On the other hand, it can be very dramatic and emotional.  The show moves from being humorous to being dark.  There’s also a fair amount of information of Japanese history and politics, though this never bogs down the story.  Still, the very opening announces this is the Meiji Era (1868-1912).

RUROUNI KENSHIN spans 95 episodes, all of which are being released by Media Blasters.  There are also some KENSHIN movies, but they’re not part of this deal.  Still, that’s 2,375 minutes of Kenshin either being a warrior or being a goofball.