Samurai X - OVA Collection | 
 enlarge | Actor: Samurai X-ova
Studio: Adv Films
Category: DVD
List Price: $69.98
Buy Used: $63.99
You Save: $5.99 (9%)
Used (6) from $63.99
Rating:  54 reviews
Sales Rank: 44780
Format: Animated, Box Set, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Japanese (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 3
Running Time: 205 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: DSX100D
UPC: 702727041822
EAN: 0702727041822
ASIN: B00016RNYY
Release Date: January 27, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: USED: Very Good/SHIPS FAST!; Box shows slight shelf wear.THANKS!
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Amazon.com
Trust
The four-episode Samurai X: Trust original animation video captures the mixture of swordplay and poetry that makes Japanese warrior culture so intriguing to viewers on both sides of the Pacific. The OAV series serves as a prequel to both Samurai X: The Movie and the more lighthearted TV series. The action unfolds in 1864, when a few clans began the revolt that would overthrow the military dictatorship of the Tokugawa Shogunate and return power to the Emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Shinta, a lonely orphan, is transformed by master swordsman Hiko into Kenshin Himura, an assassin in the service of Katsura, one of the revolutionary leaders. Kenshin kills whomever Katsura orders with consummate skill and unshatterable calm. He believes he is using his sword to bring about a better world, even as the intrigues and counter-intrigues escalate. But he becomes aware of unspoken doubts when he meets Tomoe, a mysterious girl whose beauty, like the iris, is seen to best advantage in cloudy weather. Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi choreographs the sword fights with a grace that infuses even scenes of extreme violence with an elegant sensuality: in one striking image, he focuses on the rain washing a spatter of blood from Tomoe's cheek. The dialogue in the English translation often sounds stilted, but the words are usually superfluous. Betrayal
The peace that reigns over the remote mountain village of Otsu contrasts sharply with the rapid-fire violence of the previous episodes set in Kyoto. Working as a farmer, growing crops and savoring the passage of the seasons, Kenshin comes to terms with the discontent festering in his soul. He regrets the death and suffering he has caused, and hopes to find a better life--with the mysterious Tomoe. A conventional story would end on this note of self-discovery and moral growth. But Samurai X unfolds like a Kabuki tragedy: the desire for revenge remains strong, especially among the agents of the last Tokugawa Shogun, who are anxious to crush the nascent rebellion led by the Choshu clan. Kenshin was an important agent for the Choshu; Tomoe is just a pawn, but the outcome of a game may hinge on a strategically positioned pawn. Kenshin finally grasps the lessons his master, Hiko, attempted to teach him: the need for inner peace and the possibility of defending the weak without resorting to violence. The exquisitely detailed artwork evokes 19th century Japan, and director Kazuhiro Furuhashi depicts these understated inner conflicts as skillfully as the epic sword fights in the first episodes. Samurai X demonstrates the power of animation to present stories of great emotional depth, earning it a rightful place among the top anime series. Reflection
The final OAV brings the long-running saga of master swordsman and assassin Kenshin Himura to its conclusion. The story is set in 1893, long after the bloody conflicts of the Meiji Restoration--and the events in the previous OAVs that culminated in the death of Kenshin's wife, Tomoe. With his devoted second wife, Kaoru, Kenshin seeks peace in trying to aid the helpless. But he cannot escape the karmic burden of the many deaths he caused: there is no peace for Kenshin in this world. The Japanese concept of the transitory nature of beauty permeates the two-part adventure. Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi ushers the narrative along at a deliberate pace, deftly inserting the many flashback sequences. The result is a properly elegiac farewell to one of most popular anime characters on both sides of the Pacific. (Rated 17 and older: violence, alcohol use, mature themes) --Charles Solomon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 49 more reviews...
 Good and Bad April 24, 2008
Holger Fassel (Egelsbach, Hessen Germany)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I won't repeat stuff about the content that many others have said before.
My recommendation is to buy Trust and Betrayal seperately and skip Reflections completely.
Trust and Betrayal (the first two OVAs) are a must-have for every fan of the Manga or the TV series.
Reflection is a jumble of flashbacks and a barely comprehensible story to hold it all together. I wish I had never seen it!
 Awesome November 5, 2007
Ali Gadiwalla
This is without a doub one of the best pieces of anime ever. I would recommend reading the manga first (all 28 volumes). You can watch the TV series, but it's not true to the spirit of the series. The music is excelent and the story is wonderful. Trust/Betrayal are pre-Meiji; they are an in depth look at Battousai's period as a hitokiri and generally sty true to the manga. Reflections, on the other hand, is like fanfiction, except you have to pay for it. It doesn't follow the manga. And the characters are not themselves at times. Kenshin never moves forward, Kaoru is more of a Meiji Tomoe and she is almost never shown with a wooden sword, and the other characters just seem off occaisionally. That dosn't mean it's not a thing of beauty. I recommend to any open-mnded fan who doesn't mind a depressing-ish ending.
The visuals have their stange moments (the real-time shots in particular are odd), and the english dub is not that bad. It is better in Japanese, though.
If you love Rurouni Kenshin, you'll love Samurai X (what an asinine name that is!) OVAs.
Excellent movie but beware the HONK GONG knock offs! October 12, 2007
John Weber (Palo Alto, CA)
HONK GONG...hilarious.
Ok but seriously, these are excellent movies. One of my favorite anime stories of all time. Be warned! The opening few minutes are EXTREMELY AND DISTURBINGLY VIOLENT!! Other than that, the movie is great. I think it really helped that I had already seen the entire Rurouni Kenshin series. I would recommend watching the series first but not the whole series. Stop after episode 62.
Be careful though when buying this dvd set. I bought this box set and ended up getting a Hong Kong version with completely different packaging. I was very upset. Finally an anime I wanted to support and I inadvertently bought the pirated copy!
moments September 11, 2007
O.J. Searcy (CO, USA)
Received product fast. Good condition. I enjoyed all three very much. I like the mature storyline and brief history of the time period. I would recommend
 One beauty, one bane August 23, 2007
OmegaWolf747 (MI, United States)
Well, Tsuiokuhen (the proper Japanese title for Trust and Betrayal) is simply the most gorgeous piece of anime I've ever seen. It is very elemental in the way it tells the story. I just love all the symbolism laced throughout the movie like Kenshin's little top and all the pretty nature shots.
Yes, it is very grim compared to the TV series. Since it's set during a bloody war, one can understand this. You can't really expect Kenshin as an assassin to walk around saying, "Oro". Rather, this is the story of how he embarked on the journey to become the rurouni of the TV series.
Tomoe is captured pretty well, though I do prefer her portrayal in the manga. However, as the mystery around her unfolds, we see her sadness and her humanity. We see that she is torn between her feelings for Kenshin and her feelings for her fiance.
I also love how Hiko is portrayed in this OVA and think he's even better in this than in the manga and anime. He seems wiser and more humane somehow, I think because of his expanded speeches.
I also really liked Kenshin's clan master, Katsura Kogoro. Even though he is ruthless enough to take advantage of a naive 14-year-old, we can see Katsura's plight and see that he really isn't an evil person. Like Kenshin, he's simply doing the best he can in an adverse situation.
Seisouhen (the Japanese title for "Reflection") on the other hand is just pure garbage. I've read the original manga and it shares nothing with this train wreck of an OVA.
Seisouhen, which is set in the relatively peaceful Meiji Era, tries too hard to recapture the dark beauty of Tsuiokuhen, which takes place during the violent Bakumatsu.
The end result of this is characters who aren't themselves. The Kenshin of Seisouhen isn't the man who went through the character growth of the Kyoto and Jinchuu Arcs. Rather he is Battousai all over again; still grief-stricken and angst driven.
Kaoru isn't Kaoru, but a Meiji Era version of Tomoe; quiet, submissive and self-sacrificing to a fault.
In order to try and recreate the tragic beauty of the culmination of Tsuiokuhen, the makers of Seisouhen invent a disease that slowly eats away at Kenshin's mind and body and then have Kaoru deliberately take it to "share his pain".
The only characters in this OVA who really seemed alright were Yahiko and Kenji. Kenji is understandably bitter at his parents' continued neglect of him in favor of their little angst/romance. Eventually, he splits for Kyoto and seeks out Kenshin's old master Hiko Seijuro XIII to learn Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu so he can understand his father's past strength.
Enter Yahiko, armed with the Sakabatou. Yahiko fights Kenji in a duel that is unfortunately the highlight of this slow-paced and boring OVA in an attempt to get the teenager to return to Kaoru with him so she won't be alone.
The end result of this OVA left a bitter taste in my mouth. I cannot recommend this OVA to any fan with a good conscience.
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