5=It just doesn't get much better than this! 4=Terrific! 3=Worth watching. 2=Just okay. 1=You won't miss anything if you skip it! 0=Destroy the master tape and all copies!

Episode #1 The Legendary Swordsman... The Man who Fights for Love. (4)

It is the 11 th year of the Meiji (1878) as the rurouni (vagabond, unattached swordsman) Himura Kenshin wanders into Tokyo early one beautiful morning. He is accosted on the street by Kamiya Kaoru, who thinks he is the serial killer Hitokiri Battousai. Unbeknownst to her, he really is the Hitokiri Battousai but not the serial killer who is pretending to be the Hitokiri Battousai. (Clear enough, right?) The real bad guy is Hiruma Gohei. Gohei is an ex-student of Kaoru's father's Kamiya Kasshin Ryu kendo dojo, which is now Kaoru's dojo, since her father is dead. Gohei is seeking revenge! (We won't go into the reason why.) He is running around killing people indiscriminately while calling himself the Hitokiri Battousai of " Kamiya Kasshin Ryu". His actions, of course, are ruining Kaoru's business, and she is determined to stop him. Gohei is a mite bigger than Kaoru, and Kenshin saves her from being cut in half, takes her home, bandages her wound, puts her to bed, entertains her two younger 'sisters', and cooks her breakfast. Kaoru is not stupid. She notes that Kenshin looks poor and invites him to stay at her dojo. She later gets mad at him when he walks in on her while she is in the bath and retaliates by locking him in the storage barn. Kenshin sneaks out after cleaning the building. Kaoru thinks he is gone for good (get real), and later the same morning, when Gohei comes calling with his cohorts, the future does not look bright for Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Gohei has Kaoru by the scruff of her neck, getting ready to throw her to his 'students' to play with, when Kenshin rescues her. During the fight with Gohei, Kenshin reveals that he is the real Hitokiri Battousai. After it's all over, Kenshin starts to leave, but Kaoru tells him the whole situation was his fault, and shames him into staying to help rebuild her dojo.

Episode #2 The Bratty Samurai... Why Don't You Become My student? (4)

Episode #3 The Swordsman in Sorrow. The Man That Cuts the Past. (4)

Kaoru and Yahiko are learning to get along. Kenshin is cooking, cleaning and babysitting. While Kenshin heads into town to buy tofu, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo is visited by police trying to locate the Hitokiri Battousai. Kaoru sends Yahiko to warn Kenshin not to come home, because he will be arrested. Kenshin passes a government sword squad on his way back from the market with Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan. The sword squad is on its way into town to terrorize the locals. Yahiko, in his search for Kenshin to warn him of the police at the dojo, gets involved with the local conflict with the sword squad and is about to be executed when Kenshin shows up. There is some tense verbal interplay between the sword squad and Kenshin before the fight begins. When Kaoru and the police learn that Kenshin is in town fighting with the sword squad, Kaoru escapes from them to go warn/help Kenshin. Kenshin defeats the sword squad right before the police from the dojo show up. A Meiji Ishin cabinet member, Yamagata Aritomo, is with the police. He and Kenshin knew each other from the end of the Edo period, and Yamagata-san asks Kenshin to join the Meiji Ishin administration. (This impresses the heck out of Kaoru.) Kenshin declines, saying that he has given up being the Hitokiri. As Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko walk off, Yamagata-san says that Kenshin has not heard the last of him.

Episode #4 One Word Evil... The Fighter Sanosuke Appears. (3)

Kenshin and company are eating at the Akabeko when an argument breaks out at a table across the way. Three intoxicated customers are arguing the merits of the Meiji government. Yahiko and Kenshin laugh at the three men's inebriated state, then one of them aims a bowl at Kenshin's head. Yahiko gets mad, has heated words with the three men, and it looks like a fight might erupt. Tae-san, the owner of the restaurant, steps in to calm everyone down, and one of inebriated men backhands her and sends her smack into the arm of one very big cool dude named Sagara Sanosuke ("Zanza" the gangster). Zanza talks the men into taking their argument outside where he easily defeats the ringleader. Zanza recognizes a fighter in Kenshin and challenges him. Kenshin pleasantly declines. Zanza wanders off, but tells Kenshin that if he, Kenshin, ever changes his mind, Zanza will be around. Bad man Hiruma Gohei was hiding in the shadows outside the Akabeko, watching the entire incident. Gohei had heard of Zanza and approaches him with a proposition to kill Kenshin (Gohei has a revenge hangup.) Zanza originally only plans to accept the proposition because he wants a challenge, but when he hears Kenshin fought for the Ishin Shishi as the Hitokiri Battousai, it becomes a personal vendetta, since he hates the Ishin Shishi. Zanza goes out to the dojo, and challenges Kenshin, but Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan appear, and Zanza leaves, saying he is uncomfortable fighting 'all out' in front of women and children.

Episode #5 Sakabatou Sword vs Zanba Sword. At the Battle's End! (4)

Yahiko and Kaoru are worried about Zanza coming to challenge Kenshin. Their worry is proven to be well founded, since it happens. Zanza and Kenshin go to the river to fight uninterrupted, but Kaoru and Yahiko show up anyway. Zanza is strong and fights with a sword called the zanba, which was designed and used to cut down horses from under their riders. The zanba is slow, however, and Kenshin can see it coming. Kenshin is amazed that Zanza can take a real beating and keep on ticking (forgive me, I couldn't resist). Zanza has a flashback during one of his recuperating pauses (he is flat on his back on the ground) and we learn why he hates the Ishin Shishi. Zanza (Sanosuke) belonged to the Sekihoutai, a group which fought loyally for the Ishin Shishi. The leader of the Sekihoutai was Sagara Souzou. Sagara fought for and dreamed of a new era of peace and prosperity, but the Sekihoutai were used as scapegoats by the government and unjustly accused of lying to the people. The government then murdered them. Sanosuke escaped thanks to Sagara Souzou (Sano took Souzou's family name of Sagara as his own). Kenshin knew the true story of the Sekihoutai, not the lie spread by the government. Meanwhile, Gohei (who started this mess) is behind a hill with a gun. He sees Zanza down and Kenshin looking too healthy, aims and fires. OH WOE!! (get real!) When that doesn't work, Gohei grabs Yahiko and Kaoru. Zanza gets pissed and knocks Gohei down, Kenshin finishes Gohei off, and Kenshin and Zanza resume their fight. Kenshin beats Zanza badly, but Zanza refuses to fall. Kenshin, Yahiko, and Kaoru all convince Zanza that Kenshin is not a representative of the Ishin Shishi and that Kenshin is trying to protect what Sagara Souzou was fighting for. Sanosuke gives up and falls down in defeat. Later in town, the Kenshin gumi meet Zanza outside the Akabeko restaurant. He tells them he has dropped his nick-name 'Zanza', he is no longer a gangster , and tells Kenshin that he, Sagara Sanosuke, is Kenshin's new best friend and will be hanging around him from now on.........*o*!!!!

Episode #6 Visitor From the Darkness... The Kurogasa Appears. (3)

The chief of police comes to the Kamiya dojo to ask Kenshin for assistance. It seems there is a serial killer called Kurogasa (black hat) that is killing government officials, and the police are unable to stop him. Kenshin agrees to assist. Sano tags along. The killer uses a technique called Nikaidou Keiho Shin no Ippou, which paralyzes the victim with fear. Kenshin is not affected, of course, and leaps out at Kurogasa right before Kurogasa can cut Sano's arm off. Seems Kenshin and Kurogasa know of each other: Kurogasa is the Hitokiri Jin-eh, a rogue Shinsen Gumi outcast who killed friend and foe alike for the fun of it. Jin-eh is very excited to encounter the Hitokiri Battousai, but after fighting a few minutes, Jin-eh realizes he is fighting Himura Kenshin, not Battousai. Jin-eh leaves, telling Kenshin he will give him one day to revert to the Hitokiri, or he, Jin-eh, will kill Kenshin. Kenshin sends Sano back to the dojo to tell Kaoru and Yahiko that he will not return until he fights Jin-eh, because he cannot concentrate if he has to worry about their safety. Kaoru rejects this line of reasoning, fearing that if Kenshin reverts to the Hitokiri, he will never come back to her dojo. She heads down to the river to find Kenshin. When she does, she gives him her favorite blue ribbon, and insists that after his fight, he return it to her personally. Kenshin understands and agrees. As Kaoru turns to go back to the dojo, a boat appears along the river bank. From the boat, Jin-eh suddenly grabs Kaoru and carries her off down the river.............................

Episode #7 Fight to the Death Under the Moon... Protect the Ones You Love! (4)

Jin-eh has carried Kaoru to a shrine in the middle of the forest to await Kenshin. While Jin-eh and Kaoru debate Kenshin's strength (and Jin-eh blows his own horn to a captive audience), Sano and Yahiko are reading a note from Kenshin explaining the kidnapping and asking them to contact the police if he and Kaoru do not come back. Sano and Yahiko take off to try and find where the fight will take place, to save Kenshin and Kaoru. Kenshin enters the cleared area around the shrine where Jin-eh has Kaoru and the fight begins. Jin-eh is not satisfied with Kenshin's state of mind. He wants to anger Kenshin further, and hopefully bring out the Hitokiri, so he hits Kaoru with a super Shin No Ippou, which would cause her to suffocate in five minutes if not removed. Jin-eh tells Kenshin that the only way to remove the Shin No Ippou is for Kaoru to do it herself, which is impossible for a woman, or for Kenshin to kill him. (This guy has a death wish!...duh!!) It works. Kenshin quickly beats the crap out of Jin-eh. Then, to save Kaoru, Kenshin is about to violate all his current beliefs and values by killing Jin-eh, much to Jin-eh's delight (remember the guy has a death wish). Just in time, Kaoru, breaks out of Jin-eh's Shin No Ippou and screams at Kenshin to "STOP IT!!!" Kenshin stops . Jin-eh kills himself in frustration (and pleasure). Kenshin and Kaoru, while walking out of the forest, meet up with Sano and Yahiko, who are in a cow pond, covered with mud, arguing. And the Kenshin-gumi is again united.

Episode #8 A New Battle! The Mysterious and Beautiful Woman Who Jumped in Suddenly. (3)

Sano is gambling with friends, Kenshin is along for the ride. Sano is losing terribly and blaming Kenshin. In the meantime, we see a dark-haired woman being chased through the streets. Sano asks about a friend of his, Yoita. It seems that Yoita took some bad opium and died. This shocks Sano, and the dark-haired woman burst through the doors and throws herself on Kenshin asking for protection. Sano and Kenshin get rid of the men chasing her and take her back to the dojo. Her name is Takani Megumi and she appears to be taken with "Ken-san." (This really pisses off Kaoru.) Megumi is running from an evil businessman and drug dealer named Takeda Kanryu. Kenshin vows to protect Megumi, but Megumi is concerned about the Oniwabanshuu, a group of ninja that Kanryu hired for protection. The head of the Oniwabanshuu is Shinomori Aoshi. (Okay...I mentioned him!) Two Oniwabanshuu come calling that evening. Kenshin and Sano defeat the one called Hyottoko. Beshimi, the other, can't believe that Kenshin and Sano beat Hyottoko, and spitefully decides to kill Megumi (even though Kanryu wants her alive!). He aims a poisoned dart at her, but Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko hear him move. Yahiko, being the closest, jumps in front of Megumi and takes the dart in his arm. (Yahiko is soooo proud of himself!) Kenshin and company realize the dart is poisoned when Yahiko loses consciousness, and Beshimi brags that Yahiko will be dead within the hour..................

Episode #9 The Ultimate Stealth Army... The Dreaded Oniwa Banshu! (3)

Megumi saves Yahiko (whew!!), but Sano confronts her about the opium packets she dropped earlier (I didn't mention that???.....gomen ^-^). Kaoru and Kenshin overhear. Kenshin remembers Megumi's father's name, Takani Ryusei, a man who was well respected and admired for medicine in Aizu. Megumi tells Kenshin and company her story. As a young girl she was separated from her family during the war between the allied powers and Aizu. Five years ago she came to Tokyo and worked as an assistant in a doctor's office. Unbeknownst to her, the doctor she was working for was making opium for Kanryu. Kanryu got angry with the doctor and killed him, then forced Megumi to make his opium. Kanryu wanted Megumi to make a new, cheaper opium that could be mass-produced. This is the opium that killed Sano's friend, Yoita. When Megumi realized how dangerous the new opium was, she refused to make it and ran away from Kanryu. However, she is the only person who knows the formula for the new opium, which is why Kanryu is so determined to get her back. Kenshin tells Megumi that she needs to stay at the Kamiya dojo, that she is in danger and he will protect her. Sano cannot yet bring himself to forgive Megumi for being responsible for the death of his friend, and he stomps off. Megumi is kidnapped by Hannya, a member of the Oniwabanshuu, and carried to Kanryu for a meeting. Kanryu tells Megumi that if she does not come back to him, he will burn the Kamiya dojo and kill the 'adorable little children' (Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan) that stay there. Kanryu does not want to involve the Battousai, and thinks if Megumi comes back of her own free will, Kenshin and company will stay out of the whole affair. Sano is hiding behind a tree and hears Kanryu's blackmail threat. (We see the head of the Oniwabanshuu again, leaning against a tree.) Megumi, of course, goes back to Kanryu's house, but Sano is waiting at Kanryu's front gates and talks her into returning to the dojo. Before they can leave, however, Shikijo, another Oniwabanshuu, attacks. Sano fights and defeats Shikijo, but Beshimi (the little dart man!) sneaks in, grabs Megumi, and jumps over the gate with her just as the rest of the Kenshin-gumi arrive.........

Episode #10 Aoshi... The Man So Scary as to Seem Almost Beautiful. (4)

The Kenshin-gumi charge the Kanryu mansion grounds, leaving bodies scattered everywhere! In the meantime, Megumi is talking to Kanryu. She tells him that she will never make his opium and then tries to kill him. Hannya stops her, Kanryu backhands her. The Kenshin-gumi reach the mansion, where Kanryu is at an upper window and tries to talk Kenshin into coming to work for him (stupid,stupid,stupid). Kenshin gets tired of talking and takes out a street lamp. Kanryu tries to give orders to one of the Oniwabanshuu, Hannya. Hannya gets mad and tells Kanryu that the only one who may give orders to the Oniwabanshuu is Shinomori Aoshi-sama. Aoshi-sama himself walks into the room and tells Kanryu that he, Aoshi, will kill the Battousai, and not because Kanryu ordered it, but to earn the title of the strongest for the Oniwabanshuu. Aoshi picks up the unconscious Megumi to take her to the third floor observation tower and tells Kanryu to go play with his money. Megumi wakes up in the tower. Aoshi tells her that Kenshin and company are here to rescue her, but warns her not to get her hopes up. As he leaves, he throws her the knife she used when attacking Kanryu, just in case she would like to kill herself rather than be left to Kanryu's mercies. In the meantime, the first Oniwabanshuu the Kenshin gumi encounter is Hannya. Kenshin defeats Hannya, Kaoru and Yahiko are left fighting underlings, and Sano and Kenshin encounter Shinomori Aoshi. Sano attacks Aoshi and get clobbered............