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 #21 The Nightmare Falls Apart! Raijuta's Dream. (3)

The Kenshin-gumi arrive at the gates of Yutaro's residence and find that the injured are everywhere. When the military line up into a firing squad formation, the samurai start dying. Kenshin is horrified! He jumps into the fray to try to stop the fighting. The only reason he is not killed (besides the fact that he is Kenshin) is that a very large samurai ends up in front of him taking about 20 bullets in the chest. Kenshin shouts "YAMERU!" All fighting ceases for a moment. Muraki-san tells his men to listen to Himura Kenshin-dono (yep....dono!). Kenshin announces that he will fight Raijuta and defeat him. Then Kenshin goes off to find Raijuta, with Sano, Kaoru and Yahiko following. Yutaro has already found Raijuta when the Kenshin-gumi arrive. Raijuta uses his Izuna against Kenshin. It doesn't work, but it makes Kenshin jump. Yutaro is horrified that his sensei is fighting the man who saved him from drowning and tries to stop Raijuta, who retaliates by throwing an Izuna toward Yutaro. This really pisses Kenshin off and he kicks Raijuta's butt. However, the damage is done and Yutaro has lost the use of his sword arm. Yahiko is heartbroken. Yutaro decides to go Germany to live with his uncle. When the Kenshin-gumi go to the dock to see Yutaro off, he is so pitiful that Yahiko get angry and attacks Yutaro just before Yutaro gets on the boat. Yutaro defends himself with his cane, and then after listening to Yahiko hurl insults at him, starts fighting Yahiko with his left hand holding the cane like it was a shinai................

Episode #22 First Time! Crazy, Insane Steam Engine Train Trip. (0)

September 5. Kaoru purchases train tickets and takes the Kenshin-gumi on a trip from Shinbashi, Tokyo to Yokohama. Sano is terrified of trains. Someone is transporting a lot of money on the train. Someone else wants to steal the money. Yahiko discovers the plot. Kenshin rescues Yahiko, then Kenshin falls off the train. The train is stopped by the pirates. Here comes Kenshin on SUPER HORSE!! SUPER HORSE hurdles down steep cliffs, leaps effortless through the air from rocking boat, to rocking boat, to train track. Then SUPER HORSE miraculously disappears! The Kenshin-gumi triumph over pirates and continue on the train to Yokohama. Kenshin is given a monetary award for saving the money, and Kaoru uses the award money to get a group picture taken. Sano is terrified of having his picture taken.

Episode #23 Betrayed by Sanosuke?! Greetings of Fate. (3)

Sanosuke is out in the market purchasing a drawing for Tae-san and Tsubame-chan, as a favor. At the shop where Sano is purchasing the drawings, he spots a drawing of his dead boss, Sagara. He notes the artist's signature and asks the shop owner where he can find 'Tsukioka', the artist. The shop keeper tells Sano that the artist lives in an apartment in the next town. Sano knocks on the door of Tsukioka-san's apartment....no answer...he pounds and hollers "Sekihou Tai Tsukioka Katsuhiro". Katsu, Sano's old friend from the Sekihou Tai, opens the door. Katsu has been making bombs and planning the demise of the Meiji government for the past 10 years. Sano does not necessarily agree with Katsu's philosophy, but he understands it. A group of fake Sekihou Tai have been robbing and killing people, and leaving boss Sagara's picture at the scene of the crime. First Katsu investigates, then Sano investigates thinking it is Katsu. Sano finds out that the fake Sekihou Tai's are really members of the Shiranui Yakuza (he beats up one of the members to obtain this info). He breaks into a meeting and finds that the leader is Shindo Tatewaki, the man responsible for killing Sanosuke's Sekihou Tai boss, Sagara. There is a fight, Katsu arrives to assist Sano. Sano and Katsu obviously enjoy fighting together again. When the fight is over, before they part company, Sano tells Katsu that he wants to join him in his battle to topple the Meiji government........

Episode #24 Midnight Fight! Sanosuke Versus Kenshin Again! (4)

Sanosuke gives a party for Kenshin and company. He (actually Katsu) is even going to pay for it. Unbeknownst to all, however, it is a farewell party from Sano to his friends. It's a terrific party! Everyone gets drunk and stupid! After everyone is asleep (or at least appear to be asleep), Sano sneaks out with Katsu. Before he leaves, however, Sano quietly whispers he is sorry for deceiving everyone, especially Kenshin. Kenshin was not asleep. Katsu and Sano go to the State Department and Central Administration Center for the Meiji government. Katsu sets off some bombs, they jump the fence and are about to storm the building when Kenshin intercepts them. Sano attacks Kenshin. Kenshin avoids the blows, but eventually has to draw his sakabatou and take Sano out. Katsu tries unsuccessfully to use bombs against Kenshin. Sano gets back up. Kenshin puts him out again, wraps his arms around him and whispers he is sorry, then turns Sano's almost unconscious body over to Katsu for medical attention. The next morning Sano wakes up and rushes out to find Katsu burying his bombs by the river. Katsu retires from drawing pictures and starts an anti-government newsletter.

Episode #25 Scarlet Pirate! Tear Up Kenshin and Kaoru. (1)

The Kenshin-gumi is penniless and hungry. Sano, Yahiko, and Kenshin sign up to help defend a ship against pirates. Once on board, Kenshin finds out that Kaoru also signed on the ship as "COOK" (yeah.....sure!!). Kenshin is worried about Kaoru's safety. The Kai-Ryu pirates are ruthless and no one has ever survived a fight with their leader, Shura. The pirates attack. Kenshin holds his own until he is shot in his left rear shoulder with a poison dart. He still defeats Shura (who happens to be female). One of Shura's men grabs Kaoru. Kenshin pleads with Shura, saying that Kaoru is very important to him and that he has sworn to protect her. Shura frees Kaoru, but Kenshin must take her place..............

Episode #26 An Incarnation of Thunder Storm! The Mysterious Nobility of the Female Pirate Shura. (1)

The Kai-Ryu pirates have set sail with Kenshin as their prisoner. Kenshin recovers from the poison dart, and Shura prevents her pirates from killing him. Kenshin offers Shura the opportunity to take his life because Shura saved the life of Kaoru. The pirates find out that the ship they robbed was transporting opium. One of the rebel pirates, Gin-jo, approaches the ship owner with a proposition. Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko decide to go rescue Kenshin. They stow away on a ship that is heading to the pirates' island, carrying guns and ammunition. The rebel pirate Gin-jo plans to lead a mutiny against Shura and take over the island. Kenshin is reconciled to dying for his Kaoru. Shura wants to know what kind of woman would make Kenshin so willing to die. The ship Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko are on arrives at the island and is unloaded. Gin-jo knows that he has stowaways and blows up the ship, then attacks Shura. Shura is shot, Kenshin picks her up and jumps off a cliff with her into a waterfall......

Episode #27 Ferocious Fighting Island! Scarlet Pirate. (1)

Kenshin operates on Shura and takes the bullet out of her leg. Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko survive the blown up ship. Shura wakes up and finds out Gin-jo is behind the mutiny. She goes after him, she screws up, Kenshin rescues her. One of the pirates sets a bomb off and the whole island blows up. Kenshin walks out of the flames carrying Shura and finds Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko waiting for him.......

Episode #28 Prelude To a New Threat. The Shadow of the Wolf is Drawing Near. (4)

Kyoto Chapter Begins. Kenshin is having flashbacks about the end of the Edo dynasty and his battles in Kyoto with the Shinsengumi, specifically, one Third Troop Captain, Saitou Hajime. These flashbacks are affecting Kenshin's concentration and his attention span. The rest of the Kenshin-gumi is noticing that Kenshin is not acting normal. Dr. Genzai arrives at the Kamiya dojo and offers to take everyone to lunch. Sano arrives after they have left and sits on the porch to figure out what to do next. While he is sitting, a man arrives who says that he represents Ishida Chemical and is selling medicines. Sano doesn't believe him. The man (who is really Saitou Hajime) has "evil" eyes and sword calluses on his hand. Sano punches Saitou but the punch does not faze Saitou. Saitou draws his sword and drives it through Sanosuke's shoulder, driving Sanosuke through the wall of the Kamiya dojo in the process. Kenshin and company return from lunch and see the hole in the wall of the dojo. Kenshin smells blood. They rush in and see Sano on the floor of the dojo, surrounded by his own blood...........Meanwhile, Saitou is reporting the afternoon's incident to an ex-Ishin Shishi member, Shibumi-san. (Shibumi-san also hired Jin-eh.) Shibumi-san has apparently hired Saitou to kill Kenshin. Megumi is operating, trying to save Sano's life. Kenshin attacks the wall of the dojo in anger. He knows it was Saitou who wounded Sano, but he does not yet know why.........

Episode #29 The Ultimate Fatal Rival! The Waylay of the Desperate Fangs. (5)

May 7th, Meiji 11. Sagara Sanosuke will live. Saitou, alias Fujita Goro, is at a restaurant eating when Akamatsu approaches him. Akamatsu also works for Shibumi-san, and is angry because Saitou was given the assignment to kill Himura Kenshin. Saitou tells Akamatsu that he does not care if Akamatsu kills Kenshin. Saitou will set a trap to lure Kenshin to Akamatsu, then Akamatsu can have the excitement and glory of the kill, and Saitou will split the assassination fee with Akamatsu. Akamatsu accepts the deal. Kenshin gets a letter from Saitou and goes to meet him in a field outside of town, but Saitou is not there. Meanwhile, Saitou, in a policeman's uniform, arrives at the Kamiya dojo and tells Kaoru and Yahiko that he would like to talk to Himura Kenshin. He tells them that his name is Fujita Goro and he was sent by the police chief to warn Kenshin that someone is after him. Kaoru and Yahiko let him enter the dojo to wait for Kenshin's return. Akamatsu attacks Kenshin in the field outside of town. Kenshin tries unsuccessfully to get information from Akamatsu, i.e. who ordered the kill, etc. Akamatsu will not tell him and it looks like Kenshin is getting beat up. Kenshin is faking to get information. Once he gets the information he wants, Kenshin wipes the field with Akamatsu. Kenshin returns to the Kamiya dojo and finds Saitou waiting for him. Kaoru and Yahiko are horrified to find out they let the ex-Shinsengumi Third Troop Captain into the dojo. Saitou tells Kenshin that the non-killing rurouni has become weak. There is a great deal of animosity, almost hatred, between these two men. Saitou has been watching Kenshin for a long time. He was aware of Kenshin's fight with Jin-eh, and the kidnapping of Kaoru. He knew about the fight with Raijuta. Then Saitou admits to attacking Sanosuke. Kenshin realizes that he cannot escape this fight with Saitou. The fight begins. They do not appear to be evenly matched and Kenshin is stabbed through the shoulder and pinned to the ceiling with Saitou's Anti-Air Gatotsu.................!!!!!

Episode #30 Evil Monster of Revenge... Shishio Makoto's Plot! (5)

(This episode gets my vote as the all time best, and my personal favorite....Lynne K.) The battle between Kenshin and Saitou gets more and more intense and deadly. Kenshin is hurt, but his wound seems to give him strength, rather than drain his strength. The odds appear to be in Saitou's favor until the Hitokiri Battousai emerges. The blood starts to drip from the corner of Kenshin's mouth, his hair comes loose, his eyes turn yellow, his walk takes on a rhythm and the "ore's" begin. Kenshin and Saitou try to kill each other. Kaoru is terrified. Kenshin will either be killed by Saitou, or Kenshin will kill Saitou--either way she looses Kenshin. She screams for someone to stop the fight. Sano tumbles in leaning heavily on Megumi's arm. He tells Kaoru that Kenshin and Saitou are fighting the fight they never finished at the end of Tokugawa era in Kyoto. Only a person who experienced that time period would be able to stop the fight. The fight becomes more intense. Kenshin cuts the top off Saitou's sword and tell Saitou he is going to do the same thing with Saitou's head. (*goosebumps*). Saitou knocks the sakabatou from Kenshin's hand with his belt. Both men are weaponless, it has come down to fisticuffs, when suddenly a man enters the dojo screaming "STOP IT!" The man addresses Saitou and tells him that his (Saitou's) mission was to gauge Himura's fighting ability, not kill him. The man is Kawaji, Secretary of Defense. Saitou has no intention of stopping the fight for this man, but right on the heels of Kawaji comes Ookubo Toshimichi. Ookubo, an ex-Ishin Shishi, was one of the three revolutionaries who brought about the re-organization of the Meiji government. (The other two are dead.) Ookubo is now the most powerful man in the Meiji government.