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 #71 Kaioh's Conspiracy. Shougo's Trapped! (2)

Sano was not eaten by the dogs. He is unconscious and lying on the floor of a cave. When he wakes up, he finds himself looking into the face of Magdaria. She notices he is hurt, takes him back to her home in the hill, patches him up, (almost kisses him), argues with him, gets angry, and locks him in the room. Meanwhile, Kaioh, Santo, and Amakusa Shougo are plotting the demise of the Meiji government through the instigation of a civil war, but they are disagreeing over price and methodology. Carrying a gun, Magdaria goes back to the room where she locked Sano, but he has disappeared. Kenshin is blind and being nursed back to health by Kaoru in a holey shack. Misao bursts into the shack with Yahiko and tells Kenshin that Magdaria and Shougo have a big secret. Sano is in the caves sneaking around, trying to find Magdaria's medallion. He runs into Shouzo; they fight, it's a draw. As they both recuperate, Shouzo tells Sano how he came to meet Magdaria and Shougo and why he would give his life for either of them. (Doesn't Shouzo look like Parn?) Meanwhile, Kaioh and Santo are plotting the demise of Shougo, Kenshin is still bare chested in the holey shack listening to Misao tell the "big secret," and Magdaria is praying in the church, but thinking about Sagara Sanosuke, when she starts coughing up blood..............

Episode #72 The Reminiscent Days... Shougo and Sayo's Painful Past. (2)

Misao tells Kenshin and company that one year ago Shougo appeared in Shimabara and united the Christians while training them to be solders. He performed what appeared to be medical and natural miracles, but he was trained in western medicine and astrology. His sister Sayo (Magdaria) is dying of consumption (tuberculosis). As Misao is telling this story, Shougo walks into the chapel and finds his sister crumpled on the ground. Sayo tells her brother that she will be going to heaven soon. Kenshin and company (Misao, Yahiko, and Kaoru) are bounding over the rocks, Kenshin following the sound of Misao's footsteps. They see/hear Santo in a boat. Kenshin says that Santo is being used by Kaioh, who was a wanted man at the end of the Edo dynasty. Kaioh's mother was a Christian who escaped Japan's persecution of Christians and went to Holland. She died giving birth to Kaioh. Kaioh never knew who his father was and blamed Japan for taking away his identity. Santo sends a signal to the shore and Kenshin surmises that the military is getting involved. Suddenly, a wire appears and wraps around Kenshin's neck and he is hauled up the side of the mountain..................

Magdaria is in her room when Gen-emon (the round man, remember him?) knocks on the door. He tells Magdaria that he saw her medallion. Sano and the Parn look-alike are in the depths of the caves. Sano is going to find Magdaria's medallion and Shouzo is tagging along. Magdaria has been lured by the promise of her mother's medallion into Kaioh's clutches. Kaioh brags to her that he has been planning Magdaria's and Shougo's death for a long time. Once they are dead, Kaioh will manipulate Shougo's followers with a fake book of prophecies. The Christians will rise up and topple the Meiji government and Japan will become a colony of Holland, ruled by Kaioh. Sano and Shouzo are in the shadows listening. The reveal themselves. A cage rises from the ground to surround the trio (Sano, Magdaria, and Shouzo), and as Kaioh leaves, boulders explode from the ceiling of the cave and crash down on the three in the cage...................

Episode #73 Evil With a Sneer! Shouzo, Karyu's Damaged in the Explosion. (3)

Kaioh sends one of his goons back to the cave to make sure Magdaria and company are dead. In the meantime, Kenshin is being hauled up the side of a mountain by his neck. He escapes. Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, and Misao heard the explosion when Kaioh dropped rocks on the cell holding Sanosuke, Magdaria, and Shouzo. Kenshin and company investigate and find Sano and Magdaria about to be killed by Kaioh's goon. Yahiko and Misao assist and defeat the goon. (Earlier, Magdaria had sent Shouzo off to tell her brother about Kaioh's conspiracy.) On the way out of the cave, Kenshin fills Sano in on Kaioh's plans. Kaioh plans to have the army kill Shougo and his followers on "Holy Hill". Then Kaoih will call Shougo a martyr, thus insuring that Kaoih receives the loyalty of Shougo's followers. Kaoih will then try to take over the country with hundreds of thousands of Christians. Magdaria grows weaker. Kenshin tells Sano to take her to Elsten-dono, the Dutch Consulate, who is also a doctor. The army starts to surround the Holy Hill. In the meantime, Shougo is praying and remembering his past, and Kaioh is getting ready to leave Shimabara. He brags to one of his men about the approaching death of Shougo, while unbeknownst to him, Shouzo is behind a bush listening to every word. Shouzo reveals himself and Kaioh beats the crap out of him. Shouzo, bruised and battered and lying half dead, drops the pineapple bombs Sano had given him earlier for protection (didn't I mention them?...gomen). The bombs roll down the hill and bounce into the boat Kaioh is just stepping into, blowing it and him to hell.......................

Episode #74 Sanosuke's Tears... Eternal Separation Between Them. (3)

The noise of the explosion of Kaioh's boat brings Shougo out of his temple. Shougo sees the army surrounding his hill. Realizing that Kaioh betrayed him, he gathers his followers and tells them that today they will be going to heaven with him. His followers become excited and ready to fight. Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, and Misao are all trying to reach the hill before the battle starts. Sano is running with Magdaria on his back, trying to get her to the Dutch Consulate Elsten. The battle between the Christians and the army begins with Shougo taking out about a dozen soldiers. Then the Christians charge down the hill ready to go to heaven. Kenshin and company arrive at the scene. Still blind, Kenshin yells "YAMERU!!" (STOP), rappels down the cliff using his sakabatou, and jumps right in the middle of the battle. The Christians don't want to stop, they want to go to heaven.

Meanwhile, Misao is being dragged into the army camp by two soldiers, and Sano is trying to save Magdaria. Sano flags down a carriage on the road, and guess who is in the carriage? Yep, the Dutch Consulate and Santo. Elsten stops and begins to examine Magdaria, but Santo draws a gun and attempts to shoot him. Magdaria sees the gun and throws her body in front of the Dutchman and takes the bullet. Sano stops Santo, but Magdaria is dying. Magdaria sends the Dutchman to the Holy Hill to stop the massacre of her brother and the Christians. Then Sagara Sanosuke holds the woman who could have been the love of his life while she dies. At the moment of Magdaria's death, the medallion breaks off of Amakusa Shougo's chest and he is shot in the side by a young boy soldier. Kenshin, not knowing Shougo has been shot, confronts him and tells him that he, Kenshin, will fight and defeat him, to prevent all the useless deaths of women and children............

Episode #75 Final Holy Battle.... Crash Together Two Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki! (3)

Kenshin squares off with Amakusa, telling him that the only way to save all his followers is for him to surrender. In the meantime, Misao is STILL being dragged into the army camp by two soldiers, hollering all the while about Kenshin negotiating. The army does not listen, and just as they are getting ready to drag Misao off to jail, the Dutch Consulate drives up in his carriage and demands the army halt its advance on the hill. He talks about the persecution of the Christians during the Edo period, and says that this massacre would incur the wrath of Holland, America, France, and Britain. The army states that Shougo is a rebel trying to start a civil war and that Elsten has no authority, but the army will wait one hour to give Kenshin the chance to get Shougo to surrender. Meanwhile, Kenshin is talking tough to Shougo (sort of like what he did with Aoshi). The fight begins. Shougo is amazed that Kenshin, even blind, can counter his moves. Kenshin somehow 'feels' that Shougo was shot and wants to stop to allow the injury to be treated. Shougo says that a Son of God does not need Kenshin's mercy. Kenshin talks more tough talk to Shougo and then they both use their Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki. Kenshin's ougi defeats Shougo's ougi. Shougo then asks Kenshin to kill him, since he, Shougo, is not a God and could not protect his loved ones. His followers gather round and cry and plead for him not to die, telling him that they love him and need him to protect them. It works. (Yes, Kenshin regains his sight.)

Episode #76 The Sea of Departure... Hope Will Surf Over the Sadness. (2)

End of Shimabara Chapter. Check out Misao trying to be fashionable (hehehehehe.......) Shougo gives up Godhood and accepts that he is a mortal man. He takes back his original name, Muto Shougo. Kaoru goes to visit him in jail and gives him the letter that Sayo had given to Sanosuke before she died (oops...did I forget to mention that too?....gomen) Shougo could possibly get the death sentence, so Kenshin works with Elsten to rescue him. Elsten promises to do whatever is necessary to rescue the brother of the woman who took a bullet for him. With Kenshin and Elsten's help, Shougo is exiled from Japan along with his 88 followers. Elsten says they would be welcome in Holland. Sanosuke has difficulty dealing with Magdaria's death. Shouzo beats up Sano at Magdaria's grave and then tells him that he (Shouzo) trusted Sano and does not blame him for Magdaria's death. This helps Sano. The 88 Christians board the ship to go to Holland. Shougo shakes hands with Kenshin before boarding, and the ship sails off into the sunset.......

Episode #77 Himura Dojo in Shimonoseki? ANOTHER Battousai Appears. (4)

The Kenshin-gumi can't leave Shimonoseki for three days. They decide to spend time in town and are eating puffer fish at a local restaurant when an argument develops at another table. Yahiko and Misao step in to help the restaurant owner and end up outside fighting the Tengu group. Misao and Yahiko are winning, even though it's five to one, so the Tengu group pull out their swords. Sano and Kenshin start to intervene when the "Hitokiri Battousai" shows up to break up the fight. It turns out a local swordsman is impersonating Kenshin, claiming to be the "Hitokiri Battousai". He spouts all of Kenshin's lines about atoning for past sins, not killing, etc., and successfully chases off the bad guys. Kenshin and company are in shock. Kenshin urges caution, the 'company' urges no mercy. Misao goes to investigate and finds out that the fake Battousai is taking money from all the local business owners. The decision is made by all (except Kenshin) to investigate further. Kenshin and company end up at what appears to be an abandoned temple with a plaque on the outside that says "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Himura Dojo". They go in and find the "Battousai" splitting wood. The "Battousai" thinks Kenshin came to join his dojo because of the "Battousai's" reputation. He proceeds to try to give Kenshin a sword lesson. (You get the picture?) This is a very funny episode from beginning to end! (The "Battousai" reminds me of Yojimbo!) Don't miss it!

Episode #78 The Girl Who Longs For Her Art Student... Love Shock in Hakone Hot Springs. (0)

Episode #79 Katsu Kaishu and Kenshin... Fated Survivors From the End of The Edo Dynasty. (2)

The Kenshin-gumi finally get back to Tokyo. They come upon an old man and his student being attacked by a group of masked thugs. The student is a young man who is obviously without confidence in his ability to defend himself or his sensei; he hides behind the back of the old man. The Kenshin-gumi come to the rescue. There is something creepy and calculating about the way the old man looks at Kenshin as Kenshin fights the thugs. The Kenshin-gumi are defeating the thugs when another of the old man's students shows up (in a carriage, no less). The other student is Okubo Tetsuma. Tetsuma threatens the thugs......the thugs run. (It is soooo staged.....) Diagoro is the fearful student. The old man disowns Diagoro because he is a chicken. Kaoru offers to accept Diagoro as a student of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. The old man asks Kenshin his name. Kenshin tells and the old man introduces himself to Kenshin as Katsu Kaishu.

It turns out that Katsu Kaishu was the man who reconstructed the Edo government once they surrendered Edo Castle. Diagoro starts working out at the Kamiya dojo. Kaishu's daughter, Katsu Itsuko, gets angry with her father for disowning Diagoro and goes to retrieve Diagoro from the dojo. (She is obviously smitten with him). Okubo Tetsuma drives her to the dojo in his carriage. Tetsuma makes some very insulting comments about the dojo and Kaoru. Kaoru gets mad and challenges him to a match. Kenshin intervenes with a calculated fall that disrupts the intended match. Okubo Tetsuma leaves, and Itsuko announces that she is staying until Diagoro gets good enough with a sword to be accepted again as a student by her father. Itsuko can cook.......................

Kenshin goes to visit Katsu Kaishu late at night to tell him that his daughter is staying at the dojo. Kaishu calls Kenshin 'Battousai', then corrects himself and calls him Himura Kenshin. He asks Kenshin to insure that Itsuko and Diagoro stay safe. Kenshin promises. On his way home Kenshin is followed, then surrounded, by the same group of thugs that initially attacked Kaishu and Diagoro when this whole story began............

Episode #80 The Never Ending of Edo Dynasty... Kaishu's Mission of Fate. (2)

The bad guys tell Kenshin that he better leave Kaishu alone. They mention the 'Beni Aoi', but they sense that Kenshin does not register what they are talking about and when they find out that Kenshin was not 'hired' by Kaishu , they decide it would not be necessary for them to involve (beat up) Kenshin. They leave. The next day, Diagoro is practicing Kamiya Kasshin Ryu with Yahiko, Itsuko is cooking, and Kenshin is thinking to himself.....he finally figured out that the original attack on Diagoro and Katsu Kaishu was staged. Tetsuma goes to visit Katsu. Tetsuma is worried about the government questioning his sensei concerning the missing money. (A lot of money wound up missing 10 years ago when Edo Castle fell, and Katsu is a suspect.) Katsu asks Tetsuma where he could hide so much money. (There is so much "single shot" symbolism in this episode that it is almost redundant, i.e. moths being eaten by ants, butterflies caught in spider webs, dragonflies, the sun, the moon, moths and flames, moth cut in pieces by a sword, etc.) Meanwhile, back at the dojo, Kaoru is setting up a sparring match between Diagoro and Yahiko. Diagoro tries to wimp out, but Itsuko puts her two cents in and Diagoro gets inspired to fight. Diagoro is just about to whack Yahiko on the head when he throws his back out. Itsuko then gets to play nurse and offers to teach Kaoru how to cook. Then, that night, Itsuko, daughter of Katsu Kaishu, is kidnapped.......................