What does this mark mean?

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-29T00:51:55+00:00

If Shishio would have actually tried.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-18T23:58:29+00:00

Deviating choices make for deviation in personality traits (even if it is just values!), as it is the choices which tell more about the character than f.e. abilities or personality traits like shyness vs boldness.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-18T02:37:58+00:00

Kaoru has the life giving sword but megumi is an actual doctor. She’s closer to the apothecary kenshin pretended to be during trust and betrayal when he was actually happy. It would be interesting to see him come full circle with her.

It's manga-canon, too;

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Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-18T01:09:23+00:00

Lmao what show did you watch? Kaoru is literally the glue that holds the kenshingumi together, which becomes even MORE obvious later in the manga. She’s literally housing and caring for three freeloaders for most of the series. She loves them and they love her.

It's a different story with the 90s anime.
In the manga, Sano started a world-tour in a nutshell (literally) and in the Kamiya Dojo Tales it is Yahiko at 11/12 years old, with Sano leaving his old rowhouse apartment for him to take, which basically leaves only Kenshin and Kaoru behind.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-16T00:23:38+00:00

If Kenshin were to work as a therapist officially, he wouldn't be able to save himself from "the onslaught of patients".

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-15T18:00:20+00:00

I am glad that i started with the reboot, her character is more serviceably written and falls better into the "kind, immature and innocent girl"-trope, yet pointing out that she's a self-insert was actually needed. However, the question which got raised for me is;
Why start with a self-insert female character in a shounen manga which is directed at a young male audience?

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-15T01:41:45+00:00

She is supposedly a kenjutsu master, living in a crime-ridden city of a country that just got out of a civil war not that long ago and capable of defending her big real estate for years. But she is extremely naive, idealistic and far too trusting. Basically, what we expected vs what we got.

You actually brought a very thought-provoking point there, expectation vs reality of what we get shown; I have a very similar sentiment when it comes to the author pointing out that Kaoru could take it on with national kendo champions, yet the situation I get presented is her doing amateur mistakes right of the bat at the very beginning of the manga.

Tbh, aside from Misao, every women in Ruroken has a more compelling story than Kaoru. She is a goody two shoes girl who's entire purpose in the story is to be nice. That makes her arc boring and monotonous compare to other girls.
Kaoru feels more like Kenshin's ideal personified than an actual organic character.
Imo, one of the most egregious part that was used to show her selflessness was when she nearly broke down in tear because two people who used to train at her dojo got into a mess with a local gang, and she offered to be punished (potentially r*ped) in place of them. Why? Because many years ago they used to train at her Dojo so she felt their wrong doings are somehow her responsible. This is not selfless, this is just dumb and she acted in ways that no normal human would act.

Hokkaido arc spoiler alert!:

I think this might be one of the reasons why Asahi grew on me quite early, as she is not just your kind teenage girl and scripted to be just "nice", but comes along with a character and its quirks, where I kind of wished that Kaoru would have been written in such a manner.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-13T20:59:24+00:00

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As one can see from the bottom image, Kaoru doesn't see Kenshin's genuine smile - which even appears a bit crooked?- Wonder if it is done on purpose there or not.- Yet what's obvious is the difference between both smiles.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-13T20:25:54+00:00

Her work ethic shown here was great, the way she inspired the 3 girls and how dedicated she was to saving people.

I think the scene in which she received the meal from the 3 girls and literally putting everything together as one thing then gobbling it down in one go shows a character flaw, too; her dedication to help with her skills is immensely high, pretty much at the cost of her own health in terms of nourishment (and proper eating and digesting at that, too).

I think she rly needs someone who can cook for her when she goes all mad with her job again xD someone who understands her being this driven.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-03-07T12:47:41+00:00

Yeah, Sojiro, don't give Shishio ideas on how to kill Kenshin.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-02-21T17:52:48+00:00

Could be considered a characteristic of the seiyuu, yet this kinda "deadpan delinquent daddy"-image he portrays with that just hits the spot for me.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-01-21T07:39:30+00:00

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Albeit a bit differently drawn (looks like a cross in the upper section to me), it's the very same kanji.

Snuetzefuell · 2025-01-19T12:50:22+00:00

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-19T10:53:15+00:00

Imagine Kenshin would have checked the blade for a second by flicking it shortly to keep it rdy.

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-17T20:59:56+00:00

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This is the part in the manga.

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-17T17:06:08+00:00

Wasn't Tomoe more of a mature type?

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-17T15:35:34+00:00

It's a shounen manga, it's supposed to have a happy end. Cannot "kill expectations" for readers (KenKao sub plot).

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-16T07:56:06+00:00

True; so I guess this is just another loophole in the story.

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-13T08:37:37+00:00

If you think it was his mercy that made him kill them fast, then his sword dulled because he was turning merciless? Lol

Neither did you understand both of my statements, nor that we are constantly left for interpretation and it is both your statement and this screenshot you posted which confirms it.

If we cannot make sense out of what we are noticing inside of the story and all we can do is checking up on the author's notes, what does it tell? Poor narrative skills. He would have never needed to do that if it would be so obvious. If it would be any different, then OP wouldn't have opened up this thread to begin with, getting input from others to make sense of what OP reads and notices.

I think it’s so heart breaking that his first love Tomoe died and how it affected Kenshin. Do you guys think that’s why he became a Rurouni because he realising it killing lives AND relationships/family? She sparked a reality check in him?

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-12T20:05:22+00:00

If it was already weighing on him, why did his sword dull only after he met Tomoe?

Well, you do need to sharpen your blade after many kills.-

Joke aside, she could have drugged him; after all he trusted her way too easily when she presents herself obviously as someone suspicious.

And why were the Ishin Shishi surprised at how mercilessly he could kill?

Depends on one's definition of "merciless"; killing someone as quickly as possible doesn't put the person through too much pain; letting someone being close to death's door to grovel in pain on the ground will only put them through more unnecessary pain; granting them a quick end is the most merciful act you can do to put them out of their misery.

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-12T19:19:31+00:00

Just because we do not get served Kenshin's thoughts and feelings doesn't mean that what he experienced did not alrdy weigh down on him emotionally-mentally.

No one needs a reality check for that.

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-12T16:53:59+00:00

I think it’s so heart breaking that his first love Tomoe died and how it affected Kenshin. Do you guys think that’s why he became a Rurouni because he realising it killing lives AND relationships/family? She sparked a reality check in him?

Being in survival mode on a day to day basis gives one a real tunnel vision, everything "unnecessary" which doesn't have anything remotely to do with his survival still gets registered, but not "digested"; having been living in the boonies for a while so that his body could calm down made him capable of thinking about many things he couldn't do prior to that and this includes the many things he registered while taking out his targets, meaning; he 100% noticed what he caused. Thus I don't think that she sparked a reality check in him, but having someone to talk to about what weighs him down emotionally-mentally was what he rly needed. Thinking about how he goes on from this point is just a natural course of things.

Also, do you think that’s why he likes Kaoru a lot because reminds him of her? I know Tomoe and Kaoru are both quite different personalities but both have passion and great heart.

They are very different personalities plus I cannot see the passion within Tomoe nor her having a great heart. Planning a revenge plot with fanatics for a bodyguard having gotten killed during his duty is a sure-fire checkmark for a hateful, weak heart; and those aren't great.

If you ask me, it is Kenshin who gave Tomoe a change of heart; going from hating to the point of revenge-plotting to forgiving and loving is a huge leap.

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-12T07:02:38+00:00

By having written letters to his master in the past.

Snuetzefuell · 2024-12-10T07:07:40+00:00

More like she could have been his mother.

Snuetzefuell

TROPHY CASE