All posts tagged: rurouni kenshin

With All Your Might – Anime and Manga’s Greatest Fights

Published by Luke Halliday

Snap Discussion is the weekly round table discussion on a topic relating to Japanese pop culture as selected by the almighty Snapodile. Each week the SnapThirty team will weigh in with their thoughts on that week’s topic all with the hopes of providing some interesting and perhaps even conflicting view points on the matter at hand. This week’s topic is With All Your Might – Anime and Manga’s Greatest Fights. For this topic we each looked at some of the greatest fights. A good fight can thrill, but a great fight is an emotional rollercoaster that etches itself permanently into your mind long after its over. Here are some of our own personal favourites. Luke Halliday: For me, an unabashed Togashi fanatic, it should be no surprise what fight I have chosen for this week’s roundtable. It is of course the epic clash between Gon and Hisoka at Heaven’s Arena in Hunter x Hunter. While there are many other incredible fights in this series, none really hit the same level of pure emotion and gravitas …

Friendship, Effort and Victory: The Spirit of Shonen Jump

Published by Luke Halliday

Snap Discussion is the weekly round table discussion on a topic relating to Japanese pop culture as selected by the almighty Snapodile. Each week the SnapThirty team will weigh in with their thoughts on that week’s topic all with the hopes of providing some interesting and perhaps even conflicting view points on the matter at hand. This week’s topic is Friendship, Effort and Victory: The Spirit of Shonen Jump. For this topic we each looked at the legendary manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump and the iconic series that made themselves home in the pages of the magazine. Viz Media has called Shonen Jump manga ‘The World’s Most Popular Manga’ and it is hard to debate them on that. Here are some of our own personal experiences. Luke Halliday: For those who have followed our site, you’d likely have come to discover that it is no secret that I am a superfan of Yoshihiro Togashi and his manga. So I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to once again talk about how good Togashi …

The Original Was Better: Anime That Didn’t Need a Reboot or Sequel

Published by Luke Halliday

Snap Discussion is the weekly round table discussion on a topic relating to Japanese pop culture as selected by the almighty Snapodile. Each week the SnapThirty team will weigh in with their thoughts on that week’s topic all with the hopes of providing some interesting and perhaps even conflicting view points on the matter at hand. This week’s topic is The Original Was Better: Anime That Didn’t Need a Reboot or Sequel. For this topic we each looked at series that were better off ‘one and done’ rather than being remade or given the sequel treatment. After all, you don’t always strike gold twice and these are some times where anime should’ve known better.   Luke Halliday: There are a lot of cases where a fantastic anime series evolved into a ‘franchise’ when it probably shouldn’t have, but one that sits very fresh in my mind is none of than Eureka Seven, which holds a place in my heart as one of the all time best. Now if you have ever watched Eureka Seven you’d …

SnapThirty Crowns Best Shonen Jump Signature Move

Published by Frank Inglese

    For years, pop culture fanatics have been at war with each other. Countless relationships have been ruined over talks of who is best this and who is best that. For example: While some of us tend to think Persona 4’s Chie is Best Girl, others may believe it is Sword Art Online’s Asuna. The problem with this ongoing debate is that it is one fought entirely on a biased foundation, meaning that there can never be a proper resolution. This conflict is one that seems as though it is never going to end, but us here at SnapThirty want you all to know that we will be the ones to bring peace back into the pop culture world…one character at a time. On episode 43 of the SnapThirty podcast, the boys decided that they were going to run a series of tournament brackets to decide once and for all who from Japanese pop culture truly are the best of the best. While Best Girl is indeed the most sought after title in all …

J-Stars Victory Vs+ – Toriko, And Reborn! Vs Rurouni Kenshin English Trailers Released

Published by Frank Inglese

There’s nothing that can revitalise a love for something more than a well put-together video game trailer. Bandai Namco Games has today released two more English trailers for their upcoming crossover fighting title J-Stars Victroy Vs+, both of which make me want to sit down and engulf myself in what both modern day and past Shonen Jump has to offer. The first trailer features Toriko’s titular character facing up against his eternal rival Zebra in what is described as not only a quest for the perfect food but for the perfect battle. The second trailer spans across two series’; Reborn! and Rurouni Kenshin, both of which feature young protagonists who fight only for the sake of peace, but will battle each other because, well…J-Stars Victory Vs+ really has no rules! Fight to your heart’s content! These trailers look so great, they’ve made me want to go back and re-watch Reborn!, they’ve made me want to start reading Toriko, they’ve made me want to experience Rurouni Kenshin like many people before me already have. THAT’S the power …

The Japan Film Festival is Done And Dusted For Another Year, Here’s How It Went

Published by Frank Inglese

Another year, another film festival. Though the way that read is drab, the Japan Film Festival hosted by The Japan Foundation Australia has been everything but drab with a massive line-up of critically acclaimed movies straight from the land of the rising sun. 2014’s festival featured a total of sixty seven films, each of which met wonderful feedback by Australian audiences and fans of Japanese pop culture. The Japan Film Festival has only gotten bigger and bigger with each year and there’s no end to its growth in sight which is great for people like us here at SnapThirty who simply cannot get enough of Japanese cinema. Held over 93 days, it attracted a total attendance of 33,000, a 32% increase year on year. The Festival travelled to 16 cities, 17 venues with 67 films screened over 312 sessions. – The Japan Foundation At the end of the festival each year, The Japan Foundation pools all the votes from all over the country regarding the audiences favorite films from the line-up and although all of them are held …

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends Review

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

The third and final chapter of the Rurouni Kenshin trilogy is aptly dubbed as The Legend Ends, picking up right where the cliffhanger finale of Kyoto Inferno left off. A fair spoiler warning to those who are about to read on, there will be references to the previous films so tread carefully. Kyoto Inferno ended with the frightening unveiling of Shishio Makoto’s ultimate weapon: a battleship equipped with modern warfare. Something that is completely alien to Japan. Shishio Makoto uses this powerful weapon to showcase the true extent of his terror, giving him the ultimate trump card against the crumbling Japanese government. What’s interesting is that this war machine was also introduced in the original anime series, except that Shishio never even got to use it because Sanouske somehow managed to sink the damn thing. Now in this movie adaptation the ship is put to great use as a compelling plot device. This is where The Legend Ends demonstrates a rare instance where taking liberties with the source material, and even executing ideas differently, can lead …

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno Review

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

The pressure couldn’t be any higher for the first Rurouni Kenshin live action to deliver on the unending popularity of the anime and manga. The 2012 self-titled movie debut managed to deliver on all fronts: the cast, the characters’ mannerisms, the beautifully choreographed fight sequences, all of it coming together in a way that left no fan unsatisfied despite some obvious omissions from the original source material and some creative liberties taken with it. Fans could not have asked for a better live action debut for Kenshin, a first of a trilogy that left us looking forward to more. Two years later in 2014, we have been treated to not one but two follow ups within the same year: Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. These two films not only serve as a natural continuation to where the 2012 film ended, but they extensively and faithfully cover the most memorable arc of the anime/manga where Kenshin returns to Kyoto to confront his past, and to challenge a new adversary in Shishio …

ONE OK ROCK’s latest single ‘Mighty Long Fall’ set to bring the rock to ‘Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno’

Published by Luke Halliday

ONE OK ROCK is without a doubt one of the top rock bands in Japan today and after having received global attention thanks to their song ‘The Beginning’ serving as the theme song for the original live-action Rurouni Kenshin film. Now the boys of ONE OK ROCK are ready to bring their brand of rock to the Rurouni Kenshin film series again with their latest single ‘Mighty Long Fall’ serving as the theme for the sequel Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno. As expected from ONE OK ROCK, the song kicks all kinds of ass and will no doubt make for a great theme for the intense Rurouni Kenshin sequel. You can take a listen to ‘Mighty Long Fall’ below. Get ready to rock ONE OK ROCK style, baby! -30-

Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy to Headline the 18th Japanese Film Festival, Dates and Locations Announced

Published by Luke Halliday

The Japan Foundation has just sent through a press release detailing their upcoming 18th annual Japanese Film Festival. They have confirmed the dates and locations for the national film festival which will tour across Australia and New Zealand. Perhaps the biggest news from the Japan Foundation is the headliner for the 18th annual Japanese Film Festival will be the complete trilogy of Rurouni Kenshin films. The first film previously aired during the 16th festival back in 2012 to multiple sell-out audiences. Now or the first time ever all three of the Rurouni Kenshin live-action films will air in one film festival. The films follow the titular wandering samurai Kenshin as he attempts to atone for the sins of his past and bring peace to the nation of Japan in a time of great change. The films are titled Rurouni Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin: The Kyoto Inferno and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend’s End in that order. As for the dates, locations and prices for the 18th annual Japanese Film Festival, the following is the schedule for the …

Six Characters Posters Revealed for Next Live Action Rurouni Kenshin Films

Published by Kane Bugeja

Who doesn’t love a good movie poster? Just one of those little preludes that gets you amped up for the film to be, excited for when the release date finally rolls around. Well take that and times it by six Rurouni Kenshin fans because the upcoming summer sequels to 2012’s aptly titled Rurouni Kenshin Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Taika-hen (Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno) and Rurouni Kenshin: Densetsu no Saigo-hen (Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends) have received a bounty of new character posters. Man, I just said Rurouni Kenshin a lot. Anyway, the images depict a few of the characters that will lead the cast, such as the titular hero himself, and showcase the skills of returning costume designer Kazuhiro Sawataishi. In case you were curious, Director Keishi Otomo is also returning for the upcoming films. So if you enjoyed the first movie, chances are high that these two will be to your liking. Kyoto Inferno and The Legend Ends are set to launch on August 1st and September 13th respectively, so check out the posters, watch the trailer and get excited. Kenshin is back. …

Rurouni Kenshin films to get Theatrical Releases in Australia

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman Entertainment have announced during their Supanova Perth 2014 industry panel today that they have plans to release the final two live-action Rurouni Kenshin films alongside the animated film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods in theaters across Australia at some point in 2014. While there is no solid date set for the release of the three films, the fact that Madman promises a 2014 release period is satisfying enough. Both Rurouni Kenshin films will be released simultaneously and bring the samurai tale to a close ending it as a trilogy. On the other side of the fence, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods previously saw screenings in Australia last year as part of the Japanese Film Festival, so this will be its second go around. The only difference is that this time there could be a potentially larger audience with Madman’s distribution. Madman did state that they will be confirming more information on the releases in the future, so do stay tuned for that news when Madman decides to drop it. The final two …