The problem with adaptations is that comics tend to be long, and how to use a few hours of film to accommodate what might otherwise be a thick stack of books is a challenge. I haven't read Rurouni Kenshin's comics, but I can clearly feel that there are a lot of simplifications in it.
A direct consequence of the streamlining is that there is not enough time to show secondary characters. After all, no matter how streamlined it is, Kenshin himself, Kamiya Kaoru, and Zhi Zhixiong will not be short of scenes. Of course, the protagonists themselves are also good. However, the problem to be emphasized is that the supporting actors cannot fully introduce their backgrounds, which poses a challenge to their acting skills. They must give the audience an impression that fits their identity as soon as they appear.
Many of the ten swordsmen who did not appear will not be mentioned. Sojiro and Yumi Komagata who appeared did not give any introduction to the background. Under such circumstances, it did not make people feel that these two characters had any abrupt feeling, indicating that the actors It has a good grasp of the character's characteristics, so that the audience can understand what kind of character is playing. In addition, Takeda Kanyanagi, played by Kagawa in the first film, and Kiyojuro Bigu, played by Masaharu Fukuyama in the final chapter, are also very impressive. Masaharu Fukuyama's smile and funny look when he used a wooden stick to beat Kenshin played by Takeshi Sato into a dog in the duel practice is indeed the expression of the master looking at his apprentice, very accurate.
Of course, the performances of the supporting actors are not all perfect. I think Iseya Yusuke, who plays Shino Mori's purple, is too rigid, and basically doesn't change his expression in order to be cool. The appearances of Okubo Toshinori and Ito Hirobumi are too consistent, making people wonder if Ito Hirobumi appeared on the stage, "Isn't this guy hacked to death by Sojiro, why did he come out again?", and neither of them showed any politician's demeanor, which made people wonder. Feeling very disappointed. However, these roles are relatively not very important, so it did not cause much impact.
Overall it's a good movie. Recommended.
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