Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 8

The battle to decide the fate of Meiji-era swordsmanship has begun!

Action, romance, and historical intrigue help make Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin, the tale of a wandering swordsman set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, one of the most popular Shonen Jump titles among fans to date. Himura Kenshin, once an assassin (or hitokiri ) of ferocious power, now fights to protect the honor of those in need.

In the 11th year of Meiji, on the day marked in the Western calendar as May 14th, time once again begins to flow. The shocking midday murder of Department of Internal Affairs Chief Ôûkubo a fait accompli, Kenshin leaves for Kyoto, scene of chaos and bloodshed--against the wishes of nearly everyone who knows him as the gentle "rurouni." Awaiting him there is Shishio Makoto, the hitokiri who replaced the cold-eyed assassin Himura Battôsai who forswore further killing and took up the reversed-blade sakabatô. But does Kenshin go to Kyoto for a duel...or for a death-match?!

Rurouni Kenshin, which has found fans not only in Japan but around the world, first made its appearance in 1992 as an original short story in Weekly Shonen Jump Special. Later rewritten and published as a regular, continuing Jump series in 1994, Rurouni Kenshin ended serialization in 1999 but continued in popularity, as evidenced by the 2000 publication of Yahiko no Sakabatô (Yahiko’s Reversed-Edge Sword) and the 2015 publication of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series has also inspired novels, anime and films. Watsuki is also the author of the popular series Buso Renkin, published by VIZ Media.