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May 15, 2011 9:54 AM
#1

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THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Awwwh Sojiro D:
I used to find him SO annoying but now I understand his character a bit better I actually found the end of the episode quite sad!
Oct 30, 2011 1:03 PM
#2
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Nov 2009
1503
i find sojiro retarded, how could kenshin save him back then when he didnt even knew he existed -.-
May 13, 2013 6:57 AM
#3

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Jan 2013
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MikskitzO said:
i find sojiro retarded, how could kenshin save him back then when he didnt even knew he existed -.-

Your comment is retarded :).
Obiously you don't understand the way of thinking of a man who is "delusional".
For further words towards your comment just google the word "delusional" you will see what that means. And in the end Sojiro showed us that
Jul 17, 2013 1:38 PM
#4

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May 2011
3607
Seta Soujiro... a name I will never forget. I remember reading this for the first time and I was in shock for a bit. He was almost in the same situation as Shinta (Kenshin) when he was a child but instead of being cried for, then being saved and found by Hiko Seijuro like Kenshin was, he was found by Makoto Shishio. It's the fates that were different. That one critical event in life for both of them is the foundation for who they are today. I did shed a tear for Soujiro as he kept questioning Kenshin why he didn't save him.

One step shy of his full speed, but his mind is broken. He can't win.

10/10.

Rurouni Kenshin...
Jun 5, 2014 7:30 AM
#5

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Oct 2013
4358
This episode single-handedly boosted Soujiro to #2 on my favorite characters list for RK. Soujiro's backstory is perhaps the most fascinating yet tragic of the entire cast, second only to perhaps Kenshin's himself (and that only if you include the events of the Trust & Betrayal OVA).

If this were a seinen, Soujiro couldn't be saved and would end up dying to his own tragic fate - either here or by being killed by Shishio himself (what a sad twist that would be!). However, being that this is a shounen, it's pretty obvious how this is going to end. Still love it anyway.



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Jul 21, 2014 7:34 PM
#6

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Mar 2014
2752
Man, this was a great episode!
Loved seeing the backstory for everything. Super fascinating.

This episode is the perfect example of how Rurouni Kenshin is one of those few shows that really push the boundaries on storytelling in shounen.
It's just too bad this kind of stuff didn't extend to the genre as a whole.
Oh well, at least there's still this. ^_^
::End of Transmission::


Aug 16, 2014 3:43 PM
#7

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Apr 2014
1167
Was pretty nice to see Soujiro's backstory, I was actually pretty happy to see him kill those he called his family in the end, would have been greater if he let them die slowly, so they can experience fear and pain before death.
Oct 13, 2014 7:22 PM
#8

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Apr 2014
2448
I frigging love back-story like this:D
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May 19, 2015 1:45 PM
#9
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Wow, Soujiro crying that nobody saved him is one of the most heart-breaking moments in anime, only Evangelion, Fullmetal Alchemist and Wolf's Rain gave me moments like that.
Oct 2, 2015 11:44 AM

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May 2015
382
Shuda- said:
Seta Soujiro... a name I will never forget. I remember reading this for the first time and I was in shock for a bit. He was almost in the same situation as Shinta (Kenshin) when he was a child but instead of being cried for, then being saved and found by Hiko Seijuro like Kenshin was, he was found by Makoto Shishio. It's the fates that were different. That one critical event in life for both of them is the foundation for who they are today. I did shed a tear for Soujiro as he kept questioning Kenshin why he didn't save him.

10/10.


Agreed. Who cared for them or found them made all the difference...

I was on the verge of crying, I loved this episode, so sad. Amazing how he was able to live through that... (I just love Soujiro <3)
Sep 19, 2016 2:45 PM

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Jul 2015
472
[quote=Zadion message=31352345
If this were a seinen, Soujiro couldn't be saved and would end up by being killed by Shishio himself (what a sad twist that would be!).[/quote]

I really love this idea. It would be a great ironic twist of fate: Soujiro kills Kenkaku after being spared by Kenshin, then Shishio kills Soujiro after being spared by Kenshin. Watsuki spared Soujiro to give him a 2nd chance and atone, but like you said, that is shounen material. I agree with people deserving a 2nd chance, but it's not realistic for that to happen to everybody - so I have no issue with Soujiro dying. Shishio could have used Soujiro's murder as a psychological attack on Kenshin during their final duel. Man this sounds good.
Oct 24, 2016 9:24 AM

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May 2012
25828
Damn what a backstory! Pretty great to see it actually, really benefits the character development! Let's see what's next.
Jan 6, 2017 9:26 AM

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318
My first Rurouni Kenshin anime experience was a one-episode summer special version including the classic scenes in Kyoto arc. The fight between Soujirou & Kenshin undoubtedly stood out.
Soujirou’s shouting “why didn’t you protect me” made me wonder if there’re any entanglements happened between these two. My curiosity moved me to long for more and started to watch the anime from the beginning.
It kinda surprised me that it’s not like what I imagined and they actually didn’t have intersection in the past. Kenshin was just a symbol of the strong protecting the weak for him. All he’s questioning was why didn’t someone like Kenshin showed up in his life when he’s in the desperate and hopeless situation.
The OST being on point with his shout presented such a beautiful & powerful scene.

Soujirou surely had one of the most tragic backstories. What made things worse was the fact that not even one person in his life ever sincerely loved him. That’s what I think the key reason made him who he was. He showed the reverse possibility that Kenshin could have been if he hadn’t been protected & educated by those who really cared for him.
Shishio’s words & sword probably saved Soujirou at that point, but all he could really rely on was himself only.

Kid Soujirou was super cute!!
I felt so deeply for him when he fell on the ground due to the heavy loads, when he winced at the pain after cleaning his wounds with a rag wetted by cold water, when he’s even determined to return the sword out of goodness of his heart before his so called family practically kept asking to be killed.

Hands down a 100/5 episode for me!
Orikasa_MomijiJan 7, 2017 12:27 AM
Oct 6, 2020 3:21 PM
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Apr 2016
13217
My favorite episode of Rurouni Kenshin by far! I just really wish the motivating quote wasn't as generic and boring as this, "The weak die and the strong survive," it's just so banal to me..
Oct 6, 2020 3:27 PM
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Feb 2019
102
xeonite said:
My favorite episode of Rurouni Kenshin by far! I just really wish the motivating quote wasn't as generic and boring as this, "The weak die and the strong survive," it's just so banal to me..

What's worse is that it keeps getting repeated to the point that it gets annoying. Still the best fight in the show
"Don't forget my name, Soul Reaper, and you better pray that you never hear it again! Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez...because the next time you hear my name, you'll be a dead man...I promise."
Oct 6, 2020 3:36 PM
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13217
DivineReaper81 said:
xeonite said:
My favorite episode of Rurouni Kenshin by far! I just really wish the motivating quote wasn't as generic and boring as this, "The weak die and the strong survive," it's just so banal to me..

What's worse is that it keeps getting repeated to the point that it gets annoying. Still the best fight in the show
Well, it's just the motivating quote, it's really not that big of a deal - they can't just randomly scrap it either way. What made me love this episode wasn't the fight, but Soujiro's backstory - remodel it in our era and he'd be made out to be a school shooter that killed innocent people, whereas in reality paying back to the sources of his misery. You could say that's a poor comparison, but those do happen primarily because of bullying. This episode makes you fully support Soujiro despite him killing a group of people. There are many ways to mess with your sense of justice, and this episode is one of them.
Oct 6, 2020 4:19 PM
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Feb 2019
102
xeonite said:
DivineReaper81 said:

What's worse is that it keeps getting repeated to the point that it gets annoying. Still the best fight in the show
Well, it's just the motivating quote, it's really not that big of a deal - they can't just randomly scrap it either way. What made me love this episode wasn't the fight, but Soujiro's backstory - remodel it in our era and he'd be made out to be a school shooter that killed innocent people, whereas in reality paying back to the sources of his misery. You could say that's a poor comparison, but those do happen primarily because of bullying. This episode makes you fully support Soujiro despite him killing a group of people. There are many ways to mess with your sense of justice, and this episode is one of them.

Agreed. This fight had a log of good emotion and Sojiro was a great character. Reminds me of Gin Ichimaru from Bleach to an extent
"Don't forget my name, Soul Reaper, and you better pray that you never hear it again! Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez...because the next time you hear my name, you'll be a dead man...I promise."
Oct 14, 2021 7:41 PM

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Aug 2018
41211
Sad past for Soujiro tbh

good episode..

Jan 26, 2022 9:04 AM

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May 2016
6248
That was good episode I predicted some parts especially when he asked Himura why he didn't
save him.

5/5
Jun 20, 2022 7:48 PM

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Feb 2017
2389
Soujirou's inner battle of ideals is a bigger deciding factor than the battle of blades in this fight.


Sep 22, 2023 5:38 PM
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Jan 2020
147
Reply to Zadion
This episode single-handedly boosted Soujiro to #2 on my favorite characters list for RK. Soujiro's backstory is perhaps the most fascinating yet tragic of the entire cast, second only to perhaps Kenshin's himself (and that only if you include the events of the Trust & Betrayal OVA).

If this were a seinen, Soujiro couldn't be saved and would end up dying to his own tragic fate - either here or by being killed by Shishio himself (what a sad twist that would be!). However, being that this is a shounen, it's pretty obvious how this is going to end. Still love it anyway.
@Zadion lol. The shonen seinen comparision is true
Aug 16, 6:20 AM
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May 2017
1899
Finally, an episode that redeemed all the low quality storytelling we have so far.

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