Big, Bold, and Beautiful

I was introduced Nobuhiro Watsuki's work though watching its English-dubbed, anime adaptation. When I was 13, I found its first volume in a bookstore and was too creeped out by the violence depicted in only the first few pages. At the time I didn't understand that when Shonen Jump meant it was for older teens to read, they meant it.

Now that a few years have passed, I've matured enough not to be bothered by the violence. I'd also practically forgotten most of the story and where I left off with it in the anime, and wanted to pick it up again. And so, lo and behold, I find that it has an omnibus series and decide to pick up a volume.

Needless to say, I fell in love with the Meiji Romantic Story all over again.

Rurouni Kenshin, thanks to VIZ Media, has been restored not to its former glory, but to a level that this fast-paced, action-oriented manga deserves. Each character has a distinct personality, and the plot weaves in and out of suspense so easily you'll want to keep turning the page even after your finished reading it. While the size makes for some uncomfortable moments in reading this dynamic--and at times, comedic---tale,Watsuki's illustrations explode off the pages of high-quality paper within this edition. Its bonus content and color illustrations near the end also make it much more valuable than buying the separate volumes. The first volume even has its panels in color for about 40 pages or so.

If you are looking for a new action-packed series lead by a character with a dark past, a little bit of romance, and a dash of comedy, Rurouni Kenshin is for you, and the omnibus volumes are definitely the way to go. (If you've bought a few of the regular volumes, buy the rest of the volumes in their omnibus format. I wouldn't recommend buying the omnibus volumes if you have all the regular volumes, because you'd simply be buying them for their few color pages.)

Highly recommended for action-lovers, manga-lovers, and older readers looking for a change from their usual genres.