Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Review Special (1997)

Perhaps the distant part of the sky always seems clearest, so that we will always strive to reach it.

I will bear your pain for you now, and find a path of repentance.

A sword is a weapon. Whatever pretty names you give it, swordsmanship is a way to kill. She speaks as one who has never bloodied her hands. Kaoru-dono mantains a sweet, naïve lie. But in the face of such awful truth the naïve lie she tells is so much better. If this one had a wish it would only be that her lie would become the truth of this world.

Ken wa kyouki, kenjutsu wa satsujinjutsu. Donna kireigoto ya o-daimoku wo kuchi ni shite mo, sore ga shinjitsu. Kaoru-dono no itteru koto wa ichi-do mo onore no te wo kegashita koto ga nai mono ga iu amacchoroi zaregoto de gozaru yo. Keredomo sessha wa sonna shinjitsu yori mo Kaoru-dono no iu amacchoroi zaregoto no hou ga suki de gozaru yo. Negawakuba, kore kara no yo wa sono zaregoto ga shinjitsu ni natte moraitai de gozaru na. (剣は凶器、剣術は殺人術。どんな綺麗事やお題目を口にしても、それが真実。薫殿の言ってる事は一度も己れの手を汚した事がない者が言う甘っちょろい戯れ言でござるよ。けれども拙者はそんな真実よりも薫殿が言う甘っちょろい戯れ言の方が好きでござるよ。願わくば、これからの世はその戯れ言が真実になってもらいたいでござるな。)

You believe that the strong exist to cull the weak. To use them as food. But you are mistaken . . . The strong exist, not to feed off of the weak, but to protect them!

The scar of my past will determine my future!

A sword is a weapon. The art of swordsmanship is learning how to kill. That is the truth. What Miss Kaoru says is sweet and innocent talk that only those whose hands have never been stained with the blood of men can believe. But, to tell you the truth, I much prefer Miss Kaoru’s sweet and innocent talk over the truth, indeed I do! I hope that some day her word will become the truth for all of us to live by.

Ken wa kyouki, kenjutsu wa satsujinjutsu, sore ga shinjitsu, Kaoru-dono ga itteru koto wa ichi-do mo jibun no te wo kegashita koto ga nai mono ga iu amai zaregoto de gozaru. Keredomo sessha wa shinjitsu yori mo Kaoru-dono ga iu zaregoto no hou ga suki de gozaru yo. Negawakuba kore kara no yo wa sono zaregoto ga shinjitsu ni natte moraitai de gozaru na. (剣は凶器、剣術は殺人術、それが真実、薫殿が言ってる事は一度も自分の手を穢した事がない者が言う甘い戯言でござる。けれども拙者は真実よりも薫殿が言う戯言の方が好きでござるよ。願わくばこれからの世はその戯言が真実になってもらいたいでござるな。)

Whatever you lose, you’ll find it again. But what you throw away you’ll never get back.

“Sometimes, the bravest act is to live.” That is what this one’s master taught in combat.

“Ikiyou to suru ishi wa nani yori tsuyoi” Sore ga ishou ga karada wo hatte sessha ni satoshite kureta koumyou da (「生きようとする意志は何より強い」それが意匠が体を張って拙者に悟してくれた光明だ)

Oro

Oro (おろ)

A sword is a weapon. Kenjutsu is the art of killing. Whatever pretty words you use, this is its true nature.

“Ken wa kyouki, kenjutsu wa satsujinjutsu” “Donna kireigoto ya odaimoku wo kuchi ni shitemo sore ga shinjitsu” (「剣は凶器、剣術は殺人術」「どんな綺麗事やお題目を口にしてもそれが真実」)

Remember this. No matter how strong you are, you’re only human. The buddha has no need of violence.

Oboete oke, donna ni tsuyokunaoru to, omae wa ikkai no ningen. Hotoke ya shura ni naru hitsuyou wa nain da. (覚えておけ　どんなに強くなろうと、お前は一介の人間。仏や修羅になる必要はないんだ。)

I, Misao Makimachi, see no compelling reason to give villians like you my name!

I’m just your ordinary specialist. And I hate guys who pick on the weak. But I really despise the ones that yap about pretty things like freedom, justice and equality. I’ve had enough of those hypocritical bastards!

Oryaa fudan wa kai senmon nan da ga yo, yowai mono ikime wa suru no mo miru no mo daikiree nan da. Toku ni jiyuu da seigi da byoudou da no to kireigoto wo hakimakuru gizenshayarou no ijime wa mukatsuite tamaranee! (俺ャあ普段は買い専門なんだがよ、弱い者イジメはするのも見るのも大嫌いぇなんだ。特に自由だ正義だ平等だのと綺麗事を吐きまくる偽善者野郎イジメはムカついてたまらねぇ！)

A true fight isn’t like a duel. The better swordsman doesn’t always win. It’s going to be the one left on his feet.

Kenka ttee no wa, shinken de no kiriai to chigatte, ken ni tsuee mono ga katsun ja nee. Taorenee mono no kachi na no yo! (喧嘩ってぇのは 真剣での斬りあいと違って　剣に強え者が勝つんじゃねぇ。倒れねぇ者の勝ちなのよ！)

I’ll fight against violence and injustice with all of my strength with this fist!

Subete no rifujin na bouryoku wo uchitatakeru chikara wo kono te ni shite … ! (すべての理不尽な暴力を打ち叩ける力をこの手にして … ！)

You can train a dog with food, you can buy a person with money, but there isn’t a man alive able influence the wolves of Mibu! Some things will never change. A wolf will always be a wolf, the Shinsen Gumi will always be the Shinsen Gumi, and a manslayer will always be a manslayer!

A hitokiri is a hitokiri until death, after all.

Hitokiri wa shosen shinu made hitokiri. (人斬りは所詮死ぬまで人斬り。)