Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc Explained

Ja Kanji:るろうに剣心 ─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─
Ja Romaji:Rurōni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Roman Tan Hokkaidō-hen-
Type:manga
Rurouni Kenshin Side Story: The Ex-Con Ashitaro
Illustrator:Nobuhiro Watsuki
Publisher:Shueisha
Magazine:Jump Square
First:November 4, 2016
Last:December 2, 2016
Type:manga
Illustrator:Nobuhiro Watsuki
Publisher:Shueisha
Imprint:Jump Comics SQ.
Magazine:Jump Square
First:September 4, 2017
Volumes:9

is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. His wife, Kaworu Kurosaki, is credited as a story consultant. It is a direct sequel to Rurouni Kenshin and follows Himura Kenshin and his friends in 1883 Japan as they traverse Hokkaido in search of his father-in-law.

It has been serialized monthly in Shueisha's manga magazine Jump Square since September 2017, with the chapters collected in nine volumes as of November 2023. North American publisher Viz Media released the series digitally in Weekly Shonen Jump simultaneously as it ran in Japan until November 2017.

Plot

In 1883, Himura Kenshin, having married Kamiya Kaoru, became a father to Himura Kenji and, with his body deteriorating, still fights for those in need. Former criminals Inoue Aran and Hasegawa Ashitaro, the latter a former member of Shishio Makoto's faction, have become live-in students at the Kamiya Dojo in Tokyo. Kubota Asahi, a member of the Yaminobu, also starts living at the dojo. The Yaminobu accidentally left behind a recent photograph taken in Hokkaido of Kaoru's father, Kamiya Koshijirō, who was thought to have died in the Seinan War. After reacquiring his or reversed-edge sword from Myōjin Yahiko, Kenshin, his family, and the new residents of Kamiya Dojo head to Hokkaido to find Koshijirō.

There, they reunite with Sagara Sanosuke and team up with Saitō Hajime when they get involved in stopping the mysterious group named Kenkaku Heiki, who create havoc throughout Japan to gain battle experience to protect the country from foreign threats. Saitō recruits his former comrade Nagakura Shinpachi and former Juppongatana members Seta Sōjirō, Yūkyūzan Anji, Sawagejō Chō, Honjō Kamatari and Kariwa Henya to aid them.

Characters

See main article: Himura Kenshin.

The former legendary assassin known as, Kenshin now lives peacefully with his family. His body is deteriorating due to continuously using the style of swordsmanship. After being given back his from Myōjin Yahiko, Kenshin continues to protect the weak for as long as his body will hold up.

An orphaned 16-year-old boy just released from prison. Born in Niigata Prefecture, he survived by stealing crops and foraging the mountains. Although claiming to have served five years in a Tokyo prison for dine and dash, it is suspected to have been for being a gofer member of Shishio Makoto's faction, which planned to take over Japan before disbanding when their leader died five years ago. He possesses Shishio's sword,, but Kenshin asks him not to draw it due to his propensity for entering uncontrolled fits of rage. Ashitaro's given name was formerly written as ("evil child") before he changed it to ("tomorrow's child").
  • A 16-year-old boy who grew up in the Westernized portion of Japan. He was jailed in Tokyo for three months for attempting to be a stowaway on a ship to the Americas. He is revealed to be half-Japanese with blond hair and suspected to be the son of a prostitute to foreigners.
  • A war orphan raised by the Yaminobu but claims to be a pacifist. Following their failure to kill Kenshin during the Bakumatsu, the Yaminobu lost status and were reduced to working as mercenaries for hire. Shishio's faction hired Kubota and later trailed Ashitaro to retrieve Shishio's sword.
  • A mysterious group that claims to have been initially formed by ancestors in the Kamakura period who stopped the Mongol invasions of Japan. Having stayed hidden for over 500 years, they take over Mount Hakodate and launch other attacks in Japan to gain battle experience to fend off future foreign invasions.

    • Production

    In the final volume of the original Rurouni Kenshin, published in November 1999, Nobuhiro Watsuki said that he had ideas for a "Hokkaido episode, a sequel" but wanted to start a new manga, and so ended the series.[1] In September 2012, Watsuki revealed that he considered drawing the Hokkaido arc before creating . However, with the series' theme concluded in the final arc of the original and unable to come up with a new one, he said there was "just no way" he could write it.[2] In July 2013, following the positive reception of the live-action film and the conclusion of Restoration, Watsuki said although Rurouni Kenshin concluded once over ten years ago, "there are many requests for its continuation both from the creator and fans. Then why not continue expanding its world for a little while longer? That's how I feel at the moment." Although he said he had not yet decided if he would write it as a manga again.[3] The fact that the original manga ended with Kenshin as a family man bothered Watsuki as he was not sure if Kenshin should fight again now that he is happily married. Originally, he planned to include a "Final Chapter" (which was the initial draft of what would later become the Hokkaido Arc) for the original series within the volumes of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, but Watsuki's wife Kaworu Kurosaki found the ending of the draft to be boring, and assisted him with the new manga series when it came to research.[4]

    Due to the dark nature of Kenshin's life, Watsuki ended the manga in the Jinchu arc, afraid that if he continued writing, the series would not fit the manga demographic category. When watching the live-action films, Watsuki decided to make a reboot of the series, Restoration, but still had no plans for Hokkaido. Upon watching the Rurouni Kenshin musical, Watsuki was convinced to write Hokkaido as soon as he finished writing his recent work Embalming. To keep the cheerful feeling of the original series, Watsuki wrote the new characters who are nicely treated by Kenshin and Kaoru.[5] Upon helping the staff from the live-action films, The Final and The Beginning, Watsuki came up with new ideas to give Kenshin's story a happy ending despite his actions. Watsuki stated that Takeru Satoh's portrayal of the main character is stronger than the manga one, most notably in The Final. He felt that Kenshin was a "king type" character, similar to Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece, due to his heroic traits. Watsuki also reflected on Kenshin's pacifism, which became a common trend in other Weekly Shōnen Jump protagonists like Luffy and Naruto Uzumaki, who are against the idea of killing their enemies, indicating that for The Hokkaido Arc Kenshin will continue sparring them.[6]

    On November 4, 2016, Watsuki began a two-chapter spin-off titled in Jump Square.[7] The two chapters were inspired by buddy films with Watsuki remembering the ideal designs needed for the protagonists to be likable, citing Ushio & Tora as an example. The first chapter had little hints about Ashitaro being related to Rurouni Kenshin, with the second one expanding it further.[8] Since the young character Myojin Yahiko already matured in the original Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki created Ashitaro to have him act more like him during early years.[5] The second chapter, published on December 2, 2016, revealed that the story is a prologue to a new arc of Rurouni Kenshin beginning in spring 2017.[9] Delayed until summer,[10] Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc began publication in Jump Square on September 4, 2017.[11] In order to promote the series, multiple posters of Kenshin were on display in Shinjuku Station.[12]

    On November 21, 2017, Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography. That same day, Shueisha suspended the publication of new chapters of The Hokkaido Arc beginning on December 4, 2017.[13] It resumed serialization in Jump Square on June 4, 2018.[14] The series went on a hiatus in June 2021 and resumed in August of that same year.[15] In September 2024, it was announced that the series would enter on hiatus due to Watsuki's poor health.[16]

    Publication

    The two parts of Rurouni Kenshin Side Story: The Ex-Con Ashitaro were published on November 4 and December 2, 2016, in Shueisha's Jump Square.[7] Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc began monthly publication in the same magazine on September 4, 2017.[11] Shueisha has collected the chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on September 4, 2018. As of November 2, 2023, nine volumes have been released.

    Viz Media released an English translation of The Ex-Con Ashitaro in their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The first part was released on December 19, 2016, and the second on January 2, 2017.[17] On September 4, 2017, they began simultaneously publishing The Hokkaido Arc in the magazine as it ran in Japan.[18] [19] Following Watsuki's being charged, Viz Media did not continue English publication when the series resumed in Japan,[20] making its last appearance in the magazine on November 6, 2017.[21]

    Volumes

    Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

    These chapters have yet to be published in a volume. They were serialized in issues of Jump Square.

    Reception

    In July 2019, Jump Square announced that Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc had 1.2 million copies in print.[22] The first volume debuted at number four on Oricon's list of the best-selling manga with 172,160 copies sold.[23] By its sixth week, it had sold 322,520 copies.[24] The second volume debuted at number three with 201,590 copies sold,[25] while volume three debuted at number three, selling 111,231 copies.[26] Volumes three and four's initial printings of 350,000 copies were some of the highest first printings that Shueisha made for manga between 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 respectively.[27] [28] Natalie reported that volume four was the fifth best-selling manga at Tsutaya stores during its first week of release.[29] Volume five debuted on the Oricon chart at number six with 108,859 copies sold,[30] while volume six topped the chart in its first week with 75,731 copies sold.[31] Volume seven sold 117,720 copies its first week, but peaked at third place on the Oricon chart.[32] Volume eight debuted in second place with 95,594 copies sold,[33] and volume nine peaked at number four with 81,380 copies sold in its first week.[34]

    Based on the first volume only, the January 2019 issue of Da Vinci magazine included Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc at number 21 on its annual "Book of the Year" list for 2018. The list was voted on by 4,275 book reviewers, writers, and bookstore employees.[35]

    Notes and References

    1. Book: Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 28. 2006. Viz Media. 78. 1-4215-0675-0.
    2. Book: Watsuki, Nobuhiro., Volume 1. 2013. Viz Media. 146. 978-1-4215-5231-6.
    3. Book: Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, Volume 2. 2014. Viz Media. 46. 978-1-4215-5570-6.
    4. Web site: https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/jumpsq/page/4. ja:愛嬌や明るさが「剣心」には必要不可欠. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. ja. December 8, 2022. December 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221208223547/https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/jumpsq/page/4. live.
    5. Web site: https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/jumpsq/page/3. ja:剣心の人生の終わらせ方が見えた. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. ja. December 8, 2022. March 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230326022904/https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/jumpsq/page/3. live.
    6. Web site: https://kai-you.net/article/80090/page/2. ja:和月伸宏インタビュー 『るろうに剣心 最終章』に至る、実写と漫画が歩んだ10年. Kai-You. ja. April 23, 2021. December 8, 2022. August 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230810051837/https://kai-you.net/article/80090/page/2. live.
    7. Web site: Mateo. Alex. Rurouni Kenshin 2-Chapter Spinoff Manga Features New Main Character. November 5, 2016. Anime News Network. November 5, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161106161122/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-11-05/rurouni-kenshin-2-chapter-spinoff-manga-features-new-main-character/.108437. November 6, 2016.
    8. Web site: https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/jumpsq/page/2. ja:「明日郎」で初めてデジタル作画を実践投入. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. ja. December 8, 2022. December 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221208223551/https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/jumpsq/page/2. live.
    9. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Nobuhiro Watsuki Launches Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga in Spring 2017. December 1, 2016. Anime News Network. December 12, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161213000952/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-12-01/nobuhiro-watsuki-launches-rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-in-spring-2017/.109370. December 13, 2016.
    10. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga's Launch Delayed to Summer. March 31, 2017. Anime News Network. March 31, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170401055606/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2017-03-31/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-launch-delayed-to-summer/.114167. April 1, 2017.
    11. Web site: "Rurouni Kenshin" Hokkaido Arc Manga Prepares To Launch. August 1, 2017. Crunchyroll. December 6, 2018. August 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180809042809/http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/08/01-1/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-prepares-to-launch. live.
    12. News: Kenshin Smiles On Travelers In New Manga Ads. May 9, 2017. Crunchyroll. December 8, 2018. August 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825172634/http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/05/09-1/kenshin-smiles-on-travelers-in-new-manga-ads. live.
    13. Web site: Loo. Egan. Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Goes on Hiatus Due to Creator's Child Porn Charge. November 21, 2017. Anime News Network. November 21, 2017. November 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121161429/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-11-21/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-goes-on-hiatus-due-to-creator-child-porn-charge/.124313. live.
    14. Web site: https://natalie.mu/comic/news/285070. ja:「るろうに剣心-明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編-」本日発売のSQ.で7カ月ぶりの再開. June 4, 2018. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. ja. December 8, 2018. September 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180905214955/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/285070. live.
    15. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Takes 2-Month Break. June 6, 2021. Anime News Network. June 6, 2021. June 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210606210401/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-06-06/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-takes-2-month-break/.173618. live.
    16. Web site: Cayanan. Joanna. Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Continues Hiatus Due to Nobuhiro Watsuki's Poor Health. Anime News Network. September 30, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240930145805/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-09-30/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga-continues-hiatus-due-to-nobuhiro-watsuki-poor-health/.216165. September 30, 2024. September 30, 2024. live.
    17. Web site: English "Shonen Jump" Plans "Yu-Gi-Oh!" And "Rurouni Kenshin" Short Manga For Holiday Issues. December 12, 2016. Crunchyroll. December 6, 2018. August 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180828214123/http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/12/12-1/english-shonen-jump-plans-yu-gi-oh-and-rurouni-kenshin-short-manga-for-holiday-issues. live.
    18. Web site: Shonen Jump Issue 09/04/17. September 4, 2017. Viz Media. December 6, 2018. October 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181021073324/https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/shonen-jump-issue-09-04-17. live.
    19. Web site: Ressler. Karen. Viz's Shonen Jump to Serialize Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga. August 28, 2017. Anime News Network. December 6, 2018. November 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181106013003/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-08-28/viz-shonen-jump-to-serialize-rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-manga/.120646. live.
    20. Web site: Ressler. Karen. Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Does Not Return in Viz's Shonen Jump. June 4, 2018. Anime News Network. December 6, 2018. November 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181106024623/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-06-04/rurouni-kenshin-hokkaido-arc-does-not-return-in-viz-shonen-jump/.132432. live.
    21. Web site: Shonen Jump Issue 11/06/17. November 6, 2017. Viz Media. December 6, 2018. November 7, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107061256/https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/shonen-jump-issue-11-06-17. live.
    22. Jump SQ. Jump Square. JUMP_SQ. 1156525641128222725. 2019-07-31. ja:『るろうに剣心-明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編-』第3巻は8／2(金)発売です！カバーは剣心と左之助です。お陰様で累計120万部突破しました。是非ご覧ください！来年の映画も楽しみ！. Japanese. 2021-06-08.
    23. Web site: Ressler. Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, September 3–9. September 12, 2018. Anime News Network. December 6, 2018. December 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211214101425/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-09-12/japanese-comic-ranking-september-3-9/.136699. live.
    24. Web site: Ressler. Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, October 8–14. October 17, 2018. Anime News Network. December 6, 2018. October 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181022232742/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-17/japanese-comic-ranking-october-8-14/.138281. live.
    25. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2019-02-18/. ja:オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2019年02月04日～2019年02月10日. ja. Oricon. February 15, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190215212158/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2019-02-18/. February 15, 2019.
    26. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2019-08-12/. ja:オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2019年07月29日～2019年08月04日. ja. Oricon. August 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190809103444/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2019-08-12/. August 9, 2019.
    27. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Manga With Biggest 1st Printings from Kodansha, Shogakukan, Shueisha: 2019–2020. April 4, 2020. Anime News Network. June 8, 2021. November 3, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201103055348/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-04/manga-with-biggest-1st-printings-from-kodansha-shogakukan-shueisha-2019-2020/.158303. live.
    28. Web site: Mateo. Alex. Manga With Biggest 1st Printings from Kodansha, Shogakukan, Shueisha: 2020-2021. April 8, 2021. Anime News Network. April 8, 2021. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516193011/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-04-08/manga-with-biggest-1st-printings-from-kodansha-shogakukan-shueisha-2020-2021/.171563. live.
    29. Web site: https://natalie.mu/comic/news/379624. ja:【5月11日～5月17日】週間単行本売り上げランキング. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. ja. 2020-05-19. 2020-10-09. June 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621143449/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/379624. live.
    30. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2020-12-14/. ja:オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2020年11月30日～2020年12月06日. ja. Oricon. December 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201211025917/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2020-12-14/. December 11, 2020.
    31. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2021-07-12/. ja:週間 コミックランキング 2021年07月12日付 (2021年06月28日～2021年07月04日). ja. Oricon. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709033605/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2021-07-12/. July 9, 2021.
    32. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2022-05-16/. ja:週間 コミックランキング 2022年05月16日付 （2022年05月02日～2022年05月08日）. ja. Oricon. May 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220513070349/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2022-05-16/. May 13, 2022.
    33. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2023-01-16/. ja:週間 コミックランキング 2023年01月16日付 （2023年01月02日～2023年01月08日）. ja. Oricon. January 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230113035216/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2023-01-16/. January 13, 2023.
    34. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2023-11-13/. ja:週間 コミックランキング 2023年11月13日付 （2023年10月30日～2023年11月05日）. ja. Oricon. November 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231110034946/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obc/w/2023-11-13/. November 10, 2023.
    35. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Detective Conan Manga Tops Da Vinci Ranking. December 6, 2018. Anime News Network. December 6, 2018. November 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221115181855/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-12-06/detective-conan-manga-tops-da-vinci-ranking/.140435. live.

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