500https://seguemedia.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/rurounikenshinartwork.jpg Overview This is one of the few times I am struggling to review a manga not in a poor stereotypical fashion but in a way where I am trying to portray to you just how incredible Rurouni Kenshin is but I cant. I could simply list a few statements such as mustreadthisbeforeyoudie topinsert number heremangaofalltime or use as many possible synonyms for masterpiece as I can to try and convince you to read this manga. Yet I dont know if I can. Many have seen the anime and view the dates as warning signs for nostalgia and animation which is simply too old to enjoy in modern terms but that cant be farther from the truth in regards to the manga. I could write many more reviews on other sites point to the statistically high amount of reviews which rate this manga in the 90+ range or how when we sit in circles and forums talking about the greatest mangas weve read and the inspiration for many other pieces Rurouni Kenshin is a manga which is always bounced around at one point or another. Maybe its the shonen tag and because of that it is slighted to be with other pieces because swordfights ninjas and samurai are the predominant features of this all time classic which sets up flags for readers as they bandwagon the manga with others. Yet Rurouni Kenshin is not a samuraimanga let me see if I can elaborate just a bit before proceeding further. As a reader and being apart of the anime community do you know how we all like to tag and group things? Another IsekaiHarem anime another OP Main Character or with one glance through of some artwork and the first chapter youre able to summarize how an anime or manga will be played out? You can not define this manga in the same way as you can majority of other pieces. This is not a shonen samurai manga Rurouni Kenshin is a masterpiece story which is classified as a shonen and has samurai in it. Rating: 98 What makes this piece so highly rated for me? Every part about it. True when I saw the overview of the manga at first I was hesitant expecting a boys manga with lots of sword fighting and a group of friends who bring justice to a torn society. That cant be farther from the truth. The art and story are perfect. Its honestly incredible just how well written and illustrated this piece is. It continuously keeps your attention feeling natural unforced and well paced as you read along. The art itself is the definition of balance not overly detailed or overly simplistic it does what many mangas struggle to do: compliments the story where they work in unison to portray what is needed to the viewer. When you read it you are hooked completely immersed and importantly not distracted by the art or bored with the reading. The characters are so well developed with the perfect amount of backstory for almost all characters which is a rarity. The growth and development of these characters is honestly the best part of the whole manga for me personally. Its a common trait which is found in classics and older shonen mangas where you instantly hook up with the characters having a common ground with them and even before backstory kicks in you feel as if you just know them. When you explore the characters and even when sideparties are introduced it grows the story in a healthy manner making you want more. I could go on and on but Im not going to. Rurouni Kenshin is a manga which cannot be defined by a few tags or even with a demographic whether you enjoy sword fighting or not I implore you to give this manga a read. The length is a healthy amount feeling just right at 255 chapters nor are there any portions which feel overly stretched. The reason for the 98 is because its damnwell near perfect for me and when its that highly rated the difference between a few points and perfection comes down to personal preference.