Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (Japanese: るろうに剣心 最終章 The Beginning, Hepburn: Rurouni Kenshin: Saishūshō – Za Biginingu) is a 2021 Japanese jidaigeki action film based on the Rurouni Kenshin manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Written and directed by Keishi Ōtomo, it is the fifth and final installment of the Rurouni Kenshin film series and serves as a prequel, depicting Himura Kenshin's origins as the assassin "Hitokiri Battōsai", while exploring his relationship with the woman named Yukishiro Tomoe. Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning was released on June 4, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures Japan. The film was produced simultaneously with Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, which was released two months prior, and features elements that tie into each other.