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Netflix Streams Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning Film Outside Japan on July 30

Netflix is listing Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Beginning, the second of two "final chapter" films in the live-action film series based on Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin manga for streaming in the United States on July 30. Netflix began streaming the first film, Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final, worldwide outside Japan on June 18.

The film opened in Japan on June 4. The film topped the Japanese box office in its opening weekend by selling 350,000 tickets for over 508 million yen (about US$4.7 million).

As of this July, the first of the two films, Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final, has sold a total of 2.83 million tickets for over 4 billion yen (about US$36.20 million). The film opened on April 23 and ranked at #2 in its opening weekend.

The films were originally slated to open on July 3 and August 7 last year, but were delayed to this year due the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final has an original story that differs from the story in the manga. The film centers on the story from the manga's "Jinchū" arc, which features Kenshin's conflict with the mysterious weapons dealer Enishi. Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Beginning tells the story of how Kenshin got his cross-shaped scar. Kasumi Arimura plays the character Tomoe Yukishiro in the films. Tomoe was Kenshin's wife during his days as the assassin Battōsai, and her story ties into Kenshin's iconic X-shaped scar. Kenshin and Tomoe's relationship was previously portrayed in the Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal original video anime (OVA) project.

Keishi Ōtomo returned to direct the films. The rock band ONE OK ROCK returned to perform the theme song "Renegade" for the films.

Source: Netflix