The concluding pic in the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, The First, was released on Netflix on Friday.

Focusing one time again on the life of swordsman Kenshin Himura (Takeru Satoh), the prequel explores how he came to be the wandering samurai fans know and love, how he got his cross-shaped scars, and why he vowed non to impale again.

In the movie, which was helmed by franchise manager Keishi Otomo, Kenshin is a ruthless assassin known as Hitokiri Battosai, or "Sword-drawing Manslayer," who fights for the Choshu clan during the Bakumatsu era.

During his blood-drenched dominion over Kyoto, Kenshin meets Tomoe Yukishiro (Kasumi Arimura), a woman who helps him realize there is more to life than his occupation.

Otomo has done a fantastic job of adapting Nobuhiro Watsuki'southward manga to the big screen since the first film'south release in 2012, simply he has as well taken some creative license with the franchise.

The third film, Rurouni Kenshin: The Fable Ends, was changed significantly, for example, as Otomo opted to use a new setting and sidelined several characters from the manga to salvage time.

So, with that in mind, how does Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning compare to its source material?

Rurouni Kenshin manga
Nobuhiro Watsuki'southward manga "Rurouni Kenshin" was published by Shonen Bound between 1994 and 1999. Viz Media

Enishi Doesn't Witness His Sister'due south Death

Perhaps the virtually significant change is how Tomoe's brother Enishi is given a less prominent part in the motion picture.

The character is seen briefly with the Shadow Watch, the fighters trying to impale Kenshin, who task him with seeing his sister while she and the swordsman lay low in the countryside.

While they practise reunite in the aforementioned manner in the manga, the conversation between Tomoe and Enishi does non concluding very long earlier he makes a swift leave, glaring at Kenshin as he does and so.

This is the last time he is seen in the film, merely in the manga Enishi is a witness to his sister'southward death—an incident he misinterprets, which then becomes his reason to live as he spends the next 15 years preparing himself to get revenge.

Enishi, played past Mackenyu Arata, does return into Kenshin'due south life in the fourth film, Rurouni Kenshin: The Last, and refers to how he saw Tomoe's death, but the scene itself does not evidence him, and diminishes his character as a outcome.

In the manga, Kenshin as well sees Enishi during the battle of Toba-Fushimi, the fight that bookends both the first and 5th picture show, only once again he does not appear in the movie adaptation.

There Is a Lot More Activity

Compared to the other films in the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, The Beginning includes significantly more violence.

Given Kenshin is an assassin at the time the pic is set, it makes sense that he would be seen killing a number of people in his bid to bring peace to Japan past ending the Tokugawa shogunate's reign.

While some fight scenes are directly adjusted from the manga, there are besides a number that are brand new, including the opening scene where Kenshin assassinates a number of samurai from the Tsushima domain.

Kenshin as well goes head-to-head confronting Shinsengumi member Soji Okita, a real historical figure who was one of the special law forcefulness's most talented assassins.

The two samurai are evenly matched and the fight ends in a draw afterward Okita suffers from an set on of tuberculosis, the affliction that somewhen killed the swordsman in existent life.

The intricately choreographed fight scenes are part of what makes the moving picture such great viewing, so it merely serves to benefit it equally a whole.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning
"Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning," directed by Keishi Otomo, is the fifth in the franchise but acts as a prequel to its predecessors. It is available to watch now on Netflix. Netflix

Venom Appears in the Manga

Yep, really. A character who looks remarkably like Venom, downward to the mask and forked tongue, fights Kenshin during his battle with the Shadow Watch.

Information technology's obvious why Venom couldn't announced in the live-action film, given the Marvel villain is not endemic by Watsuki, and he too has no business appearing in Japan in the 1860s.

Instead, Otomo does away with the graphic symbol completely, and just has Kenshin fight the 2 other ninjas who confront him in the manga prior to his come across with their leader Tatsumi (Kazuki Kitamura).

Makoto Shishio Makes a Cameo in the Manga

Fans of the franchise will recognize Kogoro Katsura'south cursory reference to Makoto Shishio at the end of the film.

While speaking with Kenshin later on Tomoe's death, Katsura says he has enlisted a swordsman just as skilled as he is in assassinations, and, while he doesn't mention him by name, the graphic symbol to succeed Kenshin as a Hitokiri is Shishio.

In the second film, Kyoto Inferno, Shishio is revealed as Kenshin's successor. His brutal killings led to a failed bump-off attempt, prompting the villain to seek out revenge on the Japanese government for its betrayal.

The grapheme, played by Tatsuya Fujiwara in both the 2d and 3rd moving-picture show, does announced in the manga when Katsura tells Kenshin of his existence, every bit he is seen killing a spy from the Choshu association.

However, Shishio is not given a comeback in the final film, with fans of the manga having to remain satisfied with the brief reference to him instead.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning and the other four films in the franchise, Rurouni Kenshin, Kyoto Inferno, The Legend Ends and The Terminal, are bachelor to picket now on Netflix.

Update 8/02/21 9:55 a.1000. ET: This article was updated to include the trailer for Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning.