Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection DVD

Fifteen years after the events of the TV series, Kamiya Kaoru waits at the dojo. Kenshin has wandered again — unable to reconcile the happiness of his present life with the blood of his past — leaving behind Kaoru, their son Kenji, and the quiet family they built together. Kenji, who has grown up in his father's absence, resents Kenshin deeply and seeks out master swordsman Hiko Seijūrō to surpass him. Kenshin, meanwhile, has been struck by an unidentified wasting disease. Kaoru, rather than let him suffer alone, asks him to pass it to her. When Kenshin departs to assist in the First Sino-Japanese War as a healer — not a fighter — the separation stretches into years. What follows is a quiet, devastating ending to the Rurouni Kenshin story, told largely through Kaoru's eyes, tracing the long arc of a love measured in absence, reunion, and the fading of an old scar.

Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection is a two-episode OVA produced by Studio Deen, directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi with screenplay by Reiko Yoshida and score by Taku Iwasaki. It serves as the animated finale to the Rurouni Kenshin franchise and is considered non-canon relative to the manga — creator Nobuhiro Watsuki has stated he preferred the manga's happier ending. The OVA generated significant debate among fans for its tonal choices and ambiguous conclusion, while being widely praised for its animation quality and music.

Released in North America by ADV Films on DVD on March 25, 2003 under the title Samurai X: Reflection; a Director's Cut edition with additional scenes was released December 28, 2004. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Rurouni Kenshin TV, Trust & Betrayal)
Screenplay: Reiko Yoshida (Magic User's Club TV, Cardcaptor Sakura film)
Original Manga: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Studio: Studio Deen
Music: Taku Iwasaki (Trust & Betrayal, Witch Hunter Robin)

Japanese Cast:
- Mayo Suzukaze as Kenshin Himura
- Miki Fujitani as Kaoru Kamiya
- Yuji Ueda as Sanosuke Sagara
- Minami Takayama as Yahiko Myōjin
- Yoshito Yasuhara as Hiko Seijūrō XIII
- Mona Tominaga as Kenji Himura
- Tomo Sakurai as Misao Makimachi (El-Hazard: The Alternative World)

DVD Features (ADV Films Original Release)

- Japanese Voice Cast Interviews
- Clean Closing Animation
- Production Sketches
- ADV Films Previews

DVD Features (Director's Cut Edition, 2004)

- New & Extended Scenes
- Restored Original Japanese Title Cards
- ADV Films Previews

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles (with optional Song Subtitles)

Edition Details

Japanese Title: るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- 星霜編 (Rurouni Kenshin: Seisōhen)
Runtime: ~60 Minutes (Complete OVA, 2 Episodes)
Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi
DVD Release Year: 2003 (U.S. Release, ADV Films); Director's Cut Edition December 2004
Original Release Date (Japan): December 19, 2001 – March 20, 2002
Publisher: ADV Films (released as Samurai X: Reflection)
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Historical Drama, Tragedy, Romance
Themes: Aging and Mortality, Kenshin's Final Journey, Estranged Father and Son, Fading Cross Scar, Non-Canon Manga Ending

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.