Aniplex Releases Rurouni Kenshin Anime's English Dub Trailer

Aniplex released an English dub trailer on Tuesday for the new television anime project based on Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin manga.

Crunchyroll has begun streaming the English dub of the anime. Neither Aniplex of America nor Crunchyroll have revealed the English cast, which appear to be different from the dub of the original anime.

The anime premiered on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block and other venues on July 6. The anime will run for two consecutive cours. The second cours began on October 5. Crunchyroll is streaming the series as it airs.

The anime re-adapts the main manga series.

©和月伸宏／集英社・「るろうに剣心 －明治剣客浪漫譚－」製作委員会

Sōma Saitō stars in the series as Kenshin Himura, and Rie Takahashi costars as Kaoru Kamiya. Taku Yashiro plays Sanosuke Sagara, and Makoto Koichi voices Yahiko Myojin. Yūma Uchida voices Shinomori Aoshi, and Saori Ōnishi voices Megumi Takani. Satoshi Hino plays Hajime Saitō.

Hideyo Yamamoto (Strike the Blood, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, Cells at Work! Code Black) is directing the anime at LIDEN FILMS. Terumi Nishii is designing the characters, and Hideyuki Kurata is in charge of the series scripts. Yū Takami is composing the music. Artists Ayase and R-Shitei (Ayase✕R-Shitei) performed the first opening theme song "Hiten." Singer-songwriter Reol performed the first ending theme song "Kissaki" (Sword Tip). Masaki Suda x Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra perform the new opening theme song "Rurou no Katashiro" and KID PHENOMENON performs the new ending theme song "Sonzai Shōmei" ("Existence").

Watsuki and his novelist wife/story collaborator Kaoru Kurosaki launched the Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc (Rurouni Kenshin, Meiji Kenkaku Romantan: Hokkaido-hen) manga in Shueisha's Jump SQ. magazine in September 2017. The manga went on hiatus in December 2017 following Watsuki being charged for possession of child pornography. The series later resumed publication in June 2018.

Viz Media had been simultaneously publishing the manga in English, but stopped after the manga went on hiatus in 2017.

Watsuki first launched his 28-volume Rurouni Kenshin manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1994. The manga has more than 72 million copies in circulation worldwide. The manga centers around Kenshin Himura, once a deadly assassin during the Meiji Restoration, who is trying to find a new life beyond violence.

The manga has since been adapted into a 95-episode TV anime series, an anime film, three original video anime projects, five live-action films, and a stage musical by the all-female musical theater troupe Takarazuka Revue.

Source: Aniplex's YouTube channel