New Rurouni Kenshin Anime's 5th Video Unveils Opening Song, More Cast, Half-Year Run

The official website for the new television anime of Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin manga revealed its first key visual, additional cast, run of two consecutive cours (quarter of a year) or half a year, and fifth promotional video on Sunday. The video reveals and previews the anime's opening theme song "Hiten" by artists Ayase and R-Shitei (Ayase✕R-Shitei).

© 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

Satoshi Hino joins the anime's cast as Hajime Saitō, the former leader of the Shinsengumi's third division.

© 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

The anime will premiere on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block and other venues on July 6 at 25:55 (effectively, July 7 at 12:55 a.m. or July 6 at 11:55 a.m. EDT). The anime will run for two consecutive cours (quarter of a year).

In addition, the staff will hold screening events in the United States, France, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and South Korea. Japan held two screenings on Sunday at Tokyo's United Cinema Aqua City Odaiba with cast members Sōma Saitō, Rie Takahashi, Makoto Koichi, and Taku Yashiro.

©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

The anime will re-adapt the main manga series.

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 Takani Megumi.

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. Singer-songwriter Reol performs the ending theme song "Kissaki" (Sword Tip).

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: Rurouni Kenshin anime's website via Ota-Suke