           Rurouni Kenshin OVA #1 A Man Who Kills Translation Notes

Anime West
http://members.tripod.com/~AnimeWest
e-mail: anime-west@usa.net

           *** TN #1 ***
    - About the OVA series -
         In the manga, this storyline takes place immediately after the 
         Kyoto Series (eps 28 - 62)
         It is re-told to Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, Megumi, and Tsubame 
         by Kenshin.
         It is NOT necessary to watch the TV series first, but we really 
         recommend that you watch it. It's a great series
         A little background of Japanese history will be covered here.

           *** TN #2 ***
    - Tsuioku Hen -
         The subtitle of the OVA series means: The Memories Chapter or 
         The Rememberance Chapter.
         We opted to keep the Japanese title because it has a softer 
         feel than any of the English translations.

           *** TN #3 ***
    - indentured servants & servant traders -
         During the Tokugawa (Edo) period, many peasants sold their 
         children--mainly daughters--to "indentured servant traders" to 
         pay off their debts or to reduce the number of mouths to feed.
         These children were sold off to become servants at a wealthy 
         samurai, merchant, or titled peasants' homes... or were sold 
         into prostitution at many of the pleasure quarters.

           *** TN #4 ***
    - Hakubai-kou -
         White Plum Perfume

           *** TN #5 ***
    - houzuki -
         a winter ground cherry
         a type of plant with a distinguishing berry which is covered by 
         an orange, balloon-like shell. The berry inside is about a size 
         of a strawberry tomato and becomes orange when ripe.
         despite it's name, the plant is commonly associated with Autumn.

           *** TN #6 ***
    - Kyoto Shoshidai -
         a domain representative to Kyoto

           *** TN #7 ***
    - Tenchu -
         a term used by Ishin-side assassins. Ishin = Emperor Restoration
         It stands for: Bringing down judgement on behalf of the heavens.
         It was a way of stating that justice was on their side.

           *** TN #8 ***
    - Kihei-tai - Literally: Original Soldier Troop
         an army made up of peasants, merchants, and artisans in the 
         Choshu domain. During the Tokugawa period, non-samurai were not 
         allowed to take up arms (except for village disputes).

           *** TN #9 ***
    - Black Ships -
         Hiko makes a reference to the "Black Ships" during his argument 
         with Kenshin. He's referring to the 1853 incident when Commodor 
         Perry and his ships arrived in Tokyo Bay.
         more info here.

           *** TN #10 ***
    - Shinsengumi -
         a group of warriors recruited in Edo to fight for the Tokugawa 
         shogunate in Kyoto. Headed by Kondo Isami and Hijikata 
         Toshizou, the Shinsengumi did exist during the Bakumatsu.
         At the time of this OVA, the Shinsengumi were considered brutes 
         who liked to kill. Their reputation improves after the Ikeda-ya 
         Incident, which is in episode 2, so we won't say anymore.
         The women at a restaurant refer to the Shinsengumi as the "Mibu 
         Wolves." This is because they were a group of rounin 
         (master-less) warriors, and their headquarters was located in 
         the premeters of Kyoto, called Mibu.

           *** TN #11 ***
     - mikoshi -
         portable shrine a mikoshi is a float-like shrine that is 
         carried by people during festivals.

           *** TN #12 ***
     - Kyo -
         To be insane
         This is the philosophy of Yoshida Shouin, who was the teacher 
         of Katsura Kogoro and others of the Choshu domain. He believed 
         that the 300 years of Tokugawa family's reign created a state 
         of insanity, and in order to destroy it, the revolutionaries 
         must also become insane.
         The waka , also known as tanka , recited by Katsura is a poem 
         Yoshida Shoin wrote as the opening lines to his final work--a 
         day before he was executed.
         The waka has been translated by F. Brinkley in A History of the 
         Japanese People (1915) as:
         Even if my body decays on the fields of Musashi, my Japanese 
         soul will live forever
         Yoshida writes in his last work that although he has only lived 
         30 years, it was a fruitful 30 years that contained all four 
         seasons of life.
         He has no regrets in life, and we think the translation doesn't 
         portray that aspect.
         So our final translation for the waka is:
         Even if my body decays on the fields of Musashi, I have no 
         regrets because the Japanese spirit will live forever

          ~ Enjoy the show ~