Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc (Japanese: るろうに剣心 ─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─, Hepburn: Rurōni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Roman Tan Hokkaidō-hen)[a] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. His wife, Kaworu Kurosaki, is credited as a story consultant. It is a direct sequel to Rurouni Kenshin and follows Himura Kenshin and his friends in 1883 Japan as they traverse Hokkaido in search of his father-in-law.
It has been serialized monthly in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Jump Square since September 2017, with the chapters collected in nine tankōbon volumes as of November 2023. North American publisher Viz Media released the series digitally in Weekly Shonen Jump simultaneously as it ran in Japan until November 2017.
Plot
In 1883, Himura Kenshin, having married Kamiya Kaoru, became a father to Himura Kenji and, with his body deteriorating, still fights for those in need. Former criminals Inoue Aran and Hasegawa Ashitaro, the latter a former member of Shishio Makoto's faction, have become live-in students at the Kamiya Dojo in Tokyo. Kubota Asahi, a member of the Yaminobu, also starts living at the dojo. The Yaminobu accidentally left behind a recent photograph taken in Hokkaido of Kaoru's father, Kamiya Koshijirō, who was thought to have died in the Seinan War. After reacquiring his sakabatō or reversed-edge sword from Myōjin Yahiko, Kenshin, his family, and the new residents of Kamiya Dojo head to Hokkaido to find Koshijirō.
The former legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battōsai, Kenshin now lives peacefully with his family. His body is deteriorating due to continuously using the Hiten Mitsurugi style of swordsmanship. After being given back his sakabatō from Myōjin Yahiko, Kenshin continues to protect the weak for as long as his body will hold up.
Hasegawa Ashitarō (長谷川明日郎)
An orphaned 16-year-old boy just released from prison. Born in Niigata Prefecture, he survived by stealing crops and foraging the mountains. Although claiming to have served five years in a Tokyo prison for dine and dash, it is suspected to have been for being a gofer member of Shishio Makoto's faction, which planned to take over Japan before disbanding when their leader died five years ago. He possesses Shishio's sword, Mugenjin, but Kenshin asks him not to draw it due to his propensity for entering uncontrolled fits of rage. Ashitaro's given name was formerly written as 悪太郎 ("evil child") before he changed it to 明日郎 ("tomorrow's child").
Inoue Aran (井上阿爛)
A 16-year-old boy who grew up in the Westernized portion of Japan. He was jailed in Tokyo for three months for attempting to be a stowaway on a ship to the Americas. He is revealed to be half-Japanese with blond hair and suspected to be the son of a prostitute to foreigners.
Kubota Asahi (久保田旭)
A war orphan raised by the Yaminobu but claims to be a pacifist. Following their failure to kill Kenshin during the Bakumatsu, the Yaminobu lost status and were reduced to working as mercenaries for hire. Shishio's faction hired Kubota and later trailed Ashitaro to retrieve Shishio's sword.
Kenkaku Heiki (劍客兵器)
A mysterious group that claims to have been initially formed by ancestors in the Kamakura period who stopped the Mongol invasions of Japan. Having stayed hidden for over 500 years, they take over Mount Hakodate and launch other attacks in Japan to gain battle experience to fend off future foreign invasions.
Production
In the final tankōbon volume of the original Rurouni Kenshin, published in November 1999, Nobuhiro Watsuki said that he had ideas for a "Hokkaido episode, a sequel" but wanted to start a new manga, and so ended the series.[1] In September 2012, Watsuki revealed that he considered drawing the Hokkaido arc before creating Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration. However, with the series' theme concluded in the final arc of the original and unable to come up with a new one, he said there was "just no way" he could write it.[2] In July 2013, following the positive reception of the live-action film and the conclusion of Restoration, Watsuki said although Rurouni Kenshin concluded once over ten years ago, "there are many requests for its continuation both from the creator and fans. Then why not continue expanding its world for a little while longer? That's how I feel at the moment." Although he said he had not yet decided if he would write it as a manga again.[3] The fact that the original manga ended with Kenshin as a family man bothered Watsuki as he was not sure if Kenshin should fight again now that he is happily married. Originally, he planned to include a "Final Chapter" (which was the initial draft of what would later become the Hokkaido Arc) for the original series within the volumes of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, but Watsuki's wife Kaworu Kurosaki found the ending of the draft to be boring, and assisted him with the new manga series when it came to research.[4]
Due to the dark nature of Kenshin's life, Watsuki ended the manga in the Jinchu arc, afraid that if he continued writing, the series would not fit the shōnen manga demographic category. When watching the live-action films, Watsuki decided to make a reboot of the series, Restoration, but still had no plans for Hokkaido. Upon watching the Rurouni Kenshin musical, Watsuki was convinced to write Hokkaido as soon as he finished writing his recent work Embalming. To keep the cheerful feeling of the original series, Watsuki wrote the new characters who are nicely treated by Kenshin and Kaoru.[5] Upon helping the staff from the live-action films, The Final and The Beginning, Watsuki came up with new ideas to give Kenshin's story a happy ending despite his hitokiri actions. Watsuki stated that Takeru Satoh's portrayal of the main character is stronger than the manga one, most notably in The Final. He felt that Kenshin was a "king type" character, similar to Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece, due to his heroic traits. Watsuki also reflected on Kenshin's pacifism, which became a common trend in other Weekly Shōnen Jump protagonists like Luffy and Naruto Uzumaki, who are against the idea of killing their enemies, indicating that for The Hokkaido Arc Kenshin will continue sparring them.[6]
On November 4, 2016, Watsuki began a two-chapter spin-off titled Rurouni Kenshin Side Story: The Ex-Con Ashitaro (-るろうに剣心・異聞- 明日郎 前科アリ, Rurouni Kenshin Ibun: Ashitarō Zenka Ari) in Jump Square.[7] The two chapters were inspired by buddy films with Watsuki remembering the ideal designs needed for the protagonists to be likable, citing Ushio & Tora as an example. The first chapter had little hints about Ashitaro being related to Rurouni Kenshin, with the second one expanding it further.[8] Since the young character Myojin Yahiko already matured in the original Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki created Ashitaro to have him act more like him during early years.[5] The second chapter, published on December 2, 2016, revealed that the story is a prologue to a new arc of Rurouni Kenshin beginning in spring 2017.[9] Delayed until summer,[10]Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc began publication in Jump Square on September 4, 2017.[11] In order to promote the series, multiple posters of Kenshin were on display in Shinjuku Station.[12]
On November 21, 2017, Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography. That same day, Shueisha suspended the publication of new chapters of The Hokkaido Arc beginning on December 4, 2017.[13] It resumed serialization in Jump Square on June 4, 2018.[14] The series went on a hiatus in June 2021 and resumed in August of that same year.[15] In September 2024, it was announced that the series would enter on hiatus due to Watsuki's poor health.[16]
Publication
The two parts of Rurouni Kenshin Side Story: The Ex-Con Ashitaro were published on November 4 and December 2, 2016, in Shueisha's Jump Square.[7]Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc began monthly publication in the same magazine on September 4, 2017.[11] Shueisha has collected the chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on September 4, 2018.[17] As of November 2, 2023, nine volumes have been released.
Viz Media released an English translation of The Ex-Con Ashitaro in their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The first part was released on December 19, 2016, and the second on January 2, 2017.[18] On September 4, 2017, they began simultaneously publishing The Hokkaido Arc in the magazine as it ran in Japan.[19][20] Following Watsuki's being charged, Viz Media did not continue English publication when the series resumed in Japan,[21] making its last appearance in the magazine on November 6, 2017.[22]
After being released from prison, the two young men, Hasegawa Ashitarō and Inoue Aran, look for meals in Tokyo and are observed by a girl named Kubota Asahi. However, they are constantly attacked by Asahi's superiors who search for a treasure Ashitaro hides, a sword that belongs to the hitokiri Shishio Makoto. When Ashitaro tries to kill his enemies in rage for the mistreatment of Aran's culture, the swordsman Himura Kenshin saves them through a duel. Kenshin and his wife, Kamiya Kaoru, offer to live in their dojo to protect Ashitaro, Aran, and Asahi. Kenshin recognizes Shishio's sword from their mortal duel and has to force the young man to avoid using violence, especially with such weapons. However, the plans change when Kaoru finds a picture of her absent father, Koshijiro, originally believed to be dead. The journey to Koshijiro takes them to Hokkaido, where the police officers led by Saito Hajime face an unknown enemy. Kaoru's student Myojin Yahiko gives Kenshin the original reversed-edged sword to aid him and stays in the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo while his friends leave.
Act 7. "Itekura's Interrogation Part 1" (凍座尋問・前編, Itekura Jinmon Zenpen)
Act 8. "Itekura's Interrogation Part 2" (凍座尋問・後編, Itekura Jinmon Kōhen)
Act 9. "Assault on Kabato Prison" (樺戸集治監強襲, Kabato Shūchikan Kyōshū)
While resting in Hokkaido, Kenshin meets his old friend Sagara Sanosuke, who decides to help him find Koshijiro, but Asahi disappears. Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke, and the child Himura Kenji, son of Kenshin and Kaoru, research the photograph's origin while Ashitaro and Aran look for Asahi. The group learns of a recent incident in Mt. Hakodate where Saito was severely wounded in combat by Itekura Byakuya, as reported by his adopted son Mishima Eiji. Kenshin accepts Eiji's request to protect the area from Itekura's forces, the Kenkaku Heiki, though the leader allows himself to be arrested and only demands a warrior. Kenshin decides to interrogate Itekura in the Gorokyaku Star Front. There, Kenshin meets Itekura, who reveals their group originates from the ages of Kamakura, fighting against the Mongol invasion and aiming to defeat any other invasion from the country using brute force.
Act 15. "There is Much to Discuss..." (積もる話もあるんだろうね)
Act 16. "You Are!!!!" (お前はァ！！！！)
Ashitaro and Aran find Asahi, who does not trust Kenshin after learning he is a hitokiri from the Bakumatsu, Battosai, who fought her superior, the Yaminobu, and killed his first wife in the process. Despite fearing Kenshin will kill her upon learning her identity, Asahi is comforted when he and Kaoru claim they do not care about her past. Meanwhile, several former warriors come to Hokadote to aid Kenshin in his fight against the Kenkaku Heiki. Saito contacts the former members of Shishio's men, Seta Sojiro, Kamatari, Henya, and Cho. Saito also calls for his former Shinsengumi ally Nagakura Shinpachi, who fought Kenshin during the Bakumatsu. However, Kenshin demands Eiji's removal from the team as Shishio's forces kill his family, resulting in his desire for revenge.
Kenshin confronts Itekura once again to ask for information, but he only accepts at the cost of one battle to test his strength. Itekura displays a phenomenal physique; while Kenshin can dodge most attacks, he cannot deal significant damage with his Hiten Mitsurugi style. Eiji briefly interrupts the duel and declares he will join Saito's group. Kenshin then continues fighting Itekura until both fall to their knees due to reaching their limits, abruptly ending the ongoing interrogation. Before falling, Itekura said the new battle will be in Otaru. Following Kenshin's recovery, the group splits into three to battle in Otaru, Hakodate, and Sapporo. Before Kenshin leaves to fight again, Kaoru asks him to take their first family picture with Kenji as she has to take off their son. Upon arriving in Otaru, Kenshin and Sanosuke investigate the rise of new swords known as Gatou.
Ashitaro, Asahi, and Aran find Gatou, whom Kenshin and Sanosuke remember as the merchant Kanryu Takeda. Aran takes a liking to Kanryu's business and decides to teach him. Though Kenshin's group remains calm, they change their minds about Kanryu when they learn he is also making firepower. As they wonder if Kanryu is really the reason for such a weapon, they are attacked by a Kenkaku Heiki Ono Tominaka member. Sanosuke battles Ono while Kenshin investigates the handling of the new guns. As he investigates the area, Aran learns of the Kenkaku Heiki base. Kanryu, Ashitaro, and Aran enter the base while Sanosuke defeats Ono, and Kenshin protects Otaru.
Act 36. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 1: The Northern Capital and the Shinsengumi" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ一 北の都と新選組)
Ono receives a mortal wound from his ally Shimonji Rurio upon seeing him befriend Sanosuke. Kanryu and Alan sneak into the base, where Honda Udoku attacks them. The two fight Honda with enough firepower to make time for Kenshin to reach the place. Kanryu and Alane still face Honda with a gatling gun until defeating him with Alan and Ashitaro's help. Kenshin tells Kanryu that his former bodyguard, Shinomori Aoshi from the Oniwabanshu, is coming to Hokkaido, which causes Kanryu to escape. Upon reuniting with Sanosuke, they learn that Ono's last words involve how the Otaru unit plans to head to Hakodate. Meanwhile, in Sapporo, Saito and Nagakura face another Kenkaku Heiki member while Itekura remains in jail. The story moves to one week before as they meet the policeman, Ijikawa, who is also investigating the case.
Act 37. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 2: Aburanokōji and Nagakura Shinpachi" (札幌新撰組哀歌 其ノニ 油小路と永倉新八)
Act 38. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 3: The Northern Capital and Enemies, Enemies, Enemies" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ三 北の都と敵、敵、敵)
Act 39. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 4: Aburanokōji and Saitō Hajime" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ四 油小路と斎藤一)
Act 40. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 5: The House of Apples and Abe Jūrō" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ五 林檎の家と阿部十郎)
Act 41. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 6: Kenkaku Heiki Hyōbe and the Main Street Battle" (札幌新撰組哀歌 其ノ六 大通りの攻防と劍客兵器 雹辺)
Act 42. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 7: The Apple Orchard and Abe Jūrō" (札幌新撰組哀歌 其ノ七 林檎の園と阿部十郎)
The story briefly moves to the Bakumatsu, where the Shinsengumi are fighting traitors and meet the man who led their leader, Kondō Isami, to his death. As the Shinsengumi reflect on their past, Hyoube prepares to attack the city. During one fight, Hyoube starts killing police officers until Saito and Nagakura confront him. However, the battle is interrupted by former Shinsengumi Abe Jūrō, who aids his comrades.
In July 2019, Jump Square announced that Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc had 1.2 million copies in print.[32] The first volume debuted at number four on Oricon's list of the best-selling manga with 172,160 copies sold.[33] By its sixth week, it had sold 322,520 copies.[34] The second volume debuted at number three with 201,590 copies sold,[35] while volume three debuted at number three, selling 111,231 copies.[36] Volumes three and four's initial printings of 350,000 copies were some of the highest first printings that Shueisha made for manga between 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 respectively.[37][38]Natalie reported that volume four was the fifth best-selling manga at Tsutaya stores during its first week of release.[39] Volume five debuted on the Oricon chart at number six with 108,859 copies sold,[40] while volume six topped the chart in its first week with 75,731 copies sold.[41] Volume seven sold 117,720 copies its first week, but peaked at third place on the Oricon chart.[42] Volume eight debuted in second place with 95,594 copies sold,[43] and volume nine peaked at number four with 81,380 copies sold in its first week.[44]
Based on the first volume only, the January 2019 issue of Da Vinci magazine included Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc at number 21 on its annual "Book of the Year" list for 2018. The list was voted on by 4,275 book reviewers, writers, and bookstore employees.[45]
Notes
^"The Epic Tale of a Meiji Swordsman: The Wanderer, Kenshin — The Hokkaido Arc". The word Rurōni (るろうに) is the author's altered reading of the word Rurōnin (流浪人), which means 'wanderer'.
