You Talk Too Much . . .

M. and I have finally finished the long hard journey of watching Rurouni Kenshin . . . and the final analysis is . . . don't. Just don't. Ever. I'm serious. M. and I considered breaking out the alcohol and sharing a celebratory toast that we survived the horror . . . but I had to "operate heavy machinery" shortly thereafter (i.e., drive home), so we kept our enthusiasm bottled, so to speak.

However . . . we did learn a few valuable lessons from Rurouni Kenshin. Probably the most valuable lesson was: if there is any chance that you are going to spontaneously combust, don't wrap yourself from head to toe in flammable materials and stuff your gauntlets with gun powder.

Just a thought.

Kenshin actually had great potential. It had good characters, a decent plot, and a decent setting - it was in the execution of the story that the entire thing was mangled beyond repair. Dramatic moments were ruined when well-constructed characters, such as a blind master swordsman who could "see" by hearing the movement of your bone and muscle,would suddenly reveal a battle technique that consisted of hiding behind his shield and yelling "you can't see me!" Not to mention, most of the evil characters also tended to be monsters. Thirty-foot tall (or more) monsters - - - wearing spandex. Not joking. Spandex.

No matter what anyone says, avoid this series at all costs. Unless you are studying how not to write a novel - or best ways to destroy any dramatic tension. Then this series will be your bible. Seriously.