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ActionAdventureDramaRomance Tokyo 2021 Editor's Pick

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning Review (2021) — 83% Celluloid Score

Directed by Keishi Otomo · 2021 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning worth watching?

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021) earns a 83% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

83%
Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

92% Critic Score
91% Audience
76 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4
7.7 IMDb /10
Runtime
2h 18m
Cast
Takeru Satoh , Kasumi Arimura , Issey Takahashi , Nijiro Murakami , Masanobu Ando , Kazuki Kitamura

Where to watch

Streaming availability varies by region — currently on Netflix in the United States. Check local listings for your region.

Why this score?

  • Strong critic approval (92% positive).
  • Audiences widely enjoyed it (91%).
  • Metascore is generally favorable (76/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4/5).
  • Celluloid Score 83% averages all five public rating sources — our own composite, not a third-party trademark score.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded action, adventure, drama, romance pick

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning worth watching?

    Yes — Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning earns a 83% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Critics Consensus

    A tragic, ravishing prequel — Satoh and Kasumi Arimura turn Kenshin’s assassin years into the franchise’s most emotionally devastating chapter.

    Celluloid Critics Consensus

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    What is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning about?

    Before he was a protector, Kenshin was Battosai, the feared assassin of the Bakumatsu. When he meets Tomoe Yukishiro — a gentle young woman carrying an unbearable grief — his life and blade are forever changed. The Beginning traces the love, betrayal, and blood that forged the reverse-blade wanderer audiences met in Origins.

    Critic Reviews

    critic Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning

    Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning Review — The Tragedy That Forged the Legend

    A ravishing, devastating prequel — Satoh and Kasumi Arimura turn Kenshin’s assassin years into the franchise’s most emotionally powerful film.

    The saga’s soul laid bare. Tragic, gorgeous, and unforgettable — the finest Rurouni Kenshin film.

    Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

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