Rurouni Kenshin stars, director coming to Manila

MANILA, Philippines - William Ireton, president and representative director of Warner Entertainment Japan, Inc., and Francis Soliven, GM of Warner Bros. Philippines, announced recently that Japanese director Keishi Otomo and actors Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei and Munetaka Aoki are flying in to Manila to grace the Asian premiere of Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno.

The invitational red carpet premiere is scheduled on Aug. 6 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. The Japanese talents are also expected to interact with the media and fans in a press conference on Aug. 7 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati.

“We are thrilled to bring director Keishi Otomo and cast members Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei and Munetaka Aoki to Manila so they can personally thank and engage with the loyal fans of Rurouni Kenshin. The Philippines is a very important market for the franchise as proven by the outstanding box-office success in Manila of the first Rurouni Kenshin film in 2013,” said Ireton.

For his part, Soliven said, “Moviegoers in the Philippines have helped create a wave of anticipation and excitement for the Rurouni Kenshin sequels and the upcoming talent visit is a much welcome recognition of the fans’ ardent support.”

Based on the Kyoto arc of the popular manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the Rurouni Kenshin sequels follow the story of Kenshin Himura (Satoh), a legendary swordsman in the wars accompanying the turbulent fall of Japan’s Shogunate in the 19th century. Once feared as Battosai the Killer, he has adopted a peaceful life since the arrival of the “new age.”

But Makoto Shishio (Tatsuya Fujiwara), the Shadow Killer and successor to Kenshin’s position as the deadly assassin, has since then been scheming in the Kyoto underworld, raising an army of disaffected former samurais with the aim of overthrowing the new regime.

Agreeing to a request by the new government to defeat Shishio, Kenshin leaves his beloved ones in Tokyo and sets out for Kyoto. He and Shishio are a match in skills and in wits, but they differ in goals. Can Kenshin preserve the nation without breaking his vow that he will kill no more?

The movie also stars Kaito Oyagi, Yu Aoi, Yosuke Eguchi, Min Tanaka, Tao Tsuchiya, Ryunosuke Kamiki and Maryjun Takahashi.

The first sequel, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno will open in theaters on Aug. 20, to be followed by Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends on Sept. 24. Both films are distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.