Shout Out / Rurouni Kenshin

Here are the shout-outs found in Rurouni Kenshin.

Historical and Real-Life References

• The character of Kenshin Himura is based on a real person named Gensai Kawakami, who's a royalist that worked for the Ishin Shishi in 1863.^note The hitokiri (manslayer) was an assassin who fought for the restoration of the emperor to power. However, in 1871, the government that he fought to establish had him put to death for supposedly planning a rebellion against them.
  • The Ishin Shishi were a group of Japanese political activists of the late Edo period who wished to take down the (in their eyes) "weak" Shogunate and bring the Emperor of Japan back to power.
  • Kenshin's namesake Kenshin Uesugi, like Gensai, is presented as a Bishōnen in some historical fiction works because of his effemininate good looks and speculation that Uesugi was secretly a woman.^note Kenshin is not Himura's birth name. He was orphaned and given that name by his master, who might have been inspired by Kenshin Uesugi, a famous swordsman from the Sengoku Era.
  • The unnamed doctor in the manga is named Oguni Gensai in the 1996 anime and had an extended role there. His family name might be based on the first name of Gensai Kawakami, Kenshin's inspiration, as well.
• Kenshin's moniker "Battousai" is a portmanteau of "battoujutsu" (old-school sword-drawing technique) and the moniker that Yagoro Ito, the founder of Ittō-Ryū, became famous for: "(Ito) Ittousai".
• Child Soldier turned Street Fighter Sanosuke Sagara adopted the last name of Sōzō/Sozo/Souzou Sagara but his character is actually based on 10^th Unit Shinsengumi Captain Sanosuke Harada.
  • Born Shirou Koshima, Souzou Sagara was the leader of the Sekihoutai/Sekihōtai ("Red Herald Regiment"), an army of peasants and farmers who supported the Ishin Shishi.^note Once the Sekihoutai were of no more use to the Ishin Shishi, they announced the troupe to be a "false army" in October 1868 and attacked them. The Sekihoutai were finally defeated in Shitasuwa, and Sagara was decapitated at the age of thirty.
• Nobuhiro Watsuki revealed on his manga notes that he based Kurogasa or Jin-E/Jin'eh/Jin-e/Jinei/Jine Udo on the historical assassin Izō Okada.
• Oniwabanshu Leader Aoshi Shinomori is modeled after Toshizō Hijikata, the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi.^note Watsuki describes the version of Hijikata he based Aoshi on... the one from Moeyo Ken (Burn, O Sword)... as "a bundle of raw combat-instinct who keeps fighting until the very death." Hijikata would eventually be referenced directly in the Hokkaido Arc of RuroKen.
  • Aoshi's actor in the live-action films, Yusuke Iseya, has a remarkable resemblance to the historical Toshizo Hijikata.
  • The Oniwabanshu or Oniwaban is a real group of government-employed undercover secret agent ninjas from the Tokugawa Era.
• Han'nya/Hannya was supposed to be Joseph Merrick from The Elephant Man until plans changed.
• Watsuki modeled Kanryū Takeda after Kanryūsai Takeda, the Shinsengumi's Fifth Unit captain.
• Toshiyoshi Kawaji in RuroKen is practically an Ink-Suit Actor version of the real deal, even more so than the others.
• Hajime Saitō/Saitou/Saito was a real-life Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who most famously served as the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi.
  • The Shinsengumi ("Newly Selected Corps") themselves served as the Shogunate's ronin police hired to suppress the samurai rebellion during the Bakumatsu (the final years of the Shogunate).
• Kogoro Katsura was one of the leaders of the Ishin Shishi. He escaped from the battle at Ikedaya Inn and later, with the help of Shinsaku Takasugi, united the factions among the revolutionists.
• Shinsaku Takasugi was the second-in-command of the Chōshū Ishin Shishi and founder of the Kiheitai, which initially recruited Kenshin.
• Toshimichi Ōkubo was a politician who strove to make Japan a powerful, centralized country by suppressing the feudal system. He was assassinated in 1878 by unhappy samurai, but in RuroKen's version of events, it was Soujirou/Soujiro/Sojiro Seta who killed him and the samurai took credit for it.
  • Watsuki makes a comparison to the 16^th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, with Ōkubo in his author notes. Hilariously and coincidentally, the Sony/Animax English dub has Yahiko/Yoshi compare Okubo to Lincoln as well.
• Souji/Sōji Okita was the first-division captain of the Shinsengumi. Okita was known for his incredible skill with the sword even though he was barely an adult. Soujiro Seta is modeled after him too.^note Okita perished from tuberculosis some time after the skirmish at Ikeda-ya.
• Watsuki had Makoto Shishio motivated by revenge and a desire to conquer, therefore making him destructive in a manner similar to that of Kamo Serizawa of the Shinsengumi.
  • Oume, a woman who was sleeping with Serizawa at the time, was killed along with him during his assassination. She might be considered the inspiration behind Yumi Komagata's creation.
• Anime-only Filler Villain Shogo Amakusa is a double shout-out to seditious 15^th Century Christian samurai Shirō Amakusa^note that led the Shimabara Rebellion and evil doomsday cult leader Shoko Asahara^note and his Aum Shinrikyo that's responsible for domestic terrorism in Japan.
• The Black Knights are a villainous trio of The Hunter (Lentz), The Lord (Schneider), and The Prophet (Melders/Meldars) referencing The Knights Templar of historical lore and conspiracy theories.
• Enishi Yukishiro's right-hand man Gein is partly based on the infamous murderer Ed Gein.
• Shinpachi Nagakura makes a full Saito-style appearance in the Hokkaido Arc of the manga series, and in true RuroKen fashion, he appears as a more historically accurate middle-aged old man instead of his usual anime/manga appearance of a Bishōnen.^note A testimony from an ex-member of the Shinsengumi, Juro Abe, ranked Nagakura as the best swordsman, Okita second, and Saito third.

Anime and Manga References

• Watsuki has stated that Kenshin's visual model is Kurama/Shuichi Minamino from the manga/anime series YuYu Hakusho.
  • Appropriately enough, Kurama's voice actress Megumi Ogata also voiced Kenshin in the drama CDs, such that Kenshin's TV voice actress and Takarazuka Revue performer Mayo Suzukaze probably based her own performance on Ogata's too.
  • The names of several anime-only characters like "Shura" and "Shigure" seemingly came from the Three Kings Arc of YuYu Hakusho.
• Kaoru has rained (harmless, of course) blows on Kenshin to the sound effects of ATATATATATA and ORAORAORAORA.
• Sanosuke is also modeled after Lamp, the main character of Susumu Sendo and Takeshi Obata's Mashin Bōken Tan Lamp-Lamp.
• According to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Megumi's visual design is based on the young version of the grandmother character from the 'Cyborg Ji-chan G manga by Takeshi Obata, Watsuki's former mentor.
  • In turn, Okina's design model is the titular Tokijirō Kaizō from Obata's Cyborg Ji-chan G as well.
• According to Watsuki, Tsubame Sanjo's design model originated from a popular "planet-themed" anime series, particularly its character symbolized by the "ringed-planet"^note Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn.
• Raijūta Isurugi's Izuna, Matoi Izuna, and Tobi Izuna techniques from the ancient Shinko Ryu swordsmanship school are highly reminiscent of Takeshi Onimaru's cursed sword powers while possessed by Fuujin (Wind God) from the anime/manga series Yaiba^note created by the author of Detective Conan.
  • In the 1996 anime, Yutaro Tsukayama's late father was known as Izu's Raijin, while Raijuta Isurugi featured techniques reminiscent of the wind god Fuujin. They're both shout-outs to Japanese Mythology lore and (again) Keny'u Densetsu Yaiba.
• The way Aoshi performs his Onmyou Kousa (Yin-Yang Crossing) technique is highly reminiscent of the Jet Stream Attack from Mobile Suit Gundam.^note It involves throwing his kodachi in a straight line, so if one is deflected, the other one hidden behind it might land. When Kenshin deflects one and avoids the other, he then gets struck by Aoshi's kenpo.It's akin to the three-pronged attack of the Black Tri-Stars. If you're able to evade or take out one or two of them, the other/s will finish you off.
• Kamatari Honjo's visual design is based on Yui Ikari (Shinji Ikari's mother) from Neon Genesis Evangelion. The concept for Kamatari originated from a play on words by Watsuki's assistant Eiichiro Oda.^note  in Japanese, okama (お釜) is a slang word for homosexual, while the word for a scythe is kama (鎌).
• Fuji is the God Warrior from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. His design was also influenced by EVA Unit 01 and Unit 02 from Evangelion^note (the EVAs themselves were also based on the God Warriors).
• Gein once left a bomb decorated with the Straw Hat Logo.^note One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda served as Watsuki's assistant before breaking out on his own.
• Watsuki claims that Tomoe Yukishiro ended up becoming a Rei Ayanami look-alike^note (because he had no other model for her other than a "super beautiful woman whose intent was unclear" or put simply "cool beauty"), with the only unique feature being her black pupils.
  • She also has the same name as Sailor Saturn, who is Tsubame's visual model. Incidentally, Tomoe is often associated with fireflies, which is the given name of her name-alike, "Hotaru" (Firefly).
• In episode 5 of the remake, having a young Joseph Joestar voice Jin-e Udo seems like the perfect JoJo's Bizarre Adventure reference, seeing that his version of the Shin no Ippo technique makes the same sound effect as Dio's Time Stop.
  • In episode 6, Jin-e even says Dio's signature catchphrase, "Muda da! (Useless!)" when he pounces on Jusanro Tani to assassinate him.

Comics and Cartoon References

• Kaoru's forearm during the engagement ring filler episode's Megaton Punch scene became rather muscular and gained an anchor-shaped tattoo like a certain spinach-eating sailor.
• Jin-e Udo is an even closer Expy to Gambit than the trenchcoat-wearing Aoshi with his hairdo, faceless head cover "ski mask", era-inappropriate skin-tight black "cat suit", and inverted eyes.
• Hyottoko is an Expy of The Blob.
• Han'nya has Wolverine Claws like the titular Wolverine from the X-Men.
• Until the Jinchuu Arc, Aoshi Shinonomori wore Gambit's trenchcoat.
• According to Watsuki, Raijuta's appearance was originally based on an American Superhero comic book character^note  who's potentially Cable or his clone Stryfe from the X-Men, which is why he kind of looks like a villainous All Might with feathered shoulder pads.
• Arundo Akamatsu is practically Omega Red because he has roughly the same facial markings and method of attack as his mutant counterpart. His name is the Japanese translation of "Omega Red" as well.
• Sanosuke wanted a rematch with Saitou to show how much he has grown (in strength, obviously) since their first fight.^note  Saitou refuses, both because there's more important things to do (he has Chou/Cho under custody and he's the police's best lead on Shishio at that point) and to piss Sano off.The pissed-off Sano loudly insisted on fighting while entering Donald Duck's old fighting stance◊.
• Jumping over to Image Comics, Seijuro Hiko XIII got Spawn's high-collared cape.
• The name "Houji" is the Japanese version of the name "Forge" from the X-Men, as Watsuki wanted Houji Sadojima to become a similar support character for the Ten Swords.
• Hyogo Kujiranami's mouth, muscular design, and use of an Arm Cannon are all reminiscent of Apocalypse of X-Men fame.
• Hyoko Otowa's design model was a previously rejected "drag queen-ish" villain who wore a lot of lipstick. The six-pronged accessory was borrowed from Mr. Sinister, who also had black lips and metal spines dangling over him like a festive cape.
• Mumyōi Yatsume or the "Nameless" Yatsume is modeled after Venom.^note According to Watsuki, he's reminiscent of Spider-Man for his gangly limbs and agility, a mix of Carnage from Spider-Man and Wolverine from X-Men for his clawed "bandanna mask" version, and Venom (also from Spider-Man) for his weird tongue thing and overall design.
• Watsuki gave Enishi glasses since Enishi appeared in the mafia, "shady Chinese clothing" since Enishi lived in China, and a "half-cape" originating from the version of Gambit◊ found in X-Men: Age of Apocalypse.
• Banjin Inui makes use of steel gauntlets reminiscent of either Wonder Woman's bracelets (he also uses his gauntlets to deflect bullets) or Sara Pezzini's Witchblade (similar design). They're also reminiscent of Gully's magical gloves from Battle Chasers.
  • The AU version of Banjin in Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration dips his fists^note (and later, his whole body) in liquid mercury^note (or a Fantasy Metals equivalent of such), which turns them into brass knuckles. Valid fears of mercury poisoning aside, Banjin's chrome skin technique is a shout-out to Colossus's own organic osmium steel skin.

Television and Movie References

• Watsuki considered turning Han'nya into Aoshi's Body Double or twin, like in the film Kagemusha by Akira Kurosawa. However, his face behind the mask ended up like the Lon Chaney version of The Phantom of the Opera instead.
• The version of Saito in Rurouni Kenshin is more like Clint Eastwood in presentation than his historical counterpart, specifically the Eastwood who played the role of Harry Callahan from the movie Dirty Harry.
• Saizuchi's design model is Director-General Luchi of the Akuda Republic from Purin Purin Monogatari, an NHK puppet show.
• Yumi Komagata is essentially a version of Ogin, a character played by actress Kaoru Yumi in Mitokōmon and its spin-off series Mitokōmon Gaiden: Kagerō Ninpō-Chō.
• The visual model for Shishio's bandaged form is Shizuma Aonuma from the 1976 film The Inugami Family. Watsuki saw this movie as a child and took influence from it.
• When Sano, Saitou, and Kenshin race to the docks to prevent Shishio's plot to destroy the government, Sano shouts the title of an old Jidaigeki television series.
• Episode 45 of the anime was entitled "As If in Flight" (翔ぶが如く, Tobu ga Gotoku), which was also the title of the 1990 NHK Taiga Drama detailing the life of Takamori Saigō^note (an Ishin Shishi leader from Satsuma who was among the proponents of the Meiji Restoration, later to be dismissed for rebelling in the fatal 1877 Satsuma Rebellion).
  • The long-running series theme of the agents of the Restoration being dismissed/eliminated by the Meiji government (and how Shishio is going to rub in the government's face all their crimes and actions against the Shogunate) was discussed in detail.

Videogame References

• Watsuki is a big Samurai Shodown fan, frequently writing about it in his manga notes. Kenshin himself even resembles Shizumaru Hisame from the same series too.^note This is particularly evident with Kenshin wielding an umbrella like Shizumaru during the Marimo filler episode.
• Hyottoko's flame technique is reminiscent of Dhalsim's Yoga Flame from Street Fighter II. Han'nya also uses the optical illusion of his striped arms to make them seemingly stretch like Dhalsim's limbs.
• Shinomori Aoshi's Ryusui no Ugoki (Waterflow Movement), Kaiten Kenbu (Spiral Heaven Sword Dance), and Kaiten Kenbu: Rokuren (Spiral Heaven Sword Dance: Six Series) are all reminiscent of the magical illusion powers of Great Tiger from the NES version of the videogame Punch-Out!!.
• Raijuta is also modeled after Samurai Shodown's own Zankuro Minazuki.
• Soujiro's only named sword technique is the Shun Ten Satsu (Instant Heaven Murder) or a combination of the Shukuchi and Battoujutsu. This is in reference to Akuma's ultimate technique, the Shun Goku Satsu (Instant Hell Murder) from Street Fighter.
• The unburnt version of Makoto Shishio is just a slender version of Genjuro Kibagami (also from Samurai Shodown), his silhouette drawn in shadow.
  • Meanwhile, Shishio's flame moves are based on the ones used by Kazuki Kazama, who also has his own Flaming Sword.^note The Guren Kaina is, in Watsuki's words, "pretty much a rip-off Daibaku Satsu", an explosive Grapple Move by Kazuki in Samurai Shodown IV.
  • Watsuki might've gotten the name "Shishio" from the name of the final boss of Savage Reign, otherwise known as Fūun Mokushiroku: Kakutō Sōsei. The game was released in April 1995 before Shishio was first name-dropped in the RuroKen manga around late 1995^note (the 7^th compilation volume was released in October 1995).
• Speaking of Kazama, Banjin Inui's personality and design are based on Kagetsu Kazama as well. He was also originally going to be one of the Ten Swords and was going to use army-style hand-to-hand combat for good measure.
• The names of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu jujutsu moves and throws that Kaoru shows off to Yahiko during the engagement ring filler episode are shout-outs to many famous Street Fighter throws, particularly the Hell Wheel^note (itself a shout-out to the Ikki Kajiwara manga Jūdō Icchokusen and its Signature Move involving the user grappling with an opponent and rolling forward with him continuously until he collapses) and Somersault Throw.
  • In the same episode, Kaoru gives Sano and Yahiko a Megaton Punch. As they're flailing through the air, the input for a fighting game move appears in the corner of the screen. Specifically, it looks like the input of a King of Fighters or SNK Fighting Game Desperation Move.

Miscellaneous

• Kaoru is modeled after Sanako Chiba from the novel Ryōma no Koibito and the personality of Mifuyu Sasaki from the novel Kenkaku Shobai.
• When Misao tried to make Aoshi smile post Kyoto Arc, she hot-bloodedly declared she would use the work of Japanese comedy troupe "Yoshimoto Kogyo" as a guide. This naturally confused Okina, as Yoshimoto Kogyo didn't come into existence until the 20^th Century.
• The Sony dub had Saito introduce himself to Sano as "Willy Lomo" instead of "Fujita Goro" in the original Japanese while pretending to be a medicine peddler.^note The peddler or salesman part clued Kenshin in later that he's dealing with a former Shinsengumi member from his past.
• Yahiko and Tsubame are named after rail lines on the Tokyo subway.
• The Black Knights reference the legendary trio of Sir Perceval, Sir Galahad, and Sir Bors, the three knights who were able to find the Mystical Holy Grail. The Divine Elixir serves as their equivalent of the Grail.
  • The Arthurian reference is further solidified by Schneider's romance with the kunoichi Misanagi^note because many versions of the Holy Grail Quest feature a romance either waiting for Perceval or between his sister and a knight (often Galahad or Bors), or an implied one tying knights to the purity of Christianity.
• Originally a "camouflage costume character", Banjin ended up becoming a "combined martial-arts user" in the Jinchuu Arc. It's only appropriate that his MMA shout-out come full circle by having a version of himself be portrayed by famed MMA pioneer Genki "Neo-Samurai" Sudo.

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