We come to the end of the main Rurouni Kenshin series, the yet-to-be-properly-animated: Jinchu. Is this a case of the best arc saved for last? Does it serve as a fitting conclusion for the series? Will Enzo throw in another Kaijuu wall? Stay tuned to find out.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - the final arc of the main series that never got its anime adaptation

3:05 Jinchu being an opposite arc to Kyoto by comparison

8:03 Watsuki’s self-depricating author comments

11:49 Rurouni Kenshin as a archetypical battle shonen and the WSJ family tree

22:02 The series feeling off the time it’s set

25:29 Enishi as a villain and the remembrances flashback

31:31 Historical context for the era of the end of the swordsman + Yahiko’s arc

39:18 Characters returning and side stories - disappointment in Sannosuke’s

42:47 Enishi as a villain and the reflection on Watsuki

51:21 Kaoru’s “death” - does the fakeout ruin this emotional moment?

57:30 Final battle with Kenshin vs Enishi - does this live up to the fight with Shishio?

1:04:47 The epilogue - the true ending, is it satisfying?

1:07:32 Enzo’s Recommendation: Peace Maker Kurogane by Nanae Chrono

1:10:03 Samu’s Recommendation: Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana

1:11:29 Overview and final scores

1:15:12 Bonus: The Kaijuu Wall

It’s the first series review of 2026 and it’s one Samu and Enzo had a similar introduction to with an excellent anime adaptation and decided to venture into the manga post-anime. A shoujo romance fantasy that takes unexpected turns the longer it goes on, but how much of it do we agree on?

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - our first experiences with Snow White with the Red Hair

9:44 Shirayuki and Zen’s relationship

13:31 Other significant side characters in the series: Obi, Ryu, Izana, Mitsuhide, Raji, Hisame, Garack

22:32 Spoiler discussion begins

22:38 Too many characters and too many side quests where the main cast is split up

25:37 Did Akizuki Sorata learn to like Shirayuki/Obi more than Shirayuki/Zen?

28:08 Is the anime the definitive version of the series?

29:23 Comparison to Hunter x Hunter with splitting up the cast and pairing them up

31:16 It’s actually a slice of life series

33:58 Later side-quest arcs: Lilias arc, Bergatt arc, Shinsu arc

37:45 Zen needing a narrative shift to allowed to be more proactive

39:49 Kiki and Hisame

43:43 Samu’s Recommendation: The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga (manga by Erika Ikeda)

47:11 Enzo’s Recommendation: The World is Still Beautiful by Dai Shina

52:33 Overview and final scores

With the start of a new year we thought it best to highlight some of our favourite ongoing manga that deserve more love. We’ve put together a list of ten series we think are worth checking out in hopes that they can blow up, which perfectly summarise our tastes.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - shouting out manga we love that deserve more love

2:04 Kemutai Hanashi by Fumiya Hanashi

5:47 Starting Today We Are Childhood Friends by Midori Obiya

10:19 My Oh My, Atami-kun by Asa Tanuma

17:32 They Are Still Being Shaken This Morning by Eiji Masuda

24:42 Here And There And Us (And Then And After) by Thanat

29:32 Go With the Clouds North by Northwest by Aki Irie

37:44 Dig It by Yoshidamaru

44:01 The Great Villain Boy by Koume Fujichika

52:36 Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda

1:01:05 Touge Oni: Primal Gods in Ancient Times by Kenji Tsurubuchi

1:10:37 Extra mention: Double by Ayako Noda

1:11:09 Overview of our picks