[quote=" Kaoru should have smacked him upside the head and said ?Kenshin you?re my husband and Kenji?s father that?s who you are, now go make dinner.? [/quote]
LOL, maybe that would have worked better. "Quit being ridiculous Kenshin,
now go make dinner." haha.
Anyways, I haven't seen any of the OAVs either. I actually wouldn't mind seeing "Trust" or "Betrayal" b/c they cover Kenshin's past. Even though it's not a very bright and colorful past, it still made Kenshin who he was in the manga and anime. But, "Reflection" I'd rather not.
I am of the firm belief that Kenshin and Kaoru should have died of OLD age and Kenji was supposed to at least like his parents.
What I know of "Reflection" comes from reading fanfiction and comments made about it from fans in forums like this one. And, so far nothing has convinced me that it would be worth watching. I don't want to bawl while watching Kenshin die in Kaoru's arms. I prefer to remember them as they were in the anime and at the end of the manga. Happy.
Another thing that turns me off from this angsty conclusion is that RK's original creator did not take part in its production. It was done by someone else (don't know his name) who decided to give the series an ending past the manga. While it was a noble effort, I can't help feeling that it probably wasn't what the original creator had in mind for Kenshin, Kaoru and Kenji.
Kenshin is supposed to be there for his wife and son. He was a pretty damn good role model for Yahiko, why does he have to get this "self-redemption" idea
after he's married with a child? And, Kaoru. While she may mellow out (meaning less quick to temper) and mature with age. I don't see her mellowing out THAT much.
The creators of "Reflection" might as well have made the parting scene somewhere along these lines.
Kenshin: Kaoru, I'm leaving to find myself. I don't know when I'll return. Please tell me you understand.
Kaoru: Sure, Kenshin take all the time you need. I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes. Take ten years if you need to heck why not make it 20, and I'll wait on the docks everyday for your return. That way we can both neglect our son.
I mean come on.
While Kenshin may NEVER get over his past as an assassin, that doesn't mean he has to go wandering for another ten years and catch some disease along the way.
It's no wonder Kenji hated his father for leaving and resented his mother for always waiting around on him. I would too if I grew up in that kind of atmosphere. It's my understanding that Kenji was never even fully told why his father decided to leave. Was he ever told about Kenshin's past as Battousai? (I'm asking b/c I don't know) It all makes for one very confused and upset young man.
What makes it even more depressing for me is that I know how great of parents Kaoru and Kenshin could have been to Kenji. Both had big hearts and were constantly doing things for others. Kaoru took in both Yahiko and Kenshin, she let Sano get his fill of food, and she'd treat all three of them with the money she earned working at other dojos. And, Kenshin was always looking after everyone around him in addition to all the cooking and laundry he did. He was a very good cook too, which a plus for any man.
At least I think so.
So, to make a long explanation short, "Reflection" doesn't appeal to me, so I avoid it. I don't think I'll ever watch it.
Well, that's my two cents worth.
It was kind of a cultural thing too, I suppose - out of all the asian movies I have seen, maybe one ended happily, and that was Akira Kurosawa's "Sanjuro," which was a parody of all of his samurai movies up to that point. So yeah, THAT was funny...
