# Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/rurouni-kenshin-the-beginning-2021/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 81% |
| Editorial Rating | 92/100 |
| Audience Snapshot | 91% (excluded from composite) |
| Metascore | 76/100 |
| Letterboxd | 4/5 |
| IMDb | 7.7/10 |
| Director | Keishi Otomo |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance |
| Runtime | 138 min |
| Festival premiere | Tokyo 2021 |

## Quick answer

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021) earns a 81% Celluloid Score — Recommended. A tragic, ravishing prequel — Satoh and Kasumi Arimura turn Kenshin’s assassin years into the franchise’s most emotional Metascore 76/100. Directed by Keishi Otomo.

## Celluloid verdict

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

## Synopsis

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.

## Cast

Takeru Satoh, Kasumi Arimura, Issey Takahashi, Nijiro Murakami, Masanobu Ando, Kazuki Kitamura

## Accolades

Premiered at Tokyo 2021.

## Where to watch

Global: Netflix
the United States: Netflix
the United Kingdom: Netflix
Indonesia: Netflix
India: Netflix
Turkey: Netflix
South Korea: Netflix
Japan: Netflix, Prime Video, U-NEXT
the Philippines: Netflix
Pakistan: Netflix
South Africa: Netflix
Malaysia: Netflix
Thailand: Netflix
the United Arab Emirates: Netflix
Nigeria: Netflix

## Critic reviews on Celluloid: 1

## Common questions

**Is Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning worth watching?**
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning holds a 81% Celluloid Score. A tragic, ravishing prequel — Satoh and Kasumi Arimura turn Kenshin’s assassin years into the franchise’s most emotionally devastating chapter.

**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.

**Who directed Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?**
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021) was directed by Keishi Otomo.

**What is the Celluloid Score of Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?**
81% — calculated from available Celluloid editorial (92/100), Metascore (76/100), Letterboxd (4/5), and IMDb (7.7/10) inputs. Audience sentiment is excluded.

**Where can I watch Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning?**
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is streaming on Netflix; on Netflix in the United States; on Netflix in the United Kingdom; on Netflix in Indonesia; on Netflix in India; on Netflix in Turkey; on Netflix in South Korea; on Netflix, Prime Video, U-NEXT in Japan; on Netflix in the Philippines; on Netflix in Pakistan; on Netflix in South Africa; on Netflix in Malaysia; on Netflix in Thailand; on Netflix in the United Arab Emirates; on Netflix in Nigeria. Availability varies by region.

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Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

Markdown mirror: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/rurouni-kenshin-the-beginning-2021.md