=============================================================== Episode Summaries by Lynne (tougei@hotmail.com) Note from Key 2 Anime: I got these summaries from the RK Archive (http://rka.crosspaths.net/index.html). All these summaries are done by Lynne. If you have any questions of would just like to thank her for her wonderful efforts please email her at tougei@hotmail.com Episodes #4-7 =============================================================== Episode #4 One Word Evil... The Fighter Sanosuke Appears. Kenshin and company are eating at the Akabeko when an argument breaks out at a table across the way. Three intoxicated customers are arguing the merits of the Meiji government. Yahiko and Kenshin laugh at the three men's inebriated state, then one of them aims a bowl at Kenshin's head. Yahiko gets mad, has heated words with the three men, and it looks like a fight might erupt. Tae-san, the owner of the restaurant, steps in to calm everyone down, and one of inebriated men backhands her and sends her smack into the arm of one very big cool dude named Sagara Sanosuke (Zanza the gangster). Zanza talks the men into taking their argument outside where he easily defeats the ringleader. Zanza recognizes a fighter in Kenshin and challenges him. Kenshin pleasantly declines. Zanza wanders off, but tells Kenshin that if he, Kenshin, ever changes his mind, Zanza will be around. Bad man Hiruma Gohei was hiding in the shadows outside the Akabeko, watching the entire incident. Gohei had heard of Zanza and approaches him with a proposition to kill Kenshin (Gohei has a revenge hangup.) Zanza originally only plans to accept the proposition because he wants a challenge, but when he hears Kenshin fought for the Ishin Shishi as the Hitokiri Battousai, it becomes a personal vendetta, since he hates the Ishin Shishi. Zanza goes out to the dojo, and challenges Kenshin, but Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan appear, and Zanza leaves, saying he is uncomfortable fighting 'all out' in front of women and children. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode #5 Sakabatou Sword vs Zanba Sword. At the Battle's End! Yahiko and Kaoru are worried about Zanza coming to challenge Kenshin. Their worry is proven to be well founded, since it happens. Zanza and Kenshin go to the river to fight uninterrupted, but Kaoru and Yahiko show up anyway. Zanza is strong and fights with a sword called the zanba, which was designed and used to cut down horses from under their riders. The zanba is slow, however, and Kenshin can see it coming. Kenshin is amazed that Zanza can take a real beating and keep on ticking (forgive me, I couldn't resist). Zanza has a flashback during one of his recuperating pauses (he is flat on his back on the ground) and we learn why he hates the Ishin Shishi. Zanza (Sanosuke) belonged to the Sekihoutai, a group which fought loyally for the Ishin Shishi. The leader of the Sekihoutai was Sagara Souzou. Sagara fought for and dreamed of a new era of peace and prosperity, but the Sekihoutai were used as scapegoats by the government and unjustly accused of lying to the people. The government then murdered them. Sanosuke escaped thanks to Sagara Souzou (Sano took Souzou's family name of Sagara as his own). Kenshin knew the true story of the Sekihoutai, not the lie spread by the government. Meanwhile, Gohei (who started this mess) is behind a hill with a gun. He sees Zanza down and Kenshin looking too healthy, aims and fires. OH WOE!! (get real!) When that doesn't work, Gohei grabs Yahiko and Kaoru. Zanza gets pissed and knocks Gohei down, enshin finishes Gohei off, and Kenshin and Zanza resume their fight. Kenshin beats Zanza badly, but Zanza refuses to fall. Kenshin, Yahiko, and Kaoru all convince Zanza that Kenshin is not a representative of the Ishin Shishi and that Kenshin is trying to protect what Sagara Souzou was fighting for. Sanosuke gives up and falls down in defeat. Later in town, the Kenshin gumi meet Zanza outside the Akabeko restaurant. He tells them he has dropped his nick-name 'Zanza', he is no longer a gangster, and tells Kenshin that he, Sagara Sanosuke, is Kenshin's new best friend and will be hanging around him from now on.........*o*!!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode #6 Visitor From the Darkness... The Kurogasa Appears. The chief of police comes to the Kamiya dojo to ask Kenshin for assistance. It seems there is a serial killer called Kurogasa (black hat) that is killing government officials, and the police are unable to stop him. Kenshin agrees to assist. Sano tags along. The killer uses a technique called Nikaidou Keiho Shin no Ippou, which paralyzes the victim with fear. Kenshin is not affected, of course, and leaps out at Kurogasa right before Kurogasa can cut Sano's arm off. Seems Kenshin and Kurogasa know of each other: Kurogasa is the Hitokiri Jin-eh, a rogue Shinsen Gumi outcast who killed friend and foe alike for the fun of it. Jin-eh is very excited to encounter the Hitokiri Battousai, but after fighting a few minutes, Jin-eh realizes he is fighting Himura Kenshin, not Battousai. Jin-eh leaves, telling Kenshin he will give him one day to revert to the Hitokiri, or he, Jin-eh, will kill Kenshin. Kenshin sends Sano back to the dojo to tell Kaoru and Yahiko that he will not return until he fights Jin-eh, because he cannot concentrate if he has to worry about their safety. Kaoru rejects this line of reasoning, fearing that if Kenshin reverts to the Hitokiri, he will never come back to her dojo. She heads down to the river to find Kenshin. When she does, she gives him her favorite blue ribbon, and insists that after his fight, he return it to her personally. Kenshin understands and agrees. As Kaoru turns to go back to the dojo, a boat appears along the river bank. From the boat, Jin-eh suddenly grabs Kaoru and carries her off down the river............................. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode #7 Fight to the Death Under the Moon...Protect the Ones You Love! Jin-eh has carried Kaoru to a shrine in the middle of the forest to await Kenshin. While Jin-eh and Kaoru debate Kenshin's strength (and Jin-eh blows his own horn to a captive audience), Sano and Yahiko are reading a note from Kenshin explaining the kidnapping and asking them to contact the police if he and Kaoru do not come back. Sano and Yahiko take off to try and find where the fight will take place, to save Kenshin and Kaoru. Kenshin enters the cleared area around the shrine where Jin-eh has Kaoru and the fight begins. Jin-eh is not satisfied with Kenshin's state of mind. He wants to anger Kenshin further, and hopefully bring out the Hitokiri, so he hits Kaoru with a super Shin No Ippou, which would cause her to suffocate in five minutes if not removed. Jin-eh tells Kenshin that the only way to remove the Shin No Ippou is for Kaoru to do it herself, which is impossible for a woman, or for Kenshin to kill him. (This guy has a death wish!...duh!!) It works. Kenshin quickly beats the crap out of Jin-eh. Then, to save Kaoru, Kenshin is about to violate all his current beliefs and values by killing Jin-eh, much to Jin-eh's delight (remember the guy has a death wish). Just in time, Kaoru, breaks out of Jin-eh's Shin No Ippou and screams at Kenshin to "STOP IT!!!" Kenshin stops . Jin-eh kills himself in frustration (and pleasure). Kenshin and Kaoru, while walking out of the forest, meet up with Sano and Yahiko, who are in a cow pond, covered with mud, arguing. And the Kenshin-gumi is again united.