ABSTRACT
The international popularity of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s character Rurouni Kenshin has resulted in a media mix franchise including over 12 video games. Set early in the period of the Meiji Restoration (c. 1880s), Watsuki’s story focuses on a former assassin, a young soldier traumatized by the horrific experiences of the recent Bakamatsu. The music of the initial anime was a mixed collection of traditional kabuki-influenced gestures, j-pop, and rock riffs meant to provide atmosphere, characterization, and a contemporary sound that would appeal globally to its youthful target audience. Of the 12 video games that feature Kenshin, “Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romanten—Enjou! Kyoto Rinne” (2006) for PlayStation 2 is the only one that uses segments of this original anime soundtrack throughout and has elicited the most positive player comments involving nostalgia. This study uses comparative musical analysis of the related soundscapes from both anime and game, combined with reviews and commentary mined from gameplay videos, to argue that “Enjou!” enjoys continued gameplay despite the seven RK games that have been developed since 2006, due to its interconnected use of both musical and narrative elements from the anime.
