Should I start with the series or the OVA's first? What would be the best for the overall experience? If someone could tell me their opinions about this without giving away any spoilers I would greatly appriciate it!
shareSorry about the late reply...
You should definitely watch the TV series first! Episodes 1-63. The later episodes; 64-95 are filler and have nothing to do with Nobuhiro Watsuki's original manga. Watching the TV series first is how Watsuki intended and it builds up far greater emotional impact.
I strongly recommend you watch it in this order:
1. The Wandering Samurai Arc (Eps. 1 - 27)
2. The Legend of Kyoto Arc (Eps. 28 - 63)
3. The Motion Picture/Ishin Shishi e no Requiem - The Motion Picture has nothing to do with Watsuki's original story. So you don't have to watch it. You wont be missing out on much...
4. Samurai X Trust & Betrayal/Rurouni Kenshin Tsuiokuhen (OVA) - A true masterpeice! Nothing this good should be missed. But you will have a hard time understanding the story and the characters if you haven't seen the TV series.
5. Reflection OVA - Ignore this for it is NOT the true ending! Though it is excellent, the real ending is in the manga. But even so, I highly recommend you watch it.
6. Tales of the Meiji Arc (Eps. 64 - 95) - The last arc of the TV series. Again NOT the true ending. The story deviated from the manga. (Long story)
Ok, thank you very much!
I will be ordering the entire series + the OVA's and the movie soon, but now I at least know in what order I should watch it. But will I ruin the first OVA "Trust & Betrayal" if I don't finish the series first? Like if I would watch the first 10-20 episodes of the series and then the first OVA?
Watching the OVA after 20 episodes of the TV series is a bad idea. You will certainly be confused about a few things and you will regret it later. One example is Saito Hajime; Who is one of the most important characters. He plays a major role in the first OVA aswell. But he isn't introduced until the start of the Kyoto arc.
So I strongly recommend you watch the OVAs after episode 63...
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. :)
Thanks that was helpfull
shareYeah, thanks a lot, atlas!
Good to know these things so I can get the most out of the experience.
I'll surely ask more questions if I can think of something. I've just ordered the entire series including the OVA's and the movie, so I can't wait to start watching it all!