The team behind Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and The Beginning, the fourth and fifth installments of the live-action Rurouni Kenshin movies, announced three new cast members who will be playing major roles in both films.
The three new cast members announced are:
Issei Takahashi will play the role of Katsura Kogoro, a rebel of the Isshin Shishi political activists from the Choshu Clan who plays a role in the oncoming of Battousai.
Nijiro Murakami will take on the role of Okita Souji, a young master swordsman who is also the captain of the Shinsengumi paramilitary police.
Last but not least, there is Masanobu Ando playing the role of Takasugi Shinsaku, Katsura’s fellow-in-arms and also from the Isshin Shishi.
The movies were announced back at the beginning of 2020 and were slated to come out that year. However, due to the worldwide pandemic, the dates were pushed back to 2021 in order to keep all moviegoers safe from the virus.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is slated to open on 23 April 2021 in Japanese theaters with Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning expected to release this Summer on 4 June 2021. The two movies will wrap up the live-action Rurouni Kenshin story with The Beginning being a prequel, which will see the story of how Kenshin got his cross-shaped scar and explore his past as the assassin Hitokiri Battousai.
If you’re a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin series, the Rurouni Kenshin: The Final / The Beginning movies are shaping up to be a pretty dramatic climax to the live-action story.