It's difficult to find this one legally streaming anywhere, but the Blu-Ray is available off of Amazon Prime here: amzn.to/2nNDKvh

Holy crap. Someone is actually talking about Trust & Betrayal? Thank you for making a video about this masterpiece. One of the greatest films ever made, animated or not.

Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal gave me goosebumps the first time I saw it. It is wildly unique and realistic compared to any other anime I have ever seen. It is very different than the series

Fun fact: The new assassin that replaced Kenshin and killed the traitor was actually Makoto Shishio.

Trust and betrayal was a masterpiece

I cried a river watching when my then boyfriend, now husband, showed it to me like 10 years ago and I still can't get over it.

Sometimes when a story becomes this deep, your common everyday anime goer isn’t gonna watch this. Which is why I believe it’s not on the top charts. Though that doesn’t take any bit of the beauty away from the masterpiece. I absolutely loved this & the main series.

Kenshin loved Tomoe and even when he lost her and many years later met karou and started a family, he will always know that he cant replace tomoe yet that doesnt make his current family any less. Truly beautiful

Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal still my greatest samurai anime or film of all time.

It was in the early 2000's when I first watched this OVA with my cousin, I couldn't remember the name or any events other than the brutal violence. A few years ago, long after her suicide I happened to see a picture of Kenshin somewhere and recognized the scar on his cheek. I found the OVA and proceeded watch it. Being much older I finally understood what it was about and it had a huge impact on me. The story itself is powerful and a true masterpiece, but in addition to that, it will always remind me of her and the time we spent together all those years ago.

Confession: I'm 40 and have seen this brilliant film over and over. I told my teenage son who loves anime that we have to watch this together very soon.

I watched Trust and Betrayal some years ago after finishing the orignal anime for the first time. It takes the anime's most serious and heavy moments and uses that atmosphere for the entire OVA. And that works great, because through out the anime we understood time and again how terrible a time period that was for Japan, but especially for Kenshin himself. He starts the orignal anime a hurt, guilty man, seeking solace from his past sins by helping whoever asks for help, and anyone who corsses his path. And although there is a certain goofiness to the way the general story develops, you can't go too far into it withou being reminded of the fact that Kenshin was once a terrifying force of the revolution, and currently looks back to his every action during that time with sorrow and guilt. Mind you, he doesn't regret what he did, although he hated every single minute of it. But because of his kind and gentle personality, he can't help but hate himself a little bit every time he remembers that time. It is many times during the anime that he encounters his old mates from his time back in Kyoto, now high-standing officials, who offer him a high rank and a lot of compensation for all the work he did back in the day. They show nothing but gratefulness towards him. And yet he never accepts even the simplest act of gratitude from them because he thinks that killing is nothing to be rewarded for. There is one particular scene in the lead-up to the Kyoto arc in which he encounters an old rival from the Shinsengumi and engages in a fight with him, and boy that is amazing. It's true that Rurouni Kenshin can be a very goofy tipycal shonen anime at times, but rest assured if you're planning on watching it after these OVAs, it does not lack in the depth in character you've observed from him there. Especially in the Kyoto Arc and all that led up to it.

Modern anime has lose this kind of charm. it is a bitter sweet feeling because while we might never seen this level of care in modern anime again it make this kind of anime that much special.

Trust and betrayal, this for me is my most favorite anime movie of all time. I can't think of any anime that comes close.

In my opinion, part of what makes Kenshin such a relatable character despite being an assassin is how much he doesn't really want to do it. This especially comes out in the manga where he essentially says he doesn't want to fight, but the power he weilds with Hiten Mitsurugi pretty much demands that he acts because otherwise more people will die meaninglessly if he just sits on the sidelines.

Watched and read the whole Kenshin series, which is quite good. Personally I believe that Trust and Betrayal is a masterpiece.

forgot about this ova amazing music, why is this not as popular as Ghost in the Shell and Akira?

I cannot understand why this Movie is overlooked by so many People. I don't watch Anime in general but this Film feels so realistic and atmospheric that it can easily be compared to other Cinema Classics. As it was already pointed out, Trust & Betrayal is an absolute Masterpiece. The Story Progression and Pacing is Spot on, the 3rd Episode does an amazing Job of slowing down the Pacing and showing Kenshin slowly regain his Humanity. All this makes the 4th Episode even more dramatic and devastating. The Plot is also a loop which interconnects many important Aspects from the Beginning and in the Ending: Tomoe sacrificing herself after realizing that she will only cause more Pain & Suffering with Kenshin's Death and becoming a Sheath for the Rest of his Life, as intended by Katsuo in the Beginning. The Symbolism supports those Ideas with Tomoe cutting the other Scar into Kenshin's Face as a permanent Reminder to never cause Bloodshed again and also to cancel the Hatred that was used by Tomoe's late Husband to inflict the first Scar. The Story revolves around the big Themes of Trust, Betrayal (obviously), Honor and Fatalism (Kenshin finds himself in a Situation where he has to fight a big, allmighty Shogunate). Those Themes were present during the Japanese Revolution so Trust & Betrayal can be considered an historical Drama. The Visuals and Soundtrack are godly as well, adding to the Atmosphere and Narrative. The first 2 Episodes which show the brutal Killings and the dark Side of Kenshin usually are shown in dark, gritty Environments whereas the 3rd Episode depicts Kenshin regaining his Humanity with beautiful bright Landscapes. All in all, this is a fantastic yet severely underrated Anime Movie that is easily among the Greats like Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke and can be compared to "real-Life" Hollywood Classics in Terms of Cinematography.

The Kyoto arc in Rurouni Kenshin is god-like. It's good before that too, save the filler, but around episode 28 or so (when Saito shows up), it takes off like a rocket. I strongly recommend Rurouni Kenshin. It starts off rather more lighthearted, but once it gets going, it's some of the most compelling and stirring stuff I've ever seen. Really the main series has just as much pathos, but there is humor mixed in, unlike Trust and Betrayal.

Watching Rurouni Kenshin before T&B will break you. To watch how someone was so corrupted to find peace within

I loved Trust and Betrayal as well. The visions were gorgeous. I honestly believe that the animation was very good for it's time. The action scene were good and exciting but not over the top and full of gore. I fell in love with Tomoe as a character and I fell more in love with Kenshin. It was vastly different change of scenery from the main anime because it had to be. The OVA was about a bloody war happening in Japan at that time. It was a dark and eerie time for the Country.

This OVA is the perfect one for your tastes, man. Not surprised you loved it.

My friends will never understand how deep these shows and movies are no matter how well I articulate or give examples thanks for the vids man it makes me feel less crazy

I like how they added the bit of history to it . The realism helps in immersion . I grew up on this it's beautiful

Thanks for giving Rurouni Kenshin Trust and Betrayal the credit it deserves; it truly is the best samurai drama to date. Sadly not many are willing to give it a shot simply because it is retro and some who did called it boring. Still, it is nice hearing someone explaining the areas this ova succeeded in.

It's too bad the arc this set up never got animated it was all about tomoe's brother enishi returning to Japan to break kenshin psychologically, so happy the manga is getting a sequel

As a writer, I really loved your script. Great descriptives, good flow, explicitly detailing the nuances of the anime without giving away spoilers. Keep up the good work, you've earned yourself a sub. On a side note: Please check out and do a video on the main Anime. Looking at your comments section, It has obviously come highly recommended. Best wishes.

Just finished this masterpiece today, been completely left speechless.

I remember back in 2012 me and my cousin binged the Trust & Betrayal episodes after getting faded! Straight classic and took us by surprise!

aaaaaa this video had me melting with nostalgia-i haven't seen rurouni kenshin in /years/ and this made me want to watch it again. thanks for another great vid! c:

Rurouni Kenshin is my favorite series ever. The manga is what got me into manga/anime back in the early 2000s.

Ugh, that flute. I will never not be in awe of how much emotion it conveys.

I loved both the series and OVAs. Can't think of any other anime series which left me feeling so satisfied at the end, yet moving on to something else was intensely bittersweet. Despite its appearance, the series digs into some gritty philosophical stuff and goes to some dark places, but it always felt so organic, like it was a true labor of love on the part of the creators. It also had some of the most intense and exhilarating showdowns I've seen in anime. Such goodness in the main character. Inspired me to try and be a better person.

I might be a dreamer but I'm still waiting for an animated series of the jinchuu arc. We need enishi group vs Kenshin group

You should totally watch the series to see Kenshin's growth after all these events

If you want to watch rurouni kenshin I suggest you watch until the end of the kyoto arc and then read the manga coz everything after that is just filler or just read the manga. The manga and this ova have minor differences with regards to Tomoes character which is better in the manga in my opinion so I recommend you not skip that part. I won't call the series lighthearted coz there are a lot of mature themes involved in it. Rurouni kenshin was the first anime I watched when it aired on animax in my country so I absolutely love it. Also kenshin vs saito battle in the anime is one of the best fights ever.

Rurouni Kenshin is one of the best stories ever. And this OVA is one of the best anime ever. It's making especially strong impact, if you saw TV-show first, but not that strong as in original manga. That is where the most brutal stuff going on, especially in the last ark, when you're just like Kenshin, just ready to sit and die.

love this ,thanks. animes such as this made me fall in love with animation.

I remember this OVA, it was amazing yet heartbreaking

One of the greatest animated works ever made. #1 for me without question.

A gem from the golden days of ovas

I watched this movie 20 years ago. This is the best anime ever in my entire life. All you have described is spot on. Thanks for making this review

Kenshin Himura, the man that lost everything.

i'm watching khensin for 20+ years, and the story still fascinates me

Highly appreciate this! Im so glad someone out there actually made an effort to praise such a masterpiece that is Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal OVA. 👍I remember watching this ova again & again ten years ago. And Im currently rewatching all of my RK dvds.

Did you ever end up watching the full series? It has some of the greatest villains, and as the series slowly reveals Kenshin’s past is brilliant.

i enjoyed the OVA and the anime but i fell in love with the look of the OVA, the artstyle and that grounded setting. i kind of want a show that tells the same stories as the anime but with the look and feel of the OVA's

It was a very deep and dramatic and also a slightly depressing Film but also beautiful and Entertaining

Thanx to you, I stumbled upon this masterpiece. I finished the anime and the OVA yesterday. Now I will start the manga. I loved the OVA, I watched it after the main series and I like it more than the seires. This is a masterpiece.

This anime is my favorite of all time for a good reason.

The live action movies are also very well adapted. I'd recommend watching them if you already haven't, if you enjoy Kenshin

Awesome. You've done all my favorite anime series so far. Love it! Good video as always my man! Keep it up!

Once again, your videos are perfect, I really appreciate your work man! Trust and betrayal was a masterpiece without a doubt, I don't think I've ever become so engaged in only 4 episodes till now

Woah I never knew there was a prequel for RK. I need to watch this asap. Great video as always dude! 👌

Rurouni Kenshin is one of the first anime serie I watched. I'd say it's called starting strong. It's not perfect, but it got some deep characters story, all in a funny, easy to follow plot. You didn't made a mistake watching T&B first. At worst, you'll know why people are so afraid of Hitokiri Batousai

I've watched this OVA back to front and you still brought up things in this video that I didn't even think about. The points about contrasts, different types of scenes, etc. Great job yet again dood.

Man this is what I would show to someone who want to see how anime can convey as a media, Kenshi is definitely my favorite shonen lead and thanks for reminding me about how great this and the Kiritsugu Emiya arc was

Beautiful video. Kenshin is my life anime wise besides sailor Moon n this definitely did this justice! It’s totally a work of art

some of the more mundane scenes looked like they were filmed irl then drawn/edited over and i thought it was really pretty (eg top spinning, fire crackling, etc)

The classical beautiful storytelling absolutely sells me.

This was so well done thank you so much for making a video about Kenshin this anime definitely changed me forever..

One of the greatest movies ever made

As a fan of both Fate/Zero and Rurouni Kenshin, I'm delighted that someone else picked up on the parallels between their leads.

Its great to see someone talking about this! Great job too. I got this OVA randomly at a Best Buy in the early 00’s. It’s always been such a mesmerizing piece of work. I always come back to it.

I loved this OVA when I saw it back in 2012 or 2013. It's fucking great.

At 2:00-2:03: That slice 'n dice is one of my most favorite segments in this Kenshin OVA series. Extreme, brutal execution of the bandit that killed then-Shinta's (renamed Kenshin later on) guardians.

Fantastically made! Both the OVA and this video! Good job!

you have 1 thing right aleczandxr... ther is no other anime that have me sustaining my breath for the intire movie for the emotional content that is shown in this anime. i absulutly love it. i also want to thank the creators that have the idea and make it hapend to create sutch a masterpiece like this. one word... wonderfull.

Another thing of note is the primary voice actor in the dub J. Shannon Weaver.Whilst lacking the distinctive speaking style of Richard Cansino`s Kenshin from the series,he really brought out The Character`s duality between the romantic and gentle Kenshin and the sadistic and almost satanic Battousai without his eyecolor needing to change the way it does in The Show.

This upload is so timely lol I've loved Rurouni Kenshin since 2009, but I JUST watched Trust&Betrayal and Reflections for the first time like 3 weeks ago haha Anyway, this was a great video! T&B was better than I expected for all of the reasons you mentioned :) *Sidenote* I loved your HxH character analysis videos, it would be so cool if you analyzed the RK characters like the Oniwabanshu or the Juppongatana one day :)

I love your music choices, especially the Paper Mario songs, great video man!

I still can feel the chills when i watched trust and betrayal.. for me the pace was shifting so out of blue that i couldn't be more excited and amazed!! the last episode left a deep scar on my heart i literally cried a bit for kenshin ...maybe i was so into this!!although i watched it after main series .because of that i know how Kenshin got that scar,how can he become so cheerful having this kind of trauma!!!it was exceptional experience for me!!

I'm glad you enjoyed this series. I do warn you though if you ever watch rurouni kenshin, it's going to be very jarring. They're nothing alike. The series is much more upbeat while the ova trust and betrayal is very dark and gritty. They're very different from each other though I've always loved that about them considering kenshin was very dark back then and he was trying to find peace and redemption in the tv series. If you liked trust and betrayal you will probably dislike the tv show though I loved both so that's also possible.

I was just watching this today. It really is a work of art. I highly recommend the Rurouni Kenshin anime as well. Yes, the Kyoto arc is amazing, but the Oniwaban arc is good too. The filler isn't all that bad either.

One movie that’s very similar is the movie Equilibrium. On a deeper level there’s a philosophical tone to it about expressing emotions and suppressing emotions. Like Kenshin, the main character is the strongest enforcer on the side they’re fighting on. However, one major difference is Preston (the MC) switches sides when he realizes how wrong he was. So yeah I def recommend Equilibrium

You must have known about his famous X scar before you watched right? For me watching the anime, and hearing about him being a manslayer all the time. Then watching this OVA and seeing him be such a badass, and finding out how he got his famous X scar blew my mind. It was satisfying for sure.

I would also recommend you read the flashback in the manga. The ova did change a few things and in the manga kenshin and tomoe actually have more conversations. In portray they're both different because in the manga kenshin is actually telling the us the flashback with an interception in the middle. Also stay away from samurai x reflection because is filler garbage that they tried making canon but author said no. It was that bad lol.

Can't wait for you to watch the actual series sometime. The comparison to Emiya was spot on for sure, but I'd say Kenshin is even more similar to Vash the Stampede, at least in the anime series, not so much for the events prior.

Fantastic. This is my absolute favorite short series, if not my favorite series ever

I loved this series. It was absolutely incredible, from Studio Deen's animation to the sound design to the flawless music.

You probably didn't know this but Tomoe design and personality are actually based off Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

To me, this is the best anime movie of all time.

I loved Rurouni Kenshin TV series, but Trust and Betrayal is an underrate master piece, it broke my heart deeply.

By far the best animated series i have ever watched,basically the one which set the bar for my expectations of everything similar i have seen ever since.I watched Rurouni Kenshin and the OVA really back in the day,i was following it live (im kind of an old fart) and then was invested in the manga aswell. I have to confess i have not found any other series remotely up to par.The standards it set for me were simply just too high.Considering the tools available when it aired it captivated me and still buffles me as to how they managed to narrate a story so heavy at times and combine it with amazing history references and extraordinary combact scenes. The best part about the whole series is that,unlike other animated series i have seen,lists as both a documentary about the certain era it describes and an exciting,prefectly animated sword-fighting saga.I have been suggesting it to everyone who asks me about must-watch anime and i will keep doing it. There are so many nuances which make you fall in love with it i cant even begin to describe them.Ontop of everything else the dialogue is always captivating and deep.Conveying messages about life which are actually connected to the characters though shown previous endeavours and incidents in their lives.Its an all around unique anime.

YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE MUSIC!!!! The score is amazing. Watch the sequel Reflections. It's pure genius! My favorite movie of all time. Also the movie Reflections, has an even more impressive musical score. I listen to it almost daily for the past 4 years. It's called reflections for a reason. Don't give into the naysayers. Trust me, you won't be, betrayed.

Watching this OVA before the main series is big mistake. Just a PSA.

Finally some acknowledgment for these masterpieces

Really enjoy your videos. Your empirical analysis is very thoughtful and wonderfully articulated.

The music and animations were gorgeous and the character exploration and development was amazing!!! I’m an anime normie casual btw so I’m not a real fan. I only watched dbz and naruto and later death note and steins gate. But this OVA is a 10/10

hopefully you will cover Sword of the Stranger

You broke this one down like a fraction. You said everything I ever wanted to say to compliment this film. Word.

I am grateful to you Aleczandxr, you have presented an elegant analysis of a show that I have regarded as the shining star of the artform since I first encountered it decades ago. I have recommended it to countless students who have expressed a love of anime. I have done so in part to offer them a vision of what good story telling can and should be. In hernest, the majority of the anime I once enjoyed has fallen away with time. Much of what is produced is seemingly kitchy, plagued by the need to thrill by way of easy genre tropes. I sense the writers have either not lived, or their life is not poured into their work. Most are either vacuous, saying little or nothing about being as a whole, or tautological, being loud and ideological without grounding in characters with particularity and soul. Rurouni Kenshin OVA remains an exceptional example of anime that ascends to contemplation of perennial questions such as the relationship between justice and government, the meaningfulness of revolution, the meaning of suffering, and all of these themes come through a very real gritty and particular set of characters artfully arranged in a well structured plot. I have come to recommend only one series in a genre I once loved; I ask you for your highest recommendation for a series that at least aspires to the same. Again thank you for recollecting me to my love of a great series. (side note, My son Leo Alexander was born a few nights ago. I hope Alexander is your real name :) Pax

I dont think anyone should start Rurouni Kenshin with this OVA. It is nothing like the Rurouni Kenshin series. It is pretty much a flashback very late in the manga and it really does not feel the original series at all. It was by far the darkest and most somber part of the manga. I love this OVA for the same reasons discussed in this video it is truly great. But Kenshin is so different 15 years later in the main series. I think this OVA is best watched after reading the manga and at least catching up to where it was in the manga which is like chapter 200. Because seeing how Kenshin lives without truly seeing how ruthless he was in his past is valuable to our understanding of him. But watching this OVA is better than no Rurouni Kenshin. I just personally enjoyed the original show and manga so much more and I believe Kenshin's journey and characterization is best viewed in the order of the manga.

whoa cool. is this the story when he was the manslayer? before he got his reverse blade sword or just a random ova?

Mate, you stole the words right off of my mouth as soon as you contrasted Kenshin to Kiritsugu. All this time I was wondering why I adored Kiritsugu's characterisation so much. All this time I was making so many points about why Kiritsugu as a character is so well-written and fairly deep. I guess my subconscious was reminding me of Kenshin a lot when observing Kiritsugu in Fate/Zero. P.S. Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal was actually one of my first anime when I was growing up in the early 2000s. It's the sole reason why I even became a weeab.

This is an excellent review! You have a true skill for this. I also find this film to be a masterpiece. One of my all time favorite

Did you already watched Serial Experiment Lain? I'm really interested about your opinion on it.

The live action adaptation paled in comparison to this masterpiece.

without a doubt i am gonna give this series a shot and thank you . your videos are great

every single line in this movie has such weight.. fucking loved it