It has been announced that voice actors Chiba Shigeru, Hirose Yuya, and Ito Kentaro will appear in "Kyoto Disturbance", the second season of the new TV anime "Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story", based on the popular manga by Watsuki Nobuhiro. Chiba will play Kashiwazaki Nenji, the foster father of Makimachi Misao and a former member of the Oniwabanshu secret police force, while Hirose will play Arai Sora and Ito will play Sadojima Houji, one of the Ten Swords.
It was also announced that Aikawa Natsuhime will play Ochika, a former member of the Oniwabanshu secret police force, Amemiya Yuka will play Omasu, Sugisaki Ryo will play Kuroi, and Okumura Sho will play Shiroi.
Chiba commented, "The old man looks like a cool old man, but he is actually a former Oniwabanshu (guardian of the Imperial Court) with a reputation for his skills, so I tried to clearly distinguish between his public and private faces. The historical background is thoroughly verified, and the actions of each character are well-founded. I think this is a work not to be missed, even for a single episode!"
Ito said, "It was one of my favorite manga that I read in Jump when I was a student, so I was very happy! When I heard about the audition, I was naturally fired up. As someone who participates in the bicycle event held every year on Sado Island, I feel like it's fate to be involved with Sado Island Houji (laughs). As Shishio's loyal advisor and a member of the Ten Swords, I will do my best! I think the imbalance between strong loyalty and physical weakness is the key to acting. The more I try, the more funny the scenes become... I hope I can be a breath of fresh air in the midst of the intense plot (laughs)."
Hirose commented, "I'm very happy to be involved in a long-loved work with such a long history. Aozora has a very gentle personality and has stopped making swords. I hope you will watch how she meets Kenshin and the others and faces her father's beliefs. I was able to record each line while receiving careful direction! I myself am very much looking forward to seeing it on video! Thank you!"
"Rurouni Kenshin" is a popular manga that was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) from 1994 to 1999. It depicts Himura Kenshin, who was feared as a hitokiri (assassin) at the end of the Edo period, as a wanderer who vowed not to kill after the Meiji Restoration, searching for a way of life in the new era. A new chapter, "Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story Hokkaido Arc -", has been serialized in the monthly manga magazine "Jump SQ." (Shueisha) since 2017.
The new anime will be fully supervised by the original author, Watsuki, from character design to the scenario, and will reconstruct the original work from the first episode onwards. The first season aired from July to December 2023. The second season is currently airing on Fuji TV's late-night anime slot "Noitamina" and elsewhere.
