In the mid-2000s, I was a big fan of Rurouni Kenshin on Cartoon Network’s Toonami. By the time we watched it, it was already old news in Japan, but for us, it was fresh and felt like a unique anime. I had no idea they had recently remade the anime in the Land of the Rising Sun—marking the first time they’d done so since the ill-fated Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc. We were able to watch it via Netflix.

First of all, this remake is absolutely gorgeous compared to the original. Three decades of improvements in animation and television resolution make a huge difference visually. They also made better coloring choices, especially with Kenshin’s outfit being red instead of that weird pink.

The story remains pretty much the same as the original anime and actually follows the manga more closely than its predecessor. Kenshin Himura is a wandering swordsman who used to be the infamous Battousai, the Manslayer. He ends up saving and staying with Kaoru Kamiya, who is noticeably less feisty in this remake than she was in the original.

I’d say it’s a good thing that the remake closely follows the manga, but in some ways, the first anime made better changes. For example, in the original, Kanryu’s Gatling gun unexpectedly jams instead of simply running out of ammunition, which added more tension. Another example is the Raijuta Arc, though both versions of that story are still among the weakest in the series.

I wasn’t as much of a fan of the action in this version compared to the original. Rurouni Kenshin has always walked a fine line between realism and the supernatural, but this remake leans more toward realism, and it just doesn’t feel right. There’s also no clear indication when Kenshin reverts to Hitokiri Battousai mode—the original anime did this far better with his intense attitude and striking yellow eyes.

Another major difference in the remake is the dialogue. It incorporates a lot of untranslated Japanese terms, similar to how many English-translated manga do. But what really broke my heart were the new voice actors. I understand that actors retire and studios change, but they didn’t even try to mimic the original voices. While that might seem like just a nostalgia issue, many of the new actors deliver weak performances—almost as if they only did one or two takes and called it a day.

While I still like the new anime remake, I was deeply disappointed by it. Despite its flaws, the original anime holds up surprisingly well. That version ultimately imploded due to cancellation because the manga author—who has some very disturbing criminal convictions—took too long with the Enishi Arc. Now, the new anime’s biggest enemies are its direction and the lack of a truly great soundtrack.