Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition) (1) Paperback – January 29, 2008

Out of Print as of writing (may 15th 2018). Fantastic series, Vizbig editions are always a treat with nice quality paper, 1 or 2 chapters in color per book and a nice condensed way to collect some of the longer manga series.Art is clean crisp and easy to follow combat. Fun characters and despite it being about a samurai called "The Man Slayer" this series is family friendly as it isn't gory and is about him redeeming himself by vowing to never take another life and fighting with a reversed blade sword after the atrocities he had seen and committed in the war.I would like to give a special acknowledgment to Seattle Goodwill, who sold it used "good" condition for 11 shipped (not the OoP prices some are asking) and it honestly looks "Like new" as any dmg (maybe a corner isnt 100% straight) is from it merely existing as a book for years. I am extremely happy with my order as they had quick turn around and shipped it out same business day. Would buy from them again :]

Warning: SPOILERS!!!!There are several things I like about the VizBig edition. One is that it's big. It's a large sized book, which really shows the artwork and the loving care that Nobuhiro Watsuki put into the drawings of the various characters. It's also a three-in-one, so you get Kenshin's meeting with Kaoru and you go all the way to Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yahiko's attack on Kanryuu's mansion. It's printed on good quality paper, and while it is a paperback, the covers are very heavy paper, with a beautiful full-color portrait of Kenshin on the cover, an interesting black and white and red picture of him on the spine, and a drawing of Kaoru in black and white and pink on the back. There is a table of contents in the beginning, along with a full cast of characters who make their appearance in this edition. Each character has their picture and a short description.You also get notes from Watsuki. He has a page on each character's "Secret Life" in which he talks about inspirations for the character and real historical people they were based on. In this volume, you get the secret lives of Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke and his beloved captain Sozo Sagara, and several villains. The volume starts with a chapter in full color, and there is a bonus chapter of one of Kenshin's first appearances, before Rurouni Kenshin really got off the ground. The volume has a glossary at the end of the Meiji Restoration and includes many terms in the manga, and concludes with a brief description of what's coming in the next volume.

This book is amazing folks!If you are a manga/anime fan and you haven't picked this up do yourself a favor and read it! In fact even if you aren't into these kind of books pick this up anyway because if this won't have you hooked on manga then I don't know what will..The author, Watsuki, has a knack for combining exciting action, hilarious situations, and extremely powerful prose to create something that isn't quite action, comedy or romance but instead a wonderful blend of emotions, colorful characters and intriguing situations that make up a great story. To add to an already great recipe Kenshin also has many historical anecdotes on the Meiji period in Japan with background on the conflicts and personages which lend inspiration to the story and provide an additional depth to it.I found myself laughing out loud at the silly antics of characters, smiling at the sweet and simple romance, and crying at the bitter sad parts. It's funny how a few simple words and pictures on a page can do that, but that's the power of manga!All that coupled with the great value of the VizBig Edition makes this an excellent choice.

I was looking for a manga about samurais. I'm glad I decided to try this one out. It's awesome! I really like the art. In some manga that I've purchased the fight scenes are sometimes hard to make out and are a little confusing. But in this one they are very detailed and you can tell what's going on. It is also very funny. I love the character Kenshin. He's kind of a goof but he's really cool too. His goofy-ness doesn't over power his coolness (kind of like Vash in Trigun, although Vash is pretty cool too). I like that in this edition they have some extra stories at the end of the book. I am definitely going to purchase the rest of this series. I recommend it to anyone looking for a cool/funny samurai manga.

This was best action packed I have ever read. What also makes it great is that the books are collected in VizBig books. There is a total of 28 single volumes and each VizBig book collects three volumes; in other words, there are 9 VIzBig books (volume 9 collects 4 books). I suggest purchasing the VizBigs. If you enjoy reading Shonen manga like Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and others, you should add this in your collection. This also collects Nobuhiro Watsuki's character notes, color pages, and his special one shot, and side story. If like Watsuki's work, check out his reboot version of the story Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, Gun Blaze West, and Buso Renkin. This manga is rated T+ due to blood violence, language, drugs and alcohol, suggestive themes, and violence on women.*WARNING* If you plan on watching the anime first and read the manga later, it follows the same story but the director made some modifications (such as adding filler and characters) and left out the other half of the series. It is better to read the story and see the action on the anime.

I can see why this is a popular Manga. It's a good story and this Vol. 1 is thick so you get your money's worth. As other reviewers have pointed out it starts out in color which is nice. The artist also comments on how he drew his characters and why. I purchased both this manga and the movie and they both came together and in good condition. I would highly recommend both.