After going through the whole anime series of Rurouni Kenshin, I found out that it only really covered the first 18 volumes of the 28 volume manga series written by Nobuhiro Watsuki. As VIZ Media was releasing the Rurouni Kenshin manga series here in the United States, I decided that I do want to read what happens in those last 10 volumes (that the "Samurai X" OAVs kind of covered). Finally after about two and a half years, I have finished reading the Rurouni Kenshin manga series! It is a great action adventure that is sure to please those who love these kinds of stories. The story about a swordsman who is trying for redemption for all the people he has killed, by being a swordsman who will help protect others by not killing. While he is working to help keep a promising future to survive, his past life as a murdering warrior continues to haunt him.

There are really three main draws to enjoy this series, and it all applys to the fact that this manga series is still a book primarily targeted to boys.
First and foremost is the title character of Rurouni Kenshin, who is pretty much somebody anybody can easily admire. He is a kind good hearted hero, who is practically unstoppable in sword fighting, but at the same time he is a tragic hero who is actually a very well known killer of a past era.
The second draw are the anti-heroes and villains that appear in the book. Anti-heroes always seem to appeal to young men, which I guess is the rebel in them that enjoys being bad but still good at the same time. The villains themselves are two different shades, bad but humanly flawed to the point that you can admire them, or so bad and evil that it's practically cool.
The third draw is the action, that relies heavily on particular styles and techniques, one-upping each other, until somebody loses from a "cool" skill move. There's something to enjoy about being able to understand "how" a person fights, that it makes people think they can do it too.

A lot of ideals and themes are thrown in the mix, but it really comes down to the heroic actions of the main heroes, and the people they have to fight, that will get people to continue reading. The majority of the story do revolve around fight sequences after fight sequences that continue on through several volumes at a time. It's kinda lengthy for it's own good, but I did find a lot to enjoy.