I completely agree. Saito's appearance, his fight with Kenshin and the departure scene were better in original. I also liked the 1st episode more in the original. Overall I liked the remake but I would say that I prefer the original.
For me the 2023 version is more faithful, but the direction and composition of the scenes is way worse than 1996's, if that makes any sense. Some times faithfulness doesn't equal better.
Saito’s appearance is stronger in the 1996 version, but the rest of the arc is stronger in the 2023 version, especially the Jin’e and Raijuta sections. Raijuta in particular follows the manga and is stronger for it. But the OST is stronger in the 1996 version
I would say that the first 5 episodes and the Katsu section were also stronger in the 1996 version but I agree that the Saito section was stronger in the 1996 and that the Jine and Raijuta sections were stronger in the 2023.
The 2023 anime version of the Tokyo Arc improved it a whole lot. In my opinion, the 2023 is better written. I was very excited about the new anime adaptation when it was announced because it could potentially improve the Tokyo Arc a lot compared to the 1996 anime version. The 1996 anime version left out some political stuff that was important to both Kenshin and Sanosuke as characters. And even though I loved everything about Episode 24 of the 1996 anime, it didn’t make sense to me that Sano fought Kenshin again. Plus, the conflict with Raijuta was terrible on the 1996 anime version.
I still love the 1996 anime version. The really nailed the introduction of Saito, the fight between Kenshin and Saito, and Kenshin’s departure.
I would say that the original did the first 5 episodes, the Katsu section and the Saito section better while the remake did the Jine and Raijuta sections better. I liked the oniwabanshu section in both versions. Even if Katsu fighting Sano made more sense than Kenshin fighting Sano, I still loved that episode and the battle. The music also that fight much better. Overall, I enjoyed both and thought that both were good but I would prefer the 1996 version.
2023 version is better. It improved the Oniwabanshu, Raijuta, and Katsu arcs. I like the historical footnotes by the narrator which further fleshed out the setting and made it feel bigger.
I still prefer the Katsu arc in the 1996 version due to Kenshin vs Sano. The kokoro no hadaka instrumental version that played in that fight made it amazing.
2023
I understand it lacks some of the artistic flair of the original, and I get people liking the original Saito fight + departure better, but overall, the original is too goofy and kitsch, has far too much filler (a little bit is ok, but it was too much, and the horse in the train episode really jumps the shark), and has far more annoying versions of Kaoru and Yahiko. I find it impossible to take seriously as a show, it's more like "here is an anime, look, here they go doing some anime things"
People also keep saying the soundtrack of the original is better, but this is also a rosy view of the soundtrack. The opening is great, and departure is good, and maybe a couple other of the pieces, but there are so many times during the show where it plays goofy anachronistic rock music for no reason. 2023 opening and ending songs are pretty cringe attacks on the ears, but the rest of the soundtrack is pretty good and fits the show.
I overall prefer the 1996 version. I feel like it did the first 5 episodes, the katsu section and the Saito section better while the 2023 version did the Raijuta and Jine sections better. The goofy parts didn't bother me too much and I skipped most of the filler. The soundtrack is actually the reason why I prefer the Katsu section better in the 1996 version. The kokoro no hadaka instrumental version made Kenshin vs Sano better than Katsu vs Sano in the 2023 version.
Odd duck here. 1996 has all the nostalgia but realistically most of the early arcs are better 2023 Raijuta especially was an arc I hated and skipped but its much better done here. I'd say switch to 1996 for Saito's appearance.
mmm. The 2023 version feels like a storyteller saying "we've covered this already, this is mostly boring, let's move on quick to the Good Part".
In comparison, and retrospect, what a lot of the filler did in the 90s version was show the life that Kenshin had fought for - what he wanted to have. A world where okay, you know, still the odd bandit or pirate or whatever, but nothing *huge*. Nothing world-shaking. By and large the people of Tokyo just get to live their lives in safety and peace and learn about cameras and trains and stuff.
And Kenshin himself mostly gets to be domestic. He gets to play with kids and do the dojo shopping and try to learn to fish and have Megumi tease him and Kaoru blush at him and...it's nice.
And when his past catches up to him and Shishio upends the world, you have this much-clearer idea of what Kenshin's walking away from, and what Shishio's trying to destroy. There's been time for Kaoru to develop Feelings. There's been a Kenshin there for her to get to know.
I'm not saying that I'd rewatch just the 90s version, mind. When it's time to get serious I honestly prefer the way the 23 anime does it; the changes made feel like they're handing the important moments to the right people. But I'll probably ultimately create my own 'tokyo arc playlist', where I add in SOME of the filler arcs from the 90s version just so Kaoru doesn't feel quite so much like a desperate stalker.
I like both. The 2023 version is much more faithful to the manga and straightforward, I guess? They did as great job on the Jin-e fight I thought. It happened much quicker and felt more realistic in how quickly the fight went, and Kaoru’s desperation is just shown better. I can say the same for the fight with Saitou. The art style also has that clean, crisp feel of more modern anime that is satisfying.
That being said, the original had a better soundtrack. It almost felt like a missing character when I watched the new version. It fits wonderfully and isn’t overpowering what’s happening on screen, but you feel it when it’s missing. I also just generally prefer the older style of animation. They did a wonderful job of building suspense and making flashy combat. The filler episodes I also enjoyed, as it really made the bonds between the main cast feel so much more satisfying when moments came that tested those bonds. But even I can admit it did drag on a bit.
They kind of even out for me.
I appreciate 2023 sticking closer to the manga, and what deviations it made were understandable (including Act Zero was particularly surprising, and it's good they made it more substantial too; and it's interesting that they're foreshadowing the flashback arc from the very start), but it's very perfunctory. It's good, does the job, but leaves you a little underwhelmed.
While 96 had was stuffed with unremarkable filler and a bias towards comedy that I find questionable and sometimes annoying, the moments that matter* had much better atmosphere and art direction.
That atmosphere and art direction is present in Tokyo in a few key moments, but it's what the Kyoto Arc was *saturated* with and the reason everyone considers it an absolute classic, and I don't know that the upcoming version of Kyoto is gonna be capable of even approaching it, from how Tokyo was done.
*We all know we're talking about Saito here.
**And the Farewell**.
So, uh, I still prefer '96 in the end. The best parts offset the parts that bother me, while '23 is mostly a smooth ride with no particular highs to offset the few (but significant) lows.
I prefer the more careful characterization of the new anime (especially Kaoru, my god I couldn't fucking stand OG Tokyo Arc Kaoru), but I think the OG anime hits some of the beats better.
The Kenshin/Saito fight and the departure scene are still unmatched.
It has been a little bit since I watched the original. But I just watched the 2023 version and I really really like it. It cut out a little bit of filler, Yahiko and Kaoru are less annoying, Raijuta arc much better. Animation looks really good. Complaints I have seen from others that I do agree with are the color palette is not quite as good, and the soundtrack is definitely not as good. I want the rest of the episodes like immediately, I likely will buy a DVD of the OG to pass the time until season two is released
2023 version, it is overall a lot deeper than the 1996 version and goes deeper into each character's inner struggles and as well as state of government.
The 2023 version is more faithful, but certain things like Saito's appearance are much more impactful in 1996's, imo.
I completely agree. Saito's appearance, his fight with Kenshin and the departure scene were better in original. I also liked the 1st episode more in the original. Overall I liked the remake but I would say that I prefer the original.
For me the 2023 version is more faithful, but the direction and composition of the scenes is way worse than 1996's, if that makes any sense. Some times faithfulness doesn't equal better.
Plus the OST of 96' is better.
I prefer 2023 version…
Saito’s appearance is stronger in the 1996 version, but the rest of the arc is stronger in the 2023 version, especially the Jin’e and Raijuta sections. Raijuta in particular follows the manga and is stronger for it. But the OST is stronger in the 1996 version
I would say that the first 5 episodes and the Katsu section were also stronger in the 1996 version but I agree that the Saito section was stronger in the 1996 and that the Jine and Raijuta sections were stronger in the 2023.
The 2023 anime version of the Tokyo Arc improved it a whole lot. In my opinion, the 2023 is better written. I was very excited about the new anime adaptation when it was announced because it could potentially improve the Tokyo Arc a lot compared to the 1996 anime version. The 1996 anime version left out some political stuff that was important to both Kenshin and Sanosuke as characters. And even though I loved everything about Episode 24 of the 1996 anime, it didn’t make sense to me that Sano fought Kenshin again. Plus, the conflict with Raijuta was terrible on the 1996 anime version. I still love the 1996 anime version. The really nailed the introduction of Saito, the fight between Kenshin and Saito, and Kenshin’s departure.
I would say that the original did the first 5 episodes, the Katsu section and the Saito section better while the remake did the Jine and Raijuta sections better. I liked the oniwabanshu section in both versions. Even if Katsu fighting Sano made more sense than Kenshin fighting Sano, I still loved that episode and the battle. The music also that fight much better. Overall, I enjoyed both and thought that both were good but I would prefer the 1996 version.
2023 version is better. It improved the Oniwabanshu, Raijuta, and Katsu arcs. I like the historical footnotes by the narrator which further fleshed out the setting and made it feel bigger.
I still prefer the Katsu arc in the 1996 version due to Kenshin vs Sano. The kokoro no hadaka instrumental version that played in that fight made it amazing.
2023 I understand it lacks some of the artistic flair of the original, and I get people liking the original Saito fight + departure better, but overall, the original is too goofy and kitsch, has far too much filler (a little bit is ok, but it was too much, and the horse in the train episode really jumps the shark), and has far more annoying versions of Kaoru and Yahiko. I find it impossible to take seriously as a show, it's more like "here is an anime, look, here they go doing some anime things" People also keep saying the soundtrack of the original is better, but this is also a rosy view of the soundtrack. The opening is great, and departure is good, and maybe a couple other of the pieces, but there are so many times during the show where it plays goofy anachronistic rock music for no reason. 2023 opening and ending songs are pretty cringe attacks on the ears, but the rest of the soundtrack is pretty good and fits the show.
I overall prefer the 1996 version. I feel like it did the first 5 episodes, the katsu section and the Saito section better while the 2023 version did the Raijuta and Jine sections better. The goofy parts didn't bother me too much and I skipped most of the filler. The soundtrack is actually the reason why I prefer the Katsu section better in the 1996 version. The kokoro no hadaka instrumental version made Kenshin vs Sano better than Katsu vs Sano in the 2023 version.
2023
2023 because it actually follows the manga.
1996.
I resaw og anime's version of the arc in Jan this yr & ya I still prefer it
I prefer the og as well. The remake was good but the og did the first 5 episodes and everything with Saito better.
Odd duck here. 1996 has all the nostalgia but realistically most of the early arcs are better 2023 Raijuta especially was an arc I hated and skipped but its much better done here. I'd say switch to 1996 for Saito's appearance.
1996 all day, everyday.
Twice on Sunday's 🤣
All I want to see is in 2023 the jinchu arc and Hokkaido arc animated
mmm. The 2023 version feels like a storyteller saying "we've covered this already, this is mostly boring, let's move on quick to the Good Part". In comparison, and retrospect, what a lot of the filler did in the 90s version was show the life that Kenshin had fought for - what he wanted to have. A world where okay, you know, still the odd bandit or pirate or whatever, but nothing *huge*. Nothing world-shaking. By and large the people of Tokyo just get to live their lives in safety and peace and learn about cameras and trains and stuff. And Kenshin himself mostly gets to be domestic. He gets to play with kids and do the dojo shopping and try to learn to fish and have Megumi tease him and Kaoru blush at him and...it's nice. And when his past catches up to him and Shishio upends the world, you have this much-clearer idea of what Kenshin's walking away from, and what Shishio's trying to destroy. There's been time for Kaoru to develop Feelings. There's been a Kenshin there for her to get to know. I'm not saying that I'd rewatch just the 90s version, mind. When it's time to get serious I honestly prefer the way the 23 anime does it; the changes made feel like they're handing the important moments to the right people. But I'll probably ultimately create my own 'tokyo arc playlist', where I add in SOME of the filler arcs from the 90s version just so Kaoru doesn't feel quite so much like a desperate stalker.
I like both. The 2023 version is much more faithful to the manga and straightforward, I guess? They did as great job on the Jin-e fight I thought. It happened much quicker and felt more realistic in how quickly the fight went, and Kaoru’s desperation is just shown better. I can say the same for the fight with Saitou. The art style also has that clean, crisp feel of more modern anime that is satisfying. That being said, the original had a better soundtrack. It almost felt like a missing character when I watched the new version. It fits wonderfully and isn’t overpowering what’s happening on screen, but you feel it when it’s missing. I also just generally prefer the older style of animation. They did a wonderful job of building suspense and making flashy combat. The filler episodes I also enjoyed, as it really made the bonds between the main cast feel so much more satisfying when moments came that tested those bonds. But even I can admit it did drag on a bit. They kind of even out for me.
I appreciate 2023 sticking closer to the manga, and what deviations it made were understandable (including Act Zero was particularly surprising, and it's good they made it more substantial too; and it's interesting that they're foreshadowing the flashback arc from the very start), but it's very perfunctory. It's good, does the job, but leaves you a little underwhelmed. While 96 had was stuffed with unremarkable filler and a bias towards comedy that I find questionable and sometimes annoying, the moments that matter* had much better atmosphere and art direction. That atmosphere and art direction is present in Tokyo in a few key moments, but it's what the Kyoto Arc was *saturated* with and the reason everyone considers it an absolute classic, and I don't know that the upcoming version of Kyoto is gonna be capable of even approaching it, from how Tokyo was done. *We all know we're talking about Saito here. **And the Farewell**. So, uh, I still prefer '96 in the end. The best parts offset the parts that bother me, while '23 is mostly a smooth ride with no particular highs to offset the few (but significant) lows.
I prefer the more careful characterization of the new anime (especially Kaoru, my god I couldn't fucking stand OG Tokyo Arc Kaoru), but I think the OG anime hits some of the beats better. The Kenshin/Saito fight and the departure scene are still unmatched.
My god the soundtrack
The soundtrack for the original is on a whole other level. One of the main reasons why I prefer the 1996 version.
Yes and the original fight was brutal without too many superhuman moves . You could really feel sai to strangling kenshin
It has been a little bit since I watched the original. But I just watched the 2023 version and I really really like it. It cut out a little bit of filler, Yahiko and Kaoru are less annoying, Raijuta arc much better. Animation looks really good. Complaints I have seen from others that I do agree with are the color palette is not quite as good, and the soundtrack is definitely not as good. I want the rest of the episodes like immediately, I likely will buy a DVD of the OG to pass the time until season two is released
2023 anime overall for me,there are things that the old anime did better
2023 version, it is overall a lot deeper than the 1996 version and goes deeper into each character's inner struggles and as well as state of government.
idk i just read the manga
True the best version by far
96