The movie started with lifeless Kenshin being picked up by Fukuyama, his great master, from the shore. This was after Kenshin braved the ocean to save Kaoru in the Kyoto Inferno movie. Through this scene, Kenshin brought its audience back to the time before he was “Battosai”, a hired killer of the New Government. Images of the past haunted Kenshin. He was transported to his weak and younger self, digging graves and burying his community brothers ravished by Samurais. This was before he was taken under Fukuyama’s wing to be an apprentice. After this reverie, we see the defeated Kenshin after his lost with Seta Sojiro, Shishio’s right hand.
Kenshin plead to his master to teach him the ultimate high heaven style, even that would cost his life. He believes that only this technique would make him defeat Shishio. However, his master doubted if Kenshin have what it takes to learn the technique. His master remarked that he lacks something; and until Kenshin discovers it, Master remarked that he might die in his hands before learning the technique.
To test Kenshin, both need to enter into a battle. The fight ensues; Fukuyama was eager and in serious killing trance while Kenshin was still pondering on what he lacks while dodging the attacks of his master. Kenshin was wounded; fear suddenly embraced him and his survival instinct overtook him. With all his might, he swung his samurai so hard that leave his master dumb-founded. The master stopped. He said, “You already found your will to live again and that is where the ultimate high heaven style is anchored on”. This surprised Kenshin and finally understood what his master was saying. Having killed several people and used as 'killing machine' by the new government, a huge hole was left in Kenshin’s heart. The scene showed that being Battosai mortified Kenshin and with that he inadvertently instilled in his heart that he deserves to die for his life has no meaning at all.
The "will" to live had struck me for some reason. Like Kenshin, most of us these days have forgotten to fight for our life, for our dreams, and for our will. We entangled ourselves with our mundane activities and our daily grind. We overlook the fact that life is bigger than what is on our table. We become defeated by our everyday struggles and we forgot who we are before our troubles captured us. The result? We become prisoners of the cage that we have built for ourselves. The movie was a reminder that we can be freed from that cage, by going back to our basic need, that is finding our “will” to fight again. Life is an everyday struggle and the moment we accept this and start fearing for our lives, we stop being slaves of our own misery.
