Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration

Watsuki's primary consideration was what to change besides the structure. He described writing a serial manga as assembling a "multi-layered three-dimensional puzzle", an organic process where the final form is not clear until completion. As Restoration had already been "built" once, he found the process more akin to a one-shot or a "flat puzzle." He aimed to express more of Kenshin's inner feelings, comparing Kenshin's original role to that of Kōmon in Mito Kōmon or Yoshimune in Abarenbō Shōgun, where supporting characters built the drama and the hero defeated villains. This made it easier to express the thoughts of surrounding characters rather than Kenshin's own. Attempting to "dig deeper" into Kenshin's psyche proved difficult; while the art was not challenging, the story grew gloomier due to Kenshin's regrets. By chapter four, Watsuki grew concerned it would resemble the Jinchū Arc of the original manga and abandoned this deeper exploration.

Character changes

In Restoration, Watsuki attempted to express more of Kenshin's inner conflict as a man who helped usher in a peaceful era but could not find his place due to past actions, using a "pool of blood" theme. He described this version as slightly more immature, reserved, and excitable, and "perhaps he isn't too hero-like." The depiction of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū and its techniques was altered for fun, a change significant enough that the editorial office received a phone call about it. Kenshin's most noticeable visual changes are a white scarf—"scarf = hero"—and his cross-shaped scar, which is left white but shaded black when his Battōsai persona emerges. Watsuki also noted that his current art style made it difficult to capture Kenshin's original bushy hair until the end of the project.

With Kenshin being more immature, Watsuki made Kaoru slightly more mature, incorporating some "older sister" qualities. Acknowledging a modern "aversion" to violent heroines, he removed her violent expressions when confronting others. Her most significant physical change is the lack of a part in her bangs. To emphasize her role as a female swordsman, she wears a kimono and .

Watsuki stated that Yahiko underwent the most growth in Restoration. Originally created to provide a child's perspective in a manga with an adult protagonist, the realization that Weekly Shōnen Jumps main demographic was middle and high school students—slightly older than Yahiko—and that his readers were older still, led Watsuki to evolve the character through the story. Yahiko's hair was shortened to distinguish it from Sanosuke's, and his pupils were drawn smaller with a more menacing look in the first half to make his growth more apparent.

For Sanosuke, Watsuki struggled with how much of his Sekihō Army background to include, as it was a major part of his character but unrelated to the story. Length restrictions led to only a brief mention, which Watsuki found disappointing. The most notable visual change is the addition of red knuckle gloves to emphasize his bare-knuckle fighting style, along with a "touch" of Kamen Rider 2.

For Saitō, whose role as Kenshin's comrade connected by a strange friendship remained, Watsuki felt condensing the story strengthened their bond. His uniform was made more historically accurate thanks to available reference material, unlike during the original's creation. Jin-e was initially given a motive for attacking Kenshin rather than sheer madness, which Watsuki called a miscalculation as it reduced the character's level of insanity. Omitting Jin-e's Shin no Ippō technique for being too supernatural also diminished a excitement unique to manga, another miscalculation. Changing Jin-e's skin tone to increase his oddity made consistent tonality difficult. Watsuki concluded that "the original version of Jin-e is the perfect and the ultimate."

As Kanryū is the final antagonist in both Restoration and the live-action film, Watsuki did not plan major changes initially. However, Teruyuki Kagawa's "fanatical" portrayal in the film influenced the character. Kanryū's glasses were made round for a more Meiji-era feel, though Watsuki felt square glasses better suited his apathetic nature. Banjin and Gein's roles were changed so drastically that Watsuki used their versions from Kenshin Saihitsu.

Act Zero production

Watsuki had five goals for the prequel one-shot: ensure it was enjoyable for new Weekly Shōnen Jump readers unfamiliar with the original, please existing fans, fill in a missed story element, include a never-before-used element, and connect the ending to the first chapter of Restoration. To achieve the first goal, he limited pre-existing characters to Kenshin, used a familiar story structure, and added comedy. For the second, he connected a flashback scene to an ending spread featuring characters from the edition covers. To address the third goal, he elaborated on why Kenshin, after wandering for ten years, stopped in the First Act; in Act Zero, Elder notices Kenshin's unhealed emotional scar, and her advice slightly affects him, motivating his actions in the first chapter. The never-before-used element was a Western character, added despite the series' setting in an era of modernization, and the one-shot is set in Yokohama's foreign settlement, which Watsuki visited for research. To tie into Restorations first chapter, he used recurring series narration. Watsuki struggled with these points until a dinner with Hisashi Sasaki, his first editor on the original series; during the cab ride, they devised the framework in 15 minutes. Watsuki noted that Rurouni Kenshin would not have been possible without Sasaki.

The character Elder, who might seem gimmicky, resulted from extensive planning. When Watsuki needed a heroine for Kenshin to save, a doctor to give advice, a Western character, and a character pursued by villains, his wife, novelist Kaworu Kurosaki, suggested combining them into one character—a pretty girl hiding behind a mask. To offset the gimmick, her design was kept plain. Her name comes from a medicinal herb, and she is a distant, unacquainted relative of Hildegard Peaberry from Embalming: The Another Tale of Frankenstein.

Asahiyama Dankichi was initially conceived as a soldier and lover or elder brother of a heroine, but once Elder was decided, he became a guide familiar with the foreign settlement and one of her few allies. His macho rickshawman personality nearly overshadowed the protagonist, requiring a reduced role. His surname comes from a mountain in Watsuki's hometown, and his given name "had to be" Dankichi because he pulls a rickshaw. Watsuki noted his design was impromptu and regretted inconsistencies in his face and hairstyle across frames.

Espiral originated from the idea of Kenshin facing a Western sword style. He was initially planned as more of a rival than a villain—someone who, living in the West where the sword was obsolete, traveled to Japan to fight a samurai, then changed his ways and became Elder's bodyguard upon returning West. However, this epilogue would have taken up roughly an eighth of the page count, so he was simplified into a villain. Watsuki felt this was best for the one-shot but a "pity." His name is Spanish for "spiral", and all his techniques relate to that concept. His design is essentially Kenshin's opposite: short black hair, white top, black pants, and a long glove on his right arm to emphasize his dominant hand.

Publication

In December 2011, Shueisha announced that Watsuki would be putting his Embalming manga series on hold to begin a "reboot" of Rurouni Kenshin, called Rurouni Kenshin: Kinema-ban, as a tie-in to the then upcoming live-action film. The series began in Jump Square on May 2, 2012, and ended on June 4, 2013. It was created to honor the anniversary of the anime series and the release of the live-action film. Inspired by the film, Watsuki wanted to reintroduce Kenshin's character in a new manga. He thought about redesigning the cast but decided to stay true to the originals' looks. Instead he made subtle changes including Kenshin's scarf and Saitō wearing a more realistic outfit.