Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014)

Kenshin vowed never to draw his sword again, but when you stop one evil there's always another waiting to take its place. Furthermore, not everyone is happy with the new Meiji era government; a skilled swordsman is needed.
The first few minutes had me worried that the balancing of anime-style action and Jidaigeki realism was tipping in favour of the ridiculous, but what followed laid that idea to rest. The story is one of atonement, beautifully paced and emphasised with subtext and principles, set within an intricate framework that's tonally much darker than the previous film (2012).
A lot happens in the second half and not everyone is able to have the desired amount of screen time, but what we do get more than makes up for it.

4½ truths earned out of 5