Fantasia Film Festival 2014: Interview with Director/Co-writer Keishi Otomo & Executive Producer Hiroyoshi Koiwai of the Rurouni Kenshin Film Series

Last year at Fantasia, the first live-action film based off the popular Weekly Shonen Jump manga, Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The Canadian premiered in front of a sold out crowd. The film thrilled and wowed the Fantasia audience to a massive standing ovation. Due to the box office success of the first film, director and co-writer Keishi Otomo returns to the franchise to cover the classic Kyoto Arc from the manga. The Kyoto Arc is split up into two films: Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Taika-hen and Rurouni Kenshin: Densetsu no Saigo-hen. Kyoto Taika-hen was released in Japan on August 1st to box office records and Fantasia hosted to the international premiere on August 3rd. Meanwhile Densetsu will be premiering in Japan next month. Both Otomo and Executive Producer Hiroyoshi Koiwai had been busy traveling and promoting both films across the globe. CBNAH staff writer Panagiotis Drakopoulos was able to interview both Otomo and Koiwai to discuss the film series, Watsuki's thoughts on the first film, the intense training that the actors went through and more.