| The word "Tenken" is an infrequently used term in | | | | series) as Soujiro starts letting his emotions out, and |
| the English vocabulary, certainly, but it is a term that | | | | has this internal dialogue: |
| has a meaning to a very specific crowd of people. | | | | If it's right to save people who were weak, then |
| The word - stolen from Japanese, and spread | | | | back then, why didn't you protect me? Why didn't |
| through the anime watching sub-culture in English | | | | anyone protect me? |
| speaking countries, has layers and layers to its | | | | Then he says, their swords locked, "You didn't |
| meaning. Some of them are apparently contradictory | | | | protect me. If what you say is right, then why didn't |
| in nature, so in order to understand the word, it's | | | | you protect me?" Seta starts to have a massive |
| somewhat important to understand its history. | | | | breakdown. He starts flailing, clutching his head as he |
| Let me start by going over a couple of the popular | | | | stumbles around the room, screaming. Because of |
| definitions that you'll find on the web: | | | | this emotional breakdown, he loses the fight to |
| - "Heavenly Sword. To have great ability with the | | | | Kenshin (but is not killed). |
| sword -- to a degree that the skill can only be a gift | | | | We basically discover that, despite the fact that he's |
| from the heavens." | | | | seemed like this completely heartless killer, he's this |
| - "To move, think, or act with Godlike speed and | | | | torn up and sensitive person who's been repressing |
| accuracy." | | | | every bit of emotion he has. His constant smile is a |
| - "Pertaining to swordsmanship - to act or move with | | | | mask against the rest of the world, and against his |
| Godlike speed." These all root back to the way in | | | | own demons. |
| which the term Tenken was popularized in the US, | | | | So, we can add these definitions to our list: |
| which is through the Japanese anime series known as | | | | - Someone who is pretending not to experience |
| "Rurouni Kenshin." Within this anime, the character | | | | emotions, but has a strong emotional side. |
| Seta Soujiro, an 18 year old swordsman, fights | | | | - Someone who presents a tough exterior, or a false |
| without emotion, passion, or anger. Because of this, | | | | exterior, to protect themselves against their own |
| he is almost entirely unpredictable on the battlefield. | | | | demons or past. In the aftermath of this battle, the |
| His speed, precision, and ability are unmatched. | | | | Tenken determines that he will start wandering in |
| Indeed, Soujiro is never defeated in combat, even by | | | | order to discover who he really is. He says: |
| the greatest heroes of the series. He is called "the | | | | "It's a little unfair.... When you're trying to repair a |
| Tenken." | | | | brick building that was made the wrong way the first |
| This gives us a few alternate definitions of what | | | | time, you have to tear the whole thing down before |
| Tenken may mean. It can mean: | | | | you can begin; it can't be done any other way |
| - Someone who is brutally effective. | | | | because brick is just too strong." |
| - Someone who is incredibly fast, incredibly talented, | | | | So, we can also view Tenken as a term meaning: |
| or incredibly smart. | | | | - Someone seeking redemption or truth. |
| - Someone who shows no emotions at all. But in this | | | | - Someone who is having to break apart his identity |
| absolutely fantastic anime series, the character of | | | | and re-establish it. |
| Seta Soujiro is not merely an emotionless master | | | | - Someone who is seeking to be better at great |
| swordsman. As his story unfolds, we find out about | | | | cost. All of these things are powerful and meaningful |
| his tragic past, and what he hides underneath the | | | | to me, which is why I've adopted the name |
| emotionless mask. | | | | "Tenken" as a moniker in my online interactions. Even |
| On the inside, he's torn up. On the inside, he just | | | | my blog is named after the Tenken - specifically, |
| wants to be allowed to be weak. We see this in his | | | | And me. I'm Rob Tenken. |
| final battle with Kenshin (the protagonist of the | | | | |
