The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz moved better than I’m moving today. My body is making sure I pay for the exercise I put it through yesterday, and consequently stairs (going up or down) and chairs (getting out of) are somewhat vexing.

I guess that means I better exercise again tomorrow. Bwa ha ha! Take that, body!

Last night I stayed up late to watch the animated end of Rurouni Kenshin. (Kenshin is the tale of a assassin/swordsman, Himura Kenshin, in Meiji-era Japan who had killed many while fighting for the Meiji reformation…and then swore he would never kill again. From that time on he wielded a “reverse-blade” sword to protect those people around him, as penance for those he had killed.) There are three major pieces of animation in the Kenshin world (there’s also a movie, but it’s rather unimportant): the first OVA (consisting of “Trust” and “Betrayal”), the TV series, and the second OVA (“Reflection”).

Trust and Betrayal tell the tale of Kenshin as an assassin, and the sorrow that brings to him; it’s the setup for the rest of the story. The TV series tells of Kenshin’s redemption through helping others; its message seems to be that, no matter what you’ve done, so long as you live, you can work to atone your sins.

Reflection’s message seems to be that, even if you spend your life seeking atonement, your sins will always haunt you. Although it’s probably the more realistic of the two views, I much prefer the TV series’ more optimistic slant.

I fear Reflection’s view, actually. I have enough stuff that haunts me when I’m lying in my bed not sleeping at three a.m., despite the fact that I’ve lead a pretty darn clean life. The idea that some of this stuff might haunt me until I die is rather unsettling; the idea that I might do something else that haunts me until I die is even moreso. Taken to the extreme, I could see how these fears might become paralyzing.

Of course, not doing anything fails to be an option. I have more than my fair share of demons plaguing me simply because I didn’t do something when I, in retrospect, probably should have.

Aw, heck. Regardless of my own issues, the Rurouni Kenshin TV series is a great show; I highly recommend it.

In more amusing news, convention-goers at Anime Expo report that the various studio booths are pimping warez for titles they haven’t announced they own. Good money is on Bandai having Wolf’s Rain and a bunch of other titles I don’t care about. Media Blasters probably has Gunparade March, which I know absolutely nothing about. Central Park Media has Narue no Sekai, though Tempy didn’t think much of it in the end.

Many of the official announcements come tomorrow, so y’all can look forward to a link-filled Fourth of July post at some point. I’m sure you’re thrilled.