Ken = Sword
Shin = Heart
Literal translation = "Heart of Sword"

Himura means "from the scarlet village"

Thats the name of Himura Kenshin - The famous samurai from the anime Rurouni Kenshin where Rurouni is made up of 2 words - Ru which means to wander and Ronin which means masterless samurai

He's pretty fucking smart to be honest, and I go to the same school as him. But he is kinda quiet sometimes

Kenshin Himura, formerly known as "Hitokiri Battousai" the man slayer, is a wanderer with a dark past and sunny disposition. Not a ronin but a rurouni, he was never a samurai, but a well known assassin of utmost skill in the Meiji restoration, who in the turning point of the war simply walked away, and took an oath to never kill again as an act of retribution for the many men he murdered during the revolution. He then begins to carry a reversed-blade sword (Sakabatou) and protect the innocent/oppressed people of Japan. His travels lead him to Tokyo in the 11th year of the Meiji era, where he befriends a female Kendo master (Kaoru Kamiya), a former thief from a family of Samurai (Yahiko Myojin), a brawler/former Sekihotai member (Sanosuke Sagara) and a doctor (Megumi Takani) all with their own secrets. Together they fight off the enemies surfacing from the dark past that Kenshin cannot escape.

1. A totally rad manga by Nobuhiro Watsuki and was originally featured in JUMP comics. It eventually became a CD book in Japan and then became a super tight anime series which is way better to watch uncut.

2. The main character in Rurouni Kenshin (a.k.a. Samurai X who's full name is Kenshin Himura (or Himura Kenshin, depending on where you're from). Rurouni means "wanderer" and the name Kenshin is derived from the Japanese word "henshin" which means "change of heart."

Cool anime that describes the story of an ex-assasin. Realizing the mistake that he did, he has now has chosen the life of a Ronin (masterless samurai) and helps and protects the weak with the technique known as Hiten Mitsurugi.
But during his Ronin life the shadows of his bloody past haunt him, making Battousai engage in fierce battles with the old and new enemies.

A small, red-haired man whose deceptively harmless form contains the power to topple governments and fell madmen. Some authorities believe he may actually be an early attempt at battle mecha, rather than a living, breathing being. His usefulness (or destructiveness, depending on one’s point of view) is curtailed by the fact that he is easily controlled by his spunky and somewhat demanding landlady. Also has a weakness for children, and a tendency toward making overly dramatic speeches. Attracts adoring women like picnics attract ants, a phenomenon which baffles most male researchers, while their afflicted feminine counterparts can only rhapsodize about flame-bright hair and Himura’s darker personality.

Himura Kenshin's darker personality, the Hitokiri Battousai breaks free whenever the rurouni is under a great deal of stress -- kind of like a Meiji Era Incredible Hulk (he even does the yellow eyes, but draws the line at the icky green skin). He is stronger, meaner, sexier, and far less polite than Himura's normal self: quite definitely not a force to be dealt with lightly.

In most circumstances, the only way to awaken the Battousai is to threaten the life of someone Himura has decided to protect; however, when it comes to his landlady, even looking at her wrong is grounds for beheading. This process is referred to as "going Battousai", and while Kamiya Kaoru is firmly against killing, protective anger suits her just fine. In fact, it seems likely that the only way she'll ever get some action is to spend quality time with the hitokiri.

(note: Definition shamelessly stolen from h2g2.)

goodness. need I say more!? just look at my pen name for goodness sake! This one is a keeper. And it is really kosher. and funny, and smart, and action packed and...

A manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Was made into a television show in 1997, and brought to America soon afterwards. This series follows Kenshin Himura, a former assassin who fought in the Bakumatsu, also known as the Meiji Revolution. "Trust" and "Betrayal" take place during the Bakumatsu, around 1868. The TV show spans from 1878-1879. Note that this is not the Feudal Period, this is the Meiji Period. There is also a movie (Requiem for an Ishin Patriot) and a final chapter, called "Seisouhen" or "Relfection." Very awsome.

Best fucking shonen anime/manga ever. Main protagonist is Himura Kenshin, who was the famed (if not infamous) Hitokiri Battousai during the Bakumatsu. After the revolution and a very bad event, he takes up the sakabatou and swore to never kill again and instead wandered Japan helping those who needed it in order to atone for his sins during his years spent as a shadow assassin. Story revolves around the freaks who try to prove themselves the strongest by attempting to kill Kenshin, people from his past who seek revenge against the ex-hitokiri, Kenshin's never ending quest to keeping the peace of the Meiji period with his friends, and of course, the romantic comedy that revolves between him and Kamiya Kaoru, the main female protagonist.

Best thing about this series is the amount of historical info and influence that is present throughout. Story spans through two of the most important eras of Japanese history: The late Edo(Tokugawa) Period and the early Meiji Period, and many characters were either loosely or
directly based off of real people from those eras. That, or Marvel characters says Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. Rurouni Kenshin is basically a history lesson in comic book format. :D

Rurouni Kenshin fans have to be some of the most die-hard and most informative anime fans out there. We don't just swallow any form of Kenshin media that they give us and settle for it (Like "Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen", to totally melodramtic, un-canon "finale" of the Rurouni Kenshin saga), and, we actually learn more about the history and terminology of Rurouni Kenshin by reading BOOKS in our spare time.

Rurouni Kenshin is certainly an anime to behold and deserves way more recognition than some of anime that they continue to air on Adult Swim.