The Yellow Turban rebellion that initiated the downfall of the ruling Han dynasty. At the start of the story, both Liu Bei, its eventual protagonist, and Cao Cao, its eventual antagonist, are minor players. Liu Bei is striving to find a way to bring order to a chaotic world. As he puzzles he way toward the correct course of action, he befriends two powerful warriors, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. Together, they take the Oath of the Peach Garden, to live and die together as warriors for justice. Meanwhile, Cao Cao is pondering how to fulfill his destiny as a hero in a chaotic world or a villain in a peaceful one. Initially, power seems to belong to usurping warlord Dong Zhuo and his right-hand man, the hero Lu Bu. But the two soon fall out over a woman, and the resulting power vacuum gives Cao Cao his chance. Even though Lu Bu is the stronger warrior, Cao Cao has the devil's own luck on the battlefield. Liu Bei tries to stick to the right course, but he is just a minor piece on the giant chessboard of China's warring states. War rages up and down the country, with inconclusive result, thus setting the stage for the next two movies in the series. (Source: Orphan Fansubs)

One day, high school friends Akira Houjou and Chiaki Asami flip a coin and make a vow that completely changes their fates. For his part, Akira immediately drops out of school to join the yakuza, while Chiaki toughs it out in order to become a politician's aide. Although they seem to have made polar opposite choices, the two friends feel as if they are two sides of the same coin; they will do whatever it takes to reform Japanese society as they see fit.

When mankind's savagery surpasses his fear of death, there is little hope for those who wish to live honest lives. Beneath a full moon, a young boy witnesses the murder of the bandits who had enslaved him, and is then christened with a new name by the man who rescued him. This boy is Shinta, now known as Kenshin Himura, and he is destined to become a swordsman. The softness of his heart does not befit the occupation, but his desire to protect the innocent is absolute. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuioku-hen details the origins of the man who would bear the name of Hitokiri Battousai long before he swore his oath not to kill and before he earned his reputation as an assassin. The young man's heart is divided between justice and corruption, while the fate of a nation rests on his actions.

Two OVA episodes are bundled as DVDs with each of volumes 6 and 7 of the manga. The first OVA is a prequel story written by the manga's author. Before the beginning of the main story, Rea and Chihiro have already met at a certain place: an outdoor hot-spring bath. The second OVA takes place after the series (effectively episode 14). The Furuya family finds a mysterious young girl hiding under the household temple.