Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The noise is how the show tells you that this soft-spoken wanderer is a man in hiding from his own past as the manslayer Battosai. "Oro?" is the comic mask, the goofy face he puts on to be forgettable, and it is the sound the audience hears just before he stops being funny. Fans still use it as a one-word reply to confusion, and it has become the show's most recognisable verbal signature.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Rurouni KenshinShow the scene
"Oro?" is Kenshin Himura's verbal tic, a bewildered little noise he makes whenever he is surprised, scolded or caught out, and it stands in sharp contrast to the cold swordsman he becomes in a fight. It comes from Nobuhiro Watsuki's manga, where it began in the pilot chapter's revised dialogue as a placeholder for an English-style "huh". Watsuki has said he was surprised at how well it caught on and how much he ended up having Kenshin use it. The 1996 anime kept it as Kenshin's trademark, usually at moments when the wandering swordsman plays the harmless fool beside Kaoru and her friends.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: Himura KenshinCreation and conception sectionReference checked
- Kenshin Wiki: Himura KenshinPersonality section, image captionReference checked
Context reviewed