Rurouni Kenshin was a manga published in Weekly Shonen Jump during the 90s, set in the early Meiji period of post civil war Japan (the 1870s). It follows the character of Kenshin Himura, a former fighter/assassin who fought on the (victorious) Imperial side of the civil war; but who afterward chose to disappear and become a wandering swordsman to atone for his killings.
I'm not generally a big manga reader, but I really fell in love with this one. It's got a wonderful little ensemble of characters who come together to form their own family, and I'm always a big sucker for those kind of stories.
I thought long and hard over what to post. I thought about putting up the first chapter, but it's a bit longish. So here's the third chapter, which introduces the character Yahiko.
( I'm Myoujin Yahiko, son of a Tokyo Samurai! I haven't sunk so low that I need pity from strangers! )