The Tragedy of a Stormy Night
While Sojiro is occupied by constantly re-tieing his shoe, he thinks of the moments of his past, and all of the bad stuff that happened in it. Sojiro's past is shown throughout the entire episode. Sojiro's family never loved him, and only wanted him so they could use him. They made him carry hundreds of buckets of rice, and when Sojiro returns a bucket of rice to his house, one of Sojiro's family members breaks the bucket on purpose. Then, another person who likes to cause Sojiro trouble and use him, named Yanosuke, calls out his father who is inside, blaming Sojiro for breaking the bucket. He then meets Makoto Shishio, whom spared his life. Shishio gave him a Wakizashi sword. When his family has cornered him, he murders them with this sword. Then, Sojiro follows Shishio, as Shishio tells Sojiro that he will become strong.
Aired 09/07/1997EP 55 - The Tragedy of a Stormy Night
Rurouni Kenshin
Himura Kenshin is a vagabond with a dark past and sunny disposition. Not a ronin but a rurouni, he was never a samurai, but an assassin of utmost skill in the Meiji restoration, who in the turning point of the war simply walked away. His travels lead him to Tokyo in the 11th year of the Meiji era, where he befriends a female Kendo master, a former thief, a brawler and a doctor all with their own secrets. Together they fight off the enemies surfacing from the dark past that Kenshin cannot escape.
(Source: Anime News Network)