The series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television and ran from January 10 to October 16, 1996.

The episodes are based on the first six volumes of the manga series of the same name by Nobuhiro Watsuki.

The series was licensed for broadcast and home video release in North America by Media Blasters, who split it up into "seasons".

[1] Media Blasters released this season within six DVDs of the anime, each containing four episodes, from July 25, 2000, to May 1, 2001.

At episode 13, the song changes to "Namida wa Shitte Iru" by Mayo Suzukaze, who also provides the voice for the titular character Kenshin Himura.