When introducing the publication on Shinsengumi to friends, most of their knowledge about the Shinsengumi comes from the likes of Rurouni Kenshin. Therefore lets talk about this manga how it is co-related.

Nobuhiro Watsuki's manga Rurouni Kenshin served as an introduction for many viewers to Bakumatsu-era history and sparked widespread interest in that period. Through the character of Saito Hajime, audiences also came to learn about the Shinsengumi. Historically, Saito Hajime was the captain of the Shinsengumi's third unit and an exceptional swordsman. The series retains his historical identity and builds upon it, portraying his interactions with the protagonist Himura Kenshin during the Meiji period as a police officer facing new threats. Many other characters in the story also take inspiration from Shinsengumi members, and the anime's themes of grudges and conflicts set during the end of the Edo period give the manga Rurouni Kenshin a distinct Shinsengumi flavour.

Released in 1994, Nobuhiro Watsuki's anime Rurouni Kenshin is a first encounter for many young audiences to understand and get captivated in the history of the Bakumatsu. It is also a channel for understanding the Shinsengumi. The story revolves around Himura Kenshin, an assassin serving the Chōshū-han at the shogunate’s end, who decided to wander around to help the weak with a sakabatō (reverse blade katana) since the Meiji Restoration, upon his own promise of not taking any more lives. It is a self-redemption process. The story is set in the year 1878 of the Meiji era.

What is significant about the year 1878? Nobuhiro Watsuki once said that after the Meiji Restoration, many people were still psychologically living in the habits and memories of the Tokugawa shogunate. Therefore, for those who are interested and familiar with the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration generally do not consider year 1868 as the beginning of the Meiji era, but rather in 1877, on the tenth year of Meiji when the Satsuma Rebellion was subsided. Therefore the story begins with Kenshin wielding the reverse-blade katana in 1878 and encountering acquaintances or enemies who are still mentally struggling to survive in the old era of the Bakumatsu, including former Shinsengumi member Saitō Hajime, former Sekihōtai member Sanosuke Sagara, former shadow assassin of the Restoration, Shishio Makoto, and former Oniwabanshū member Shinomori Aoshi.

In historical context, in order to demonstrate the extent of conservatism of Tokugawa shogunate, the Meiji Government eagerly brought an influx of Western thoughts and customs to the population, causing polarized reactions among the people at that time. "Products" of the early Meiji period including the ban on carrying swords and beef hotpot (which was described by Sanosuke Sagara and others as "the taste of civilization and enlightenment") are also expressed in the manga.

Since its serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1994, Rurouni Kenshin has been a beloved manga worldwide. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the work, the Rurouni Kenshin Exhibition was held in Tokyo from January to March 2021 (postponed from April 2020 due to the pandemic), followed by a tour to Kyoto from 23 April to 6 June.「浪客劍心展」於二零二一年一月至三月在東京舉行 (因疫情緣故，由原本二零二零年四月延期)，接著四月二十三日至六月六日巡迴到京都，而和月伸宏成長的新潟縣為最後一站，展期則容後公佈。

The Rurouni Kenshin Exhibition will display a reverse-blade katana crafted by renowned swordsmith Kawakita Kanekuni from Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. According to the dying words of the swordsmith Arai Shakku in the manga, "I have produced killing swords for countless years, even if I am hated by my descendants, my deeds would still be the blessings for thousands of generations," the reverse-blade katana is used to atone for sins he has done. This reverse-blade katana was exhibited for a limited time at the Meiji-mura Museum in Inuyama City, Nagoya at the end of 2019, as part of the “Meiji-mura Museum x Rurouni Kenshin” exhibition.

In addition to Nobuhiro Watsuki's original manga illustrations, he also specially created family crests for the key characters in the story, giving them an identity. However, the designs of these family crests were too intricate and lack aesthetic appeal.