Kamiya Kaoru

Kamiya Kaoru
Rurouni Kenshin character
Kamiya Kaoru on the cover of Rurouni Kenshin Kanzenban, vol. 4
First appearance	Rurouni Kenshin Act 1: Kenshin ● Himura Battōsai
Created by	Nobuhiro Watsuki
Voiced by	Japanese Tomo Sakurai (drama CD) Miki Fujitani (anime) English Reba West (anime, Sony dub) Dorothy Melendrez (anime, Bang Zoom! dub) Kara Bliss (Requiem for the Ishin Patriots) Katherine Catmull (Reflection) Amanda Hanawa (New Kyoto Arc) Alexis Tipton (Live-action film trilogy)
Portrayed by	Emi Takei
Profile
Aliases	Kory Kamiya (anime, Sony dub only)
Title	Master of Kamiya Kasshin-ryū
Relatives	Himura Kenshin (husband) Himura Kenji (son)

Kamiya Kaoru (神谷 薫^?), known as Kaoru Kamiya in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Kori Kamiya in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character in the Rurouni Kenshin manga created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the story Kaoru is the instructor of a kendo school in Tokyo, Kamiya Kasshin-ryū (神谷活心流^?). The students leave when many people are killed by someone claiming to be the Hitokiri Battōsai (人斬り抜刀斎^?) from the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū", damaging the school's reputation. Kaoru is saved from the murderous impostor by the real Battōsai, Himura Kenshin, now a wanderer who has sworn to stop killing. During the series, Kaoru grows fond of Kenshin due to his good actions to society and becomes his ally.

Kaoru also appears in the film version of the series and other media of the franchise, including electronic games and a series of original video animations (OVAs). Although Watsuki wanted to design Kaoru "more cutely" and to be "more fashionable", he toned down those qualities and made her poor and "down-to-earth". There was concern that Watsuki might kill her off, and critical reception of the character has been mixed.