Rurouni Kenshin (meaning Wanderer Kenshin, with Kenshin meaning something like sword-user but also being the dude's name) is an anime about a guy who used to slaughter people in the name of the new government back in the revolution, but has now given up killing in favor of a quiet life. He used to be called Himura Battousai (correct my spelling if you can).
This story has an awesome premise, and actually has some pretty cool characters who have some pretty cool moments. Unfortunately the feel of the entire series is ruined by its overly cartoonish "funny" bits (which usually aren't even remotely funny). This is especially annoying because the show has such a serious theme.
It's hard to take Kenshin seriously when he's talking about his past life or his quest for redemption when just five minutes ago you saw his eyes and mouth become huge and his nose disappear as he got into a silly fight with some other character, which usually ends with some massive lumps being raised on Kenshin's head which disappear in the next scene.
Still, the show does have a few cool fight scenes. For just a few minutes per episode (if you're lucky) you can forget how lame the show usually is and enjoy some well-done fights. Sure, some of the fighters are overly cartoony and unrealistic, but it's actually not as bad as it could be. And yes, everyone is way better than a human being could possibly be, but hey, it's anime.
Redeeming feature: the original four OVAs. The animation style changes for these, which is strange for people who've gotten used to the regular series's style, but the story is awesome. It's all about Kenshin's past back in the war, and origin of his famous X-shaped scar. The OVAs start out being somewhat confusing, as you're introduced to tons of characters belonging to a few separate gangs, one of which seems to have something to do with being some kind of official police. It's hard to figure out since it's all subtitled. Thankfully, the plot soon becomes very simple and elegant, extremely easy to follow yet still incredibly interesting. I can't recomment it enough!
The original series... well, watch a few, see what you think. It's not worth missing just because I have a few gripes. You might enjoy it more than I do. Heck, you might even LIKE the cartoony parts. But if you don't, hey, that's cool too.