Mikari has a very good description of Samurai versus Ronin at her site A Boy and His Cat (and she says it a lot better), but for those of you that haven't visited yet, have no fears. For I will try and describe this as quickly and effectively as I can manage. Actually, my general idea here is a quick overview of samurai and ronin and how Rowen behaves in context and how he's treated. I don't know if I even understand what I'm trying to get at here.
The samurai were part of the ruling class, they designated how things were run, protected, people, and were met with great honor and wealth. Basically they're like nobles. They serve someone called the shogun and work ultimately for the emperor. Ronin on the other hand are (in general) dishonored samurai or samurai without masters. They can be bodyguards, rogues, and vagabonds, but the focus I'll be covering has more to do with being masterless. In many cases when a samurai master died his samurai also committed seppuku (ritual suicide) and followed him to the grave. Ronin didn't do this for one reason or another which is what made them seem dishonorable. Ronin continued to live despite what had happened to their masters. This is seen as dishonorable to other samurai. Now, I'd also like to point out that in 47 Ronin, the ronin there plotted revenge for their master over the span of several years before finally carrying it out. They were then granted the privilege of committing seppuku and joining their master, they restored their honor in the eyes of the shogunate. I make this point to say that honor is in the heart and that's more important than any real designation.
The original Japanese title is Yoroiden Samurai Troopers while the English title is Ronin Warriors. Despite Yoroiden being difficult to say, I can't fathom why the name changes. (Yo-roy-den - not too bad, see!) As I've gotten older I've wondered if the change had more to do with the concept of Ryo and his friends being masterless in the traditional sense. They don't have a master like the warlords. Technically, the master of the ronin is their virtues. In which case, their own hearts are their masters. This is a cool concept and one that I really like. On the other hand, I also feel that this is why the warlords treat the ronin so badly. In essences, the warlords are samurai looking down on ronin. I feel that the warlords' ill treatment of Rowen and the guys is more than just as opposing force (ideals) it's also ingrained in social statuses.
Rowen and his friends have a more free lifestyle that allow them to follow their inner virtues. They are not bound to a master's ideals so much as they are the driving forces of being just. They follow their hearts. This is ultimately what leads to the destruction of their original armors. They know that to save and preserve the world they wish to protect that they need to remove the thing causing the issue. This idea fits an honor of protection that coincides with the idea of the samurai. I feel that overall that the virtues in each guy's heart become the master, the ruling force that keeps them focused. In the end, the following of virtue and goodness for the sake of being good is what defines honor to me.
