Rin-ne by Rumiko Takahashi

Hello cyberspace,

I've decided to review a more current manga series called 'Rin-ne'. Yes, a lot of the manga series I'll be reviewing have been long finished, but as a late bloomer in the manga world, I'm still reading old series. There are simply way too many manga series to have read them all while they came out. I personally love reading a series after it has been entirely finished, so I don't have to worry about stopping in between while I wait for the next chapters or volumes to be released.

Unfortunately... as a lot of manga readers have noticed, there are not a lot of great new series coming out! I like to believe that it's just too hard to find a unique concept in the manga world, but the need for graphic novels has definitely increased in the past few years. They're even responsible for getting more children interested in reading because many authors have started releasing graphic novel versions of their books to encourage literacy!

Alright, onwards:

'Rin-ne' or 'Kyokai no Rinne' (Rinne of the Boundary) is the newest work by Rumiko Takahashi, famous for 'Inu-Yasha', 'Ranma 1/2', and many more titles. It was released in 2009 withink Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday manga magazine. 'Rin-ne' is the story of Sakura Mamiya, a girl who has the power to see ghosts, and her classmate Rinne Rokudo. Rinne is mixed with human and shinigami, which makes him required to help lingering spirits to pass through a 'Wheel of Reincarnation' and reincarnate to their next life. Rinne and Sakura work together to help spirits with bounds to eartch pass into reincarnation, while being interrupted by troubling ghosts, other shinigamis, and even rival suitors. Rinne and Sakura develop a relationship, which is reminiscent of the bond between Kagome and Inu-Yasha in Takahashi's 'Inu-Yasha' manga. The story is still too new to determine if there is an official romance between Rinne and Sakura. The story is similar to other supernatural manga involving the ability to see ghosts, but captures the reader in a way that no one other than Rumiko Takahashi could do. If you enjoyed 'Inu-Yasha' or any of Takahashi's creations, you'll love the newest addition to the Rumic world. There are currently only four volumes released in english, but a fifth volume is on the way. Due to the success of other Takahashi endeavors, the series is predicted to have an anime premiere soon.

Despite the very common theme of shinigami and supernatural powers in manga series, I was really drawn to this manga. This is probably because I have a lingering respect for Takahashi and 'Inu-Yasha' which initiated my interest in manga. However, the art of Takahashi manga is also a refreshing new look because her work is neither flowery or blocky, which is different than other manga styles. Like many of Takahashi stories, 'Rin-ne' is probably destined to have a long running with sometimes repetitive, but enjoyable plots. The relationship between the characters Sakura and Rinne will probably irritate you just as much as the relationship between Kagome and Inuyasha did, but as with most Takahashi stories, most will continue reading anyway! :] I wouldn't recommend this series if you're anticipating a quick read or a satisfying ending, because Takahashi tends to create poor and dissatisfying endings to her usually long series...

And that concludes another review!
~Pseudonymous Jayne