Sunday, August 02, 2009

Rin-ne Ch.1-14



Rinne is the newest series by Rumiko Takahashi currently being release by Viz at The Rumic World. It's about the adventures of a student/shinigami name Rinne Rokudo, and Sakura Mamiya, a girl who can see ghosts.
When this series started, a lot of people (myself included) were expecting some sort of Inuyasha/Bleach mashup. The first chapter didn't exactly disprove that either, with Rinne fighting an evil spirit and all. But then the series went on, and each chapter has involved Rinne and Sakura dealing with some ghostly problems, but nary a bit of fighting. Instead there's been comedy, and an ever growing cast of silly ghosts.
While most were expecting the next Inuyasha, what we actually got was the next Ranma 1/2 or Urusei Yatsura. A shonen series with some action but with the true emphasis on comedy and silliness. And I'm definitely not complaining.
It's a nice, lighthearted series, and the chapters feel light and breezy, going by quicker than expected, which is part of what's made it so readable. Only recently, was a villain/rival character introduced, but he's mostly been a source of more gags.
When I first heard about the series, I thought what Viz was doing was awesome, but I didn't think I'd follow it. Now here I am, months later, having read each chapter right on the day they came out. Each story has been light fun, though nothing amazing. But it's been pretty enjoyable, and I love the clever ways Takahashi uses Japanese folklore in her story (the blog on the manga's site does a great job of explaining a bunch of references). I can't say it's a must-read though. I don't think I'd buy it when the actual volumes come out either. But who knows, it might develop a really interesting main plot in the future.

For now, it's a very fun, light series, and it's worth at least checking out. If you're a Takahashi fan, it's a no-brainer (and you've probably read every chapter already).

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