Manga Review: Rin-ne Volumes 7, 8 & 9 by Rumiko Takahashi
Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps ghosts and wandering spirits move on to the next life. Because he’s part human, Rinne’s powers are relatively weak and he must use gadgets, often expensive, to bolster his attempts. Moreover, due to his deadbeat father signing Rinne’s name to his debts, Rinne is in constant poverty.
Rinne is assisted by Rokumon, his black cat (by contract), and Sakura Mamiya, a classmate who had a near-death experience as a child and thus can see spirits. Less helpful are some of their acquaintances, both nominally good and definitely evil.
I’m combining several volumes this time to catch up a bit.
Volume Seven opens with Rinne going on a summer festival date with a girl–as a job. It seems there’s this shooting gallery with a stuffed toy prize that her regular boyfriend is compelled to try to win, and each year he doesn’t in bizarre ways. She suspects a spirit!
It ends with the horticultural club’s sweet potatoes being cursed due to thwarted love.
In between, there’s a spooky story about little boys being replaced by evil cat spirits, and a story involving Sakura’s house, normally ghost-free, suddenly being haunted.
No new characters or plot developments, so not an essential volume.
Volume Eight opens with the introduction of Shoma, a fifth-grader who’s a trainee shinigami. He’s on a field assignment to practice putting spirits to rest, and was foisted on Rinne as a guest. Disgusted by Rinne’s poverty, and too impatient to earn his marks by sending off small animal spirits like his peers, Shoma wants to tackle an evil spirit to get enough points to leave early. Alas, he just doesn’t have the skills and experience to back up his confidence!
Shoma’s big chance comes when the neighborhood is terrorized by the Alligator Woman. But is it truly an evil spirit, or is there more to the story?
The volume ends with the Strangling Scarf, a knitted object that attacks those about to get scarves as presents from girls. Sakura helps with the mystery by learning to knit, though her first project turns out a little wonky.
In between are stories in which Shoma meets the narrow-minded devil Masato and is nearly dragged off to Hell, and rich but gullible shinigami Ageha is sold an allegedly magical kosatsu (table with a heater built in) and tries to advance her non-existent romance with Rinne.
Shoma shows up pretty frequently from now on, so an essential volume for the plot.
Volume Nine opens with a senior at the school studying for his exams and not being able to stay awake. It turns out there’s a spirit that wants students to get some rest, already. College students cramming for finals will empathize.
The concluding story introduces Oboro, Ageha’s black cat by contract. They don’t get along well as she’s casually cruel to him, and he’s actively cruel to her, especially pushing on her ophidiophobia (fear of snakes.) Neither one really wants to be with the other, but Ageha spitefully refuses to let Oboro out of his contract until she’s punished him “enough.” The volume ends on a cliffhanger in which Ageha is swallowed by a mongoose spirit.
In between, there’s stories about a childhood skating meeting going dreadfully wrong, inept exorcist Jumonji trying to lay a ghost who keeps trying to kill him, and Rinne’s father being possessed by a ramen cook ghost. Overall, this is a strong volume and worth picking up.
As always there’s a lot of slapstick violence, and some disturbing backstory.
Recommended to Takahashi fans.
