Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 36 & 37 by Rumiko Takahashi
Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a human-shinigami (death spirit) crossbreed who works as a psychopomp, delivering lost spirits to the afterlife. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Rinne is very poor and never seems to get ahead. Rinne’s closest allies are his black cat familiar Rokumon, and his classmate Sakura Mamiya, who can see spirits and has common sense but no other powers. He’s also helped or more often hindered by a wacky supporting cast.
Volume 36 opens with Rokumon and the rest of the black cats by contract vanishing. It turns out they’ve been invited to the approximately 20th Secret Black Cat Convention held every century or so. What goes on at these conventions? That’s the rub, even the cats don’t exactly know, and the records of past proceedings are missing! The shinigami fear that this is a rebellion and attack the site.
Naturally, there’s a twist to the purpose of the convention, and a bit of a spotlight for minor character Tama, a withered granny cat.
The final story in the volume is about a haunted brazier. The ghost appears only while the brazier is lit, and the charcoal burns supernaturally fast while she’s present. Can Rinne get the ghost to spill her story before he runs out of fuel?
In between, there are Christmas and New Years’ stories (don’t think too hard about how many of those there have been), a haunted vending machine (content note: self-directed fat-shaming) and a story where Ichigo’s (Rinne’s reincarnated mother) adult cunning and childish priorities result in a suffering doll.
Volume 37 opens up with bumbling witch and teacher Annette being put in charge of the school marathon. She really doesn’t want to do this (nor do most of the students), so she’s looking for a way to make it rain. This is a problem, as Rinne’s latest lost soul is a fellow who had bad luck with too much rain while alive, and needs a clear day to finally complete his run.
The concluding story is about shrine maiden Ayame Sakaki. Her unrequited crush on teen exorcist Jumonji is so powerful that her astral form keeps leaving her body to be with him. She’s found a way to possibly rein in her wandering spirit, but she’ll need Jumonji and Rinne’s help to make it work.
In between, there’s a Valentine’s Day story, and a tale involving a stolen puzzle box. The thief is Rinne’s estranged father Sabato. Sabato’s employee, the damashigami (false death spirit) Renge, is torn between her desire to keep her job, and pleasing her own crush, shinigami bureaucrat Kain. Thanks to some seemingly unrelated work experience, she realizes why no one else has been able to solve the puzzle….
As always, funny stories, and Takahashi’s noted art style. There are no new characters or important plot developments, though, so skippable by the casual fan.
