The Anime/Manga scene and I have been leading a pretty estranged relationship of late. Besides picking up the latest volume of "Blade of the Immortal," there isn't much reason for me to peruse the manga section at my local Borders. By chance, I noticed "Rin-Ne" by Rumiko Takahashi. Takahashi, in my humble opinion, is the greatest Japanese writer since Murasaki Shikibu.
She's responsible for hit classics like "Inuyasha," "Ranma 1/2," and "Maison Ikkoku," but my favorite will always be "Urusei Yatsura." "Rin-Ne" is her latest series, started in 2009. While the first paperback was just published, readers can go online to read translated chapters as they're published in Japan, simply by visiting here.
The story involves Sakura Mamiya, a girl who can see ghosts, who meets a strange classmate, Rinne Rokudo, a half-human, half shinigami, who leads spirits to a floating Wheel of Reincarnation. Now, while the whole school girl mets half-man, half-something else sounds familiar, it does distinguish itself from past series. The first eight chapters (which make up volume one) delve into the two main characters. The humor aspects are toned down (for now) with only Rinne's abject poverty and the introduction of Rokumon in the later chapters as running gags.
All in all, it's a very promising series, but what else can you expect from Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just glad there's something I can look forward to something again in the manga section...
(Except "Blade of the Immortal," of course.)
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