▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		RUMIKO TAKAHASHI
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		182
		▪	RATING:		T+
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		10/19/2009
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		12/16/2009
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Ever since Sakura had been spirited away as a child in the woods by her grandmother’s house, Sakura can see spirits of all kinds. She tries to have a normal life as a high school girl, hoping things will be different, but instead they get even stranger when a new classmate turns her world upside down. Rinne is strange. At fisrt none of the other classmates can see him and Sakura watches as he is eaten by a spirit dog! Next thing she knows, he saves her from an evil spirit – for a few yen! Seems this exorcist comes with a price tag for his services. Weirder still is the appearance of the strange red wheel that she saw once before when she was spirited away with nearly no memory of the event…

It is a supernatural adventure with a girl who can see ghosts meeting a boy who exorcises them. Rinne isn’t the easiest guy to figure out. He seems rude, he never has any money, and his attempts to hypnotize Sakura into forgetting all the supernatural shenanigans going on backfire. However there is a softer side to him and Sakura is trying to understand him. She gets a lot more insight when his grandmother appears. She’s been up to some mischief, sending bad dreams to the high school kids in order to get tribute and tokens given to the weather witch hutch on the school grounds. Rinne flies off after her during their argument and an impetuous Sakura clings on to his Haori as he flies away. The cloth rips and she falls. Next thing she knows she’s being taken over the river of death and is about to enter the red wheel of reincarnation. One wee problem with that is that she is still alive. She won’t be for long unless Rinne saves her in time.

During her visit with his grandmother, she recalls more, including who she spent time with while spirited away. She learns that Rinne is only part shinigami (death spirit) and part of him is human.  She learns about his grandmother’s abiding love for a human man. But it came with a cost. In return for the extra years of life, she and all her descendants would have to pay her debt in spirits. That is why Rinne is a part-shinigami despite being human and also one of the main reasons why he has no money. An added character is introduced with a black cat that claims he and his contract have been passed down to Rinne from his grandmother Tamako. Rinne refuses but events turn tides and minds on the subject.

The first volume ends on a cliffhanger when one of the girls at school is being haunted by the ghost of a feudal soldier who believes she is his reincarnated true love. It will not be a simple exorcism this time and Rinne is worried about not being able to save Sakura’s friend in time.

The manga has all the hallmarks of Rumiko Takahashi’s rich imagination and penchant for cultural folklore of her beloved Japan. With each exorcism story there are various spirits introduced. Japanese folklore has a diverse supernatural mythology that Ms. Rumiko’s previous fantasy series Inuyasha touched upon and now in this modern day tale as well. As with her stories Ranma ½ and Inuyasha, there is a banter and friendly antagonism that sparks between the two characters. Rinne and Sakura aren’t quite friends yet nor has it touched on romance but you can see and hope that it is coming. Rin-ne has an engaging blend of supernatural adventure and laugh out loud comedy.  They have a lot of interesting chemistry and a stand out relationship as far as uniqueness goes.

Naturally the manga holds the immediately recognizable art of Rumiko Takahashi. The Haori she has designed for Rinne is intriguing and is reminiscent of the one worn by Inuyasha. She always manages to fit in a cute and mischievous character and this time has done so with the black cat. She found more comedy as well with the meddling and scheming grandmother who is sure to make a reappearance at some point. And meanwhile there is the mystery of the red wheel and Sakura’s time of being spirited away along with the many secrets still left to uncover about Rinne.

IN SUMMARY:
Another sure fire hit in supernatural adventure by the beloved creator of Ranma ½ and Inuyasha!