Kyoukai no Rinne

The story is not really original or complex, it is another Rumiko Takahashi works, and that is the best and maybe the worst you can say about this anime. If you enjoy Ranma, Inuyasha or Maison Ikkoku then you would probably enjoy this new work, otherwise better try to look for something else. It has the same kind of comedy, similar drawing style, similar kind of romance... this anime make me feel like watching a 90s anime, I mean the drawing style is old, characters as well give me a feel of old style (that do not correspond to the typical cliches that we ... find on 80% percent of current anime) and besides it lacks of recurrent ecchi and fan service, (which is for me a good point but I think many people disagree about this). I personally find the characters very cool and funny, story is very slice of life so most of time every episode is a new story and general development is very slow.... but come on is a comedy, ¿what are you hoping for?. I am a bit old generation and I find Rumiko style very enjoyable, but maybe new generation are not fit for this old style and probably that explain why Rinne is so poorly rated by the community in MAL, but if you are not a Rumiko hater then you should give it a try, Rinne and Mamiya deserve it.

Rinne will be reckoned to most as a boring anime, but it's a rough diamond unless you just want to have a relaxing watch and a short laugh.

Story (6): mainly episodic in nature, it does not have too much plot involved, which is a reason you can just jump in at any episode.

Art (7): although not the best, the art style is suited for the lame comedic effect that views, such as me enjoy. Overall, the art is consistent but lacks depth in battles and certain scenes.

Sound (7): the sound is expressive of the fun and wacky nature of this anime. Nothing memorable though.

Enjoyment ... (8): personally, i like this anime. It resonates with me especially during supper. However, Its flaws are obvious, and comedy cannot be understood by all.

Overall: (7) due to it being mainly mediocre in too many fields of interest to the viewer

Kyoukai no Rinne is a lighthearted supernatural anime.
It has comedy moments and it's pace is gentle. It does not take itself too seriously. It is primarily focused around the lives of 2 teenagers who go to the same school together;

Mamiya Sakura: A fairly quiet teenage girl who has a "go with the flow" attitude. She is quite perceptive (and reasonably popular) and in many regards, totally average for a teenage girl except for one thing: When a child she gained an ability (which she keeps secret) to see spirits and other otherworldly beings. One day she discovers that one of her classmates (Rokudou ... Rinne) is a Shinigami.

Rokudou Rinne: An impoverished (and fairly serious in nature) teenage guy who is also secretly a Shinigami. Although skilled at his work of sending stray souls to the afterlife (and outwitting & battling supernatural beings), he is also always desperately trying to pay off a large financial debt (which is not his fault but which he is held responsible for none the less). He has a good heart (and strong sense of right and wrong) but money is often a huge motivator or influencing factor in how he deals with situations.


Events of course end up conspiring that the two of them have to unite and they end up going on many adventures together (which each episode revolves around).


If you are looking for...
1. An anime with a gripping story line.
2. Strong characters with lots of development.
3. An anime with a strong sense of direction.
4. An anime with lots of fan service.
5. An anime with epic fight scenes between supernatural beings.
6. An anime with a passionate and heart-rending romance between its main characters.

...Then Kyoukai no Rinne is NOT for you (and if you watched the anime while hoping for any of these things, you would probably end up feeling rather disappointed and would rate the anime quite poorly).

However.

If you are looking for...
1. A anime with a relaxed story line.
2. An anime which doesn't take itself too seriously.
3. An anime which has comedy moments (but which doesn't try too hard to be funny).
4. An anime that is ideal to watch when you want to unwind & chill out.
5. An anime with a certain old school vibe about it (but which has the pros of being modern and visually appealing)
6. An anime which has a different story each episode (VS long one consistent plot arch).

Etc, then I would strongly Kyoukai no Rinne for you!


This anime is not a masterpiece. However I found it very enjoyable and relaxing to watch (and the series is in fact one of my top favorite anime's). It is also a successful anime with not only a generous 25 episodes in its 1st season, but (as I type) a second season (also spanning 25 episodes) is now being aired too.

Although Kyoukai no Rinne is marketed as being a Shonen anime (Shonen of course being anime/manga primarily intended for boys between the ages of 8 to 18) I could see just as many girls enjoying this anime (if not even more so) and would say that overall, its appeal is very broad in both its gender and age range (I am an adult and yet I still found this anime entertaining & very enjoyable to watch).

No worries, no worries
There's a second season, so no worries~

Short Summary:
Sakura Mamiya, a main character of the series disappears once when she was a child. She came back safely but returned back with the power to see ghosts.
Now as a teenager she has gotten tired of seeing ghosts and wished they would leave her alone. At school, next to Sakura is a desk that has been empty since the start of the year and one day out of nowhere the classmate who sits there shows up!
Just who is this person??

Soooooooo, where to start?

I guess I enjoyed this series. Although I'm worried about the fact that ... there are a lot of young ghosts in the series. I mean does a student die everyday or something? That fact was in my head the whole series and it really bothered me....

But other than that, the series is fun to watch.

There's romance and A LOT of comedy in the show. As can be seen with my scoring.

The art didn't give off that "modern" anime feel either; so it was nice to watch.

If you like comedy and solving ghost cases why not try this show?

I'm surprised at how negative the reviews for this show are to be honest because I rather enjoyed it. Written by Rumiko Takahashi of Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha fame I think it's has exactly the similar light hearted romantic comedy kind of vibe more the former than latter.

It never actually gets serious and as some have said episodic but there is interesting character backstory. The fighting is more comical in nature than life endangering and the character designs are quite nice.

I love the first opening and its a completely light hearted show that never takes itself seriously so the viewer really shouldn't either. ... It's pretty funny at parts and parodies at times other animes which I found pretty hilarious, Sailor Moon, Ace Attorney, Shokugeki no Souma etc but still stays pretty true to its own rhythm.

It never has a big climatic fight or anything so if you hold out for that you will be disappointed but there's a second season happening so maybe it gets darker then?

The main girl character at times is pretty bland I find but not dislikeable. She's just a very non reactive sort of character. The other characters are also interesting in their own way and although my favourite is Rinne, his grandma probably comes second.

If you're after something fun, cute, lighthearted with a bit of ghosts and slight romance then this is definitely worth watching.

I still really enjoyed watching Rinne, even though it's not as good as Inu Yasha or Ranma 1/2.

Story: I don't have a problem with this anime having no significant plot at all; I actually thought that it was done intentionally. The story is entirely about comedy with lots of Japanese supernatural elements being thrown here and there, and the plot isn't that hard to understand.

Art: Pretty standard and animation during certain action scenes were too simplistic, but i do enjoyed the use of bright color contrast. The colors looked pretty and vibrant.

Sound: I think the sound was the strongest element for Rinne. I especially ... enjoyed most of the background music, and I found myself sometimes humming some of the catchy tones. I felt like the overall music is very Inu Yasha/ Ranma 1/2 -ish, and it also really defined the tone of the show. Furthermore, all of the seiyuu did a good job in portraying the feels and emotion of the characters.

Character: There weren't any significant character development, and I didn't take them too seriously. Most of these characters were randomly funny and very ridiculous in terms of how they behaved, and how they tackled their personal problems. Although I do have issues with the female MC of the show, Mamiya Sakura. I just found her to be very boring and extremely inexpressive. But I also sympathize with Rinne's problem regarding being very poor, to the point that it was simply hilarious.

Enjoyment: Personal enjoyment I got was from the music, and the seiyuu. In particular, I enjoyed Yamaguchi Kappei's performance as Rinne's dad. Hearing his voice again, in a Rumiko Takahashi's anime was the best surprise for me. I also liked how the anime made fun of how people treated and spent money for.

Overall: I think for those people who enjoy watching random, comedy anime should really give this one a go, especially if they are familiar with Rumiko Takahashi's humor. It's nothing amazing, but it was a good anime to kill time.

If you loved Inuyasha you probably will love this. This show really deserves a second season which it is getting and I will definitely watch. The characters are unique and colorful. The art is pretty good and colorful. And the story is interesting and very entertaining. I also enjoyed this shows comedy very much. However, I do have a few complaints. The characters really need a bit more development and the story could be added onto. The shows main focus is comedy, but should have still focused on the story a bit more. Overall it was a very good anime. So I would suggest watching ... at least a couple episode to see if you like it.

Kyoukai no Rinne is an episodic supernatural comedy which is quite funny and enjoyable if you dont go in with too many expectations

Kyoukai no Rinne follows
Mamiya Sakura (the best Sakura ever), a first year in high school who was spirited away as a little girl and after being saved, she was left with the ability to see ghosts / spirits
and also follows Rokudo Rinne a really broke half human, half shinigami who works hard as a shinigami inorder to get paid but is met with slight mishaps here and there

It very much reminded me of Noragami and Inuyasha but more comedic and not ... at all serious

Story: Fair
Mamiya and Rinne become friends and there is romance elements to the story but Rinne is extremely poor while Mamiya Sakura is not easily amused (nonchalant). She is calm and level headed. The interactions between the two is most of the time very funny.
It is very episodic and I recommend taking break between episodes (dont bingewatch the whole thing at once because it will get annoying)
Each episode brings in a new short story (the narrator explains at beginning) with a little bit of linkage between episodes, like new characters remain but there is little progress if any at all.

Art: Good
The art and animation was okay, it was not amazing or bad but it does its job very well. The characters looked really nice. No complaints there

Sound: Great
I loved the opening and endings. the were absolutely wonderful. They had a relaxing yet upbeat fun feel to them. They did a great job of preparing one for what they are about to watch. just fun. I never skipped any. They were quite enjoyable. Overall the sound on the show was more than great.

Characters: Very good
Many characters are introduced during the show and we get to know their qualities and goals very quickly. Each character and their relationships with one another is very easy to understand. There is an adorable cat, members of Rinnes family, demons, and more.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I really enjoyed watching Kyoukai no Rinne, its a very relaxing and moderately funny show.
it is FAMILY FRIENDLY everybody.
I would have liked if there was more progression but i was happy with what i got nonetheless.
I recommend this to anyone looking for a light hearted relaxing comedy with supernatural and romance elements to it

Let me say this from the get go, this anime will not be for everyone. So it will largely subjective whether you find this anime to be the following; funny, entertaining, or have any qualities in an anime you would enjoy. What I can do is tell you why I find this anime to be largely under rated, so this is not a review to diminish anyone's opinion, rather provide more insight why someone should reconsider. This review of mine, will not have any spoilers. Rather it will give out little clues in the show of why I think it is largely under rated.

My ... preface, and this has to be said, is that this anime is VERY Japanese. It mixes Shinto Buddhism with typical sociological theme's of Japanese culture. So studying Japanese tradition and culture would help out immensely. This anime does not compromise its Japanese roots, and does not jeopardize itself with western theme's, unlike most anime's have done in the past. Rather it parodies itself within its own culture. It could be said, that most people want drama and character development in anime. Not to mention, our western world likes things to spelled out, mean while Japanese culture would declare that would not be modest. I do not mean to impose, or come off too radical, but it is very easy for us to view anime through a western lenses. Another words, it is very easy to put our own expectations into something. Then it becomes easier to dismiss something and not give it a proper chance.

The second thing, its very nice to see an anime that does not play on typical character tropes. Rather it concentrates, on its light hearted nature. With this, it oozes with charm with its off colored and sly little remarks. Like for example in episode one, with the spirit cracker, and the remark of commentator said, "a real could have the same effect." Its humor it uses is very settle sarcasm and also uses satire. This is what makes the manga artist more brilliant. Rather than being bombastic, and having huge battles and spelled out tension that is flung in one's face like her other work. Another great example of a very settle sense of humor, is having cats in a shot in the anime. Another example, is when Rinne said he does not do relationship advice. Its hinted that its his pride is in the way, and plays it off melodramatically he would rather die from starvation than to diminish his image, and to stoop to that level. Another words, Rinne is a very stubborn character. While he is caring and compassionate in some sense towards Sakura, this is where having a female character makes him reconsider his character. She also provides money for him but later he starts to feel guilty about it. Which is unlike his previous character. He would rather be poor and independent rather than depending on someone. But later he starts to rely on her emotionally and financially when gets over his guilt. This is character development in a nutshell. Here is a tip for seeing character development in general to see the settle nature of Japan culture, compare what they did in the past, to what they are doing. In contrast to what the characters say is less important. When the protagonist saves a character, because it is common in Japanese culture not to meddle with other peoples affair since they believe in karma. Nevertheless, their problems will become your problems. So misfortune could ensue. Since it is not common for people to meddle, it is hinting a hero would. Their version of a knight and shinning armor. Basically it is a form of counter culture. Coming back to how this relates to the review, Sakura supports Rinne. She is the true heroine rather than avoiding him. People forget that.

The third thing, is the show is an oxymoron. So of course, how the shinogami world uses real world objects on spirits. So, How does tangible things have an impact on the ethereal plain? Well of course it couldn't but that what makes the world even more settle and funny. It also alludes to fact there is a form of a modern bureaucracy to this shinogami world. There is quota's, licensing, directors of this world, industry, markets in a world that appears to be in the edo period of japan. This also not only applies to the shinogami world, but the underworld as well. It takes jabs at the underworld like one of the directors of the underworld is some sort wealthy Japanese business man that throws money at his problems. Another great example, is how does yen currency in modern japan be the same in both the shinogami world and the underworld? One would think that materialism would not be an issue, or perhaps have some other form of currency. This only gives more credence that trying to be an oxymoron. Furthermore, one would think these worlds would be more communist or socialist rather than capitalistic. Since you are dealing with death money and commerce should matter less but it doesn't.

Edit; I forgot to mention the music in this anime. Just like any anime, music really sets the mood. Whether it is Naruto, Noragami, or Akame Ga kill. So, I cannot stress how beautiful it is; how mysterious, eternal, magical, haunting, ethereal, and ancient it makes you feel. It takes you to a place where Edo period, where nature and the gods have clashed to keep the harmony of the universe. If you really want to understand YouTube "あの世のテーマ" meaning; "The Theme of the world." Or 地縛解放 "To the liberation of the liberation" Your welcome! :-)

The last thing is my critiques on the show, because it does have flaws. Even though I find them to be minor other people would disagree. As I have seen in other reviews. Yes it is true that the manga creator and artist does tend to recycle characters from previous works. There are other reviews here that did this well, but here is another the forgot. One of the Shinogami's that is infatuated by Rinne, reminds me a lot of Kodachi the Black Rose from Ranma 1/2. But yet again, these types of character and cookie cutter tropes tend to be very popular in Japan. She does this within her own work, so it could be said, that could create conversations within the Otaku culture and her fans. Like for example, best girl in a harem is a very popular past time in otaku culture. So its not a stretch that her dedicated fans would have similar conversations. Similarities is bad within American culture but in Japanese thinking it is familiar and comforting. Another point, the story has very little depth. Which is true. It does not dealing with dark theme's or any real human element that any person could relate to. But yet again, this story was never meant to. But it wouldn't of hurt to do that. The manga creator has done that in the past very well, but she some how didn't do it in this series. So I cannot blame a person for feeling a bit disappointed by this.

P.S. If you disagree with me, by all means please do so. You can talk to me and we can have a conversation further if you like. But there is one request I would make, please no hate (But yet again this is the internet) If you do, it will be ignored. :-)

I browsed through many anime cartoons, and none caught me to watch it after InuYasha. However, when I watched 1st episode of Rinne, I got attached to this anime immediately.
This is exactly what you can watch after InuYasha, same good in quality anime, more modern times story.
If you want positive feel good entertaining, watch this anime. Great quality, great story and characters are so well described, almost like they have soul of their own (become alive). Same thing was in InuYasha - the anime characters as if became alive - same thing is with Rinne. Great work of ... great artist. Imagination of artist does not stop to surprise. This is not your usual robots or zombies that are everywhere today but totally different new characters! Pure joy to watch! Very relaxing, no stress, mind surprising, educational of culture and based on modern day life. Lots of interesting ideas about after-life. Great imagination. The best anime out there. I wish it had more seasons.

TL;DR: I really loved Kyoukai no Rinne, but I agree that it isn't for everyone. However, it is a fun, light, comedy that I use for a pick-me-up when I need it. (And I've needed it quite a bit, lol)

L;DR
Am I biased about Kyoukai no Rinne? Hmm, yes, yes I am. I'm a fan of Rumiko Takahashi, so I don't think I could ever truly hate one of her works. I also went into the anime after reading the entirety of the manga, so there's that, too. And yes, I've kept this show in my favorites list, because I really truly love it- it's one ... I find myself always coming back to.

I do disagree a bit with the low rating on the show's page. Something about expectations- this isn't a serious shonen. If you've come here looking for the next Inuyasha, you're not going to get it. This is an episodic comedy show set in a high school with light romance. It's character and situation driven, and the plot is more or less ignored. If this type of show doesn't appeal to you, that's totally okay- I'd just say, don't watch it.

To me, Kyoukai no Rinne is a well-executed comedy- and nothing more than that. There's not really any 'arcs' in the show, you could likely isolate each episode and that would really be fine. And several times you'll have multiple scenarios within a single episode, although this happens more often in the later seasons.

The characters, while typical Takahashi archetypes, are still interesting to watch. Sakura is honestly the perfect candidate for a main character with her unbothered nature. Her relationship with Rinne is unproblematic and feels good to watch- the romance in this show is conventional yet sweet, the cherry on top if you will.

The animation could be hit or miss at times, but for the most part I was in love with the art and the way it brought everything to life. Again, I am a Rumiko Takahashi fan, so I've grown used to having most of her work animated less-modernly (starting back in the 80's for Urusei Yatsura, and 90s and early 200s for her other major works). For me personally, I loved seeing her characters and art style translated for a new, modern television presence. And the art itself didn't seem as 'flat' as other animation I've seen from recent years, so I consider it well-done. I'm not sure what else this studio has worked on, but they did a good job here.

Talking soundtrack: I ADORE Keytalk's songs and I think that the music is perfectly fitting for the show's vibe. Listening to the first OP always puts me in an excellent mood. For the background music in the show, I feel it can sometimes work well, sometimes not as much. But generally it gives the show a nice, light feeling to watch. Again, I must impress how much I love the first opening. If you're unsure about watching this show or not, go ahead and take a look at the first OP, because that gives you a pretty good idea about the kind of show this is, from the pure vibes alone.

What happens in the show?

There's a sort of formula to each episode, but I don't think I ever had a moment watching where I was bored. The stories are often quick, and there's no filler, so even despite the enormous amount of episodes (3 seasons of 25 eps each) I didn't feel like I was watching something unnecessary. Rumiko Takahashi's characters aren't exactly known for their outstanding development (Except in the case of Maison Ikkoku which is spectacular) and Kyoukai no Rinne takes a similar stance. Sakura in episode one is sort of the same Sakura in episode 75. Same goes for everyone else. But I found the characters themselves to be extremely endearing, especially Rinne and Tsubasa. At the end of the day, I liked them all, and the way each character flowed together was nice to watch.

The stories themselves are generally entertaining. Sometimes, there will be references that fly over my head due to being very Japanese- as in, based off of some myths or urban legends common in Japan that don't exactly perfectly translate to my American background. However, I never found this to be a problem, and these episodes were often even more interesting because I felt I was learning a bit about cultural differences.

Is Kyoukai no Rinne the best show in the world? No, not in the slightest. Are there areas it could have been executed better? Obviously. But for my personal tastes, this was the perfect show for me, and it might also be a good show for you.

~Thank you for reading this far~

Before attempting to read all these reviews or watch the shows, PLEASE KNOW:

This anime is composed of SHORT STORIES from the manga!

Therefore, there is no significant plot like Inuyasha; it's mostly a Slice of Life kind of anime.

So please don't watch this if you're looking for a giant plot, it's really just an enjoyable slice of life anime.



This anime is probably one of the funniest I've ever watched. I've seen a lot of animes, and the comedy in this one is great. I've seen Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2, so the comedy in Rinne is a bit different than the "Osuwari/Sit boy" or ... "so uncute" comedy from Rumiko's older works.

Mamiya Sakura is a bit bland at first, but she does develop later on in the episodes. The difference in her character from first episode to the last episode is pretty astonishing.

Characters:
The main characters, Sakura and Rinne, are very different than the main characters from Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2. Therefore, don't watch the show with expectations like of Inuyasha or Ranma.

Overall, this is the kind of show that you can watch leisurely and for enjoyment.

Don't let the ratings fool you. The reason for the low ratings is because people expected some massive plot like Inuyasha and didn't know that Kyoukai no Rinne is supposed to be composed of short stories.

Don't forget there's 75 episodes! :D

First thing I would like to say that if you are a fan of Rumiko Takahashi's works like Inuyasha, Maison Ikoku, Ranma 1/2, or Urusei Yatsura. Then like me you may find a ton of enjoyment in the series that the average anime fan may not get or even like.

Now having said that I should say that personally, I would say it's arguably the weakest of Rumiko's stories, but also just as unique and fun-filled as the others.

Now on MAL unlike on IMDB, the thing about an Anime being in the 6 out of 10 range is seen as quite bland or bad, unlike ... how many films on IMDB in the 6, 5, or even 4 range could be seen a classics or even cult hits. But for Anime it's pretty much saying that this Anime wasn't even good enough to be a 7 in a world where perfection is not really asked for, just entertainment value is all that is needed to get a score of 7.

The thing that Rin-ne doe that is most likely the most frustrating aspect of the series is the same thing that almost all of Rumiko's stories do, which is that instead of the story progression the story ops for a more episodic sitcom-like approach. Which at this point I've come to love about Rumiko's works but will say it's a crutch for many fans that don't feel like spending their time on something more than 5 episodes unless there's a hook.

But Rin-ne's hook is, unfortunately, the fact that you want to just spend time in another Rumiko world. Which for us dedicated fans would be like serving ice cream, but for the unknowing fan of hers that just happen to watch the series out of nowhere, they may not find a lot to like about the show unless they find it to be a fun-filled experience that doesn't mind episodic shows and just like to kick back and feel a real sense of escapism, which is what every Rumiko story has done unlike any other anime or manga.

Overall Rin-ne is a highly enjoyable time for those who love Rumiko Takahashi's works and for the avrage anime viewer it could be a hit or miss. Personally I think it's a fun series that keeps the same vein as it's other shows and keeps the magic while also being it's own thing.

I was watching anime for learning, I found a lot of new vocab (but not necessarily can be used in daily life) about ghost and kyoukai.
I think this anime rich with vocabs more than average daily school-life anime.
If you are learning for N2-N1 this anime is good one.


This anime is fun and good to watch for leisure, if you come for serious plot anime this is not for you.
I think if you used to watch Ranma half, you will know how the author style's.

===

...
I was watching anime for learning, I found a lot of new vocab (but not necessarily can be used in daily life) about ghost and kyoukai.
I think this anime rich with vocabs more than average daily school-life anime.
If you are learning for N2-N1 this anime is good one.


This anime is fun and good to watch for leisure, if you come for serious plot anime this is not for you.
I think if you used to watch Ranma half, you will know how the author style's.