I'm not sure if it's the fact that many reviewers on MAL are more used to mainstream anime, or if they are just simply younger, but so many reviews here seem to be based on a very shallow interpretation of an otherwise deep, dark, genre hopping anime that cannot be described in any way but EPIC.
I love OVA's and anime that tend to be on the shorter side of things. When it works, the 13 episode format can tell a great story without adding the filler that we've come to expect from shonen and "slice of life" anime in the past few years. This series is basically in the 13 episode format, as it is 6 episodes that are 40 minutes or more each.
I seem to be in the minority in liking the more short-form series, as I like stories to be concise and as brief as they need to be. Maybe that's the writer in me- someone who can spot fluff when I have to endure it- and knows that fluff is just that- worthless.
That being said, yes, this work is one that requires some thinking. There are time jumps and intertwining stories from episode to episode that end up telling a sophisticated and intricate story, and that is something that is actually masterfully done here, which is rare in the anime world.
The animations and the sound here are amazing, especially given how many years ago this was produced. It is on par with anime film of the current year, and that's pretty impressive given that they kept up the quality for 6 40+ minute OVA. The only other anime that I can recall that did that as well was Broken Blade.
There are some graphic scenes here, and there are plenty of sexual scenes as well, but they are done in such a way that only adds to the mood and the atmosphere of the overarching story, so I don't think they are exploitative or too over the top.
BE WARNED, however, that it would be advisable to only watch this alone, as it sometimes can border on Hentai, and the scenes that do involve BDSM, torture and sex can get quite intense and uncomfortable.
If you like darker, more psychological anime that is geared towards adults- especially stuff like Psycho Pass, Ghost in The Shell, Elfen Lied, Darker than Black, and ESPECIALLY Berserk (mostly for its darker form of Violence) then you will definitely appreciate RIN. The only series that I can truly say matches the grandeur of RIN is probably Kara No Kyoukai (Garden Of Sinners), which also was released as 7 40+ OVA Films.
At the very least, you will leave with an appreciation for this series' complexity and the masterfully done dark and foreboding atmosphere.
I became quite attached to the characters, and as you will see, there is often a lineage of family related to past characters that carries on, so in a sense, you get to know an entire multi-generational family over the course of this short series. I found this to be one of the most interesting parts of this series, as you don't normally get to see such a wide time frame played out in such as casual, fluid way. I can't say much more without ruining one of the best aspects of the show, so I will leave it at that.
Enjoy!
