History Manga / Rinne

A manga from the legendary Creator/RumikoTakahashi, begun April of 2009 in Magazine/ShonenSunday and licensed by Creator/VizMedia, who -- in a first for manga -- started releasing translated versions online at the same time that they came out in Japan (though the licensed online updates ended after the 2011 Tohoku region earthquake and tsunami). Par for the course with Takahashi, the series was a LongRunner, ending in December of 2017, over eight years after its debut.

The star of ''RIN-NE'', known in Japan as ''Kyoukai no Rinne'' or "Rinne of the Boundary", is Sakura Mamiya, who has been [[ISeeDeadPeople able to see ghosts]] since an incident in her childhood. Now in HighSchool, she views them as more than a nuisance than anything. One day, Rinne Rokudo, a student who has been absent since the beginning of the year appears in class, strangely-dressed and visible only to Sakura -- yet after school, she [[CrashIntoHello finds him to be solid]], unlike any ghost she has seen. Turns out he's a half human, half shinigami (or a grim reaper) whose job is to ferry souls to the afterlife, of which Sakura winds up accidentally going to. Luckily Rinne is able to guide her back, but it's not the last time she'll be seeing him.

* AccidentalPervert: Twice in the same arc. [[spoiler:Chapter 100 continues an arc where Sakura has lost her ability to see ghosts, and just when a whole lot of them are after her for the A-1 Grand Prix. Tamako gives Rinne a gift of a doll that can take on the form of a given person, after achieving a strand of hair. The doll takes Sakura's form in order to redirect the ghosts to it, but Tsubasa thinks it's some kind of sex doll, and calls Rinne a pervert. Continuing from there, in chapter 101, Rinne, wearing his haori, slips into Sakura's room to check on her just as her mom is calling her for the bath. If the shinigami wasn't such a decent guy, he would've seen even more than he already had.]] This means that this is no longer the Rumiko Takahashi odd-one-out, in the respect that [[spoiler:we finally see some cleavage]]. Not counting the Nirvana House one-shot chapter.

** In episode 17, Masato gives Tsubasa a cursed book, which combined with his tainted power stone, can curse whoever he wants. Though he doesn't seem to want to take him up on that offer, Tsubasa unintentionally curses Rinne repeatedly by accident, usually by destroying the food Rinne had on him at the time.
* ArtShift: Page 6 of chapter 27 features some (in-story) drawings made by members of the art club. These have a distinctly different drawing style from Takahashi's usual style. Justified in the story as those were done by members of the manga club.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: Rinne is unable to hit his father at all during their duel in episode 11, due to his wheel turning anything it touches into money. He then manages to use money to "hurt" his father, by tossing some expensive beef at it, then using his money attack to direct the cash at the debt collector. This seems to "hurt" his father.
* AttackReflector: Tsubasa gives Rinne one in episode 17, to make up for accidentally cursing him. Unfortunately Sakura is holding it at the time those curses happen, so it doesn't work.

** {{Averted}} so far, which is odd for a Takahashi series. Rinne is turning out to be a {{stoic}} with only mild jerkiness (very little of which is directed towards Sakura) and Sakura has yet to show the slightest [[{{Tsundere}} tsuntsun]]! In chapter 21, Rinne actually went speechless for a moment and inwardly admits that Sakura is cute! Later, Rinne is acting like a [[SugarAndIcePersonality Kuudere]] (stoic and kuu- normally, but all deredere around Sakura), and Sakura is also a Kuudere for him, but her SelectiveObliviousness makes her InnocentlyInsensitive at times.

** An overly helpful seal helps out Sakura and Rinne in episode 11 multiple times in order to help defeat his father Sabato in their duel. [[spoiler:The seal turns out to be a costume worn by his grandmother Tamako, who was also getting tired of Sabato's greedy antics against Rinne.]]
* BishieSparkle: Rinne uses this against Tsubasa in episode 4, after he successfully gets a stuffed dolphin toy out of a crane game for Sakura. Tsubasa warns him not to think that he somehow won, prompting Rinne to turn around and smile with a sparkly background.

** A boat in chapter 4 looks like Genma Saotome (from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'') in his panda form. Pandas that look like him have also showed up in chapters 24 and 84.
** One of the balloons Tsubasa carries in chapter 21 looks like Shippo's pink floating balloon form from ''Manga/InuYasha''.

** In episode 4 of the anime, one of the plushies in the plushy machine looks a heck of a lot like P-chan.

* ChekhovsGun: The AttackReflector pendant that Tsubasa gives Rinne in episode 17 ends up coming in very handy. Though it doesn't protect Rinne because Sakura was holding it any time he was cursed, when Tsubasa attempts to attack Masato, Rinne tosses the pendant to the latter. This ends up saving Tsubasa despite getting hit by his own spell, as seen in the HoistByHisOwnPetard entry.

* ChubbyChaser: The ghost in chapters 92 and 93 is like this.

** At the end of episode 10, Sakura and Tsubasa end up in a large banquet room with a sign mentioning Rinne's induction into their company, along with an engagement to be married. Sakura seems a little surprised when she reads it just before the credits roll.

* CurbStompBattle: Rinne easily defeats the Damashigami in their hideout in episode 12 after Ageha mentions that there is a bounty on shutting those places down. His speed in taking them down is one reason she's suddenly drawn to him as well.

* DeathGlare: PlayedForLaughs when Sakura does this towards Rinne in episode 13, pretty much anytime Ageha gets a little too friendly with him.
* DebutQueue: In the anime, each of the early episodes introduces one or two new characters, such as Rinne's grandmother in episode 2, or Tsubasa in episode 4.

* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: Rinne displays some after Sakura says HeIsNotMyBoyfriend in episode 13.
* EnemyMine: Masato attempts to do this with Tsubasa in episode 17, using their mutual hatred of Rinne to take him down. However, Tsubasa refuses to work with a demon, and attacks him instead. Unfortunately Masato gives Tsubasa a cursed tome which causes him to accidentally curse Rinne anyway.

* FalseStart: Tamako announces that Rinne is already dating Sakura in episode 11 to get him out of his father's plan to have him marry one of his damashingami girls. However, Sakura gives a nonchalant reply when Rinne presses the issue while traveling back to Earth, making it seem like she just went along with Tamako's plan. While Rinne is distraught, Sakura seems happy that Rinne didn't go through with an engagement.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: In episode 6, when Rinne talks to the boys about releasing the cat spirits, Rokumon can be seen grabbing the leftover tuna the cat spirits didn't eat.

* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: Sakura says this in episode 13 when offered an engagement ring by various Damashigami, including several that wear an outfit resembling Rinne. The real Rinne suffers a brief HeroicBSOD when she says they're just classmates. Despite this however, Sakura also isn't happy to see Ageha getting friendly with him later on.

** The members of the school choir other than Misora Utagawa are depicted this way in a flashback in chapter 11.

* HeyThatsMyLine: Sakura says this to to Rinne in chapter 6 when Rinne asks why she's in the club building.

** In episode 17, Masato gives Tsubasa a cursed tome that would allow him to curse anyone he wanted to. Though Tsubasa didn't mean to, he accidentally curses Rinne a few times with it, and attempts to atone for it. Unfortunately Masato also made the tome so that if whoever has it attacks anyone but themselves with it, their soul would then be condemned and he'd be able claim it. [[spoiler:Fortunately Rinne tosses the AttackDeflector pendant that Tsubasa gave him earlier to Masato, causing said magic attack to deflect back to Tsubasa instead. As it technically counted as "attacking himself", Tsubasa also manages to cleanse his power stone, and hits Masato with that instead.]]

* HypocriticalHumor: Rinne's father shows up at his apartment in episode 10, apologizing for using up all of his son's money in his bank account. He then sees the decrepit room Rinne is using, and asks why he's so poor.

* KillerYoyo: A giant one with blades, in chapter 47.

* LoveChart: PlayedForLaughs and used to help the reader understand the ''very'' simple, would-be LoveTriangle involving the [[NotQuiteDead still-alive]] [[MonsterOfTheWeek ghost of the week]], his girlfriend, and his best friend in chapter 13, and again in chapter 16.

* MidseasonUpgrade: Rinne gets his scythe back from the pawn shop in episode 5, after having pawned it a while back due to needing money. Once he gets it, his ability to exorcise spirits is greatly enhanced.

** One of Rinne's grandmother's conditions for extending the life of his grandfather was that she was to collect a large number of spirits. If she failed to do so, her grandson would be responsible for it. Since that's exactly what Rinne is doing, it's easy to see she failed to do her part. [[spoiler:A FlashBack in episode 10 reveals that she actually managed to do that. But then Rinne's deadbeat dad ended up putting him into massive financial debt, hence Rinne's current situation.]]

** In episode 17, Tsubasa accidentally curses Rinne right as he's about to defeat Masato, and causes something heavy to fall on Rinne to stop him.
** In episode 20, Ageha accidentally breaks the hourglass refilled by Rinne that kept spirits away from Sakura's house. The spirits immediately show up again afterward. He manages to find another one, [[spoiler:but unfortunately, it costs 20,000 yen before taxes. When Sakura seems happy with it, he ends up not telling her he actually paid for it.]]
* NoblewomansLaugh: Misora Utagawa does this in chapter 12, including the hand gesture. [[spoiler:Which hides the space where she's missing a front tooth.]]
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Rinne puts a temporary halt to his father's Damashigami Company's antics at the end of episode 11, partly by recovering some stuff his father stole from him, and by also passing his flu to his father. Then in episode 12, his father sends him a bill for lost revenue due to said illness. He also starts spying on Sakura as a result of Rinne "clinging to the human world" due to his interest in her.

** Tsubasa also accuses him of this in episode 10 after a group of girls in his father's mansion swamp him, wanting to marry him.
** In episode 12, Sakura walks in on his room just as Ageha holds his hands as a result of him agreeing to help her take down the Damashigami company. Ageha screams then runs through a portal, and Rinne tries to explain this trope to her. Sakura says she saw a girl holding his hands, prompting him to reply with this trope again. Though she acts like it's not a big deal, Sakura keeps thinking back to it.
** In episode 13, Ageha gives Rinne TheGlomp from behind after he saves her from a damashigami that overpowered her. Unfortunately Sakura just happened to show up, and saw the whole thing. Rinne attempts to explain that he saved Ageha solely for the 1 million yen bounty the damashigami had on him, but Sakura leaves right before he finishes.
* OhCrap: In episode 6, Rokumon attempts to use his other form to try and scare the two cat spirits into submission. Unfortunately the two then go into their beast form, and are even larger than him. He ends up getting batted around by the two until Rinne shows up.

* PaperFanOfDoom: Tamako, in chapter 31.

* PullTheThread: Sakura does this on various ghosts and Rinne disguises in episode 13. They almost seem convincing at first, until she notices the zippers behind them and unzips them.

** The ''ateji'' in chapter 5. The same pun shows up [[http://blog.shonensunday.com/sunday/2010/06/yoroshiku.html in chapter 52]].

* RashomonStyle: Three are shown in episode 12, when Ageha innocently holds Rinne's hands, with Sakura seeing it when she opens his door:

** Also, Ageha is a romantic rival of Sakura... Well, ''Ageha'' thinks of them as rivals (even going so far as to [[spoiler:compare chest sizes]], in chapter 61). Sakura doesn't seem to notice.

* SchoolFestival: In chapter 25 and 26.

** To ''Manga/SazaeSan'', in chapter 7 and to the love triangle in ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'' in chapter 8, when a ReincarnationRomance with a ghost is introduced. ("These relationships are the worst kind!")
** Also in chapter 27, when given a look inside the anime club's room, there is a poster that features a LawyerFriendlyCameo of Franchise/SailorMoon and Luna. Also, one of the figurines looks like [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Shampoo]], and another like [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Hatsune Miku]].
** This one might or might not be meant as a reference: In chapter 51, when Tsubasa summons the spirits of the power stone, he says "[[Literature/{{Slayers}} Light, come forth!]]"

* SickEpisode: Rokumon catches the flu from one of his bosses, and he accidentally gives it to Rinne as well in episode 10.
* SmashingWatermelons: Done by ghosts in chapter 61.

* StaringContest: Rokumon's version of Ageha holding Rinne's hand in episode 12 includes this, where Sakura jealousy stares at the two through the door, with Ageha staring back. The narrator and Rinne both state that this version is totally wrong.

* TemptingFate: In episode 12, Rokumon worries that Ageha might want half of the bounty Rinne collected from shutting down an illegal damashigami operation earlier that day. Shortly after Rinne says he'll never even see that girl again, Ageha then opens a portal into his room.

* UnwantedHarem: Rinne is exposed to one briefly during episode 10 when a bunch of girls in his father's mansion chase him, with all of them wanting to marry him. Tsubasa unknowingly saves him from it when he accuses Rinne of chasing after women, and tosses a holy ash ball at them. Rinne escapes from the girls in the confusion.

* WackyMarriageProposal: Rinne is faced with one in episode 10 and 11, when several female damashigami's attempt to woo him.

* WhatTheHellHero: Ageha essentially says this when she meets her sister in episode 13, and finds out she fell in love with Rinne's father and went to work for, instead of putting a stop to the Damashigami company as she had promised to do earlier.

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Rinne in chapter 26.

* WreckedWeapon: Rinne's scythe gets broken in episode 6 after he attempts to use it on some cat spirits. A FlashBack reveals it had been chewed on by some scythe bugs while sitting in the pawn shop. Rokumon attempts to fix it with some tape, but it doesn't hold very well, requiring him to pay to get it repaired later on.
* XanatosGambit: Sabato tries repeatedly to screw Rinne over in episode 11. First he uses his wheel weapon which turns anything that touches it into cash, such as Rinne's scythe. Later he repeatedly tries to get Rinne's fingerprints one way or another so he can forge more loans and load Rinne up on even more debt. Fortunately Rinne realizes his father's plan, and doesn't fall for any of them despite his repeated attempts.

** An exorcist in chapter 12 has an ''ōnusa''.
** The Tosa dog in chapter 43 wears a ''shimenawa''.
** In chapter 86, a ''shimenawa'' is used to tie shut the theater doors during the rehearsal.

** This one might or might not be meant as a reference: In chapter 51, when Tsubasa summons the spirits of the power stone, he says "[[LightNovel/{{Slayers}} Light, come forth!]]"

* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: Sort of implied when Tsubasa pulls out a Christian bible when fighting an evil spirit, who tells him he has "the wrong religion here" (though he had [[ThrowTheBookAtThem other uses]] for that bible in mind).

** To ''Manga/SazaeSan'', in chapter 7 and to the love triangle in ''Manga/InuYasha'' in chapter 8, when a ReincarnationRomance with a ghost is introduced. ("These relationships are the worst kind!")

* ThrowTheBookAtThem: "Bible Corner Crush!" -- for [[RuleOfFunny some reason]] Jumonji claims he can only do this once a week.

* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Averted in the case of Tsubasa Jumonji; his response to anything supernatural is almost always to throw sacred ashes, and it's seldom effective. He also tries to use the corner of a Bible, but it's not that effective either.

* LuckyTranslation:
** When Tsubasa tries to refresh Sakura's memory of him, she calls him "Oreda-kun" in response to his "ore da." Fortunately, "Itsumi" ("It's me") works too, even though it's a ''girl's'' name.
** This may not be the case in other languages, however. The Indonesian translation gives his name as Akulo, from "Aku, lo" ("It's me")... which may make sense if he's some kind of corny EvilOverlord.

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: Unlike Creator/RumikoTakahashi's previous works, several female characters, like Ageha, Suzu, and Renge, are very prone to suffering AmusingInjuries. Interestingly, Sakura remains relatively ImmuneToSlapstick.

It has an Anime adaptation by Creator/BrainsBase that Creator/{{NHK}} began airing in the Spring2015Anime season and has been licensed by Creator/SentaiFilmworks for an American release. The series ran for three full seasons, ending in September, 2017.

* {{Jerkass}}: Rinne's dad Sabato seems to have studied at the [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Genma Saotome Anything Goes]] School of Parenting, take the lessons UpToEleven, and then invented some more techniques of his own to enhance his massive jerkass status. Let's see... Daddy's been stealing Rinne's money for years, crushed his hope of seeing his mom as a young boy, forced him to take on his debts, and is trying to get him married to take over his failing company... probably to force even more debt on him while he gets to go off skipping. The only PetTheDog moment he had so far is when he object against Kain's hostility towards Rinne...for a problem he caused himself, and there may have been ulterior motives there too.