OP Sequence

OP: 「Melody」 by Pile

“Black Cat Oboro”


「黒猫 朧」 (Kuro Neko Oboro)

Kyoukai no Rinne is Back!:

Kyoukai no RINNE is back, meaning another comedy worth your time is added to an already packed spring season. It doesn’t feel like a year has passed since I intro’d the first episode, yet here we are. Despite it being a commercial flop (one of the worst selling anime of 2015!) it is back for what I imagine will be the last time, so if you enjoyed the first season or just want another solid comedy added to your watch list this season, then I recommend checking it out!

Better than the Source Material:

When I watched Rinne for the first time I was under the impression that it was going to be similar to Rumiko’s other shonen titles – it would have comedy here and there, but would be a battle shonen first and foremost. That notion was quickly dispelled, which resulted in me dropping the show early on. However, I was recommended to give it another go, and so I caught up during the summer months and couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it. Once I let go of my preconceptions I had going in, I was able to sit back, laugh, and appreciate the zany cast of characters and the endless possibilities that the plot provides.

While Rinne is consistently amusing with his struggles with money, it’s Mamiya Sakura who is the star of the show for me. She started off as the main character before others were introduced. Now, she plays a more passive role, like in this episode, which meant I didn’t laugh near as much as I’d like to. Still, her stone cold reaction faces are to die for. It’s a funny thing, because when you compare the anime to the manga, this adaptation is so much more funny than the source material. Of course, Rumiko is the one who has conceived all these gags, but they truly come to life when paired with animation and accompanied music. It kills me every time Sakura’s blank face reacts to some absurd situation, in the same way that Rinne’s suffering always amuse me. More of them two, please. Preferably together, because they’re cute as can be and I pray they become an item before this second season is over.

Overview – What’s Next?:

It’s a cliché thing to say, but it honestly feels like Kyoukai no RINNE never left in the first place. This second season was clearly planned ahead of time, but I’m glad we’re going to see a whole 50 episodes of this ridiculous cast getting into some silly, pseudo-romantic, or dramatic scenarios over the coming weeks. This episode wasn’t the best the series has to offer, but every good comedy has its weaker episodes. If they keep Sakura and Rinne at the forefront, I’m confident this second season could be just as goodas the first.

ED Sequence

ED: 「話をしよう」 (Hanashi wo Shiyou) by GLIM SPANKY

Preview

End Card

7 Comments

  1. The source manga sells more poorly compared to Takahashi Rumiko’s past works – compare Inuyasha’s manga circulation of 54 million copies to Rinne’s 2 million. Then again, she earns so much in royalties from her older works that Rinne sales are likely chump change for her.
    She’s likely writing Rinne for fun at this point, going back to her gag humour roots.

    zztop
    1. You’re right, it does feel like she’s doing it for fun. That makes for plenty of really good gags, but also some duds from time to time. She’s up there as one of the most legendary mangaka alive, so I can’t imagine she’s got many editors who can control her and tell her what to do.

      Samu

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