So the story is plodding along at quite a sedate pace, but we finally have some rivalry going!
Though neither seem to be of Naraku standard, more Kouga-like. The Vampiric Masato does indeed seem to hate Rinne-kun, but his evil plot never really reached the insidious levels that poor InuYasha had to deal with.
As if it wasn’t enough to deal with someone who wishes him ill he now has a rival in love as Tsubasa, a boy from Sakura’s past professes his love for her.
Again not really much of a threat to Rinne, since so far there hasn’t seemed to be too much romantic interest on his part anyway. Plus Sakura doesn’t even seem to remember the poor fellow, so there seems like there is little interest on her part too.
Its kind of funny that both Sakura and Rinne are so laid back about things, considering how volatile InuYasha and Kagome’s relationship was.
In any case its going to be fun seeing how things develop with both new arrivals 
Masato’s plans and his execution of them did have several serious flaws, but the consequences would have been serious enough. (I wonder how many more kinds or parts or areas of Hell he’s going to introduce us to in the course of trying to trap Rinne permanently in one or another of them. . . .)
And Tsubasa could easily be (or become) to Rinne what Ryoga was/is to Ranma . . . but with a competitive flaw (daydreaming and thinking you’ve told people out loud what you only dreamt) courtesy of Godai! The basis of the rivalry is kind of inside-out, though, in that Tsubasa knew Sakura before either of them had met Rinne . . . so the “professional” element of the rivalry (spirit-sight and spirit-fighting) predates the romantic element.
It might even be that the professional rivalry between the guys helps push Rinne into more of a romantic position with Sakura. (At least as seen by our favorite assistance-minded airheads Miho and Rika — and soon enough, thanks to them, by the rest of the class too. Though I wonder . . . did Miho-chan seem particularly intrigued by the new boy?)
And I do think that Sakura remembered Tsubasa — a little, maybe even somewhat — but certainly not as much as he remembered her. (See how inconvenient it can be to have evn one parent on the scene? . . .) And BTW, unlike Viz’s chief bloggers, I’d bet Takahashi-sensei knew exactly what she was doing when she did the dialogue that made the key pun so conveniently translatable! (Ore da/Oreda-kun ==> It’s me/Itsumi-kun. . . :] . . .)
But the next development may be “professional” — if Rinne insists on following up on his idea that Sakura could be a fine shinigami with a little training. (OTOH, you don’t suppose Tsubasa might get in the way of that at all, do you? . . . :] . . .)
Ooh — and now we have someone who can raise a ruckus if, when they finally tear down the school clubhouse building, there’s any suggestion of Rinne moving in with Sakura! . . .
Just so you know the score — Chapter 20 is up . . . and ’shipping. . . .
And, though next week we will see Chapter 21, there’ll be a week skipped before Chapter 22 is up at the very end of the month. Respect-for-the-Aged Day is Monday 9/21 this year, the Autumnal Equinox is Wednesday the 23rd, and so a national people’s holiday has been declared for Tuesday the 22nd.
And the new adventures of Inuyasha premiere October 3 on Nihon TV in eastern Japan and October 5 (well, late enough to be the 6th but who’s counting?) on Yomiuri TV in western Japan. . . .
From Shôgakukan/Web Sunday’s “next issue” page for Shônen Sunday, http://websunday.net/jigou/:
サンデー読者だけに贈るSPプレゼントあり!!
りんね＆犬夜叉 NEWるーみっくわーるど
開幕キャンペーン特報!!
『犬夜叉完結編』放送開始＆『境界のRINNE』1・2巻同時発売を記念して、総計200名様へのスペシャルプレゼントキャンペーンを実施!! るーみっくファン歓喜の気になるその賞品を見逃すな！ さらにサンデー読者だけに贈るSPプレゼントもある!! 2009年秋は、るーみっくわーるどがスゴイ!!
Or, if my quick translation is accurate:
We have a special present to be given only to [Shônen] Sunday readers!!
Special news[/A special announcement] of a new Rumic World [promotional?] campaign for the debuts of Rinne & Inuyasha!!
To mark the start of the broadcast of the Inuyasha kanketsuhen series and the simultaneous release for sale of volumes 1 and 2 of Kyôkai no Rinne, we are(/will be) implementing a [promotional?] campaign of special presents for a total of 200 people!! No Rumic fan will want to miss(/overlook/pass up) these prizes! And on top of that, there will be a special present given only to [Shônen] Sunday readers!! Autumn 2009 in the Rumic World is incredible!!
Oh, yeah — the page also does confirm that KnR will be in that next issue (#44, due out in . . . alas . . . two weeks). But while that’s good to know, it pales worse than Usui-kun beside the apparent extra-bold headline news that Japan will be a whole published volume(/graphic novel) ahead.
Ah well, we’ll get it eventually I suppose
But, but I want special presents too!
Guess what? Japan is getting two volumes at once! . . . even if Viz won’t say so, Amazon/Japan confirms it!
You can see for yourself — even if you don’t have confidence in your Japanese. Google “Amazon Japan”. The first result will be the site in Japanese; the second is “Amazon.co.jp: In English: In English // Find, shop for and buy In English at Amazon.co.jp.”
The second link leads to a page with some Japanese still, but a lot of English — including in the pull-down menu at the top. It starts out saying “All Departments”. Can we make it say “Books”? Ooh — we can make it say “Japanese Books”! (“English Books” is the next choice down.) We’re here looking for the Japanese editions of Rinne, so let’s select “Japanese Books” and input “Rinne” (or “rinne”; it’s case-insensitive, reasonably enough) and see what we get. . . .
We get 36 results, 12 at a time. But what are the first two?
1. [no image] 境界のRINNE 1 by 高橋 留美子 (コミック – 2009/10/16)
Buy new: ￥ 420
Available for Pre-order
Free Shipping on orders over ￥1,500. All Books ship for free.
2. [no image]
境界のRINNE 2 by 高橋 留美子 (コミック – 2009/10/16)
Buy new: ￥ 420
Available for Pre-order
Free Shipping on orders over ￥1,500. All Books ship for free.
And if you follow the links, you can get the ISBNs (International Standard Book Numbers) for each volume. (You get two for each because the ISBN system is switching from 10 to 13 digits.)
境界のRINNE 1
10 digits: 4091217737
13 digits: 978-4091217738
境界のRINNE 2
10 digits: 4091217745
13 digits: 978-4091217745
Now, I don’t know if your local independent bookstore can get these volumes the way they’re ordering Volume 1 of the English edition for you. And I don’t know how much of a premium you might pay over that list price (a bit over $4.50 each at today’s exchange rate).
But if enough of us ask now — while there’s an extra reason for us to be, well, not outraged necessarily; let’s just say vociferous — then maybe it will at least do some good for the future. If the bookstores ask their distributors why they don’t have these books, and the distributors pass the stores’ complaints back up to the publisher, maybe Shôgakukan will have a word with Viz. And it might even come to pass that they’ll both have some more encouraging words for us hereafter. (And earlier on in the process, too!)
News — from the “News” page at WebSunday:
http://websunday.net/news/
『りんね』＆『犬夜叉』特製図書カードを
抽選で100名様にプレゼント!!!
『犬夜叉 完結編』アニメ放送開始と、『境界のRINNNE』コミックス1・2巻同時発売決定を祝して、『境界のRINNE』＋『犬夜叉 完結編』特製図書カードを読者のみんなにプレゼント♪ この激レア図書カードは、ただ今発売中の少年サンデー44号を読んでくれた人だけが応募できるぞ!!
My quick-and-dirty translation says 100 selected readers will get specially-made Rinne + Inuyasha “book cards” (like gift certificates for books). You can see an image of the card at the news page. (Looks like it’ll be good for ¥500 worth of books. What’s it worth in and of itself? Who knows? . . . :] . . .)
But only readers of issue #44 of Shônen Sunday will be able to apply, the page adds. Instructions? Entry form? Again, who knows?
I’ve heard that the issue has, not a form, but instructions — to send in a postcard with your address, name, age, gender, year in school, and phone number by October 14th. The general address is the usual one for Shōgakukan:
〒119-0141
Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Hitotsubashi 2-3-1
Shōgakukan
Where it gets more specific is the instruction to tack onto that address the following line or two:
Shōnen Sunday #44
“RINNE & Inuyasha Kanketsuhen Tokusei Tosho Kādo”-gakari
Winners will be announced November 4 in issue #49.
(So, Sakura, how much do you want a special present?)
LOTS!
Unfortunately my Japanese buddy is no longer in school and is currently over here
But YAY for the happy news on the Simulcast!
You could still apply. If you want to write the address in Japanese (or copy-and-paste and print it first), here it is:
〒１１９－０１４１ 東京都千代田区一ツ橋２－３－１ 小学館
少年サンデー４４号「RINNE＆犬夜叉完結編特製図書カード」係
Skidoo on over to Viz — Chapter 23 is up!
Following a Viz blog commenter’s tip over to Simon & Schuster, I found that (according to current plans, at least) RIN-NE Volume 2 is due out January 19, 2010 and RIN-NE Volume 3 on April 20, 2010. (Both still listing at $9.99, BTW.)
@ John Ooh I guess that isn’t too long to wait.
Sorry there has been little posting or replying to comments on my part.
Been recovering from surgery and I just haven’t much felt like posting while I deal with some of the emotional repercussions regarding said surgery.
But at least that release schedule gives me something to look forward to.
My goodness!
Take care, please — take it easy, and don’t get too excited . . .
(Try 1-1/2 excited first, and see how that goes.)
Thanks
I’ve been pretty well behaved while recovering, since no-one will let me do a damn thing!
I’m pretty much there I think, my post op went well, gotta keep taking the pills they gave me and I have another test mid to late november.
I’m so nervous about that and also not looking forward to it since the damn thing is so painful. I’m hoping for the all clear, if not back to the operating table we go.
But the doctor hasn’t given up on us yet so that’s good, maybe if we can get through all these hurdles I can have a kid
Good luck! And please feel free to let us know. . . .
Thanks John
I think Chapter 29 (fresh out today) counts as a major development. Anybody else?