境界のRINNE ep 19
Kyoukai no RINNE – 19

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Sakura’s noise making causes Ageha, Tsubasa, and Rokumon to awaken. Sakura shows them the container left for Rinne, but after Ageha fails to get in, Rokumon says only Rinne can get it. Ageha blows a hole in the storage shed they are trapped in, allowing them to escape. They take the large box to Rinne, who’s fending off Kain. Rinne recognizes the box as a gift from Tamako when he was a boy, which Sabato stole before Rinne could open it. With Rinne distracted, Kain manages to seize Rinne’s Haori of the Underworld. Rinne is able to open the box, which turns out to be a hoop. Sakura gets it to him while on Rokumon, but the Rinne no Wa appears to have nabbed them, though Kain suspects the hoop is actually the Hoop of Judgement.

Rinne, Sakura, and Rokumon wake in Kain’s house, just as Sabato arrives to try to get more money. Kain, Tsubasa, and Ageha arrive as well and Kain is not happy to see Sabato. Ageha’s sister “Bijin” arrives, causing Sabato to explain her as his little sister in order to further con Kain’s mother. Tsubasa, Sakura, Ageha, and Rokumon look for Rinne’s life flame, but only find fakes. Sabato and Bijin fail to make off with more goods, but Kain’s mother feeds them all well. Rinne finds his life flame and is protected by the Hoop of Judgement from Kain taking it back. Sabato explains that the Hoop has determined that taking Rinne’s life is to severe a price for a forged loan. Sabato and Bijin try to make off with more goods, but Rinne, with his Haori back, uses the Hoop of Judgement to bind the two. They escape, but are forced to abandon the loot. Kain vows to still hold Rinne responsible.

Thoughts/Review:

Having recently watched Ranma 1/2: Nightmare! Incense of Spring Sleep, I was reminded of how Takahashi-sensei loves her evil, reprobate characters who are either related or otherwise attached to the main character, who’s purpose is to give the main character nothing but trouble. In Ranma 1/2, it is the Ranma’s grandfather, Happosai. In RINNE, it is Rinne’s father, Sabato. Unlike here, were the worst Sabato gets is a whack on the head, at least in Ranma 1/2, sometimes Happosai got the crap beaten out of him. I really, REALLY wish that Sabato would take massive beatings, rather than a single whack on the head.

As an aside, I did like Sakura confronting Sabato, but it still is no beating, which he desperately needs several of.

Kain is almost as irritating to me as a character as Sabato is. His misplaced anger makes him stupidly blind. When he has Sabato in his sights, Kain still wants to target Rinne ’cause “reasons.” That’s when I started wishing Kain would take a beating. Instead, we had to settle for Kain being thwarted as the Hoop of Judgement now protects Rinne from Kain coming to take his life again.

I hadn’t remembered the Hoop of Judgement at all, which was kind of surprising, since I did read the manga this episode was adapted from.  That being said, I’m now thinking, “If Rinne has the Hoop of Judgement and it protects him, then we should see it from here on out coming to Rinne’s defense.” Since I didn’t remember this hoop in the manga, I’m guessing it isn’t used much, if at all. I’d like to see it used though, since that would make sense, especially since Rinne doesn’t have his scythe at the moment.

Finally, it is a good thing Kain’s mother is able to have so much food delivered on tab. Tsubasa made a joke about how Kain and his mother being poor was likely his mother’s fault, due to her elaborate spending as well as Sabato’s con jobs, but that didn’t stop the group from eating the unagi bento boxes or the expensive (for Japan at least) melon.

In the end, the episode was fine. No laughs and the combination of Sabato and Kain antics were almost too much. Almost.