is an eight volume manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series by Kiyoko Arai

Kiyoko Arai

, known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. She made her manga debut in the January 1984 issue of Ciao with her story Chotto dake Biyaku...

 about a young girl named Meilin Kanzaki who is endowed with Feng shui

Feng shui

Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....

 powers which allow her to read people's fortunes and give advice on how to receive good luck. She does this on a website

Website

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

 under the pseudonym

Pseudonym

A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...

 of "Dr. Rin." She loves her friend Asuka Yuuki, who is a star on the school soccer team. However, she constantly bothers him with her Feng shui advice when he doesn't believe in any of that.

Ask Dr. Rin! was serialized in Ciao

Ciao (magazine)

is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shogakukan for young girls . The first issue was launched in 1977. As of 2009, the circulation was 815,455. Formerly, the magazine attached paper crafts, but now attaches various goods that are different every month...

 and later adapted into a 51 episode anime series by Nippon Animation

Nippon Animation

is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....

, directed by Shin Misawa and with music by Takanori Arisawa

Takanori Arisawa

was a Japanese composer and arranger best known for composing the Sailor Moon anime series. He wrote music for the series, including its video games. Born in Tokyo, Arisawa began to learn piano at the age of 20. After graduating from Senzoku Gakuen College, Arisawa started his career in 1980 by...

. It was broadcast by TV Tokyo

TV Tokyo

is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...

 from 5 April 2001 to 25 February 2002.

Plot summary

Almost as soon as she mastered talking as a young child, Meirin Kanzaki discovered her feng-shui powers and developed them to such a degree that she has developed an online help desk where she guides and counsels people under the pseudonym

Pseudonym

A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...

 of »Dr. Rin« with such skill that she inadvertently leeches away significant commerce from her father Shou. As is usually the case with 7th grade girls, Meirin is not immune to developing infatuation for boys her age; in Meirin's case, the boy of choice is her childhood friend Asuka who has a difficult time placing occult phenomenon such as feng-shui in perspective. Unfortunately for Meirin, securing Asuka's acceptance is the least of her worries when she has visited upon her mysterious events and paranormal phenomenon of such complexity and treachery that she will need all the help and luck she can muster to save the day with her feng-shui divination and the hakke crystal bestowed unto her.

Kanzaki Family

As the main character, Meirin Kanzaki is a teenage girl with the power of feng-shui divination

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

 whose potency and accuracy have been argued to exceed that of her father Shou who has his own feng-shui divination service. Unfortunately for Meirin and the other members of Kanzaki-ke, Meirin's »Dr. Rin« online feng-shui divination help desk has caused many an awkward and disconcerting moment at home because the mere mention of Dr. Rin upsets Shou due to the fact that its heavy commerce is much of Shou's clientele base; as such, Meirin has to watch what she says around Shou so that her secondary identity stays a secret. A bit ditzy by nature, Meirin is nevertheless pure-hearted in her pursuits, the most notable of which is Asuka Yūki. Much of the series depicts Meirin trying to aid Asuka using her abilities only for Asuka to repulse her counsel because of his disbelief in the occult and his reality-tuned cerebral computation protocols not affording him the capability to understand Meirin's fascination with it. Meirin also owns a special hakke crystal which her grandfather reveals was given to her in order to protect her whose circumstantial instigation repulses away danger by summoning the dragon god Shenlong

Shenlong

Shenlong, also Shen-lung, is a spiritual dragon from Chinese mythology who is the master of storms and also a bringer of rain. He is of equal significance like Tianlong, the celestial dragon....

 that then lashes out at the assailant. Eventually, Meirin learns to consciously bootstrap Shen Shin-long to proactively intercede for people due to her previous incarnation as the Priestess of Light (光の巫女).

Shou Kanzaki is Meirin's father who also boasts the capability of feng-shui divination; in contrast to his daughter, Shou avails his powers as more of a means of entertainment and flirtation with his female fans than as a sincere avenue of guidance although he is not hostile to doing private house calls. As has been demonstrated throughout the series, the mere mention of Dr. Rin is enough to send Shou into a not-at-all-comical conniption driven by his unwillingness to acknowledge that he is somewhat of a quack that almost forced unto his family the necessity of a clandestine nocturnal relocation to save face

Face (sociological concept)

Face, idiomatically meaning dignity/prestige, is a fundamental concept in the fields of sociology, sociolinguistics, semantics, politeness theory, psychology, political science, communication, and Face Negotiation Theory.-Definitions:...

 when he bungles an important commission at one point in the series. Shou's playboy proclivities figure heavily into his prologue of how he met his wife Emika.

Emika Kanzaki is Meirin's mother spends most of her time at home as a housewife that does a lot of the typical activities associated with women such as cleaning the house and going shopping; although it is rare, the incidences of divergent concourse that she gets into with her husband Shou seem to stem from the buyer's remorse of having foregone her prologue as a wrestler -- a prologue that she demonstrates as a vehicle of her intense displeasure with Shou when he makes an ill-considered comment about her cooking one episode. Emika does not seem to realize the true nature of the danger instigated by the potency of her daughter's powers.

Koumi is Meirin's older brother. He helps her keep her Dr. Rin homepage up and covers for her around their parents. He has a grudge against his father for naming him "Koumi" using the kanji

Kanji

Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...

 for "dumplings (Gyōza)". His name is pronounced as Koumi(こうみ) instead of "Gyōza".

Accompanying Animals

Tenshin

Tenshin is Meirin Kanzaki's pet monkey. Very fond of candy, Tenshin has caused a fair share of trouble for Meirin mostly in childish ways like eating her lunch and snacks. In one episode, Tokiwa uses one of his Shikigami to possess Tenshin in order to lure Asuka into one of his traps.

A small, seven-tailed kitsune

Kitsune

is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...

-shaped skikigami that belongs to Takashi Tokiwa. Nanao's name, in fact, means, "seven-tailed." \ He has helped Takashi develop his onmyō

Onmyodo

is a traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology, a mixture of natural science and occultism. It is based on the Chinese philosophies of Wu Xing and Yin and yang, introduced into Japan at the turn of the 6th century, and accepted as a practical system of divination...

 abilities since he was very young. Because of this, he has a slightly contentious relationship with his owner. He also apparently has a fondness for eggs.

Cynthia

A small stuffed panda with a soul, who is often seen with Banri Shijou. At the start of the series, because of her strong desire to become a human girl, she is manipulated by the Evil Being and took over Banri's body. After the Evil Being released from her, she and Banri became friend once again. She is interested in Asuka.

Takoyaki

A parrot who shows up frequently with Eddy Tsukioka. His name is the name of the dish takoyaki

Takoyaki

is a popular ball-shaped Japanese dumpling or more like a savory pancake made of batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan...

, which is a dish made with octopus that originated in Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

. He is very fond of money.

Alpha Actors

Ever since she was jolted onto her derriere as a little kid by a wayward soccer ball, Meirin has come to love Asuka Yuuki to no end. Asuka and Meirin's collaborative prologue as childhood friends has prompted the development of a very cohesive relationship between Kanzaki-ke and Yuuki-ke; in spite of this, Asuka is frustrated by Meirin incessantly offering her supernatural feng-shui counsel oblivious to his frequently- and emphatically-stated aversion thereof. Takashi Tokiwa's aggression forces Asuka to abandon his ambiguity as he rushes to Meirin's rescue oblivious to the fact that he is at a disadvantage against the supernatural adversaries which often cannot be damaged by physical attacks. Off the battlefield, Asuka spends his time playing soccer alongside his best friend and fellow teammate Daisuke Shinagawa. Once Takashi's computations are purified and the apparition subsequently neutralized, Asuka finds himself prosecuting a friendly rivalry on the soccer field with the young onmyouji. Asuka has a complex prologue as the reincarnation of Seiryuu that explains his reality-grounded cerebral computation protocols.

Often referred to as Tokiwa-chi by the rest of the characters, Takashi Tokiwa is introduced at the start of the series as a bright and athletic "pretty boy

Effeminacy

Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....

" transfer student whose enrollment into Meirin's school could be argued as having the sole purpose of courting Meirin's favor; while he insists that he only loves Meirin, Takashi does not complain about the attention he garners from flirting with all the other girls. Unfortunately, Meirin's refusal to return these overtures brings into play Takashi's narcissism

Narcissism

Narcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...

 that drives him to show off his prowess on the soccer field against Asuka for Meirin's affections before using his supernatural powers as an onmyōji

Onmyodo

is a traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology, a mixture of natural science and occultism. It is based on the Chinese philosophies of Wu Xing and Yin and yang, introduced into Japan at the turn of the 6th century, and accepted as a practical system of divination...

 to wield his shikigami

Shikigami

Shikigami are a kind of spirit, found in Japanese Mythology summoned to serve a practitioner of onmyōdō, much like a western familiar. Shikigami cannot be seen by most people, but according to the Heian period onmyōji who were said to control them, shikigami often looked something like a...

 paper dolls to cause mysterious accidents as a coercive measure to scare Meirin out of her affection for Asuka; his cerebral computation processes now purified now that the Evil Being controlling him has been exorcised and neutralized, Takashi's real personality is found to be neither cruel nor evil. In spite of his ill-timed interjection into their romantic moments, Takashi is not slow in becoming good friends with Meirin and Asuka which is of great utility when his prologue of his former incarnation as Byakko

Byakko

Byakko may refer to:* White Tiger , one of the divisions in the sky in traditional Chinese astronomy* Byakko , an anthropomorphic white tiger demon character in YuYu Hakusho...

 comes into play.

A boy who uses tarot cards. From the start of his first appearance in the series, he is dressed as a girl because Cynthia takes over his body. He shut his mind after losing his mother from an accident at an young age, and never talked since then, till Meirin saved him. He has black belt in karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

. He is the reincarnation of Genbu

Genbu

Genbu can refer to:* Black Tortoise, a Chinese constellation symbol* Genbu ‎‎, a fictional character in the series YuYu Hakusho* Genbu , a fictional character in the series Fushigi Yūgi...

.

Eddy is a foreigner who moved to Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, but in spite of that, he speaks with an Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

n dialect

Dialect

The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...

. He is a substitute- Coach of the soccer club after their original coach is hospitalized. Eddy is allergy to beautiful woman because of his painful childhood experiences. His actual job is as an Astrologist, but it's seem that he had to close down his business because too many of his consulters are female. He is also manipulated by the Evil Being too. Eddy need to gather money to build a tomb for his beloved grandfather next to his grandmother's tomb. He is the reincarnation of Suzaku

Vermilion Bird (Chinese constellation)

The Vermilion bird is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five-elemental system, it represents the fire-element, the direction south, and the season summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion bird of the South...

.

Ancillary Allies

Yue is Meirin's classmate and one of her two best friends. She is a member of the school track and field team. She makes jokes often about being in love with Meirin. However, she really wants Meirin's dreams of receiving Asuka's love to come true, as evidenced from how upset she becomes when Meirin starts dating Tokiwa. Yue is generally seen as a very savvy girl with a cool head. Meirin likes to come to her for advice. Shinagawa has a crush on her, but will not actively say it to her.

Shūko is Meirin's other classmate/best friend. In comparison to Yue, she tends to be more hyper and is noted for falling for cute guys quickly. She seems to have a little crush on Tokiwa.

The clumsy mistakes that Daisuke Shinagawa makes throughout the series function as an element of comic relief in the series; still, his jovial selflessness and his emphatic but unrequited infatuation for Yue are nothing to laugh at! Daisuke plays on the school soccer team with Asuka and Takashi where he is invaluable in helping to restore homeostasis between the two boys as the less-capable, doofy best friend.

A friend of Shinagawa's. He is a skilled goalkeeper who has a "talent" for twisting his body into weird shapes.

Trivia

• Meirin's Pet Monkey Tenshin bares a striking resemblance to the Boss Monkey in Bomberman 94 for the Turbo Grafx 16 (Which in that boss fight it attempted to kill White Bomber with a Remote Controlled Robot Banana);which seems to be an interesting connection,since the Ask Dr Rin Games and the Bomberman Franchise were both developed by Hudson soft