Ask Dr. Rin!

Ask Dr. Rin! (Dr.リンにきいてみて!) is an eight volume manga series by Kiyoko Arai about a young girl named Meilin Kanzaki who is endowed with Feng shui powers which allow her to read people's fortunes and give advice on how to receive good luck. She does this on a website under the pseudonym 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 and later adapted into a 51 episode anime series by Nippon Animation, directed by Shin Misawa and with music by Takanori Arisawa. It was broadcast by TV Tokyo 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 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.

Characters

 * Meirin Kanzaki (神埼 明鈴)
 * The main character, Meirin is a teenage girl with the power of feng-shui divination, an ability which her brother argues surpasses her father's. Most other characters tend to agree, if not through their actions then by flocking to her web-based divination service, for which she uses the pseudonym "Dr. Rin." Unfortunately, the online service costs her father, who does his own feng-shui divination service, many of his customers, and so she tries hard to keep her secondary identity a secret. The only other person who knows is her brother, Koumi, who helps her keep her service running. A bit ditzy by nature, Meirin is nevertheless pure-hearted in her pursuits, the most notable of which is Asuka Yūki. Throughout the series she is seen trying to aid him using her abilities, even at one point buying him pink boxers in desperation because she had a bad premonition that day about him and knew that pink was his lucky color for that day. None of this tends to be met with gratitude by Asuka, who doesn't believe in the occult, nor does he 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. It activates when she or one of her friends is in trouble and unleashes the power of Shenlong, a dragon god.
 * The main character, Meirin is a teenage girl with the power of feng-shui divination, an ability which her brother argues surpasses her father's. Most other characters tend to agree, if not through their actions then by flocking to her web-based divination service, for which she uses the pseudonym "Dr. Rin." Unfortunately, the online service costs her father, who does his own feng-shui divination service, many of his customers, and so she tries hard to keep her secondary identity a secret. The only other person who knows is her brother, Koumi, who helps her keep her service running. A bit ditzy by nature, Meirin is nevertheless pure-hearted in her pursuits, the most notable of which is Asuka Yūki. Throughout the series she is seen trying to aid him using her abilities, even at one point buying him pink boxers in desperation because she had a bad premonition that day about him and knew that pink was his lucky color for that day. None of this tends to be met with gratitude by Asuka, who doesn't believe in the occult, nor does he 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. It activates when she or one of her friends is in trouble and unleashes the power of Shenlong, a dragon god.


 * Asuka Yuuki (結城　飛鳥)
 * Asuka is the boy who Meirin loves to no end. While he has never stated that he loves her, his own feelings tend to jettison between protective affection and frustrated annoyance. The two are childhood friends, and their families are on very close terms as well. His frustration tends to show mostly when Meirin tries to help him her way, with feng-shui. Devoted to reality, Asuka constantly derides her well-intentioned efforts. He immediately hops to her rescue, however, once something threatens her, such as when Tokiwa starts stalking and threatening her in order to get her to go love him instead of Asuka. However, his lack of ability with magic can lead him to wind up in very dangerous situations once he does decide to confront enemies. A member of the school soccer team, Asuka is often seen with Shinagawa, his best friend, who is also a member of the soccer team. Asuka and Meirin met when they were little kids. Meirin was walking home when she was smacked in the face by a soccer ball Asuka had accidentally kicked at her. She says that from that moment she knew who she was destined to be with. He is the reincarnation of Seiryuu.
 * Asuka is the boy who Meirin loves to no end. While he has never stated that he loves her, his own feelings tend to jettison between protective affection and frustrated annoyance. The two are childhood friends, and their families are on very close terms as well. His frustration tends to show mostly when Meirin tries to help him her way, with feng-shui. Devoted to reality, Asuka constantly derides her well-intentioned efforts. He immediately hops to her rescue, however, once something threatens her, such as when Tokiwa starts stalking and threatening her in order to get her to go love him instead of Asuka. However, his lack of ability with magic can lead him to wind up in very dangerous situations once he does decide to confront enemies. A member of the school soccer team, Asuka is often seen with Shinagawa, his best friend, who is also a member of the soccer team. Asuka and Meirin met when they were little kids. Meirin was walking home when she was smacked in the face by a soccer ball Asuka had accidentally kicked at her. She says that from that moment she knew who she was destined to be with. He is the reincarnation of Seiryuu.


 * Takashi Tokiwa (常盤　崇)
 * Often referred to as Tokiwachi by the rest of the characters, Tokiwa is a transfer student who moved to Meirin's school apparently solely for the purpose of wooing her. He is seen as bright, popular (particularly with girls), and skilled athletically, however he can be seen as a little narcissistic. He is an enormous flirt and mostly fits the stereotype of a "pretty boy." In episode 10, He is shown to have a hatred for dogs and ponds because of an experience with his first love. He want on a date with her and was attacked by a stray dog because he wouldn't share his food with the dog and landed in pond. He was then clamped by crayfish and slapped around by an angry carp. To make matters worse, his girlfriend did not like uncool people and dumped him because of the reasons listed above. Even though he insists that he only loves Meirin, he seems to delight in the attention that all of the other girls pay to him. Meirin, however, does not return his affections, a fact that drives him to increasingly violent acts that he manipulates through his powers as an onmyōji. With these abilities, he can divine the future using the forces of yin and yang as well as control shikigami, which are paper dolls that can become physical beings, like a person or a rat. Through this, he can create enormous problems, such as setting the school on fire or driving a bus Asuka was riding on off a bridge. While all this is going on, he sends Meirin e-mails promising more disaster to come and consistently signs them, "Your destined lover." He has also at certain points referred to a special "power" that Meirin has and he wants to obtain, casting into doubt whether his motives are truly about love. He has joined the soccer team, and uses that as an opportunity to compete against Asuka for Meirin's affections. He is the reincarnation of Byakko.
 * Often referred to as Tokiwachi by the rest of the characters, Tokiwa is a transfer student who moved to Meirin's school apparently solely for the purpose of wooing her. He is seen as bright, popular (particularly with girls), and skilled athletically, however he can be seen as a little narcissistic. He is an enormous flirt and mostly fits the stereotype of a "pretty boy." In episode 10, He is shown to have a hatred for dogs and ponds because of an experience with his first love. He want on a date with her and was attacked by a stray dog because he wouldn't share his food with the dog and landed in pond. He was then clamped by crayfish and slapped around by an angry carp. To make matters worse, his girlfriend did not like uncool people and dumped him because of the reasons listed above. Even though he insists that he only loves Meirin, he seems to delight in the attention that all of the other girls pay to him. Meirin, however, does not return his affections, a fact that drives him to increasingly violent acts that he manipulates through his powers as an onmyōji. With these abilities, he can divine the future using the forces of yin and yang as well as control shikigami, which are paper dolls that can become physical beings, like a person or a rat. Through this, he can create enormous problems, such as setting the school on fire or driving a bus Asuka was riding on off a bridge. While all this is going on, he sends Meirin e-mails promising more disaster to come and consistently signs them, "Your destined lover." He has also at certain points referred to a special "power" that Meirin has and he wants to obtain, casting into doubt whether his motives are truly about love. He has joined the soccer team, and uses that as an opportunity to compete against Asuka for Meirin's affections. He is the reincarnation of Byakko.


 * Banri Shijou (四条 万里)
 * A boy who uses tarot cards. He is dressed as girl in school. Probably because Cynthia often take his body. He is the reincarnation of Genbu.
 * A boy who uses tarot cards. He is dressed as girl in school. Probably because Cynthia often take his body. He is the reincarnation of Genbu.


 * Eddy Tsukioka
 * Eddy is foreigner who moved to Japan, but in spite of that, he speaks with an Osakan dialect. Eddy is a bad impression of a beautiful girl who has long hair since his mother (who is beautiful and has long hair, also his family) treat him badly. He is the reincarnation of Suzaku.
 * Eddy is foreigner who moved to Japan, but in spite of that, he speaks with an Osakan dialect. Eddy is a bad impression of a beautiful girl who has long hair since his mother (who is beautiful and has long hair, also his family) treat him badly. He is the reincarnation of Suzaku.


 * Yue Konishi (小西 侑英)
 * 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.
 * 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 Kasukabe
 * 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.
 * 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.


 * Daisuke Shinagawa
 * Shinagawa is Asuka's best friend and is usually seen in either his company, or on occasion Yue's, who he has a large crush on. At the beginning of the series, it appears to be one-way affection, however. He plays on the school soccer team along with Asuka and Tokiwa and often indirectly winds up mediating miniature fights between the two of them. He serves as comic relief in the series, taking the role of the less-capable, doofy best friend.
 * Shinagawa is Asuka's best friend and is usually seen in either his company, or on occasion Yue's, who he has a large crush on. At the beginning of the series, it appears to be one-way affection, however. He plays on the school soccer team along with Asuka and Tokiwa and often indirectly winds up mediating miniature fights between the two of them. He serves as comic relief in the series, taking the role of the less-capable, doofy best friend.


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


 * Koumi Kanzaki
 * 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 for "dumplings."
 * 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 for "dumplings."


 * Tenshin
 * Tenshin is Meirin'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. In one episode, Tokiwa possesses Tenshin with one of his Shikigami in order to lure Asuka into one of his traps.
 * Tenshin is Meirin'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. In one episode, Tokiwa possesses Tenshin with one of his Shikigami in order to lure Asuka into one of his traps.


 * Nanao (七尾)
 * A small, seven-tailed kitsune-shaped skikigami that belongs to Tokiwa. Nanao's name, in fact, means, "seven-tailed." \ He has helped Tokiwa develop his onmyō 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.
 * A small, seven-tailed kitsune-shaped skikigami that belongs to Tokiwa. Nanao's name, in fact, means, "seven-tailed." \ He has helped Tokiwa develop his onmyō 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 panda who is often seen with Banri in pictures.
 * A small panda who is often seen with Banri in pictures.


 * Takoyaki
 * A parrot who shows up frequently with Eddy. His name is the name of the dish takoyaki, which is a dish made with octopus that originated in Osaka.
 * A parrot who shows up frequently with Eddy. His name is the name of the dish takoyaki, which is a dish made with octopus that originated in Osaka.

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 Bannana);which seems to be an interesting connection,since the Ask Dr Rin Games and the Bomberman Franchise were both developed by Hudson soft