Soul Rescue

{{Short description|Japanese manga series by Aya Kanno}}

{{Infobox animanga/Header

| name = Soul Rescue

| image = Soul Rescue.jpg

| caption = Cover of the first volume of Soul Rescue

| ja_kanji = ソウルレスキュー

| ja_romaji = Souru Resukyū

| genre = Action, fantasy

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Print

| type = manga

| author = Aya Kanno

| publisher = Hakusensha

| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher |NA=Tokyopop (expired)}}

| demographic = Shōjo manga

| imprint = Hana to Yume Comics

| magazine = Hana to Yume

| first = 2001

| last = 2002

| volumes = 2

| volume_list = #Volumes

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

{{Nihongo|Soul Rescue|ソウルレスキュー|Souru Resukyū|lead=yes}} is a Japanese fantasy action manga series written and illustrated by Aya Kanno. It was serialized in Hakusensha's Shōjo manga magazine {{Transliteration|ja|Hana to Yume}} from 2001 to 2002, with its chapters collected into two {{Transliteration|ja|tankōbon}} volumes.{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Jason |author-link1=Jason Thompson (writer) |title=Manga: The Complete Guide |title-link=Manga: The Complete Guide |date=2007 |publisher=Del Rey Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-345-53944-1| page=344 |edition=Kindle |quote=Soul Rescue • Aya Kanno (story and art) • Tokyopop (2006–2007) • Hakusensha (Hana to Yume, 2001–2002) • 2 volumes • Shôjo, Fantasy, Action • 13+ ...}} Soul Rescue was published in English by Tokyopop;{{cite web |last1=Koulikov |first1=Mikhail |title=Anime Expo 2006: Tokyopop |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2006/anime-expo/18 |website=Anime News Network |access-date=7 June 2021 |date=3 July 2006}} however, the rights to the series reverted to Hakusensha when Tokyopop closed its North American publishing division in 2011.{{cite web |last1=Manry |first1=Gia |title=Tokyopop: Japanese Manga Licenses to Revert to Owners |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-05-24/tokyopop/japanese-manga-licenses-to-revert-to-owners |website=Anime News Network |access-date=7 June 2021 |date=24 May 2011}}

Plot

Renji is a rogue angel who seems to know only how to fight. God banishes Renji to earth for his recklessness. He can only return on one condition – if he is able to save ten thousand human souls. God sends an elite angel, Kaito, to watch over him and help him with his mission.

Renji's abilities are dampened before his mission because his power would be too potent for earth. In order to save the ten thousand souls, God has granted Renji the power of Soul Rescue. This power enables him to relieve souls of emotional damage and heal physical damage. The power of Soul Rescue lies hidden somewhere within Renji, and he must find it in order to use it.

Characters

;{{Nihongo|Renji|レンジ}}

:The main character of the manga. He is known as "the Sword of God" because of his reckless nature in battle – causing extensive damage to surrounding structures, endangering his fellow men, and disobeying orders. He is banished from heaven because of his behaviour and must save ten thousand humans using the power of Soul Rescue, while sometimes fending off devils that try to cause trouble.

;{{Nihongo|Kaito|カイト}}

:An elite angel, "the Eye of God", who is instructed to guide Renji on his mission, and to make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble. Because of his black hair and dark eyes (normally attributes of only devils – angels are usually created with light hair and light eyes), other angels would look down on him, which pushed him to work harder to earn respect.

;{{Nihongo|Princess Shalala|シャララ|Sharara}}

:A young girl who is an heir to the throne in the kingdom where she lives. Under normal circumstances, her older sister would be heir to the throne, but she falls ill for several years and it seems that she won't live. After the mess is cleaned up, Shalala leaves the kingdom to go out and see the world and to become stronger like Renji. Later on she falls in love with Renji.

;Vinny and Toi

:Two devils that Renji and Kaito end up fighting on more than one occasion. Their goal is to drag souls to Hell, where they will be tormented and enslaved until they wither away or become devils.

Volumes

{{Graphic novel list/header

| Language = Japanese

| SecondLanguage = English

| Width = 80%

| LineColor = 033EA6

}}

{{Graphic novel list

| VolumeNumber = 1

| OriginalRelDate = 19 October 2001{{cite web |script-title=ja:ソウルレスキュー 1 |url=http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4592177886 |website=s-book.com |publisher=Hakusensha |access-date=9 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041106183129/http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4592177886 |archive-date=6 November 2004 |language=ja |url-status=dead}}

| OriginalISBN = 4-592-17788-6

| LicensedRelDate = 12 December 2006{{cite web |title=Soul Rescue Manga Volume 1 |url=https://www.rightstufanime.com/Soul-Rescue-Manga-Volume-1 |website=Right Stuf Anime |access-date=9 June 2021}}{{cite book |last1=Kanno |first1=Aya |author1-link=Aya Kanno |translator1=Christine Schilling |title=Soul Rescue |volume=1 |date=2006 |publisher=Tokyopop |location=Los Angeles, California |isbn=1-59816-672-7 |page=4 |quote=First TOKYOPOP printing: December 2006.}}

| LicensedISBN = 978-1-59816-672-9

}}

{{Graphic novel list

| VolumeNumber = 2

| OriginalRelDate = 19 August 2002{{cite web |script-title=ja:ソウルレスキュー 2 |url=http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4592170504 |website=s-book.com |publisher=Hakusensha |access-date=9 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041229225614/http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4592170504 |archive-date=29 December 2004 |language=ja |url-status=dead}}

| OriginalISBN = 4-592-17050-4

| LicensedRelDate = 10 April 2007{{cite web |title=TOKYOPOP – Release Schedule: April 2007 Releases |url=http://www.tokyopop.com/releases.php |website=Tokyopop |access-date=9 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418100740/http://www.tokyopop.com/releases.php |archive-date=18 April 2007 |url-status=dead}}

| LicensedISBN = 978-1-59816-673-6

}}

{{Graphic novel list/footer}}

Reception

Casey Brienza of Anime News Network gave the first volume an overall grade of C+. He noted that the series is "more shounen in its manifest narrative structure than it is shoujo", observing that this extends to the artwork, too, with "asymmetric panel layouts [that] are pretty cramped by shoujo manga standards and generally highlight the dynamic over the aesthetic."{{cite web |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/soul-rescue/gn-1|title= Soul Rescue GN 1|last=Brienza|first=Casey|date= 20 August 2008|accessdate= 10 October 2014|work= Anime News Network}} A. E. Sparrow of IGN agreed, stating that Soul Rescue "treads that fine line between shojo and shonen, providing plenty of bad boy angel prettiness with some rough and tumble action scenes." Sparrow concluded that while the first volume "doesn't really break any new ground in terms of art or the basic plot", its "likeable characters and solid writing and dialogue" make it a worthwhile read.{{cite web |last1=Sparrow |first1=A. E. |title=Soul Rescue Vol. 1 Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/12/21/soul-rescue-vol-1-review |website=IGN |access-date=7 June 2021 |date=21 December 2006}}

References

{{reflist}}