Time already for another Rising Sun? Boy, I have a fun new show I want to share today.

I’m sure there are readers here who love the works of Rumiko Takahashi. And I’m not surprised, since I’m in that group as well. Takahashi is the best-selling female graphic novel writer of all time, having created hits like Ranma ½ and InuYasha that helped cement anime’s popularity in America. So when the news came that Takahashi’s newest work Kyokai no Rinne (Rinne of the Boundary) would become an anime on April 7th, I just had to watch it.

The series, like Takahashi’s previous works, primarily follows a boy and a girl. The girl is Sakura Mamiya, a sophomore in high school who has the ability to see ghosts and isn’t fazed by it. The boy is Rinne Rokudo, a “sort-of” shinigami who helps lingering souls pass on to the next world but is hindered by financial woes.

Essentially the episodes go like this: a student has a supernatural problem, so they write a letter about it and leave it in a weather box and make sure to leave some sort of offering, and then Rinne and Sakura go take care of it. It’s a formula that works on its own but is also flexible enough to allow fluid character debuts. For example, in the second episode, Rinne’s forever young grandmother scares Sakura’s classmates into leaving offerings only to take them for herself when Rinne refuses to show gratitude.

What’s also fun about the series is the running gags. Being broke, Rinne will often get super excited when someone gives him a gift when they don’t have a problem, only to shed tears of blood when forced to part with that same item. It’s creepy, but funny too. What’s also entertaining is watching Sakura’s friends make a break for it every time Rinne puts on his robe of invisibility to remove offerings from the weather box. The last gag, and possibly the best one, is when Rinne’s grandmother Tamako give a two-handed noogie to anyone who calls her old, saying something like “You mean young lady, right?”

Kyokai no Rinne on Crunchyroll and Hulu is the ideal choice for those looking for a supernatural series with a fun side. The show is eight charming episodes into its 25-episode run on NHK-E, and shows no signs of slowing down just yet.