Momo
Only weeks before Shina goes to print, I stumbled upon a great joy and disappointment: Shinigami no Ballad a.k.a Momo the god girl of death.
Momo is a scythe-toting Shinigami, ID number 100100 (what? Shinigami comes with ID card nowadays?), complete with a bat-winged cat named Daniel for companion - except this one is a kind-hearted, crybaby, and nosy white-haired little girl who would go to great length to address the issues and grievances of the souls she carries to the afterworld. These particular natures of her brought the episodes to life as again and again she and the people she comes into contact with weave stories of how death should be coped with - not by endless grieving and remorse, but by forgiveness, love, and willingness to let go.
In short, SnB is one of those rare gems of anime that manages to entertain AND impress without the slightest sign of excessive violence, nudity, or bad language (among the other few are Kokoro Library, Haibane Renmei, and Figure 17). Six episodes of pure blissful anime experience that would leave you pondering about the true meaning of life and death… I wish there is more, but there are only six of the novel series this anime is based on 
The other disappointment? If only this already came out when I was butting my head against the wall trying to think of Shina’s story….
