In the first episode, a boy named Tokita Shinya receives an e-mail from Paprika about how to jump off the roof of his apartment building and die painlessly. Paprika is a mysterious girl with only Tokita and a few others who can see her. She's described as a "god". Paprika tells Tokita to make a rope out of a bedsheet and swing it off of the roof. Tokita takes the advice and winds up nearly dying when his sheet rope snaps and he falls. Meanwhile, a police officer named Noboru Takahashi is investigating the case. He is aware of the "god" rumor and even has a picture of Paprika in his briefcase, but he doesn't believe in god.