Yami Shibai

Esta review también está en español.

Step right up and have a look… It's time for Theater of Darkness…

With this ominous presentation, a mysterious man wearing a golden mask invites us to enjoy Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories (Theater of darkness, and from now on, YS), an anthology of Japanese rumors and urban legends, full of spirits, ghost, curses, and all those creepy things we like so much. No gore or extreme violence here, only pure, clean terror.

Unlike creations like Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror or Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari, which both had a more medieval setting (or at least, before the Meiji era), YS take place in ... modern Japan. Personally, I think this is a plus, because, although it's true that there are some Japanese folk elements, it's not hard to understand what's going on: with minimum reasoning (and a couple of anime in your list... not that many, but enough to know that those papers with rare scribbles are actually talismans, for example), you can know what's going on (and that without the gazillion clarifications subbers usually add in historical anime).

One of the first things you'll notice in YS is its duration: less than five minutes, and that including the presentation and the ending song. How does this affect the story? Contrary to what one can expect, it's actually something good. When it comes to horror and suspense, keeping the tension is vital. The episodes in YS (all self conclusive, by the way) are often very direct, stating the situation/predicament of the protagonist almost immediately, and before you know it, the conclusion arrives. The stories may not be very original, but YS really knows how to use the shock factor: even when you know what is going to happen, in the end you'll be surprised.

The second thing that stands out in this anime is, of course, its animation. Still images… almost no animation (you're never going to see lips moving, or eyes blinking, for example)... low budget? No, for the visual aspect, creators decide to imitate the kamishibai, a traditional storytelling technique inspired by the artistic usage of paper figures and scrolls (thanks for the tip, MAL synopsis). It's similar to that seen in Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki but, in YS works a lot better. Even if the animation is a bit static (but don't worry, there are some movements... this is not Inferno Cop), both character and backgrounds are well done, and are occasionally replaced with photos, and even sometimes with live-action moments. A strange combination, yes, but it works well, and really contribute to produce some disturbing moments. Also, it worth mention the good coloring: after all, it helps the ambientation a lot that the palette used has a majority of opaque colors, and strong and violent red/violet/black tones for the... complicated moments. And the final detail: a lot of little black dots are present during the animation, simulating that we are watching something in an old projector. It's a nice touch.

When it comes to horror, sound is very important, since it sets the mood... and I must say that, here, YS is brilliant. The seiyuus (whoever they are) fulfill flawlessly with their work, showing the full range of emotions present in this kind of work: tranquility, confusion, and finally, fear. Bonus points for the narrator, that, even if he only have a few lines per episode (and only at the beginning), he remains constant throughout the series. The sound effects are deep, loud and clear, being the most predominant (of course) the footsteps, or the door openings/closing. These are particularly powerful in the sense that, for a long time, there's no music... only sound. But when the music finally hits... god damn. First, it starts quiet, ominous, almost imperceptibly... and then it starts to rise up, only to hit you in the face in the perfect moment, the one with more tension. As a final detail, it worth mentioning the ending: personally, I wouldn't even consider Hatsune Miku for a series like this, but the song Kaifuu Emaki works perfectly. Not only sounds fine, it has a kind of distorted tone that made the song slightly unsettling. Awesome job.

Final words: Yami Shibai is a fascinating product. The stories are interesting (with some cliché, of course), dynamic and gloomy, that can actually surprise you (or at least, scare you a few times). Visually is not spectacular, but it works fine, and its personality is undeniable. Sound's impeccable using silence and music at the right times to create the right mood. And most important, the episodes are very short, so the tension is high all the time. If you like horror animes, YS is practically mandatory.

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Acérquense y observen… es hora del Teatro de la Oscuridad

Con esta ominosa presentación, un misterioso sujeto de mascara dorada nos invita a disfrutar de Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories (Teatro de la oscuridad: Historias japonesas de fantasmas, a partir de ahora, YS), una antología de rumores y leyendas urbanas japonesas, llenas de espíritus, maldiciones, y todas esas cosas escabrosas que tanto nos gustan.

A diferencia de creaciones como Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror o Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari, que tenían una ambientación más bien medieval (o al menos, anterior a la era Meiji), todas transcurren en el Japón (más o menos) contemporáneo. Personalmente, creo que esto es un plus, porque, si bien es cierto que hay elementos folclóricos japoneses, no presentan una dificultad a la hora de entender que es lo que está pasando: con un mínimo razonamiento (y un par de animes en la bolsa… no muchos, pero los suficientes como para saber que esos papeles con palabras raras son talismanes, por ejemplo), uno comprende (sin la necesidad de que los subers agreguen miles de aclaraciones).

Una de las primeras cosas que uno nota de YS es su duración: no más de cinco minutos, y con eso incluyo la presentación y el ending. Como afecta esto a la historia? Contrario a lo que uno podría esperar, juega a su favor. Cuando se habla de horror y suspenso, mantener la tensión es algo vital. Los capítulos de YS (todos auto conclusivos) suelen ser muy directos, planteando la situación/predicamento del protagonista casi de inmediato, y para cuando uno se quiere dar cuenta, la conclusión llega de golpe. Las historias no serán muy originales, pero YS juega muy bien con el shock: hasta cuando uno intuye como va a terminar el capitulo, al final se sorprende, por cómo se barajan las cosas.

Lo segundo que llama la atención en este anime es, por supuesto, su animación. Imágenes estáticas… animación casi nula (nunca van a ver ojos parpadeando labios moviéndose, por ejemplo)… bajo presupuesto? No, para el aspecto visual se decidió imitar el kamishibai, un estilo de contar historias en las que se usan figuras de papel y pergaminos (gracias por el tip, sinopsis de MAL). Es similar a lo visto en Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki, pero, la verdad sea dicha, en YS funciona mejor. Sacando el hecho de su no muy fluida animación (pero que se entienda, sí que hay movimiento en los personajes, esto no es como en Inferno Cop), tanto los personajes como los fondos están bien hechos, y ocasionalmente, son reemplazados con fotos, y a veces, hasta con momentos live-action. Una combinación extraña, si, pero funciona bien, y realmente produce momentos realmente perturbadores. También, cabe mencionar el buen trabajo en el coloreado: después de todo, ayuda mucho a la ambientación que se haya usado una variedad de colores opacos en general, y fuertes y violentos tonos rojos/violetas/negros para los momentos… complicados. Y a todo esto se suma el efecto en la animación de los constantes micro puntos negros, que simulan el efecto de que estamos viendo algo en un proyector antiguo. Es un buen detalle, y todo suma para que el producto final asuste más.

En una producción de terror, el sonido es muy importante, y hay que decir que, acá, YS es brillante. Los actores (sean quienes sean) cumplen impecablemente con su labor, mostrando toda la gama de emociones presentes en este tipo de situaciones: tranquilidad, confusión, y finalmente, miedo. Puntos extra para el narrador, que si bien solo tiene unas pocas líneas por capitulo (y solo al principio), se mantiene constante a lo largo de la serie. Los efectos de sonido son profundos, siendo el caso más evidente el de las pisadas, o cuando se abren la puertas. Estos son particularmente poderosos por que durante ratos largos no hay música… solo sonido. Pero cuando finalmente llega la música… agárrense. Primero arranca tranquila, ominosa, casi imperceptible, para ir subiendo, y golpear en el momento justo, en el de más tensión. Y como detalle final, cabe mencionar el ending: personalmente ni se me hubiera ocurrido usar a Hatsune Miku para este tipo de serie, pero la canción Kaifuu Emaki funciona muy bien. No solo suena bien, si no que tiene una especie de tono distorsionado que la hace ligeramente macabra. Muy buen trabajo.

Bueno, para redondear, Yami Shibai es un producto fascinante. Sus historias son interesantes (tal vez con algún cliché), dinámicas y tétricas, y realmente pueden sorprender, o al menos, hacer pegar algunos saltos. Visualmente no es espectacular, pero cumple de forma muy convincente, y su personalidad es innegable. El sonido es impecable, usando sonidos y música en los momentos justos para lograr crear malestar. Y lo más importante de todo, los capítulos son cortos, por lo que la tensión no se pierde en ningún momento. Si te gustan los animes de terror, YS es prácticamente obligatorio. Con cada capítulo que ves quedas con ganas de mas…

Sometimes the simplest of ideas work surprisingly well. Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories (or Theater of Darkness) is essentially the animated equivalence of telling spooky stories by the campfire. Of course, unlike campfire ghost stories, it has the advantage of telling its story through visuals and atmosphere setting sound design. This is as rudimentary as storytelling gets, short and quick to the point. Yet these tales of horror are plenty effective; distilling the tense atmosphere and shocks which make those short ghost stories so much fun.

Yamishibai wholly commits to creating a creepy atmosphere from beginning to end. The short opening for every episode has a man ... in a creepy mask telling a bunch of pale, lifeless looking kids with bloodshot eyes at a playground to gather round and listen to his story. The color pallet is all grimy, dank, and subdued. Lighting is used to ominous effect, casting shadows and shining at discomforting angles. Ambient noise and a few musical tracks create tension very efficiently. The show does a good job building up to the inevitable jump scares in every episode, which are surprisingly effective given how prevalent they are. You could probably have a seminar on how to properly do a jump scare using this show.

To say that Yamishibai is animated is a bit of a stretch, actually. Fluid motion is pretty much non-existent here, and characters mouths don't even move when they talk. It isn't done in the traditional animation, instead much more like an elaborate puppet show of sorts that uses paper cutouts. Oddly enough, this doesn't hurt the show, and in fact it even works to the show's benefit, although it makes quite clear that there wasn't much of a budget behind this project. This style gives the show an almost other-worldly feeling that helps the scares along, as they might have come across as trite in a more traditional animation style or live-action. The constantly on-edge voice work and ominous use of sound complete the creepy package.

With all this said, Yamishibai is undeniably a one-trick pony. The only thing the show actually accomplishes is the effectively creepy atmosphere. The stories themselves are, frankly, unremarkable. Yes, they are steeped in Japanese occult lure, which is interesting, but that is it really. They are only serve as the skeleton for the show's short creepshows. They never give much of an explanation and ultimately don't leave any sort of impression. The stories all follow essentially the same formula, and so can be very predictable. Some are outright silly, most notably an episode that features a poop monster, and are only saved through the show's effective atmosphere. This is excused by the fact that these are short episodes with run-times no longer than 5 minutes, but it is clear that Yamishibai is as narrow in scope as a show can get.

Minimal ambition aside, Yamishibai is a fun little taste of the macabre. All things considered, it is nice little collection of creepshows. It isn't a big time commitment only spanning 13 episodes, roughly around an hour with the short running-time of the episodes. It's a good little time-waster to watch in the dark.

Yami Shibai actually is not bad. It may be rated G, but it can get insanely creepy at times. The stories are also well written, unique, and diverse. They are the type of short stories that stick with you. I also like how most of the ending mainly implied, but open to interpretation.

I don't care much for the artwork. It is very artistic. The animation mimics kamishibai well. It's just a little too different for my taste. It has a semi realist style too it. It kind of blurs the border as to what defines an anime at times. On the bright ... side, it does make it creepier.

The music for this one is awesome! It really enhances/brings Yami Shibai to life. Honestly, it probably would not be that creepy without it. The voice acting not bad also. For me, the best thing about this anime is the ending theme. I am a huge Vocaloid fan. Miku was perfect at the end. I sometimes remember to watch this just becouse I like the ending.

The characters are just characters in this anime. They weren't meant to stand out, and they don't. They are usually only in one episode a piece, so you don't actually get to see much of there personality. They usually react like normal people to the situations, though.

It's definitely different than most anime, but definitely worth at least checking out if your a fan of horror. It's not something I would not re watch at the same time (the surprises are what makes it worth watching). For only five minutes an episode, you can't go wrong.

Theatre of Darkness will be the shortest hour of your life.

Allow me address the elephant in the room – the episode runtime. The problem here is I do not lean strongly either way because I cannot completely tear down nor defend it. I will say it is a big factor as to why I did not rate this a perfect 10, though. Visually, it is compelling. There are times when the quality falters, but because of the stylistic choices which fit in with the cutout 'theatre' image, I cannot complain. The sound and atmospheric design is very well done. And most importantly, the horror is ... executed amazingly. But this is where the 4-minute limit becomes a hit-or-miss situation.

There are quite a number of times where the fast pace actually helps. There is literally no time for draggy or slow exposition or set-ups (all of which are handled concisely and without halting the progression of story), and every episode almost instantly dives right in. The suspense is amazing. And there are undoubtedly one or two episodes which were just right, and might have in fact been ruined if they had added even a minute more. But there is mostly where all the advantages of using 4 minutes shine – the build up.

On the other hand, more often than not, the fright is cut off so anticlimactically and abruptly, that you're left with less of a horrified "oh my god" and more of a genuinely confused "what the fuck". Unless that was their goal, since it is half the reason why you're so compelled to watch the next one, because you feel the need to satisfy all the unreleased tension. But if this was the point, then why wouldn't they just make an anthological movie? I understand that every episode is meant for just one quick scare, but that's 10 seconds after 3 and a half minutes of really, really good set up and anticipation; it almost feels as if they're pulling punches.

Perhaps what makes it frustrating is that it is very obvious that the staff involved are very good at what they do, and that they have the potential create a fantastic horror anime. They evidently understand how to make an atmosphere creepy, and not pretentiously so. For instance, many horror filmmakers use mannequins without necessity, simply throwing out the mascot of the uncanny valley simply because people are creeped out. Yami Shibai uses it once, and they use it oh so beautifully. And the fact that they can create such suspense for characters that the viewer hardly has time to become invested in or care about speaks volumes.

I can't say restricting them to 4 minutes is wasted potential, because it is a very difficult task – so if anything they had to work even harder for it. But they were given the freedom to lay down something spectacular without prohibition, it would be phenomenal.

A series of short stories of unfortunate people who experienced paranormal happenings in their life. As I watch the series, instead of feeling the fear that the anime attempts to show to the viewer, what I felt is the disappointment of having these stories that could've been developed into an excellent horror anime was put in a 4-minute episode.

Every episode has a new story, new characters and a unique way of scaring people that could've been used to develop a new anime. I find it nice that certain episodes make me cover my face with a pillow due to the fear. At the end of ... every episode, I find myself disappointed since the stories presented can already become ideas for an awesome anime series. Knowing it is a series, the time they used in making these series, they should've spend it in developing one of the stories presented into a brand new anime. Like for example, one episode of the series could've been a nice mystery, horror anime if developed more. The disappointment actually repeated for 13 times until the end of the almost an hour series.

Overall, if in terms of the goal of expressing the horror, I recommend this anime. Instead of seeing "the series of unfortunate people who experienced the creepiest moments in their lives", I view it as "a series of undeveloped ideas that sprouted from the storyteller's head".

Remember those ghost stories your uncle told you when your parents left you at his house for the night so they could have a good time? Well here are those very ghost stories in anime form.

I would like to start with the anime art style yes it is quirky but it fits the mood of the narrating and actual story as well as that when the characters do speak the actors who play the characters sound like they are actually very terrified so all due props to them for doing such an excellent job at acting.

If you are looking for a short 5 minute ... anime with quirky art style and great voice acting then this one is for you.

As for scary "meh" i did not feel it to be honest but then again everyone is different and someone may get the jitters but that still does not make this a bad anime for 5 minutes of condensed anime it's a great watch.

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Mr_Blueee
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Yami Shibai was an anime like I haven't seen before. I only anime that I could possibly slightly comapre it to is Pet Shop of Horrors due to the way that it is set out with new characters and storylines each episode. It was a quick watch of horror which I could fit in to watch anywhere and get a little creeped out everytime.

--STORY--
The story was ok. Considering each episode goes for a duration of 5 minutes with a new story each episode there was not much room for development of a story. But that was not the point of this anime. It was just ... a quick little horror story to give people a scare.

--ART--
I really liked the art style of this anime. It was completly different to most art styles in the way that it resembled a paper cut out and stop motion animation. Even with this simple art design, the anime still managed to look good and present scares. In fact, some of the scenes were probably even creepier being this type of art style.

--SOUND--
The sound was another main aspect of this anime. Some of the small creaks and cracks that this anime made really added to the tension and scares. The voice acting was really good and the sound the creepy beings made and the way they spoke made them even spookier.

--CHARACTER--
Much like the story, being such short episodes with new characters you could never really get to attached to chacters, but in retrospect you didn't need to. These characters were just experiencing something creepy and you didn't need to know their whole backstory. Enough was known about them in most of the epsiodes to know why they are where they are and what they will do about the circumstances which is all you need for this anime.

--ENJOYMENT--
I really enjoyed this anime and although I never got completly scared I can tell you 100% I go creeped out. Some of the stories and character designs were super creepy and haunting and there are few that I don't think I will ever forget.

--FINAL THOUGHTS--
Overall, I think this anime is a good one to watch if you are a fan of horror and just want something quick and creepy to watch. For storylines and character development watch something like Another but if all you want is a quick scare and can accept a different art design then I would recommend this.

Yami Shibai...

This series is a collection of short horror stories which aren't meant to make you jump in your seat but rather scare you with creepy, weird and unique short stories which don't involve jump scares although the second season is filled with them.

Every episode is unique but many are uninteresting, cliche and boring. The episodes aren't great but the ideas produced are the most compelling component of this series.

The art is uninspiring but the pure stiffness of the animation adds to the overall creepiness. The animation is like a picture drama with minor movements, cardboard cut-outs essentially.The characters are rather ... weak but you can't expect much character depth or development in 4 minutes; each episode also has different characters.

I enjoyed the series to a degree. Episodes are only 4 minutes and it's difficult not to recommend such a short series. It won't take up much of your time and might entertain you with some creepy ideas. It's worth a watch if you have a few minutes to spare.

Story - 3
Art - 4
Sound - 3
Character - 1
Enjoyment - 6
Overall - 5

When we watch horror anime, it is expected to follow an engaging story that does not abuse harmful techniques that only serve to scare the public. Furthermore, shows need to arouse interest, as suspense, action and production need to work together to offer the best show possible, be it film, manga, series or anime. Yami Shibai is an example of how to make disturbing stories, without depending on other forms of discomfort or tension.

To begin with, I must say that the show is independent of a very elaborate narrative quality, especially when it comes to a compilation of Japanese horror stories, where urban ... legends, cases and superstitions are always frequent in Japanese villages and regions. Yami Shibai took advantage of this, bringing a very unique style that is common in Japanese culture, the kamishibai. It is this type of visual technique that captures the public's attention, because in addition to inserting a new art of making anime, it brings with it a significant cultural repertoire.

The production of this type of show would be easily hampered, since it is common for experimental anime to fail in technical execution. With Yami Shibai, that doesn't happen. On the contrary, the surrounding and episodic construction of environment makes the show more frightening, so much so that it is one of the strongest points of the anime.

However, the show has a significant problem: the jumpscare and the false suspense that the anime occasionally does. In some episodes, the fright does not happen the way he appears to have programmed, which displeased me, since I particularly think that the best type of visual horror is that competent with the sound and suspense created around the audience. When that doesn't happen, the show tends to appeal to bad techniques, like jumpscare or stopping the songs to give a scare when everything seems to be okay.

In general, as much as Yami Shibai has some shortcomings, it is a pleasant show to watch, especially at a time when you feel you are not seeing many shows, as this is very short and easy to be consumed. Its cultural quality and the transmission of the climate of terror are very good and really admirable. I look forward to the next sequences. Congratulations to the ILCA studio, which was competent and daring to produce such a commented show.

Everyone who saw movies like “Ju-On the grudge” knows that the Japanese make the creepiest horror movies. What bothered me is the fact that I never saw a creepy anime though, till I saw Yami Shibai.

Yami Shibai is basically the best example for a pure horror anime. It doesn’t waste any screen time onto anything but horror, and very creepy one indeed. The episodes are very short, which normally annoy me about anime, but in this case it works perfectly, because it’s very different to normal anime. In this anime you don’t care about the plot or the characters, this is just a 4 min ... show to frighten you. In my opinion it could have been a bit scarier (especially at some episodes) but since I never saw any creepy anime till now it was exeptable.

The artstlye is very poor done, but fits the whole concept very good, because with a normal anime style it wouldn’t create that fear, in my opinion. It mostly consists out of pictures for each character or object which move over a background (kinda like the first episodes of southpark with less movement, but more detail and darker).

The soundtrack mostly consists out of creepy background noises and a pretty good ending theme, as expected from a pure horror anime. Since those background noises are the main reason you get so frightened I would say that they did a pretty good job there.

Like I said before are characters not very important in this anime since they change every episode like the plot, and to judge them as a whole I would say they just like characters from a normal horror show, and the plot for me had some good episodes and some not so good ones but that’s for you to decide.

So in conclusion is the show not for the faint-hearted but it’s not too creepy so it might disappoint for the hardcore horror movie fans (it got some pretty nice ideas though). But you can’t expect a 4 min anime to be as scary as a movie like “Ju-On the grudge” or something like that. But overall it’s pretty nice to see something like this being produced since the rest of the anime market is overflown with very similar shows and I because of its short duration it won’t cost so much time even if you dislike it, so watch it!

Ghost story's have been told for generations, since the dawn of man. It's one of the earliest forms of entertainment humankind engulfed themselves with. Before television electricity even before literature, people gathered around the fire to hear chilling tales. Humans like to be frightened and immersive themselves in a world full of ghost goblins and demons.So let's gather around and I will tell more of about some horrifying Ghost story's.. Welcome to my review of Yami Shibai!



Rather then one big story this is a collation of shorter ghost tales. And with only four minutes of time they are surprisingly well done, and being told in ... a creepy menacing way!!They are unique ominous and extremely well presented .Before I start watching this i thought the short time could be a problem but that was a misconception!! The style itself may be extremely simplistic and first appears as child's play. Created by elementary students for a school projected,That is a mere deceitful illusion, that are fragmentized early in when presenting its true nature!. Its unsettling disturbing and very threatening.The art-style fits in tremendously well, and substantially adding to the scare-factor and give that eerie feeling


The music is not that imposing. It's rather other sound effected that just add to its ominous atmosphere and making it feel even more sinister. Sometimes the sound effects are weird sometime creepy.And it always works with the scene itself . The voice actors are doing a monumental job.You can hear the distress and fear even hate in the character's voices. This brings life and credibility as a good ghost story should have!!!! To build a great and lovable character in such sort time is unreasonable and totally unnecessary. This is a horror and the character is mere cannon food for our sick enjoyment.The Ghost Stories are the star here. All the characters are support and their only obligation are to raise the fear factor!! And to die in the most gruesome ways possible



When everything comes together we have collections of ghastly story's.That never feels monotonous or tedious. And it succeeded with its main purpose and made me feel uncomfortable!!


I going to lock my door and sleep with the lights on tonight!! If you wonder why,watch this anime and you will understand better. Good night sleep tight, Don't let the ghost and goblin bite!!

I personally find YamiShiBai a very well planned piece of art. YamiShiBai is based on the concept of KamiShiBai, an ancient storytelling technique based on paper in 12th century. Young viewers may not appreciate the artwork in YamiShiBai due to its dull and simplistic texture. In YamiShiBai, the artwork reflects reality and correct atmosphere. Moreover, the sound effect often creates huge tension and uneasiness. Although the ending is very predictable, I still get very scared by some of the grotesque images.

Although most of the episodes in YamiShiBai are scary,I feel that some of the episodes convey valuable insights. In episode 3, people smile in order ... to deter bad omen. In reality, how many people are wearing a smiling mask? In episode 5, a father puts work before his family and he is sent to an alien dimension. When someone is often too busy for his family, will he be too late to meet his family?

In conclusion, I would recommend YamiShiBai to anyone who feels negative to the current trend in Japanese anime. YamiShiBai may be short but the skill in conveying the right atmosphere in storytelling is excellent.

When it comes to rating anime, I often wonder whether they should be rated differently depending on their differing goals and whether or not they fulfil those goals. For example, would it make sense to rate Madoka highly because it achieves its aim for shock value and exploring the "depth" behind the magical girl genre, regardless of the quality of its story or characters?

Yami Shibai is the perfect example of an anime which raises this conundrum for me. It isn't particularly representative of, or even relevant to, the standard structure and characteristics of anime; it is, however, a show that sets out with the ... purpose of being scary and one that manages to fulfill its purpose through and through.

Story? Sure, this one has lots of stories! They're fairly enjoyable and are set out competently enough to engage without going so far as to seem ridiculous. They focus on horrific or mythical beings or events in Japanese culture, incorporating these into the everyday lives of a different character every episode. Ultimately, though, the stories themselves are more or less predictable in both setup and actual content, with some episodes having no twist (i.e shock factor) at all and relying greatly on the atmosphere of the writing to deliver fear. Not the best idea, because as I mentioned, the predictability and overall "generically scary" writing behind the stories is watchable, but not at any level of "great".

But that's not why you would watch this anime. You would watch Yami Shibai because of its presentation.

Shock value in anime is generally reliant on the graphic nature of the content, primarily because anime's visual style and fluidity is not becoming of jump scares or subtle movement. Yami Shibai is an anime that recognises this problem and overcomes it through use of its art style. The unique paper-like template characters make for arguably visually pleasing sights but, more importantly, allow the anime to utilise a constant flow of movement that is so necessary in the action and atmospheric reliance that binds horror together. Bodies tremble in fear, cameras shake and change direction swiftly in exciting fright scenes, small movements are discernible in the background to increase tension; this is an anime that knows how to tailor its appearance to best suit its purpose.

Additionally, the animation is scattered with instances of differing animation to create an amazing contrast for delivering impact — as seen in the final episode (minor spoilers), wherein the sudden introduction of non-papery movement creates a surge of shock and powerfully reinforces the shows final scare. The way Yami Shibai experiments like this is great to see in a medium that could so do with more innovation, and in this case the direction pays off wonderfully in how effectively the art styles combine to create that much more fear.

The voice acting is all around great, with lots of nice restraint in use of voicing and very little overacting (which, one can imagine, is something of a common problem in any horror media). The soundtrack is very fitting too, often chilling and with notable switches made between "creepy" and "safe" to further the impact of the show's scares. While this does feed the predictability I mentioned in regards to story, it also doesn't attempt to counter that predictability in what would almost certainly be a futile effort; the fact that the anime can embrace its inherent flaws and go on to make use of these flaws is both admirable and enjoyable to see in an anime like this.

Overall, I definitely like this show. It's more or less standard in the writing department, but as an experiment in presentation I would call it a great triumph and acknowledge it as the first anime to genuinely scare me (the last episode being the best at that). Good premise and better execution; I'll likely be coming back for the second season soon.

Story:

Basically 13 short little stories based on Japanese urban legends or myths. All of them were interesting and in my opinion, done well. Every story is at the very least, creepy (some were downright scary), and it had me hooked from the first episode.

Animation:

At first this was a sticking point to me. The animation was extremely basic, but after a few episodes it grew on me and actually it fits very well with the asthetic of the show. The animation is based off of the Japanese paper theatre story tellers. It is done well for what it is trying to do.

Sound:

The sound is done very ... well and adds to the general vibe of creepyness and is unnerving at times. The Story Teller's voice animation is done excellently and is very creepy.

Characters:

Can't really say anything about this because each story has its own characters.

Overall:

Definently scary and worth watching.

Please note: This will be a review of only the first season of Yami Shibai.

Horror is something that seems hard to truly do in anime. That’s not to say that there aren’t any good horror anime out there however I find that there are few horror anime that seem to be legitimately scary. When I say this, I mean anime that can successfully keep the viewer on edge when watching them through sound and atmosphere, instead of just dumping lots of gore and yanderes into the show and having the characters give psychotic smiles every now and then (looking at you Elfen Lied and Future ... Dairy). Yami Shibai: Japanese Ghost Stories is one of the few anime I’ve seen that gets the Horror atmosphere right and while not perfect is a unique group of shorts that give some good creepy tales.

Yami Shibai is a series of 13 episodes all of which are three minutes long. The episodes consist of one-shot ghost stories that take place in modern Japan based on ghosts from Japanese folklore. The anime is based on a form of Japanese storytelling called Kamishibai. These were moral based stories stories drawn on paper scrolls that Monks would tell to a mostly illiterate audience. In modern times, Kamishibai is still conducted to tell stories to young children. The opening of each episode actually starts with a Kamishibai storyteller calling children over to him to tell them the story of the episode.

Each short focuses on a different short story with different characters and settings. These can range from a story about a haunted videotape to a man being trapped on an unknown floor of a shopping mall; my favourite though was the short about a ghost haunting a school printer (only because it proves that those things are evil). If these scenarios sound familiar, it’s because they are, all of them are heavily based on old urban legends and if you watch a lot of anime or read a lot of creepy pastas, they’re going to seem familiar. That being said, that seems to be the point of the anime, the stories are meant to seem like ones you’d tell to a group of friends around a campfire, which makes sense as the anime puts the stories in the context of being, well, stories being told to children. Most importantly though, the anime does a really good job at making these familiar stories still seem creepy. It was one of the few anime were I really did feel a bit tense as the episodes went on, even when I could predict what was coming next. It does a really good job building dark and eerie atmosphere that can really get under your skin and while there were a couple of dud episodes that weren’t that scary, the majority succeeded. Some people might complain about the extremely short length but in my opinion it was the perfect length for these kinds of short stories, it’s enough time to set up a scene but not so long as to let it start dragging on.

The animation is also quite interesting. Being based on the Kamishibai paper scroll artwork, the anime tries to emulate this using stylised cut outs for the characters. While I can see some being turned of by the lack of fluidity, I personally really liked this; it’s unique from other anime and adds authenticity of the anime further giving it the feel of being a story. My only real complaint is that some of the ghost's designs look a bit too similar, like be prepared to see ghosts that look like the girls from The Ring/The Grudge in at least 4-5 episodes.

Sound wise, there aren’t any real standout tracks but the music does help to set the atmosphere for the show and lets the audience know when all the really bad shit's about to happen. The opening has no song but strangely enough the ending is a dubstep song featuring Hatsune Miku. The song itself is kind of mediocre and sounds a bit out of place but I guess it’s meant to calm the audience’s nerves down a bit after the episode.

Yami Shibai is isn’t a masterpiece of anime nor is it truly innovative but the episodes are good little shorts with some familiar tales and a unique art style that can easily satisfy you if you’re in the mood for a spook, especially with Halloween coming up. There only three minutes long so it’s not like your wasting much time either.

-This is my first review so please bear with me-

Ah yes, Yami Shibai, I heard a bit about it before watching but finally decided to try it out because I thought "Hey, I could finish this in less than an hour, might as well give it a go." I have to say, this anime really surprised me, it exceeded my expectations and managed to hold my attention, I mean, it could get repetitive at times but the episodes are only, what, four minutes long? So I sat through it all and somehow ended up writing this review.

STORY - 8
It's a very simple concept, ghost stories, ... that's it, that's what the anime revolves around. I thought this sounded interesting and ended up giving it a try. It's basically your average "telling spooky stories around the campfire" scenario, except instead of that we have a mysterious man in a yellow mask telling said spooky stories to children. So, simple idea, but still cool.

ART - 8
I'm personally not the biggest fan of this art style but for some reason it was very interesting, unlike any anime art style I've ever seen before. It was a more realistic take on anime art, and I especially liked the dark and gloomy color choices. The art, I'd say, is a really important part of this anime, because it gave a very creepy feel to the atmosphere. I personally wouldn't draw like this in my own art, but I think it's fair to say that the art fits this anime.

SOUND - 9
Now this is one part of Yami Shibai that makes me really like the series as a whole. I LOVED the ending song, and the ominous background music was another big part of the anime. Not much to say about the voices, as I didn't really pay attention to them, but I guess they fit the characters.

CHARACTER - 6
There are no characters who stay through the episodes except for the yellow-masked man and the children, who we still don't know much about, but that adds to Yami Shibai. There's not really much to say here.

ENJOYMENT - 6
It might be rated G so it wasn't really that scary, as most horror anime are not, but it was still a little creepy. As for enjoyment, it was mediocre, not spectacular but not appalling. I found myself sometimes waiting for the episode to end, and it wasn't too thrilling for me.

OVERALL - 7
I got a lot more than I expected from this anime, I'd say it was pretty well done for such a simple concept. Though, sometimes simple is the best way to go. Overall, I was really surprised with the outcome.

Do you like horror?

Me personally I am not a great fan of the horror genre, is rare that I'll go watch an horror movie or show. Why you ask? Simply because I don't really enjoy it....I mean I do like it but I don't like it......to more clear I like it but it scares the shit out of me every 0.10 seconds(yeah I'm a scarycat but deal with it!). So for my surprise that some afternoon out of boredom I click on a new title on Crunchyroll called "Yami Shibai" and today out of boredom I am writing a review about it. So ... with all the shit introduction and nonsense being already said,today on Javier123's reviews (yeah I know its shit and I gotta find another name)I'll be reviewing Yami Shibai:Japanese Ghost Stories.

(Ok this my first review don't be too critical and please tell me what you thought about it and please excuse my ENGRISH.)


Story Section
A normal horror movie this days goes something along of lines of this: A group of twats go to a vacation and then there is a psychopath with a hockey mask that is not armed with a gun, isn't armed with a tank and isn't armed with a nuclear bomb. He's just armed with a very little and inoffensive knife. Then they must escape and shit happens. My father always told that Japanese horror titles are always the best and Yami Shibai sure lives up to that expectation. The story is quite simple, every day at evening the creepy looking guy with the golden mask comes to the park in his bicycle with his tv and says "Come here come here!The Theater of Darkness is about to start" and then we get introduced to a new folklore ghost story of Japan.It can range from a curse to affairs with yokai or gods to simply monsters.But keep this in mind:the main character is always fucked and there is no exception,there is no happy ending in any story.Two things I'll like to pinpoint are the duration of the episodes and the overall structure of the series as a whole.The duration relatively short wich is 4 minutes long and if you count the ending song is not a very long episode. But trust me even if they are short, every story has it punch somewhere you won't be disappointed.The story as a whole is not the great thing,it doesn't have structure in other words there is no ending,no beginning and so of course no development.But in my eyes is not that bad because it was simple and enjoyable so why ask for more?
Overall 4/10

Characters Section
In an horror movie these days the characters stereotypes are: the male lead, the female lead, the hunk, the nerd, the hot chick and the black guy who gets killed first. In Yami Shibai the only character that returns is the creepy guy with the golden mask. Every episode introduce us to a new bunch of characters. But because of its duration there no time to we the spectators to know the characters .But even so every single one of them acts perfectly human shows perfectly his emotions in a normal human way.
Overall 3/10

Art Section
Some people may say that the art is bad but I actually thought that is was surprisingly good(considering how it looks)The animation is pretty much mediocre and there isn't too much movements and other things like the scenario aren't spectacular either. But the way that the facial expressions of the characters are drawn...dam that looks realistic. I did like how every characters seemed realistic and how there facial expressions showed emotions perfectly.
Overall 6/10

Sound Section
There isn't very much to say here. Voice acting was done perfectly well showing emotions and being mature and also the sounds effects make you feel like your just there with the characters. Even is it was enough the music themes add the feeling perfectly. The ending song performed by Hatsune Miku Is kind of creepy but really catchy(like 95% of all vocaloid songs.
Overall 9/10

Enjoyment Section
So here is the final question did I like Yami Shibai?Well .....kind of. It was entertaining and scary but my favorite part was when the ending came because I could finally relax since every episode got me on the tension. I didn't enjoy the story and the characters for reasons I've already said before, but the characters designs and the soundtrack made me really enter to the overall creepy atmosphere of the series and that something that every anime does not manages to do with me.
Overall 6/10

Final Verdict
I would recommend this to anyone since it those certainly is a fresh taking on the usual Moe-Moe-kyun-fanservice-romantic-highschool-waste-of -potential crap. Yami Shibai does certainly is a must watch for the late summer season.The final score is 28/50 wich should be a 5 out of 10 but I'll make an exception this time.

I give this series a 6 out 10

"Step right up and have a look..." are the words of the alluring storyteller fitted with a haunting Noh-like mask: "It's time for Yamishibai"

Collecting short ghost stories based on Japanese urban legends, Yamishibai is criminally short, yet beautifully animated. The animation gives a very bunraku feel, almost as though the characters are all puppets behind a screen. It was no surprise, then, to find out the animation is specifically designed to mimic kamishibai; visual storytelling from the post-war period in Japan. Fans of series like Another and Jigoku Shoujo or any supernatural anime designed to spook and terrify will most likely enjoy this series. Although ... they vary in quality, they never quite leave you and are always memorable in one way or another. Prepare for one heck of a ride.

Yami Shibai is a series of horror shorts by ILCA. I've looked at another one of their anthologies two years ago when I reviewed Kowabon. So, is this one any better? 

Story:

Like Kowabon, every episode is a short, quick fire horror scenario. They basically follow a formula of setting up some kind of unsettling scenario, building on them and then reaching a conclusion.

The biggest issue is that, if you know your horror tropes, you can pretty reliably predict most of the episode endings. To be fair to the series, it does appear to be directed at very young teenagers, maybe even children on the verge of becoming ... teenagers. So, a lot of the target audience won't be as familiar with the tropes. 

I will also credit the series for being fairly effective at setting up its scenarios. The episodes are good at quickly establishing the scenario, building up on it and then either coming to a sudden conclusion or using misdirection to make it look like they're winding down before leaping into the conclusion. The misdirection does vary a bit. There are episodes where it's very obvious that there's something more and there are ones where it almost looks like they've reached a proper conclusion. If I were watching this as a twelve to fourteen year old, it would probably fake me out successfully for a couple of these. 

Characters:

My big issue with the characters is the narrator. Yes, I realise that they're setting the scenario as stories being told by an elderly man as part of a performance, but the narrator is truly pointless. He pretty much says "this is the story of some boys," right when you're seeing three boys on screen. He tells you nothing that you can't glean from actually watching the episode. 

As a whole, the characters are very simple and basically serviceable. Like with their other series, they show up for one episode and never get fully fleshed out. Which is a problem since horror does work better when you have some investment in the characters making it out okay. You lose something when you're just ambivalent over them. 

Art:

The art style is designed to be reminiscent of one of those paper figure shows you may see on the streets as a kid. Which isn't a bad aesthetic to have but it's pretty obvious that it's also a budget move. I'll still give the series some credit in that it looks better than having a bunch of graphical glitches.

Sound: 

The acting is passable. There aren't any performances that are great, or super memorable, but they're basically acceptable. The music is the same way. 

Ho-yay:

There is no romance in this. 

Areas of Improvement:

Ditch the narrator. We don't need him to waste our time giving us redundant information. 
Break Expectations a bit. I know the target audience is a bit younger, but it would help to have some subversion. 
More dynamic performances. I know the characters don't have much to them, but it would help if the acting went above basically acceptable. 

Final Thoughts:

For what it is, Yami Shibai is decent enough. If you're looking for just under five minutes of spooks, you'll probably find it engaging enough. I'll give it a 6/10. 

"Tonk. Tonk. Tonk..."
An old man siddles up to you, saying in an eery voice, "Step right up and have a look. It's time for Yamishibai."

Every episodes starts in that creepy, distinct way. An obvious introduction for a great horror series.

Let me start by the usual gradings...

Story:

Now, in every episode, the story is different. Different characters, different plots, different moments in life. Since spoilers ruin the fun, I won't give any, but keep in mind this is a horror series, so expect to be sweating, clenching your teeth, widening your eyes, or having the hair on your spine stand on end....or will ... you. Perhaps the pants from your mouth will stifle the screams waiting to escape. Maybe the sweat on your brow will dampen your dry lips....Who knows....
It's not like Corpse Party horror style, but is unique and fun at the same time.

Art:

The art in Yamishibai is, again, quite peculiar. Imagine a paper figure moving its way across the screen. Very few movements, very few expressions. But, in my opinion, every expression that the characters give are very distinct. Fear, anguish, horror. You might feel it along with them. Of course, as a psychological horror series, you can expect dark colors, terrifying characters, and scream wrenching effects.

Music:

Well, to be honest, I didn't pay attention to the music too well because I was busy hiding under my blankets and wanting to pee in my pajamas, but overall, the music fits the show. Slow, builds up, conclusion. Nothing special. The music helps add to the simplicity of the show.

Characters:

Characters were quite nice to approach. They may seem a bit shallow, but show genuine fear and are more like real humans than most anime shows out there. Personally, sometimes I wonder if they actually were real people who met horrible fates. The voices are practical and down to earth, no squeaky high voices, no absurdly annoying quick pace voices, none of that. The voice actors are good.

Overall, even if this show need a little work, I liked it very much, and I hope they come out with more seasons. Right now, they have two. If you are interested in gripping yet slow paced stories, come and enjoy! We have our Scream Monitors on...!