Shigofumi

Upon reading the summary for this show, most would think it's just another episodic and unoriginal anime with silly stories and characters that have no depth. I, too, was one of those that wasn't expecting much of Shigofumi, but after taking my chances, I was thoroughly impressed.

At first we're presented to separate stories that revolve around the delivery of Shigofumi, the letter from the dead. But the themes and characters involved are a lot more serious than you'd normally see in shows like Jigoku Shoujo and Shinigami no Ballad, shows that follow the same basic concept of Shigofumi. Bullying, child abuse, teenage suicide, the list ... goes on. They're all recent issues that are so real to us, treated without sugar-coating. The characters are so human and their situations so easy to recognize that it's hard to be indifferent to them.

And we're not served of only parallel stories. The main character actually holds a story of her own, some dark secret, and often we think we know something, but the unexpected pops up. A mixture of supernatural, reality, human characters and those that are just meant to be eccentric, mixed with a pretty good soundtrack and a beautiful art that J.C.Staff is known to deliver.

Shigofumi is a definite enjoyment if you're looking for a quick but still meaningful series. The ride is good, and it definitely stands out among its "episodic series that deal with death" sisters.

Shigofumi is a Psychological, Supernatural, Drama about a mysterious courier (Fumika) and her talking staff (Kanaka) that deliver letters from the dead. Even though they are the main characters, the series tend to follow the person/people related to the person in account (person who wrote the shigofumi). The short series is full of episodic stories, with each being different from the last but they all deal with the same issue… ‘death’. Each story varies in the levels of disturbing content so if you thought it would be a walk in the park then you are sorely mistaken but there are also plenty of heartfelt stories ... to supplement that.

The characters of this anime series are great and that is because they are all well developed. Being able to develop specific characters, bit by bit, in such a small space of time and then move onto the next is an amazing feat. I also must say that the main characters (Fumika & Kanaka) don’t necessarily receive the same treatment, as they have plenty of time to be developed slowly.

The animation quality both has it’s good and minor bad points. The animation is noted for its amazing artistry with marvelously detailed environments, the deaths were nicely dramatized and everything, including the characters move fluidly. On the other hand the characters designs are somewhat lacking, yet I guess it’s just me searching for some minor faults.

The music was pretty eerie, especially the OP theme but it helps bring about tension and does a good job building up towards a climatic scene.

Overall Shigofumi is a sublime short drama series that does an amazing job with tying in the supernatural theme of shigofumi with real life stories and issues. The great thing about this series is that there are episodes that are bound to touch people, due to how close to home it may feel (bullying, suicide, illnesses, etc). Yet it also can remove the uneasy feeling with a bit of light comedy, mostly from the talking staffs. This is a most watch if you want a serious but short drama, but I must say that the ending could have been better.

^_^

First time I heard this series, I was hesitant to watch it due to the fact "shinigami" or other death-related themes are proliferative in the anime market these days but boy...was I wrong. :D

Story: 9/10
The story is well-made with "death letters" being the main dish. No beating around the bush since all storyline will end with each episode in the early parts. Although at first, it may be bit confusing, especially Fumika's story but will eventually be revealed later on.

Art: 8/10
Not as appealing or dazzy such as Shakugan no Shana but J.C. Staff made good use of the artwork and styling. Some episodes however are ... not consistent with the animation quality but only in fair details.

Sound: 8/10
BGM done in the series was good and very much appeal. ALI Project made use of their stylistic approach for the OP theme making it haunting and adds a mystery around the series. The ED theme also was done fairly but not compared how the OP was done.

Character: 9/10
Character styles was done nicely in good amounts such as Fumika, Chiaki and especially Fumika's father character of evil but pure intention. Character development leaves a fair amount to the series due to it being short thus focusing mainly on the main character (Fumika). Voice acting is good especially Fumika and Kanaka.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Considering "death" as one of the factors in the series, the average otaku might be intimidate at first due to some "controversial" topic such as child abuse, suicide, and school bullying. Nevertheless, this series aims to expose the dark side of humans and how people came to notice that death may be the answer.

Overall: 9/10
Although the sensitive topics the series is shedding light on might be a cause of disbelief and confusion, this anime did aim to teach us how fragile human feelings are. This is a highly recommended short anime series to watch if you are looking for psychological and rare slice-of-life-but-dark theme. Happy watching! ^__^

For a series that is only 12 episodes long (at the time this was written I have heard nothing of any plans to make a second season) Shigofumi is an Anime with amazing depth and a very well written story. It is one of the best anime's I have seen in a long time, certainly one of the best anime series I have seen with less than 20 episodes.

Story - 9

As I said before the writing in Shigofumi is amazing in itself, even more amazing is the fact that it is presented gradually over the span of 12 episodes at a perfect pace. ... I have seen many short anime's try to rush the plot to make it fit but Shigofumi's story fits so well that it would be madness to have more than 12 episodes. The story itself is filled with multiple plot twists and it really pulls at the heart strings in many parts. One of the hardest points of any story is nailing a good ending in the resolution. Shigofumi does not get a perfect score since it does leave some of the more supernatural elements of the series and the late introduction of a few characters unexplained/undeveloped but in the end these elements only play a minor role in Shigofumi so they hardly take away from this Anime's memorable plot.

Art - 8

Nothing really special to mention about the art in Shigofumi. Its well above average and I have not complaints about it but I have seen a few anime's that manage to top it (Clannad for example). I wouldnt call Shigofumi eye candy but it is still far above the art found in most anime. Character design in particular is excellent, each of the reoccurring characters have a unique appearance so the viewer should never get them confused.

Sound - 8

As with the art, the sound in Shigofumi is far better than most but not the best by any means. Everything from the voice acting, to the music, and even the subtle sound effects are very nicely done though they simply do not stand out as much as the story or the...

Character - 9

In the span of only 12 episodes, Shigofumi not only managed to do an incredible amount of character development (without relying too heavily on flashbacks) for the main characters, but it also even managed to provide some background info on some of the minor characters. Even more so almost all the characters are likable (except for the few who are not meant to be) and you will find yourself sympathizing with more than one of them at at least one or two points in the series. Each character has a specific personality which they follow extremely well, in fact I dont think any of them ever "broke character" in the series. To give you an idea of how well done the character's are in this series, at the end of episode 12, while the credits are rolling, some of the more prominent reoccurring characters are shown. As each was shown I found that I instantly remembered each of them, not for what they did, but for who they were. I can say the same for only a handful of other animes.

Enjoyment - 8

If you want an action packed anime, Shigofumi is not what you are looking for. If you want an anime with lots of boobs, Shigofumi is not what you are looking for. If you want an anime that will make you laugh so hard that you need a friend on standbye to shock you back to life, Shigofumi is not what you are looking for.

But if you want an anime with an absolutely amazing story, well developed characters, and all in the span of only 12 episodes, Shigofumi is certainly what you are looking for. Even if you are just looking for a good anime to watch, you could do alot worse than Shigofumi.

Overall - 8

Truth be told, I debated giving this anime a 9 (the same score I gave Clannad, Death Note, and both seasons of Code Geass) but I finally decided to settle for an 8 for the reason that Shigofumi does do a few things wrong IMO. First of all it never goes into much depth about the supernatural elements of the story, we are just given the bare basics of it which is really all we needed to know for the main plot, still it does leave a bit of curiosity on the part of the viewer. The other thing that Shigofumi does wrong is that it does introduce about 1 to 3 new characters in the last few episodes that are presented in a way that implies that they are important or that we should know who they are but then we are never told who they are or their character is never developed at all. The main example here is the woman/women who Chiaki talks to in episode 11. It is implied that she and Chiaki have some sort of friction between them and that she is related to the supernatural element (which as I said is underdeveloped) but other than that, nothing else is revealed about her.

Despite these tiny mistakes, Shigofumi really is still an absolutely amazing story and I highly recommend it to nearly all anime fans.

Shigofumi starts out with much potential as it deals with issues with sophistication while the brutal unpredictability which never ceases to convey a melancholy yet intriguing experience, however Shigofumi seems to go downhill from there as the short episodic stories thereafter lack the justification for behavior of the characters as the characters don't go beyond the superficial means (just evil and good) and the story writing becomes short of well-written plots because of the questionable disbeliefs by the audience. (ex : episode 6). The ending or major plot (episode 10-12) was quite mediocre but light-hearted nether the less. It could have been a brilliant masterpiece ... for a short series as its own uniqueness could be portrayed well-above all the other animes, letting the audience connecting on an interpersonal level and pointing out humanity's flaws. However, it does warrant a score of 8 from me.

The animation I must say, was above average and consistent throughout the series while the characters were distinctive enough for the audience to differentiate between them effortlessly.

The sound quality and tracks that were chosen for this series matches the unfathomable episodic stories while adding a dramatic effect, I must say, it never bored me once, thought it varies from person to person.

The major characters within Shigofumi are well comprehended without contradiction in persona or 180 degree spins, however some minor characters in certain episodes are represented as plainly as 'good' or your typical feeble-minded psychologically-disoriented villains or high school bullies that have a lack of characterization which might of detracted from the overall series.

Overall, it was a brilliant series, though I would treat it into three separate series, the first arc(ep 1-3), the second arc(ep4-9) and the final arc(ep10-12).

Okay, first review on the site, I'm not really one for long essays, and I've only just recently got into anime so apologies if it's not very technical but felt I wanted to pass my view on.

When I first read the summary of the anime I was very excited, the plot semt really intresting and just the type of anime that I was looking for. It was also a short series therefore I completed it within 24 hours (barely) the opening couple of Shigofumi were really good, very nice. Kept me intrested until 3am in the morning and that is a task all on its ... own. But when I came back to it the next day (very excited may I add) I was sadly dissapointed....

I felt the episodes were hit and miss, some were actually quite powerful and moving, and as people have said already dealing with very touchy subjects, it was like a rollercoaster ride, on minute I would be hitting the 'next episode' quicker than a kangaroo on steroids, and then for the next couple of episodes it took me great strength to not just turn it off and drop it.

I never felt very close to characters, I didn't feel sympathy, I dont feel they were developed well enough, the main characters I thought were pretty bland and unintresting in my personal opinion. Although the plot had potential, and I did get what was going on eventually, I just felt it could have been handled better (maybe with it being such a short series they just didn't have time to fully develop the characters well enough for my taste)

I shall end with some positives for the show because despite it seeming like a loathe this anime, it probably wasn't as bad as what I am making it out to be. First of all I though both opening and ending songs were really nice and atmospheric and went well with the show. I especially like the ending which I have even downloaded. The picture and art in the show is very nice with fluid motion throughout. If anything the sound and art really brought the series up in my eyes, and I have said before some episodes were really gripping and very good, and at points I was actually gripped and thought that it was going to go somewhere.

But overall I just think the story didn't really contain any 'wow' factor for me, I did not really care much for any of the characters (especially the annoying and tbh quite useless sidekick staff) and while some episodes were quite thrilling and gripping and I do appreciate and respect that they were touching on real life problems and tragedy's (abuse, teen suicide, bullying etc etc) I still found some of the episodes rather boring and hard to get through. But I loved the art and soundtrack, and I must say the ending was quite touching.

Shigofumi. A letter (fumi) delivered from the afterlife (shigo). Hence, Shigofumi. The final message left by one who's died. Letters from the departed. Strong feelings are required to be able to send a Shigofumi. Passionate love. Deep belief. And... hatred.

The above paragraph comprised of lines from Episodes 1 and 2 of this show, Shigofumi was adapted from the light novel series of the same name by Ryo Amamiya by J.C. Staff, known for other anime franchises such as Raildex, Shakugan no Shana, and Toradora! With direction by Tatsuo Satou, character designs, original and anime, by Kouhaku Kuroboshi and Tetsuya Kawakami, respectively, the series revolves predominantly ... around the existence of Shigofumi, the people they affect when delivered, and the mysteries of one particular mail carrier, Fumika. One of the usual hallmarks of contemporary J.C. Staff productions are that they are romances, or at least characterized by a major romantic aspect. While there aren't any inherent disparities of story quality between those that entertain strong, budding romances and those that don't, such a model limits what can be expected from this studio. Surprised was I, then, at how antithetically bleak and flat the color scheme is like throughout the show, almost like the show wants to have feel uneasy. The heavy use of fading sunlight, shadows, and symbolism compound that discomfort.

Surprised was I, then, that this show felt something more like the content from Kino's Journey, complete with social commentary on disturbing issues of cruelty and callousness, philosophical inquiries on life and death, and an inorganic chatty companion. Even more to the point, the studio went so far as to subvert their informal trademark in the opening episode. In regards to the quality of this content's presentation, it is presented exceedingly well. This show does not hold back the reality of its subject material and its aftermath: exploitation, abuse, abandonment, conformity, parental irresponsibility, public ignorance, teen suicide, and severe bullying all have their place here. Hate and indifference is portrayed acutely, frankly, and poignantly without being unnecessarily violent. However, realism doesn't necessarily equate to pessimism or fatalism, and this series isn't all dark. Faith, hope, and love penetrates through just as much as hate and indifference permeates. It transcends the boundaries of life and even death, promising a better tomorrow, so long as the myriad characters debilitated by suffering allow themselves break the illusions that hold them back and embrace that possibility. On the topic of social commentary, also worth mentioning is Episode 4's applaudable inclusion of a respectable and supportive same sex relationship.

These themes prevalent in the standalone material, the mini arcs, and the overall plot, quality wise, weren't executed equally. Encompassing the standalone material and mini arcs are the primarily episodic content of this series, the best narratively rendered portions of the show, the self-contained stories which, upon the simple introduction of Shigofumi, heightens their humanity. This supernatural factor was kept perpetually simple, and simple works with episodic content because episodic content in general reflects day to day life, and the events that occur within this frame aren't less meaningful because of a few seemingly random elements. The supernatural accentuates the experience of this content, rather than defines it. Anything more complex runs the risk of distracting and, consequently, detracting from the content. But as there is a transition from the episodic to the plot-centric, it becomes ever more important to explain the universe that facilitates the existence and mechanizations of Shigofumi, mail carriers, and Fumika herself, not only the major players. Without that, the developments that take place within plot-centric tales run the risk of coming off as contrived, and unfortunately, a fate which ultimately befell Casshern Sins, which also lacked a solid foundation for its universe, some developments, like our mysterious mail carrier's identity, came off as contrived. Doesn't mean the overall plot isn't interesting. It's interesting as hell. The experience could have been better had the staff done a better job building up to it. Or they could have kept themselves episodic entirely. Then there's the issue of moe. This show isn't mainly moe by any stretch of the imagination, and it's perfectly fine to have moe as an element if executed seamlessly, but it isn't. It sorely stands out, like all cheap gimmicks, adding arguably nothing significant to the narrative, characters being such more or less for the fan service of it all, and, compared to the show's rather morbid content, it is tonally inconsistent and potentially jarring.

The OP “Kotodama,” or “The Power of Language,” was done by ALI PROJECT, and as far as ALI PROJECT's music goes, liking is a matter of acquired taste for their particular brand of synthetic goth, which is pretty much their motif for every song they compose nowadays. Between the dichotomy of lovers and haters, I sort of fall into a middle camp of liking some of their songs, ED1 of Code Geass R1, titled “Yuukyou Seishunka,” or “Chivalrous Youth Song,” but disliking their current musical approach, and Shigofumi kind of leans left of that spectrum. It's not a bad song, per say, because it certainly establishes a foreboding sense of mystery, but at the same time, it clashes with the slower and quieter moments of the show, which I contend are this series' highlights. The OP's visuals receive the same laud and, to a lesser extent, complaint. The ED “Chain” by Snow, on the other hand, both in terms of music and visuals, matches the simple beauty of these moments to a tee while reemphasizing its theme of light and hope in the midst of a dark and despair-ridden world.

Despite the partially wasted exectued potential of its plot, this show is, nonetheless, a great series brimming with sincerity for its material, illustrating the basest and the greatest that people have to offer, through that final message, that final letter left by the departed. Letters full of hatred. Of deep belief. Of passionate love. Hence, Shigofumi.

I give Shigofumi an 8 out of 10.

Shigofumi was created by Yuzawa Tomoro and written by Okouchi Ichiro under J.C. Staff Studio in 2008. How well does it hold up when compared to their other works? Let's find out.

Story:

Our heroine, Fumika, is a postman but not an ordinary one. She delivers Shigofumi, the final memento of the dead delivered to the world of the living, usually in the form of a letter. That's a good sign to start with. It is an intriguing idea and could make for a really good episodic title on the level of Petshop of Horrors. Unfortunately, the concept isn't taken full advantage of. A lot of the ... episodes deal, at least in part, with Fumika and unraveling what happened to get her in the position she's in. By itself, that wouldn't be a huge problem. Sure, it would be an odd decision but a major underlying story could work if it was well told. What makes it a huge problem is that Fumika's story is boring, predictable and not very well handled. The ultimate payoff is a letdown too.

I will say, to the series' credit, most of the time the episodes that focus more on the concept and have a lot less of Fumika's generic tale are really good. The one about the game designer, the bullying episode and the story of a tennis player who receives a shigofumi from her estranged mother are all really good. The first three episodes, before they really get into Fumika's story, are good too. Just not as strong as those three.

Now, there is some really serious content about abuse, suicide, and sexual exploitation. Some of it is well handled, some of it, not so much. So you may want to consider that before deciding whether or not to watch it.

Characters:

You know how some episodic anime have a problem with under-developed one-shot characters but have really developed and complex reoccurring characters? Oddly enough, Shigofumi has the opposite problem. The reoccurring characters are exceedingly bland and underwritten. In contrast, a lot of the really good episodes that deal more with the concept follow the characters who are important to the story and really take the time to flesh them out, give them verisimilitude and they even develop with their own miniature story arcs. Which leaves me with the same question I had when I watched Shingeki no Kyojin, if the writer can clearly write characters then why are the main focus characters so cliched and drab? Oh, and expect the pop culture idea of dissociative identity disorder to pop up. Although Shigofumi, like Akuma no Riddle, has enough fantastical elements that it doesn't come across as out of place.

Art:

The artwork is okay. The character designs, backgrounds, and action are all pretty decent. They aren't anything grand or amazing but they do their job just fine.

Sound:

The cast is a bit more mixed. While there really aren't any people in the cast who can't act, there are a lot of stale characters. Which leads to some actors, like Asano Masumi, Ueda Kana, Terashima Takuma and Chiba Saeko to deliver really stagnant performances. In contrast you get some really strong performances from the actors voicing side characters who show up once or twice. Iwanaga Tetsuya, Hirakawa Daisuke Okano Kousuke, Kitamura Eri & Arai Satomi all do very well in the little screen time they get. The music is pretty good too.

Ho-yay:

There's a little bit. The episode about the tennis player happens to also feature her girlfriend in a prominent role. Their relationship is pretty cute too.

Final Thoughts:

Shigofumi has a really good concept and it shines as a series when it takes advantage of that concept. The problem is that far too much of the series is occupied with bland major characters and a generic, predictable plot line that only serves to weaken the series. In the end, it's still decent but it could have been so much stronger. The final rating is a 6/10. If the concept sounds compelling to you, you might want to give it a shot. I would personally suggest watching the first four episodes, episode 6 and episode 10 while skipping the other half of the series. Next week, Conqueror of Shamballa.

Shigofumi is the culmination of a blatantly critical, destructive miasma of the human condition and all of its' expressions.

When the original novel was written by Amamiya back in 2006, it came at a weird time, especially since there wasn't much material quite like this in the late 2000's, having been past that era of anime-inspired literature by a bit over half a decade. This is proof that it's never too late to make something both awe-inspiring and soul-crushing.

Shigofumi's plot is something that flourishes in its' repetition. Fumika is a postal worker for the final messages of the once-living, bringing them to their destination no matter ... what it may be. She is perhaps one of the most elusive characters I've ever had the pleasure of watching, and her interactions with humanity is essentially what this show is. People get in her way, people run away from her, people show their flaws to her. For however long she has assumed her role as a messenger, Fumika has a misanthropic mindset about humanity; there's no other species as flawed as humans are. She and her staff, Kanaka, both seem to believe this on a very deep level, and they both find people very interesting as result of it. As someone who thinks the same way, this makes their personality reflect on a deeper level.

During each episode, we get to see the conflicts and flaws that people have in the eyes of Fumika and Kanaka. A few of these said people end up being recurring characters, and it builds an unexpectedly smaller, yet far more complex world around what seems to be a very open concept. There's a lot of both metaphorical and obvious interpretations of depression, spirituality, love, abuse, the consequence of death, and self-hatred, among the more prominent ideas brought up with each character that's introduced. None of the cast overstays their welcome and each of them have their own interesting quirks that make them what they are. Each arc kind of builds up in to focusing more closely on Fumika and Chiaki, the only other postal worker in this anime. It then ultimately makes Fumika go center stage and what results of it is one of the most expressive and vibrant episodes of despair and revelation I've ever watched in this medium.

There's been a fair share of anime that are critical of humanity over the past decades, but none have the massive amount of backbone that Shigofumi has to show the world through the eyes of someone who is as disconnected from the living as Fumika is. This is one of the most essential works from this genre, and it may unfortunately go as underlooked as it is now for a very long time.

Shigofumi is an insightful blessing. Due to very personal reasons I've kept my enjoyment of this secret for a very long time, but from now I'll let it known that this is my favorite anime of all time, undefeated for many, many years.

[Story: Perfect 10] [Characters: Perfect 10] [Art: Perfect 10] [Sound: Perfect 10] [Enjoyment: Perfect 10]
[Overall Score: 10]

I, Agent_Redacted once dreamed that Violet Evergarden was a loli. But never once have I anticipated that my delusional desire would come true this day.

Shigofumi is Violet Evergarden loli version.
- They are both Kuudere.
- They both deliver letters.
- They look similar.

Although Violet Evergarden effortlessly outshines Shigofumi. Shigofumi's story truly deems entertaining and to my surprise actually, legitimately caught me off guard entirely.

Shigofumi explores the unholy abyss of depression, suicide, abuse, bully and threats. The story centers around Fumika, a mail carrier from the afterlife who delivers letters of those who kicked the bucket to living, associated people of the ones who ... left the world.

Though Shigofumi doesn't really feel like it was treated with good care by the makers hence making the story a bit wacky halfway through. I truly enjoyed watching this show and it was probably one of the weirdest yet good experience I've had in a long while.

If you're looking for a super drama show which is similar to Violet Evergarden then this is just for you. Though I wouldn't exactly say that you'd shed the same amount of tears or even the same type. Despite the similarities between the two, they are actually quite distinct and shines differently.

This was a weird anime. It starts out pretty decent but then the main plot starts to develop and things get weird. The ending could have been better but it wasn't too horrible.

Overall, if you've got the time, give it a watching. It's really hard to give a review on this one without putting in any spoilers but everything ties in together pretty nicely. I still wish the ending was better.

Story. 8
Whether it's based in Japanese folklore or the author's unique idea, this is the first time I see a treatment of a shinigami-style character delivering mail for dead people to the world of the living. Whoever came up with it, it's a neat, compelling idea, and Shigofumi used it well. Although slightly episodic, nevertheless most of the episodes were thought-provoking takes on various aspects of life and death, from a bullied student deciding to commit suicide to a grown man learning he's dying of cancer. There was also a fairly strong central plot, involving Fumika, the "dead" girl delivering the mail, ... and what happened to her while she was "alive." I was slightly disappointed by her backstory, but still, I was more satisfied than usual by the end. This wasn't one of those anime that waits until the last 2 episodes to finally address the main plot. Everything was resolved with time to spare and the ending was fairly feel-good.

Art. 7
Decent art. Nothing too special. Very attractive character designs, especially the costumes for the Shigofumi.

Sound. 6
Okay soundtrack, pretty unremarkable but it went well with the story. No tracks that I'm dying to own though.

Character. 8
Good characters! Fumika was strong and capable but still vulnerable, a very likable person who tried to remain objective but had deep feelings regarding her previous life. The supporting characters were also good, especially the handsome, intelligent Kaname who recognized her early on and decided to get down to the bottom of the mystery. I was disappointed by the villain; considering that he was the bad guy, his role was really limited, and he was sort of a lame madman you couldn't take seriously, but hey, I've seen worse. In particular, the characters you only saw for an episode were great. The show had a lot of intense, heavy topics, like bullying, terminal illness, child abuse, etc. and it really made you feel each person's individual pain.

Enjoyment. 9
It doesn't happen too often that I find an anime I want to marathon. I was able to watch this one pretty much in one sitting. It didn't even have many cliffhangers, it was just extremely enjoyable and engaging.

Overall. 8
A wonderfully done show with a unique central idea that it executed pretty well. I don't think it's a shining example of the best anime can be, but it was still well above average. This is the sort of show I feel I can recommend to people who aren't even that into anime; it doesn't have any intolerable comic relief or women with huge breasts or any of the other stuff that makes the typical show off-limits for the uninitiated.

Fumika is a mail carrier who delivers letters written by people who have passed away. Each episode holds its own story with Fumika meeting other characters who are most of the time only there for that episode. But it's not as episodic as it may appear to be at first. Each episode reveals a piece of the mystery surrounding the main character and her connections with others are slowly uncovered.

The anime is short but entertaining. Many of the episodes hold some kind of mystery or situation that can be solved, made worse, or only slightly affected with the arrival of a shigofumi, a letter from ... the afterlife. The series has a slice of life feel to it, often dealing with somewhat dark themes but it also includes a light hearted side and a little humor.

The story picks up once a few hints are put together and more is learned about Fumika's character. It has its fair share of plot twists, and though you'll come to expect the delivery of a shigofumi, the real surprises are what the letter will be about, to whom it will be delivered and how it will affect them.

The art, animation and sound are very good and it has some nice character designs. It's nothing too out of the ordinary in these areas but still good.

Shigofumi starts by grabbing your interest with its fresh and unique premise, the story of a postal worker that delivers the parting thoughts and feelings of the recently deceased. Each new episode focuses on a new character and their personal struggles, slowly working toward an ending where the main character Fumika eventually becomes the focus. A lot of the characters cross paths with each other, making the series feel more connected despite its episodic nature.

After watching a few episodes however, it became clear that Shigofumi was heavily inspired by other shows. Halfway through I felt that I was watching the cute little sister of such ... shows as Hell Girl and Boogiepop Phantom, both of which I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed this. All three revolve around a mysterious girl that ties together an episodic story, all delving into the same themes of bullying, suicide, family-drama, and similar horror-drama scenarios.

The presentation is the main point I’d like to bring up. The reason Shigofumi only ends up being the cute little sister of these other shows is because of its tone. The soundtrack is more mellow and peaceful, with a number of great tracks hidden inside. The art-design works well for scenes with grounded drama, yet it lacks the genuinely scary imagery that would fit the psychological horror in it. It simply doesn’t convey the same amount of emotion through its style, ultimately becoming more neutral in comparison.

Neutral is the perfect way to describe how the show left me feeling, which also was part of its intent. To paraphrase the main character when she delivers her letters, it’s not about presenting things as good or bad, but simply about being honest. However, there are moments where these honest feelings do come across as clearly good and bad, which brings me to the portrayal of the characters. When looking at the core plot and the people in it, they tended to be very hit-and-miss. Some were enjoyable to follow from start to finish, others bored me to tears, and then there were the occasional WTF-moments where all subtlety was thrown out the window. Once again, the dispassionate tone made the enjoyable characters have less of an impact, the boring characters became more boring, and the crazy characters became less natural. It is a mixed bag where personal taste will decide how much of the show you will enjoy.

Shigofumi is a series that did alright with what it was aiming for. Alas the direction could have done so much more with what was there. It is an alright drama, just less so when compared to others like it. I would recommend anyone interested in the series to try the first two to three episodes, as they perfectly portray what to expect.

This review may contain minor spoiler. Shigofumi is a great anime for anybody who's looking for a psychological show.

Story:9/10
In the first few episodes, the story doesn't involve much the main character but give us a sign of what to come. That being said, the story afterwards becomes more complexe which will captivate most and intrigue others. The plot showcases what pressure, abuse, misguided love... and many more can truly amount to. Shigofumi seems like a pessemistic show but in truth it isn't completely, It just doesn't follow most anime

Art:8/10
The character and the scenery are well drawn but the colors are sometimes odd not to ... mention Fumika's hair

Sound:8/10
nothing special but not bad and suits the anime

Character:9/10
Shigofumi's strength is in the characters. In fact, most characters are well made with 2 outshining the rest by their personality and their actions

Enjoyment:9/10
i'm a big fan of psychological anime as such shigofumi has fit the bill perfectly. The suspens, the characters and the Story were well made and drew me into the story more and more. it was a really good anime

Overall:8.6/10
Shigofumi is an anime that most would like because of it's unique storyboard as well as it characters. I highly recommend this show for anybody looking for a change as it has something special.

--Additional information--
Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed, Shigofumi: Stories of Last Letter, or simply Shigofumi is a Japanese anime television series, which was created by Tomorou Yuzawa and produced by Bandai Visual and Genco. It aired in Japan on Chiba TV and other networks between January 6 and March 22, 2008 and contains twelve episodes. An original video animation episode was included with the final anime DVD volume released on September 26, 2008. A light novel series was originally adapted from the anime's premise set by Tomorou Yuzawa, featuring story composition and illustrations by Ryou Amamiya and Poko, respectively. Four novels were published by MediaWorks under ... their Dengeki Bunko imprint between October 2006 and March 2008. Despite the novels being produced first, the anime is considered the original work, as stated by Yuzawa. The anime has been acquired by Bandai Visual for English language localization. The title Shigofumi comes from the combination of the Japanese words for ‘after death’ (shigo), and ‘letter’ (fumi), which literally translates to an ‘after death letter’.

--Synopsis--
Shigofumi are letters from the dead. Those who are dead and still have unfinished business can send an after death letter; yet, not any dead person is allowed to do so.

These letters are delivered by the supernatural mail carriers, who once, just like their recipients, were humans. They now do not age and cannot be killed. Fumika, the main heroine of the series, is, perhaps, the most competent mail carrier, and sometimes it seems like nothing can disturb her work, even a troublesome recipient. However, unlike her colleagues, Fumika, for some reason, continues to age.

Moreover, on one of the Fumika’s delivery missions, she meets a high school student, who knows her. It appears that in addition to the fact that Fumika is now an entity no human can comprehend, she has many mysteries behind her persona that are, little by little, discovered by Fumika and her closest friends.

--Story-line--
Shigofumi is an anime that every person will see differently. It does have quite a normal start that will probably make you think that it is just your usual slice of life. However, after some time, the most interesting part begins, and you realize that everything is not that easy as it might seem. The series shows you that it is not a moe SoL with female mail carriers, it shows you that Shigofumi is actually a very dramatic story that also has many mysterious elements. The story of Shigofumi touches upon many different topics, including: bullying, teen suicide, child abuse, mental illnesses, and different ugly parts of our society.

Of course, the dark side of Shigofumi is not the best thing about it. Although, I have to say that the series is not trying to be dark all the time: sometimes it tries to show that there is still hope, proving that there are still good people. That being said, the story is so disturbing that some people might not appreciate it. On top of that, there are also some logical mistakes in it. By the way, it is also worth mentioning that the story does not just immediately give you all the answers you are looking for. In most cases, you will have to build your own theories to better understand what Shigofumi truly is.

If it is not that big of a deal, Shigofumi is worth it. As it has been stated before, this series shows a very realistic picture that depicts how flawed our society is. Its story-line does look like a mix of Kino’s Journey and Hell Girl, but it still is something you will never see in other anime. Think for a second, if someone truly has a pure soul and some unfinished business, that person can write a letter to their relatives to ease their sufferings. This idea has never been touched upon in any other anime series before. This fact might help you appreciate the story-line.

--Art--
The animation for Shigofumi is fine. Character and background designs are pretty good, but nothing amazing. Definitely not the best animation I have seen, but it was okay.

--Music/Voice acting--
Not only the music, but also voice acting in Shigofumi are simply breathtaking. The OST was composed by Masumi Itou, who is also known as Nanase Hikaru. Masumi Itou is a Japanese singer and composer from Ibaraki prefecture in Japan. She has composed the soundtracks to many anime television shows and is part of the bands ‘Oranges & Lemons’ and ‘Heart of Air.’ Thanks to her, Shigofumi is sometimes really dark and disturbing. In addition to this, Ali Project and Snow also made amazing OP and ED themes for this anime.

--Characters--
There is only one character that matters, Fumika. Everybody else in this series is supporting cast, or only relevant in his/her episode. As it has been mentioned before, Fumika is a mail carrier that delivers shigofumi. All of the mail carriers are dead and no longer age. However, Fumika, for some reason, continues to age. This is all the viewer knows. As for the supporting cast, that is the main problem of this series. Although, it is not horrible, some supporting characters are just not as interesting as the others. Also, another thing, which might annoy you, is magic staffs. All mail carriers have mahou-shoujo-like magic staffs that are annoying as hell and are the only companions mail carriers have. To be perfectly honest with you, they should not have used these magic staffs in the series. But, well, I guess Japan is weird, so it is okay.

--Enjoyment/criticism--
Shigofumi is a very enjoyable show. The only two flaws this anime has are: insufficient character development and the fact that this anime should not have used these magic staffs. But, at the same time, these flaws are too trivial to criticize Shigofumi for. Shigofumi could have become a masterpiece with a better character development and without these magic staffs.

--Overall--
Shigofumi is definitely a show that needs more appreciation. While it is not flawless, it has many unique elements no anime has ever used before. It also features a lot of strong writing and shows the viewer the ugly part of our society, hinting that there are still good individuals, who are the only reason our society still exists.

--Grade--
Overall (sub): 8
Story: 9
Animation: 7
Art: 8
Music: 10
Voice acting: 9
Enjoyment: 9

Anime rating: 7/10 , Deep,emotional, brutal reality Messages: 10/10
*I Don't usually give 2 ratings but when i do that means that the anime did something great !!*
Well at the start i though definitely this anime deserves more recognition... but then slowly came and saw its mistakes... It was just sad...Will explain shortly...
Firstly, will start with the magnificent sounds. There are only OSTs and 1 Ending song. That ending show is top tier. Just brilliant! The OST are touching and fitting. But really big credit to that Ed. It just sooooo gooood!!
Continuing with plot and story. The anime touches some really brutal, deep and harsh topics ... and it does it perfect. Topics such as murder, childs abuse, bullying,suicide and other brutal philosophies. That part of it i felt in love with. Just beautiful. Tho i cannot say it was thrilling nor much of a Fantasy.
The art was kinda plain and befitting its psychological and drama tag. Plain isn't bad. But it didn't do anything captivating or any praiseworthy moments.
Finally the characters. Remember my words the ones who live short lives are the best ones. Dunno but as it went on some things felt out of place. Like our characters developed and we didn't get to see it. Other than that , the other characters are all well made and explained!!
------------------------------------------Personal opinion and weaknesses------------------------------------
Let me state them fast since they are simple. Too many plot holes. Too many inconveniences for bigger emotional impact. Episodic style. Slowly add comedy and replaces the serious atmosphere. Why? Obvious lack of ideas is obvious. The undeveloped characters.Bad writing! The irony of show talking about suicide and slowly kill itself in the process. (implying its terrible development after episode 6)

All in all, its a great anime talking about some pretty interesting topics. But it literally killed itself via its unnecessary comedy input and non logical events.I would recommend it.
Reasons to watch it:
-Touches some dangerous and deep subjects.
-They actually even managed to input a bath scene...
-Underrated!

I saw the argument, it was interesting, like Plastic Memories (i hoped they don't commit the same mistakes) so watched the first chapter, i though they could do something interesting, but at the same time, they could ruin everything, and that's what they did.
The series start something like Violet, episodic, i though they will connect this stories to make something bigger, but after the third chapter everything changes, it was bad already, but after the 4 chapter is just horrible.
I'm giving it one point, because some topics were ... interesting, but this, although is fantasy, is impossible to believe, is just so ridiculous and terrible.

Don't let the moe looking character design of Fumika and the energetic talking staff fool you in thinking this will be a light-hearted title. Shigofumi features a grim look into a number of touchy social issues faced by characters that Fumika delivers letters from the dead to and explores some tragic developments concerning Fumika's own past. This is a series that isn't afraid to explore the more harsher side of human society concerning the characters we encounter as subjects such as bullying, suicide, child abuse and pressures with conformity are delved into. The characters we are witness to are fleshed out enough where we have ... enough sense of their suffering and what led them to the predicaments they face. For the most part, the morality that the series tackles is grey meaning there are reasons for what drives the developments faced by the characters. Even with its touchy matters, the series still has its heartwarming stories that Fumika becomes involved with such as delivering letters to a cat and straightening out personal matters involving a talented high school tennis player.

The one defining element to this series which keeps it from totally being an episodic focus like Mushishi and Kino's Journey is the ongoing developments concerning Fumika. The series drops hints at first concerning Fumika's past and her unique existence as a mail carrier of Shigofumi. Yet as the series presses on, it does eventually explore the girl's past. Like many of the dark stories Shigofumi tackles, Fumika's past isn't a nice one and much of the show's second half is spent on her coming to terms with her own identity and dark past.

The story development is not without its faults. It does portray some characters as being shallowly evil such as some bullies in one episode and the lack of exploration on many aspects of being a Shigofumi carrier makes the entire concept feel like a plot device just to explore its various character stories.

Visually, the series looks solid for a 2008 title with vivid scenery and a good amount of visual detail given to characters and scenery designs. While I didn't notice any shortcomings with animation, there was nothing notable about it either. Aurally, the show's soundtrack consists of soft musical tracks that do well at complementing the various dramatic developments we see of the characters and the ED choice is a calm and gentle musical piece that does well at easing the mood from some of the depressing outcomes that Shigofumi often whips out with its characters.

While having a few snags, Shigofumi made for a solid and sometimes emotionally powerful anime drama that wasn't afraid to tackle touchy social issues and delivered well-developed characters connected to the issues the series tackled. It also averts from the episodic storyline setup you would usually expect from similar titles of its vain by focusing on ongoing developments concerning Fumika's character. This is a worthwhile title to look into if you are a sap for anime dramas.

“There are certain things you can’t say until you’re dead.”
- Mikawa Fumika

Shigofumi. Literal translation as “Dead-Letters”. We all have those things, secrets and words we will never say in the range of our lives. Shigofumi explores the answers to ‘what if’ we actually had the opportunity to tell the last words of our life, our final mementos to the world of the living.

Mikawa Fumika is one such deliverer of Shigofumi. Accompanied by her talking staff Kanaka, she faithfully delivers shigofumi to their respective receivers.

The show’s episodic nature is easily one of its strongest elements. The individual arcs to a fantastic job of showcasing different ... sides of humanity, focusing on the pain of loss, anger, and retribution. Though these tales can vary in subject from that of a bullied student, to a dear cat of a recently deceased couple, each end in their own satisfying way. The overarching plot is strong in its own right, but doesn't quite capture the momentum of the smaller archs.

The characters in the episodic storylines are filled with surprising depth and emotion. Even though most only exist for the duration of an episode, great care is taken in developing who they are and motivations for their actions.

Problems with the characters begin when the show focuses on the overarching plot.

The two recurring mortal characters are flat, simply existing to propel the story. You have the typical glasses wearing I’m-in-love-with-you-but-just-won’t-say-it highschool boy, and the I-know-you-like-her-but-now-I-actually-like-you highschool girl. Both characters are annoying to watch, weighing down the episodes where they interact with the Shigofumi carriers.

And although the Shigofumi deliverers themselves are actually well developed over the series, the show suffers from the robotic nature of the main character. Emotionless characters seldom take the front stage due to their unrelatable nature. And when it is done, these characters best connect to the viewer by some process of humanization. The problem with Shigofumi is that even when Fumika is the sole center, she remains mostly inhuman and cold up until the last episode

It’s also important to note that the show focuses very minimally on the world of the Shigofumi deliverers. Besides a couple of occasional scenes in another world and small hints about the ‘gospel department’, the viewer is kept entirely in the dark, allowing a greater focus on the effects of the Shigofumi themselves.

The animation is nice and fluid, though I’m not one to notice even if it was bad (case in point, I noticed nothing wrong with Symphogear’s animation). However, the backgrounds themselves are consistently sharp and detailed. The dark color palette greatly helped accentuate the gloomy nature of the show. The character designs were average for the most part (Though I will say that Fumika’s unique design helped make her one of my favorite anime characters).

Overrall, Shigofumi proved to be a surprisingly good watch with an interesting concept and character driven storylines. Despite stumbling some in the overarching plot, the series still resolves nicely with a superb and fulfilling ending.