Ranked #362

Shigofumi

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. read more

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! ^__^ read more

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. read more

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.

^_^ read more

When I watched the first few episodes of this anime, I thought it would be one of those series where you just see a bunch a short stories. But as we go into the second half of the series, we begin to see more of a plot and learn about characters' pasts.
Its been awhile since I've fallen upon watching such a greatly directed anime. The interesting stories of the different peoples lives really motivated me to keep watching. Shigofumi is mainly a serious and dramatic anime, and it is medium paced. There were many climatic moments but there were times when the anime moved at a very steady pace. But there was never a dull moment. The art was very simplistic, but appealing for the style of this anime. As for music, I loved it. The bgm was usually very mysterious or calming. It was a very unique type of instrumental music, and again, it suited the style of this anime. It is definitely an anime worth watching. read more

Lightnovels are better. Even if the author says that the anime is the delayed original, the lightnovels are better. The main plot of the anime did not have my kind of resolution. Moreover, it didn't seem like it had any. I wish there was more of a thorough explanation of the system of the world setting. However, the short stories revolving around the subcharacters were great. Memorable. Hence, 7.

Art? My style. Very subjective. Some of the greater motions such as flying were only composed of still translations, but I like loli. Which basically denies all bad things about this anime rofl.

Characters. I LIKE the split personality idea. Very intriguing. I DONT LIKE to see the ever so cool Fumika crying like a baby at the climactic point of the story. That pretty much ruined most of the character development for me. However, I do really like the short story where the boy just jumped off the building because "he could". I have much respect for that idea in the story.

Fumika+Cat=epic enjoyment. Those small itty bitty pieces of laughter brought it above all the downturns of the main plot. And of course, the epic short stories.

Overall. Lightnovels are more enjoyable. The difference between them primarily is the resolution of the main conflict. Both media forms have great short stories. I just don't like the anime resolution. read more

Shigofumi is possibly one of the best series brought to the anime world. I enjoyed the ever arising idea of life after death and how it's proven existence affected the real world. Although the main plot isn't exposed until the 3rd or 4th episode, the mini-sodes are really something. It gives off a "Death Note" kind of feel, but doesn't question your morals, rather it questions how you feel for those who receive shigofumis.
Quite possibly one of the main driving points for this series is it's finesse in expressing it's point. The series doesn't try so hard to give off an ominous aura, they're just good at what they do.

9/10 Why? Because it could have been longer! Plus the 13th episode was a little unnecessary and gives the false pretense that there will be a second season- Wait will there!?
(Twilight theme music plays in the background) read more

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).
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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. read more

this was whether a different type of anime to me.. to me only a great writer could of thought of something like this and keep it interesting all at the same time. this story starts you off wondering whats a Shigofumi.. and in your mind your like wow that looks like the name of a medicine or something. but a shigofumi are mail carriers who bring mail from a dead person to a person they addressed it to its there last dying words.. what makes this different is i always wondered about the dead after they had past on. and telling by the writer he did to.. what was there thought and if you ever wonder as i do this anime is for you. its based around so many people and they all get a letter some with the same reaction and some with a different ones. read more