Ranked #263

Shiki

Vampires have been enjoying quite a renaissance in Western media lately, mainly because of the advent of Twilight. In anime however, tales of bloodsuckers have been pretty constant over the years, but like the West there has been an increase in the number of stories involving the children of the night. The only problem is, they all seem to romanticise vampires by giving them kind, gentle personalities, good looks, a reluctance to drink human blood, or some other hook to make the viewer believe that creatures who look on humans as food can be considered friendly.

And then Shiki comes along and blows that whole idea out of the water.

Originally a two part horror novel published in 1998 by Ono Fuyumi (which was later reprinted in five parts), Shiki was adapted for manga in 2007 by Fujisaki Ryu. Set during a summertime in the mid 1990s, several people in the small town of Sotoba in rural Japan are afflicted with a strange and incurable wasting disease, and the local doctor fears an epidemic may be starting.

Around the same time a new family moves into the newly built Kanemasa mansion .

Shiki may not look the part at first glance, especially because of the colour scheme, but don't be fooled as there is actually quite a deep plot to this series, and while there is a degree of predictability about the storyline, this is balanced some good scripting and a more reasoned narrative approach. One of the things that separates this anime from more recent offerings is that it harks back to older vampire tales, so unlike Fortune Arterial, Rosario + Vampire, and other titles of that ilk, the undead in Shiki are unable to venture out into sunlight, nor are they able to enter a home unless invited, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

In addition to this there's an intelligence about the story that materialises in some interesting ways, from the doctor's logical approach to the town's crisis, to the strangely normal reactions of the local women at the beginning of the penultimate episode. Shiki could readily be compared to Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni as it explores certain aspects of human psychosis over the course of the series, and it's pleasing to watch an anime that doesn't assume that the audience are blithering idiots.

The thing that may put people off though, is how everything looks. The town and rural scenery are nicely detailed and varied, but viewers may initially wonder at the incongruity of the bright colours, or even the European styled mansion sitting on a hill overlooking the town. Rather than a whimsical approach to the design, this is a purposeful nod at the stereotypical hilltop "castle" that is prominent in a number of European horror stories.

This slightly methodical approach to design also manifests itself with the characters as it seems as though there has been an attempt to include just about every body shape into the series. Now while this adds a nice touch of diversity, there are some rather ludicrous additions which seem a bit out of place in a rural setting (one example is Ookawa Tomio, the owner of the liquor store, who looks like he was built in a shipyard). That said, the one glaring issue is that the vampires are easily recognisable because of their eyes, which is a bit of a shame as there are several scenes where the effect would have been heightened if there was less of a difference between the undead and humans.

As for the animation, the production company Daume isn't really well known in the West, but the work they've put into Shiki bodes well for the future of the studio. The characters generally move well, and while there are some slightly ridiculous body positions and actions at times, there's also a bit more realism about the series since none of the undead can leap over buildings or fly through the air. The action sequences also benefit from this more realistic approach, but there are still a small number of scenes that "bend" the laws of physics at the very least.

One thing that does bear mentioning is the quality and impact of the visual effects, especially the colour scheme, partly because of the variety, but mainly because they provide a number of scenes with some much needed emphasis.

Speaking of which, Shiki features some pretty decent acting, and a number of seiyuu really do put effort into their roles, even if they only have a minor speaking part. Now one could argue that this is to be expected from professionals, but sadly this isn't always the case as there are many anime out there that simply haven't understood that a poorly executed supporting role can spoil the performance of the leads.

The downside is that there are times towards the end of the series where the actors and actresses seem ... a bit too enthusiastic. Fortunately the seiyuu playing the main roles are there to steady things, and their performances are very good indeed.

Shiki is well served by a variety of incidental music, ranging from quiet yet slightly ominous music box pieces to haunting choral anthems, all with some slow techno beats thrown into the mix to round everything out. The series has two opening and ending sequences that, in all honesty, are a bit of a mixed bag. The first OP, Kuchizuke by Buck-Tick, is a pretty angry piece that actually fits well with the theme of the show, but sadly the second OP, Calendula Requiem by Kanon x Kanon, doesn't really work as it's a bit too J-pop for its own good. As for the EDs, the first one, Walk no Yakusoku by Nangi, is a slightly bittersweet track that echoes of triumph, and in all honesty it's difficult to judge how fitting the song is with this anime. On the other hand the second ED, Gekka Reijin by Buck-Tick (again), really does work well with Shiki, and the track is reminiscent of the music produced by some of the "darker" European rock/pop bands of the 1990s.

As for the effects, they're suitably gory when the occasion demands, but even poor effects would be raised by the quality of the choreography throughout this series. Everything from the music, including the OPs and EDs, to the pitch and cadence of the speaking roles, is timed very well, and it's clear a great deal of effort has gone into making this anime an aural experience as well as a visual one.

Now one of the things that is clear from the opening sequence is that Shiki has quite a large number of characters. Normally this would mean that much of the developmental aspect of the storyline would focus on the leads, with the supporting characters reinforcing this growth, but Shiki takes a different line, and it's one that will hopefully be seen a lot more in the future. The main strength of this series is characterisation, and from the bit parts on up, every single role is clearly defined. The advantage to this method is that it's not always necessary to develop a well defined character, and Shiki follows this path almost religiously. While some growth does occur over the course of the series, what's most interesting is how each character adjusts and adapts to the events in the town. Probably the best example of this ethos in action is in the latter half of episode 14, and the methodical approach taken by the local doctor Ozaki Toshio is reflective of the fact that there is a degree of logic and intelligence in the plot.

In all honesty Shiki managed to surprise me. After the recent run of poor horror anime it's pretty obvious that I ventured into the series half expecting more of the same, so when I encountered actual intelligence in the plot, it came as something of a shock. That doesn't mean this anime is perfect though, as aside from the more obvious audio and visual flaws (like not washing off blood), there are several elements in the story that could have been resolved. That said, it's nice to watch a show that sets out to tell a story without assuming that the viewer is afflicted with the moe bug.

The main reason I like Shiki though, is because it doesn't fall foul of the drivel produced by authors of "dark romance", but instead postulates some moral and ethical dilemmas for the viewer to ponder. In addition to this it also highlights the human capacity for adaptation, something which is often overlooked in anime. If you're looking for an intelligent horror, then this series is right up there with the likes of Ghost Hound, Ghost Hunt, and other equally worthy shows.

Given that this is effectively a throwback to the type of horror that epitomises Bram Stoker's Dracula (without certain supernatural shenanigans), Shiki is something of an oddity in anime as the general trend leans heavily into romanticism and moe, and in all honesty I haven't seen a vampire tale this good since Kurozuka, which says a lot more about the anime industry than I can put into words. read more

I've seen my fair share of vampire anime; and I have to say, it was under vast number of genres, as well as themes. Shiki however, pulls you back in to what the traditional myth of vampires; added to it that it's a thriller, it will move anyone who's a vampire fan.


Story: 10
Compared to many other vampire themed animes, such as Blood+, Rosario + Vampire, Vampire Knight, and Trinity blood; this anime comes back to the roots of vampires and their myths. In this anime a town is plagued with death with no reasonable explanation; though thought of a possible epidemic, Doctor Ozaki, the head doctor of his clinic cannot find any actual symptoms related to any known disease, besides Aplastic Anemia, which is the loss of red and white blood cells. As the body count rises, he becomes desperate to find an answer until he comes up to a conclusion, albeit a far fetched one, that it might be a work of Okiagari, or vampires. His next problem then is to convince the village; of course such a mythical conclusion would "never" exist in the rational world. As he tried desperately to prove the existence of okiagari, death sweeps through the town faster and faster, until soon, more than half of the population has been wiped. Still they did not believe him. That is until he killed a vampire, named Chizuru, in front of everyone. Then the vampire hunt begins. There are mini plots within the whole series that I will not divulge, go watch it to see. At first, the anime's plot progression might come up as slow to most people. Even I had a hard time dealing with the first 3 episodes. But it get's really good. The fact that the anime went back to the original vampire myths alone made me smile, such as that they can not enter a home until they are invited in, or that they die if stabbed with a stake at the heart, and the fact that they are UNDEAD; just including those classic myths already got me hooked. This anime has definitely gave back the respect of vampires that Twilight has taken away. And contrast to the other animes I've mentioned, very little gore is shown, at least until the way later episodes, even then, it was there as part of the ambiance, and not for its own sake.


Art: 7
The lines were sharp, and the colors were almost fluorescent. The art of the animation just didn't look like it fits with a subtle setting and plot like that. Not to mention the crazy hairstyles that almost every relevant character had. It was like watching bakemonogatari but with better details. The animation would be more fit for shounen anime in my opinion.


Sound: 9
The1st season OP got me the first time I heard it. It was almost celtic, and goes perfectly with the whole theme. The BGM, it was not intrusive, but yet it'll make you want to jump at times; some even sound like something out of the catholic church, which is awesome due to the ties of religion to vampires;the good thing about it is that they also barely use BGM. The 2nd season OP for some reason reminded me of one of the OP's of Rozen Maiden, i don't know why, but I didn't like it as much. The 1st season ED is that like something off a romance anime though, but once you get to the later episodes, you will figure out why. The 2nd season ED I liked because it was indie/soft rock for me, and it was calm yet eerie, which what the anime was about.


Characters: 8
There were really only 4 main characters in the anime; Sunako, Ozaki, Seishin, and Yuuki. However, you will definitely be able to tell that EVERYONE is important, even the ones who died, or risen. This is because of the sub-plots, as I mentioned earlier, and they are awesome. However as much as that's a good thing, the downside is that no one really has any room to grow. The viewer really can't see if there is any character progression. However, that really isn't necessary due to the big-picture nature of the plot.


Enjoyment: 9
Like I said in the Story section, it is at first slow, but as the people die, and the vamipres close in to the main characters, it becomes a classic thriller. At one point I actually jumped off my seat. This take on the classic vampire is really something that needed to be done.


Overall: 9

Basically, if you hate twilight, you would love this. It puts back the vampire's reputation of being mysterious, scary, and are considered "monsters". It went back to the classics of vampire myths, and made it work quite well. I really do hope that this anime becomes a classic; in case everyone needs to refresh that vampire actually DIE under the sun, and not sparkle like a disco ball.


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I'll be honest; this is my first review. As so, I am open to all criticism and feedback. After all, I'm here to inform you, not fan-boy rant or spew obscenities about a show. So, without further ado, onto the review! (I promise that was not intended to rhyme!)

It's been a while since I dared to pick up a vampire anime. The modernization and romanticism of these blood-suckers in titles such as Twilight and other anime like Rosario + Vampire left me with much despair for this genre.

Luckily, Shiki rekindled my appeal towards the night stalkers.

After watching the entire series, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I went in not expecting much, and came out finding a hidden gem among anime. But, Frag, what makes this show such a gem? I'll do my best to answer that question in the following paragraphs, my dear readers!

Shiki's story starts off fairly simple. A small back-hill village that seems trapped in it's own little world. And it's because of this simplicity that the producers were able to catch the viewer off guard. Just when things seemed normal enough, there's just the smallest, slightest flash of insanity that reminds you you're watching a very mind-boggling show. As the story went on, the simplicity began to evaporate. What was left was more insanity. More horror. Shiki goes back to the roots of the vampires most older individuals remember. Burning in sunlight, fearing religious objects (such as crosses or buddha statues) and faith, coma-like sleep during the day. I don't want to say too much, for I wouldn't want to spoil anything, but I will tell you that Shiki does vampires justice after shows such as the Vampire Diaries. As the story progresses, you begin to become more enthralled within it's mysteries. Just as one mystery is figured out, more appear. It's what hooks the viewer, and it did so marvelously (I watched the entire series in one weekend.) Some people found the ending to be not what they were expecting, but I thought it matched the series as a whole perfectly; full of mystery.

I've seen quite a number of anime's in my time, and I've really come to appreciate good art when I can get it. I find there are two categories; shows that normalize their art to fit in with other anime, and shows that shape their own style. Obviously, it's impossible to be completely unique when manga itself is a repetitive art, but there are shows that manage to create a style that works well for it. Shiki is one of those anime. Watching it in HD, the animation was incredibly fluid. The scenery was vibrant and colorful where it should of been, and dark and horrifying where it ought to be. The horror scenes are really what entranced me, however. The way that the artists conveyed the terror of being watched during the night, of wondering if you'll wake up the next morning truly enthralled me. It's been a long while since I got chills watching an anime, and Shiki delivered quite well. Major props to the art team.

I had some mix feelings about the sound of Shiki at first. Loved the initial opening theme, but the choir and gothic music felt almost cliché at first. Over time, however, the anime's original soundtrack really grew on me. It didn't completely "WOW!" me, especially at first, but as the story progressed, the music really began to fit in with the emotions that this show stirs inside of you. The ending theme, like many other anime, really didn't impress me, however. It felt out of place for the type of anime Shiki is. Overall, Shiki's soundtrack did a great job after giving it time to settle in.

Now, what really made me adore this anime wasn't any of the above, but the characters themselves. I can't really say that there's a "main character" in this story, but some characters perspectives are highlighted more so than others as the show progresses. The thing about Shiki is that it hosts a massive cast; that cast being the village. You would think that spreading so much of the story throughout many characters would be a bad idea, reducing the chance the viewer can become attached to them, but Shiki manages to do quite the opposite. The key was the fact that the characters were believable. I've yet to have seen an anime (other than Clannad Afterstory) that manages to sport such realistic characters. From Megumi to Natsuno, to Toshio and Seishin; all of them feel like people I've met in my life, people that I can relate to or say I know. It's because that these characters are believable that you so quickly become attached.

Did you enjoy Shiki, Frag? Well, if it wasn't apparent enough already, it has truly been one of my greatest pleasures of anime to watch this year. When a company can piece together all these delicate categories of anime in just the right way, it can create a genuinely memorable experience for the viewer. Shiki is an anime I'm proud to add to my collection of favorites. Something I should mention is that the show really manages to get you to think about morals. What is truly right or wrong? Is there such a thing as pure good or evil? The best part is that Shiki leaves it up to you to figure out the answers yourself.

To sum it all up, I urge you to give the show a chance. Two episodes in, I was hooked, and I'm willing to bet it'll do the same to you. I'm surprised this show isn't more popular; it's a real breath of fresh air when it comes to the long neglected genre of vampires. Even if you've never been one for blood-suckers, you might find the genre more appealing after sitting down and watching Shiki. read more

Shiki is definitely one of those nice surprises you didn't expect would be so good, considering the level of uninspiring and unoriginal anime fluff we see on the shelves nowadays. Despite receiving rave reviews by so many people from all walks of life, I was still a total skeptic especially when it comes to people praising any modern anime. Mainly since there is very little modern anime has to offer... beyond titties, panty-shots, moe, toothy grinning shounen-types with big weapons or powers, and giant robots... miraculously all within some kind of school setting. If you've seen one, you can basically say you've seen them all. So imagine my surprise when i picked this title; after seeing these kids with bizarre hair and the cheery (somewhat simple) art style, I genuinely expected some type of "Pokemon's rendition" of vampires. Well, I was wrong, and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. What I've learnt, is that regardless of it's appearance, there is some level of depth and complexity to this story that will make you enjoy it a lot more than perhaps you originally intended.

SOUNDS:
Let's start with the music first. I didn't like the first OP, Kuchizuke, I dunno what about it got on my nerves, maybe the howling/haunting male vocals or the fact that it fell between rock and pop. The howling voice does suit the overall creepiness of the series... but it just was not my cuppa tea. Strangely enough, I loved the second ED theme, Gekka Reijin, which is by the same band... with the same howling/haunting male voice but music and beats sounded smoother and the guitar sounded sexier. Can't say I felt the same way about the first ED, Walk no Yakusoku, it's not a particularly bad song, but this singer's voice got on my nerves a little bit as well. However, I really liked the 2nd OP theme Calendula Requiem, I like upbeat songs and liked the speed of the words.
I watched this series twice, once in Japanese and the other in English... either way is fine. I suppose, but I don't particularly feel the need to score Japanese audio that much considering people seem to generally like that more than English dubs, personally I will always pick English dubs because I prefer to not have to read subtitles. The English dub was
really good fit Shiki.

Art/Animation:
The art for this series is pretty nice... It's a mixture of quirky and childish character designs with the set designs being far more detailed and sophisticated. The character designs are definitely of the shounen variety: thick outlines, fierce eyebrows, funky hairstyles and a bright, solid colour palette is used. The real art is shown thru the various settings and backgrounds: walls have visible imperfections and textures, furnishings look believable, the woods look dark and foreboding. What I really appreciated was that we were taken everywhere thru the village, some homes were more modest than others, some were extravagant, the doctor's clinic, the gazebo, the shrine, etc. so many shows would have taken a lazier approach and not have made these settings as detailed. I will say however that the animation was pretty standard, considering this wasn't a type of show that had complex battle scenes then we can forgive that much. The "camera" pans, 360 rotations and semi-rotations used for dramatic effects were smooth enough.

STORY:
Shiki starts out with the story of Megumi, your typical kind of frilly teenage girl with a sour attitude--we all know the type! She moans on and on about being stuck in some hick town, completely devoid of any sophistication or panache... we can't blame her though, I know I'd be the same. Anyway, her bitchiness aside, she develops a little crush for the main character, Natsuno, then she becomes a little stalker, then dies in some freakish yet mysterious manner. Her death coincides with the rash of other mysterious deaths occurring in the village, and that's all I can really say about that without going into spoiler territory. Using "mysterious deaths" as an opener for an anime isn't new or rare but at the very least it serves it's purpose by making things very interesting right away. You will immediately have some sort of interest to find out what's wrong with that town... and that's when the narration can take it's time to slowly peel away the layers to reveal the mystery. I thought the pacing was really great, it was never slow and boring, but it never rushed into big excitement right away either, it was a well controlled and deliberate on a steady climb to a big finish... and it wasn't predictable-Another big plus in my book! Some episodes definitely toyed with your emotions, such as episode 14.

CHARACTER:
the character designs aren't too shabby, they're drawn quite attractively as far as general face and body shape is concerned... which is always a big plus in my book (who wants to look at ugly people?) But there were some minor niggles that worked their way under my skin. Let's talk about some of the hairstyles, some of them looked about as wild, hard and as immovable as tree bark...especially that little devil-child Sunako. I know according to Twilight, today's vampire likes to play around with a little mousse, maybe some hair wax, but her shit was just straight up ridiculous! Same goes for the nurse, Ritsuko, as much as I liked her character, that hair was silly. it was as if some green rattlesnake bit her on the back of the skull and hung there for all eternity. Then we had some chin problems, chins that ended in a very sharp point, a style I haven't seen since the 90s. And possibly the weirdest, most "perplexingly" annoying aspect of their character designs were the eyes... no I'm not talking about the black pupil-less eyes, even though those were creepy as fuck. No I'm talking about the fact that they drew eyelids above eyelashes on everyone. Really??? was this intentional or did someone fail Anatomy and Character Design 101? Eyelashes are at the end of eyelids, so why it's it that when these people lower their lids halfway, it also conceals their eyelashes? that's virtually impossible unless their eyelashes are tucked inwards and scraping their eyeballs. Also the monk's irises are too large! All that being said, these imperfections or designs don't bother me too tremendously and do not detract from enjoying the story.
There is a nice mix of characters in this series. You have young people, old people and everyone in between, each with varying personalities and stations within this small hick village. They were all drawn with somewhat realistic proportions and attributes, we didn't have freakishly busty 13-year olds or well fit looking old men. I particularly enjoy this diverse type of ensemble, because I believe the more diverse the cast, the richer the story will be. And this cast is pretty developed... well, at least as developed as 26 episodes can allow.
The story centres around three central characters: a stubborn gruff doctor, a pensive monk and a brooding teenager. These are the most fully realised characters with completed backgrounds and the narrative shifts from one perspective to the other. This is definitely a character driven series, which is probably part of the reason why I like it so much. Because besides these three central characters I mentioned before: Dr. Toshio Ozaki, Seishin Muroi and Natsuno Yuuki, almost every person in the town is given some kind of past or history no matter how inconsequential they are. You get to know these people personally, know their family, their story, empathise and feel their pain, their loss... even some of the so-called "bad guys." Which I especially liked! Nowadays, simply saying bad guys are just bad because they are, is not good enough. A good story goes beyond that, we need to ask; why are they bad? And are they really bad in the first place? Just because they are vampires, does that make them inherently evil? Shiki explores this really well.

VERDICT:
I gave this show a "9" because I saw something different about this anime. Vampires attacking a town isn't exactly a new concept here, but perhaps I appreciated this interpretation of the vampire... a more human-like vampire, ones with feelings and regret. Not feelings to the point of pure sappiness like Twilight but more along the same vein like "Interview with a Vampire" where vampires have their own personalities and behaviours... yet still have the obligations that come along with being a vampire. I also gave it a "9" because there are fewer anime clichés in this one, no high-schools, no unnecessary guns or explosions, no young grinning shonen with some big sword or robot saving the world...one power up at a time, no love polygons or dramatic death scene where someone screams "nnnnnoooooooo or akiraaaaaaa" for seven minutes. This was a proper story with a beginning, middle and a heck of an ending! Definitely worth the watch.





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The opening scene, in which a search party of villagers find in the woods the body of one of their own, a young girl, sets the tone for the 22-episode funeral that is Shiki. In terms of narrative, it breaks no new ground; a remote village is infested by vampires (not romanticized here as has been the trend in recent years, but portrayed once more as malevolent predators with whom the living cannot coexist) who kill the villagers one by one and replace them with their own kind.

It works through its cold-blooded commitment to its moribund atmosphere, existing in a perpetual state of grief for those already lost and those about to go. The cast is not the most nuanced or memorable, but it is good enough for the repeated tragedies to evoke more than apathy. They are normal people; few with any heroic strain, most unaware of why their parents, children, friends, neighbors and lovers are dying, their love for one another the only vigil against the night where the dead supplant the living and death supplants life.

The series is utterly enveloping in its sadness; from only a few episodes in I could not stop watching except to eat and sleep, and I ended up finishing the whole series within the span of 24 hours. My one major gripe with it is the fanservice. It is thankfully far from ubiquitous, but a few female characters are very unrealistically proportioned and when an especially dramatic scene (a few in the series' second half come to mind, but I can't go into details without spoiling things) has comically oversized breasts bouncing around it is about as distracting and inappropriate as a stripper at a funeral. I haven't read the novel series that served as the basis for this adaptation, but I'm guessing it didn't have this problem. read more

This is my first review.I'm going to write it because so much people are talking bad about Shiki.But I think Shiki is awsome.It's unique,it has a great storyline.I enjoy watching it !

Story: 10
The story takes place in a village named Sotoba.Sotoba is a quite and peaceful village,till the chain of bizarre deaths started to occur.Nobody knows the reason but more and more people are dying.Toshio Ozaki is the hospital dean and he suspects an epidemic. But what first starts as an epidemic, turns out to be much more. The first episodes might be boring.I didn't really enjoy watching them but later the show really gets good.There is nothing such as an epidemic the reason of the deaths are Okiagari ( Some people might call them vampires ). Dead ones who come back to life. I'm really glad this anime is here. Because I'm sick of the shows who show only romace between humans and vampires. This anime is different. If you miss old school vampire animes,this is for you.

Art: 7
The art is very abstract and I think the style is unique. Please don't be one of this people who hates Shiki because they say the art is weird. What? They are having interesting hairstyles.Really I never saw so much crazy hairstyles but this is not bad.The art could be better but I like it like it is.

Sound: 10
I love the openings! The first opening really fits the anime. To be honest I didn't like it at the beginning but later I just started to love it ! The endings are ok to,but they look like endings of some romance animes. Shiki is just amazing. It has everything !

Characters: 8
They aren't much main characters but that doesn't mean other are not important. You don't like Shiki because much people die? Well this is a part of this anime and if you give Shiki a chance you will see that everybody is important. The dead ones to.

Enjoyment: 10
Like I said the story is amazing. It's just to good to be ignored. If you still didn't choiced to start watching Shiki you're going to miss something. Clannad or Death Note didn't get popular in one day and look at them now ;)

Overall: 10
What is the next thing you have to do? :O
Right go and watch Shiki you will make me and every Shiki fan very happy. If you don't like the anime I'm sorry that I wasted your time. But I think it's worth watching.Do you love Twilight and hate vampires who kill and are "scary" you won't like this.But if you miss old vampire storys without a vampire and werewolf who are fighting for a girl,vampires who can go outside days and they sparkle -__- and stupid " I love you " that is every second sentence in Twilight. Sorry to all Twilight fans but I just want to tell you there is no romance in this anime. Well not that much,but sure there is,so Twilight fans there is something for you to ? ~ :) read more

Until maybe a decade ago vampire stories were at their prime. I, as well, used to be a big fan of such stories. In my eyes, those tales were thrilling, grasping me the whole way through and leaving me mostly utterly terrified. After hundreds of movies, books and tv series based on the vampire myth,though, vampires started to lose their original shine. They were just so overused that one could easily stop caring anymore. If anyone of you came asking me what I believed a vampire was I’m not quite sure of what my answer would be. Can they die from sunlight or do they glitter like the sun? Are they really fearsome or do they look like they just came out of a beauty pageant? Questions like these, that many of you might have, at one point, thought, made me stop watching about vampires whatsoever. And then came Shiki, taking the vampire story onto a whole new level, returning them back to their former days of glory.


Story: 9
I think the true success of Shiki’s story is the fact that this time such a tale was told through the eyes of Japanese creators, making it effective in two particular ways. First, it was a fresh approach of a legend that belonged to different cultures than theirs, so that automatically helped the creators move off the beaten track. And then comes the slight mix with their own traditional myths of the “Okiagari”, which literally means the Risen.
Vampires in this show are just as they should be, afraid of light, can’t come out in the day without burning themselves, they don’t like holly water, charms and crosses, they drink the blood of their victims after completely hypnotizing them and they don’t fall in love with them..*ahem*
They also can’t enter a house uninvited. Then again, they have everything that a traditional vampire would be proud of, in addition to the so well know wooden stick killing method, that in contrary they so much loathe.

The myth of the undead, blood thirsty killers, this time, unfolds in a quiet, isolated village and at first look, common village, were sudden disappearances start to occur after a strange family moves in to the big mansion on the mountain. A few people are becoming aware of something out of the usual going on and that is how it all starts moving.
At first the story runs slow, just as the unaware victims continue to carry on their daily lives. So the pacing of the first part of the series might throw some of the viewers off, especially those who are fans of full time action. Well, how I saw things, this choice of pacing was indeed a clever one, not throwing the viewer into the middle of an already unfolded story, but slowly and steadily shroud him into its mystery. As it rolls, you will find yourself entangled in it, with questions that you just need to find the answers for, doubts about the actions and choices of some of the characters and some very clever twists here and there to spice up your viewing experience.
What I love about this show’s story is that it isn’t focused on the events around only one or a small group of characters, but it rather expands itself to cover the events on the whole village and its people and view the story from both sides, both the humans and the Okiagari. So, that will help you get a feel of the broader plan of what is going on. Yes, it’s quite common to expect the endless battle of humans versus vampires, but this time you get to see both sides. In fact, you might be even puzzled about actually labeling what is wrong and right, bad and good, from some point on. It’s a fight for survival, after all, and each side naturally decides in favor of their own kind.

~~ 友引 – Tomobiki Good luck, except at noon~~
A thing that’s fascinating about the story, which shows the effort of the creators, is this small detail of the dates shown at the start of each episode, that is crucial though for one to complete the puzzle. Until the 19th century Japan used a lunar calendar of six days, each having a special meaning of bringing luck or misfortune. Shiki uses this in each episode to determine what the nature of this day is, usually foreshadowing the events to follow.

Shiki always loves cliff hangers in the ending of each episode, so you will find yourselves trapped in a roller coaster viewing ride, which will be getting more and more intense until it reaches its peak. But when starting watching, you’re nowhere around guessing what would come out of all this in the very end.
I will admit that some of its final conclusions weren’t so satisfactory to me, a few things felt abruptly wrapped up, so only there, is where I deduct a point, because the ending is very crucial to me. But, of course, it always depends on what everyone expects to find as a final resolution. So all in all it was one of the most intense anime rides I’ve ever been on.



Characters: 9

Another thing that I loved about this show was its characters. Oh, they were plenty of them, and all so versatile. One can never get bored watching this, since you will find all type of characters, and you can easily pick one or two with whom you maybe will relate and follow throughout the story. A lot of people are accusing Shiki of shallow characters. My answer to them is that not every story created should be character driven, and this isn’t a story about teenage angst or a forbidden romance. You know were you got yourself into beforehand, am I wrong? So if you prefer stories focused on one character only, don't watch this.

To the rest, you've made a good choise, since you’ll find yourselves in front of many familiar types of characters, not in terms of anime norms, but relating to real life-types of people. And you won’t be the least disappointed about the depths of their personalities, despite the big number of characters existing in the show.

“What a wonderful day! No one in the village doing anything.”

Now, I don’t know if some of you might have an experience of living or even staying for a while in a small village. If you do, as I have in my vacations, then you would recognize some types of people in Shiki.
There are the small minded people that can’t compromise with thinking outside their little shells, focusing their lives entirely on their daily village routines, forgetting about the rest of the world. There are the gossipers, who of course want to know every single news of the village, since the news isn’t many anyway. There are the usual working people, who just do their jobs quietly each day. And there are also those who sit around in a chair doing nothing but watch the passers by and chit chat about mindless things. You can also find kids that want to escape this narrowed life experience and make their way to the big city and also a priest and a doctor who both try to find their own way to balance the life in the village.

When the events of bizarre deaths start to unfold, everyone will act differently according to their character and beliefs, and that is what’s the most fascinating about them. You’ll see bravery, stupidity, cunningness, understanding, fighters and whiners, some even getting advantage of the whole thing. Generally you’ll find many approaches and that is what makes the characters so enriched. Concerning most of them, you will never really learn any solid background information, and yet they feel so fleshed out and real. For a story driven show this is definitely a success.
Also, don’t forget that you’ll get to know, many of the opposing threat side of characters, the Shikis, as they all have their own unique personality to show. Being the supposedly “bad guys” who everyone fears, doesn’t mean they can’t be diverse.
All in all I’m more than satisfied from this show’s variety of characters.

The only point I deducted from this section is because of the use of some of them by the creators. I felt that characters like Natsuno, Megumi, Masao and a few others, could have been involved a little more in certain points of the story. They still are there and active, but they didn’t intertwine with each other as much as I hoped to.



Art, Animation: 10

Now this is, mostly, the section were haters of the show focus their flaming on. I won’t try to persuade anyone that what I see is more right than what they see. But then noone can try to change my way of experiencing things, respectively. That needed to be said, before I say that I found the art and animation both to be brilliant!

The art is indeed unique. I am not trying to play it cool saying that.
Unique and different doesn’t always mean it’s good. If those same looking characters were dragged and dropped into any other type of show I would at least thought the people making it tasteless. But not in this case!
The people who designed the characters knew exactly what they were doing. The faces have rough angles and the shape of their characteristics is unproportional. The hair is also so crazy that stands out from miles away. They all are like a weird cubistic imitation of some of Picasso’s craziest paintings. But were other people find this unattractive, here is exactly how this fact elevates the story. This specific oddity makes Shiki stand out, looking like an old creepy fairytail that comes out of a dusty old book or from one of those bedtime stories that a grandma used to tell her grandchildren around the fireplace. They remind me of Tim Burton’s seductive dark style and where could it fit better than in a story about vampires?

Vampires are anything but usual, they are extravagant, they are lavish but they are also fearsome and killers. So, the roughnesses of the sketches as well as the crazy colors depict the wildness of the story itself. Also the eyes of the Okiagari that don’t have pupils make it feel like you are looking inside an empty shell, as referring to them not having a human soul anymore. The backgrounds are drawn very nicely making this look really to be this enclosed village that the story describes, one that is far from civilization.
A small detail I found very beautiful is the part where the eyes of the Shiki were glowing red in the night and then their shadow slowly appeared, making it very creepy to watch.
The animation is equally good. Some movements may seem abrupt, but I think it adds more to the roughness of the story better than having gentle moves that create a smooth flow. So I really don’t find anything wrong with the animation being more rough than usual.



Music and Sound: 10

The music section is many times the most neglected in a series. As a big music lover, I hate it when, otherwise good shows, have some lame BG music and sound to support them. Sometimes I do find one or good Opening and Ending themes that stand alone though, because usually the background music of those series keeps me indifferent.
In Shiki though, the music is so brilliant that I don’t know where to start the praise from. The melodies aren’t just pretty or simply fit well, they are one with the show, the same entity. They blend so perfectly in each frame and time of the show that I’m positive Shiki wouldn’t be the same without its music score.
The first OP is mysterious, seductive, special. The second OP is eerie, magical, like a dark lament. The endings are equally seductive, particularly the second one that reminds me of music of past decades, having a passionate and also sorrowful sound.

The background music is equally awe-striking, it’s sometimes playful, sometimes harsh, others soft or sending chills down your spine. The various tracks use from natural sounds to human voices. Some voices sound like a jukebox, others chanting or making creepy but melodic sounds. Each and every single piece used, elevates the show.
As far as the voice acting is concerned, I saw a few new actors involved in this, which I find good for a change. They all did their work marvelously well, projecting each of the character’s unique personality. And then they went through many phases, having to show pain, anger, fear, scream or whisper. They all had a hard job, but pulled it off perfectly.



Enjoyment: 10

Many times during a show I find myself indifferent about what is going on with the story and the characters. Some stories manage to grab my attention back again, but usually I always experience one or two times of boredom that I just have to be patient until the good parts come in. Not with Shiki. Every time I started watching this I felt like I was glued to my screen, completely forgetting what was going on in my surroundings or how did I end up watching this at those late hours, hearing and watching nothing else but the show itself. I found myself so concerned about everyone’s fate, the art and music working like a magnet on me, that I just wanted this to go on and on as much as it was possible.



Overall: 9 - 9.5/10

For those of you who love intense experiences and look for a little more thought provoking shows Shiki will come as a real treat. It will keep you excited, at the edge of your seat, and at the same time it will make you the player of a big puzzle were you have to be very careful on what you see to finally create the whole image. What is equally cool about the whole viewing experience is that there are so many point of views from which you can observe this show that I’m sure that watching it a second time you’ll come up with different notes about it.

So if you love vampires or just love to watch a little deeper emotionally shows with a complete lack of pantie shots and silly fanservice, then this is exactly the show you’re looking for. A traditional, creepy, mystical, magical, dark, haunting and twisted fairytale. So just grab a mug of hot milk and join us near the fireplace.
Have a nice and creepy ride! :)


Thanks to everyone for reading this relatively long review. Please feel free to leave a comment on my channel with your thoughts about it or about the show.
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“Death is impartial to everyone, be it the young or old, rich or poor. Thus death is not particularly tragic.”

Shiki is by far the most riveting, suspenseful and thought-provoking series I have seen all year. Truly a category of its own, it not only contains elements of horror and mystery but also makes you question what truly is considered good or evil?

Story

The story is set in a small village where a string of unexplainable deaths start to occur. What is suspected to be an epidemic proves to be something the villagers would never suspect. The main plot and characters are introduced in the first few episodes, while pacing is slow, it provides an important backdrop to the rest of the episodes. As the story progress, we start to see what is really going on. What I like most about this series is it’s nack for detail and realism. Even as some of the characters gradually figure what is going on, there is a vehement disbelief from the villagers in general. The anime pays tribute to vampires well, but even better it addresses our society’s inability to accept those who are different (be it humans or the supernatural). In addition, what I think is the highlight of the series has been the last few episodes where the line between good and evil, humans and vampires have been crossed. What defines a ‘human’, can someone who still feels emotions be considered a ‘monster’? Shiki makes us questions that.

Characters

With Shiki’s large cast, it seems likely that characters who don’t get as much screen time to be very shallow and two-dimensional. However, I didn’t get that feeling in this anime. Most of the characters have enough background story told to ‘flesh’ them out. And they aren’t ridiculous or unbelievable background stories, you could say we all knew these kinds of people at some point in our lives. I would say the two most intriguing characters are Muroi and Ozaki. Both carry the great burden of knowing the truth behind the deaths but make completely different decisions in the end. And many other characters surprise me by fighting against expectations.

Artwork

Rich colours, dark lines and detailed shading. Some of the horror scenes are reminiscent of Higurashi with its emphasis on the eyes.

Sound

Gothic opening song and melancholic ending. Background music is very appropriate and adds to intensify the scenes.

Enjoyment

I literally marathoned 18 episodes non-stop. It always kept me guessing as to what would happen next. Shiki is also one of the few animes that has underlying meanings to them, it really made me think about the actions of some characters and what some characters have said (particularly Sunako). I’m looking forward to watching the rest of the series.

Overall

I highly recommend this anime to anyone who has a fondness for thought-provoking shows. It’s definitely not comedic, if that is what you’re looking for. But if you appreciate mysteries, dark themes and some psychological reasoning, then do give Shiki a try.

EDIT: Now that I've finished the series, I'm dropping the score from a 10 to a 9, simply because the ending wasn't as great as the middle. Perhaps my expectation were too high for the ending, I just found it wasn't what I expected. It is also is pretty up in the air, which might suggest a second season.
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It's right to kill for survival? And what about killing for self-defense? Your answers about these questions will critically change your view of this anime.

"Oh, another vampire show", when i remember saying this i want to kill myself now. This certainly isn't a generic vampire show, differing from usual shows that try to show the vampires as friendly-like creatures. Shiki, as it drags the viewer to actually be scared of them and it try to portray the vampires as they are intended to be, like real monsters.

The Story of this show isn't really unique, but wonderfully executed and makes the viewer try to solve the mystery along side with our characters. It is about a small village called Sotoba, and mysterious deaths start to happen, and by the same time the strange Kirishiki family moves to a big castle on the hills. The story follows the path of our 4 main characters, each of them having their own depiction and try to do their own resolution that they believe is right, making decisions about and driving the plot to unexpected turns and twists. Shiki tries to show the psychological side of things, from multiple points of view and force the watchers to actually pick a side they believe it's right, which is very cool.

Don't be turned off by the Art at first, certainly it isn't normal, but after some time you just get used to it and to me actually ressembles a bit of CLAMP. Also, the air views from Sotoba village are beautiful and they really explore them, showing us various places of the village, especially the Kanemasa mansion. Giving us an eerie feel and helping us to figure out the mystery. The animation is quite fluid, the characters have strange poses but i think it's part of the show.

The soundtrack is simply outstanding. It's creepy, thrilling and haunting. We also have quiet tracks and sad pieces, they really contribute to the atmosphere.
The voice acting was very good, i don't remember any flaws from the seiyuus, and all voices were good to hear.
The first OP is fitting for the meaning of the anime, even some lyrics mean something if you compare to the anime.

All of the characters on the show are important for something on the story, sou you have to pay attention to everything they do to fully understand what is going on. As i said we have only 4 main characters here, Sunako, Toshio, Seishin and Natsuno and their choices are really important for the plot, the development of the characters is very good, the characters aren't dumb at all and even the supporting character contributes to the story. The characters are likeable and some of them really resembles real people.

For the enjoyment, it is a great show to watch, without regrets, the plot pregresses a bit slowly, but until the end you will already forget about the boring episodes, each of the episodes are thrilling and mystery packed. It stays true from start to end to vampires' roots (they actually burn in the sun) and if you expect something like twillight, this is not what you're looking for. I really recommend Shiki.
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As with all of my other reviews I decided to write a review about the anime Shiki because I found it to be really enjoyable (so far) and wanted to spread some of the love by hopefully persuading people to try it out for themselves! In my review I will talk about what I find to be good about the show and which aspects could do with some improvement.

Story: 10
I’ve watched a total of 16 out of 22 episodes of the show and have so far loved every single episode of it! Vampires singling out a small remote town and picking off each of the (mostly) unsuspecting residents one by one, the story may seem clichéd when presented to those who haven’t watched the show, after all vampires are no new occurrence are they? But the vampires featured in this show (referred to as Shiki or moving corpses) are a breath of fresh air to those sick and tired off the angsty, misunderstood veggies vampires rife in today’s media. These vampires return to their original Stoker-esque roots, not being able to go out in sunlight, fearing crosses and not being able to enter a home unless invited making the show far scarier overall than if it were just another cheap imitation of the Twilight saga.

Characters: 8
There’s no single main character in this series, every character no matter how minor plays some kind of role in adding to the rich tapestry of the overall story. However the story mostly revolves around the Shiki and those with direct experience with them. The three main protagonists, Natsuno, Akira and Kaori are you three average teenagers until the Shiki strike. Yet they’re forced to grow up pretty sharpish as they start to work out what’s really been going on behind the facade of a supposed epidemic and go about trying to save the blissfully clueless town. That’s about it for character development which is a shame but necessary as if the show were to focus on each and every character it’d never end!
It’s important to note that everyone in the show’s expendable, even the main characters. This I love as it helps to increase the tension felt by the viewers as their favourite characters are caught in rather sticky situations.

Art: 6
Frankly, I’m not a fan of the kooky art style. It kinda ruins the overall look of the show to plop crazy looking characters (sometimes with hair bigger than them!) into such beautiful backdrops. But if you’re into art a little bit unique and out of the ordinary you may find you like it! The show has a good range of ugly and beautiful people, making it far more realistic than the average anime which could be considered a positive I suppose! The animation of the show however is superb. It’s hard to describe but it was great to see scenes in which the animators would try to do something a little different to keep things visually exciting!

Sound: 10
All four of the opening and ending themes are so beautiful it’s almost impossible to say a bad word about them. The second opening is in my opinion the best as it adds puts a beautifully eerie spin on the show capturing it rather nicely. The insert themes are pretty creepy too. They’re not noticeable to the point of annoyance yet you hear enough of them to know when shit’s gonna hit the fan!

Overall enjoyment: 9
I’ve immensely enjoyed this show so far. After recovering from an arguably slow start the show keeps getting better and better and the character’s situation becomes increasingly dire. Each episode ends with an edge-of-the-seat cliff-hanger leaving me desperate for yet another episode each and every week. I’d definitely recommend this show to any fan of the horror genre of anime, lovers of the traditional vampire, and haters of Twilight alike. I hope this has helped you a little on your decision of whether or not to watch this show! Bye~!
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Vampires – they are a group of elite, cool, handsome, romantic, gentle bloodsucking super strong beings. Hence everyone wants to be one… Oh sh– this isn’t about Bella and Edward. This is Shiki.

Shiki brings back the long forgotten thought on how vampires should be. No sparkling skin when bathing the sunlight, no romantic vampire pick-up lines, no uber cool vampire only moves, and definitely no fangirl squeals. Shiki is all vintage. And by vintage I mean, scared of sunlight, fears being pierced by a wooden stake through the heart, and most of all, dies when the head is cut off. The latter two is obvious as even a real human would die by that but the first one very much relives your old-fashioned vampire fiction. But still, this is not what makes the vampires of Shiki unique. In here, vampires too act as human beings but are only active in the night, they have an insatiable hunger for blood making them a real threat to humans, they still retain their human emotions and thinking after becoming one, but most of all, they fear humans just like how humans fear of vampires. Lame vampires you might say. But this is where Shiki shines; it redefines the norms.

Minutes into Shiki and I was reminded of a certain anime which mostly resembled a certain setting, and it was the goric-lolita anime Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Shiki takes place in an unlikely stage, a quiet and peaceful village in the middle of nowhere where modernization haven’t likely reached yet, just like Hinamizawa in Higurashi. Though even if the place was so ruralized, to my surprise, people here thinks very city-like and doesn’t believe in superstitions as much. When shoved in the face with superstitious beliefs like the dead has risen, the villagers here would laugh thinking that some few screws are loose. Gradually, these villagers would be tiring and too annoying to watch making Shiki play with your emotions easily as you might find yourself indulged with the story even to the point where relief would occur when a character that annoys you badly dies. And I got to admit, I fell victim to one of those.

Shiki has a very slow pacing and a very predictable and linear storyline in its first half. Remember your usual horror movies where one side character does something stupid or heroic for the sake of someone leaving his/her guard open? Of course next thing will happen is death. Shiki has a simple plot at the early episodes and it goes like one sacrificial lamb after another until all are gone while the main characters are trying to put the pieces together in solving what really is happening. Though repetitive as it gets, was it boring because of the recurring scenarios? Hardly. I know the events kind of gets old and used but nevertheless, the thrill and suspense you’ll get from this anime is never disappointing.

Shiki has two different views of the story which merged later on. This was from the rugged doctor Toshio and the cold kid Natsuno. And with that, the stagnated style of storytelling with its earlier episodes, the story now moves forward to something much deeper and exciting.

And some episodes later…

I was in shock of what this anime became into. At first it was about the main characters fighting for survival and looking for a clue on how to defeat these occult beings which was very linear but then it became a massive… (See for yourself!) With the last few episodes, a lot of drama scenes were implied and some even left a message to think about. Ironically, for a very unrealistic anime which includes the occult, these messages could not be only applied within Shiki but in the real world itself making viewers to think and analyze. Only downfall of this is not all the points were clear especially with the Cain and Abel reference.

While leaving statements to conceptualize, the ending definitely left viewers an impression that season 2 might come. I’m not really satisfied with the ending though, as certain vital events in the story were flawed. Still, I very much enjoyed the most of it.

What made this story compelling was the entire huge cast of characters that Shiki has. Shiki has 4 main characters whose backgrounds and ulterior motives when looked individually weren’t explained thoroughly, but when gathered up together including with the side characters, Shiki becomes one amusing freak show. Still though, I really think that some characters especially the ones less of importance for this instance, the side characters could have been properly used if they were looked deeper into. With not enough explanation as to why these characters are doing this or that, it eventually led to the confusion on which side is right and which side is wrong. Having its cons, it also had its pros as this became an instrument for Shiki to manipulate easily the viewers’ emotions.

Character designs however, seeing that this was set in a remote village, looks fancier than usual and somehow reminds me of a certain shounen anime. Well if you don’t mind seeing those faces for 22 episodes, then you should definitely continue watching. However, flashy as they may look, the vampires are amazingly very creepy. Pitch-black eyes, very pale skin, and sometimes could remind me of the movie “The Ring” because of those Sadako-like movements. Disappointing though that somewhere past the middle, these vampires could be taken less seriously as they now become less creepy and yes… more shounen. Regardless, the dark lightings and the blurriness of certain scenes were very well used that even these not so creepy vampires became scary than what they should have been.

What also added to Shiki’s success are the voices behind each character. They very well expresses the characters’ emotions but sadly, not all of these seiyuus were properly used because of the very large cast of character it has. And Shiki also has Gackt… who only had a few forgettable lines. Despite that, Shiki has a marvelous way of delivering scenes, may it be dramatic or scary. These includes the evanescent “ha-“ voices, the creaky sounds, or the soft nostalgic tunes. The 4 theme songs however, didn’t really appeal to me as I find them too generic. And I think there’s something horribly wrong with the vocals of the first ending. Still though, you can always skip these as these are very minor with regards to what Shiki has in store.

Shiki might be very predictable when on the earlier episodes but it never gets dull, trust me. Seeing that the looks are very shounen-like, it could even scare you right off your seats. Although I could not ignore the fact that Shiki as a straightforward anime has some events that could be easily questioned but still, it doesn’t distract much from the enjoyment that this anime could give.

Simply put, Shiki is one emotional rollercoaster ride that is definitely not to be missed. Though it could have been something much better.

And, might I suggest wearing headphones while watching this anime?

(Spoilers)
A certain list of events I find that need questioning:
• I’m sure that vampires can fly as I’ve seen Nao flying when visiting her mother in the hospital, but how come with the last episode neither a single vampire tried to fly?
• Weird that some vampires gasp for air and I remember Nao doing so as it was told that they do not breathe.
• Another is how did Natsuno become a jinrou when he was bit by Tooru – a vampire?
• Lastly, I thought it takes about 3-4 days to become a vampire or jinrou, but how did Seishin immediately woke up after dying just moments ago?
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[Note: This review contains minor spoilers.]

To say that the vampire’s image is but a shadow of what it once was before the massive influx of “twilight vampires” would not be an inaccurate statement. Slowly but surely, vampire’s have turned from sexy, murderous beasts into little more than humans that sparkle with no fangs. However, there have been a few shows that have truly re-established the old dynasty and mystique of the vampires that people used to fear. I can confidently say that Shiki is one of these shows.

Shiki (or 屍鬼, if you prefer) is a suspense/horror show adapted from a novel that surrounds the town of Sotoba, a quiet town secluded away from the rest of the world. When a new family (known as the Kirishiki, ironically) moves in, people in the town mysteriously start getting sick, dying off, and otherwise disappearing when they shouldn’t. As the doctor of the town, Toshio Ozaki, begins to panic and look for a solution to the supposed mass outbreak of this ‘killer disease’, many of the other members of the town fear that something much more sinister than an epidemic is at hand. From here, we meet NatsunoYuuki, our main character who desperately searches for an answer as to why he keeps seeing a girl, Megumi Shimizu, who supposedly died. A Fair warning to those who do not like slow-paced stories: Shiki starts out very, very slow. The first 3-4 episodes are filled with the Exposition, and it can be tedious to watch, especially if you’re expecting something that hits the ground running, like Deathnote. Think Monster when watching this. The story moves to go at a slow, crushing pace, and each episode has eagerly had me awaiting the next as one mystery is solved, only for another to be introduced. Overall, the plot so far has kept me on the edge of my seat, and I can’t want to see the conclusion.

In terms of the characters, I would say they are the weakest aspect of Shiki. There are 20+ characters that play some important role in the show, and with a majority of them being introduced in the first couple episodes, it can often be hard to keep track of just who is who, or who they’re related to, or what exactly they’re trying to accomplish. Additionally, many of the characters are fairly two-dimensional. Natsuno is a typical male ‘ice-queen’ lead with a girl hopelessly in love with him, Seishin is a failure at life and completely useless (never seen that before), and there are many other characters that all act very predictably throughout the series. Not that this is a bad thing, as you can sometimes feel yourself rooting for a character to (not) do something, and yet they do it anyways. However, none of the characters seem very memorable aside from the insane (literally) Toshio, who I greatly enjoy watching.

As if a complete opposite, the music is one of the higher points in the show. The first OP, "Kuchizuke" (くちづけ) by Buck-Tick, is one of the better openings I’ve heard, and the lyrics are quite relevant to the show. The second OP, "Calendula Requiem" by kanon x kanon, is also an excellent opening, but weaker than the first. Neither of the ED’s are especially good, although they give off a nice ‘evil’ feeling for the end of the episodes.. The background music is fairly well done, and the strange, melodic chorus’ that Shiki features add a lot of depth to some of the scenes. While the music isn’t especially top notch, it makes sense, although I still would have preferred something a bit more involved with an orchestra.

The animation seems to fall in the middle of the pack. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible either. There have been a few times when I’ve noticed the animation getting a bit jittery, however there are not many action-packed or frame intensive scenes in the show, so it hasn’t really been a problem so far. The character designs also seem to be just okay (personally, I despise the long, lanky characters, but I know that many people enjoy them.) On the whole they aren’t inherently bad, and they fit the style that Shiki was aiming for. One thing that was very impressive were the eye designs. They range from interesting to downright creepy, and they make watching the show just that much more enjoyable. They’re also a key plot element, so pay attention.

While the show isn’t completed yet – Shiki is a very strong show based on the 17 episodes that have aired so far. If it keeps up the way it has been (and I plan to update this review when it finishes) Shiki may just be the best suspense show I’ve ever seen. It certainly rivals the ‘big’ suspense shows such as Deathnote and Monster, and I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion of this show, as it’s been one hell of a ride so far.

[To the Reviewers that didn’t find this helpful (or even if you did find it helpful) – feel free to drop a comment on my profile suggesting anything that I could improve upon.]
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If someone asked me what is this show about, I'm pretty sure there's only one word I would use to describe it. That word wouldn't be action, or romance, or horror. It would be one word, often underused, feelings.
This show, at least in my opinion, is all about feelings. By the end of the show (took me 2 days to finish it) I didn't know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. I just know what I felt about them. I felt sad for the losses of the "good guys", but in the same time, I felt sad over the sh?t that happened to the "bad guys".
But, one topic at a time.

Story [9]:
-> Brilliant. That would be short version of it. Story didn't follow one or two characters (although anime description said there are 2 main characters) but it followed them all. It's not really original story to have mysterious murders in a far, secluded village, but what is original is how they presented it, how well explained the background of things is and how well the characters are presented. All that made quite a unique story which didn't really falter at any moment, it kept going. My only issue overall with this anime is that it starts with a boom (so to say), it starts extremely fast (but not missing anything) and than it somewhat slows down towards the end.

Art [8]:
-> Well, it's not bad, but again, it's not anything special either. Characters are really well drawn and "background" are always lively, so there's no complain there. However, problem here is that, while great, it sometimes wanted to be artistic where artistic wasn't needed. Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful scenes where only black and white techniques were used, but sometimes they were just out of context and not really needed or appropriate.

Sound [10]:
-> This is one area where I have zero complains. Everything, starting from opening and ending songs to voice acting is great. Character voices are numerous, never hard to recognize or bland. There are "feelings" in those voices, their pain and suffering is heard. Music in the background never interferes with what's happening in foreground and yet it's almost impossible to ignore it since it presents things happening with great passion. Great soundtrack, great voice acting.

Character [9]:
-> I wanted to rate this with 10, but some minor complains popped up on my mind. The show starts off strong, presenting character traits, their strong and weak points, but somehow, by the end, those traits are forgotten and they become the usual cliché types of characters. Again, don't get me wrong, there're no real "good" or "bad" guys in this show, it's just that some characters which started off strong get VERY little screen time later on, never really explaining their role in all the things happening. Pitty.

Enjoyment [10]:
-> As per usual, not going to comment on this one too much. Each person has its own tastes. For me, this show was great, I loved every second of it, even though I felt disappointed by the ending.

Overall [8]:
-> Yes, even I can't find too strong a reason why I gave this show such strong marks in all the fields and rated it with 8. I guess biggest problem with this show is that it ended abruptly and without really finishing many "arcs". So many things remain open and so many characters remain unfinished it's a huge shame.

This show is a must-see as it is, and it could have been so much more if only 1 more episode came out. That still doesn't change the fact it's a great show. read more

Vampire anime has never been my cup of tea. I’ve seen a fair amount of such anime and for me, they usually turn out to be really corny (such as Dance in the Vampire Bund), boring (such as Shingetsutan Tsukihime), shallow and chockfull of fanservice (Rosario + Vampire) or just plain lame (Black Blood Brothers). I’ve gotten tired of seeing vampires presented to be as majestic, perfect, idol-like creatures, leading glamorous lives and just happen to suck blood for nourishment. Are vampires really monsters, or just sissies?

Then I saw Shiki.

It’s surprisingly good. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece but it’s interesting, not to mention actually quite frightening, as horror stories should be. The first few episodes hint on what is happening, but you’re not completely sure what it is until the characters discover it for themselves. Because of that the pacing is quite slow for the viewers, but for the characters it’s actually timely and realistic.

Speaking of the characters, there are a lot of them and as expected with a large cast, development is hard to manage. There are some characters who disappear from the story for a bit, and when they come back, clearly a lot happened but not a lot about it is said so you’re left to ponder on it. There are some scenes that I would have liked to see, and I’d like to give some examples but I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoiling anyone.

Fortunately though, the most interesting character in my opinion is the one who is most developed, and that is the doctor Ozaki Toshio. You get to see a lot of what is going on in his mind - what he discovers as the story progresses, how he deals with it, what kind of person he is, etc. I really think his character is very fascinating, and will make you think what you would do if you were in his place. How far will you go to survive? Ozaki and the other characters all answer that question in their own way as the story progresses.

It’s generally a likable cast, and the voice acting only makes them even more so. Among the roster of the voice actors chosen for this anime, I noticed that a good portion of them are relatively new/under the radar, including the young and promising Yuuki Aoi. Regardless of tenure, all members of the cast, even those with the smaller roles, are good, capable and convincing.

What isn’t entirely convincing though, is the art. Sometimes the facial expressions of the characters are too exaggerated, that it seems fake, such as this scene: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lha4faBeSw1qdbg2p.jpg
I get that she’s really happy to see Natsuno, but I don’t think she’s that happy.

The character designs in general are a little cartoony, with the weird hairstyles and all, but only for the more dominant characters. The lesser characters look more subdued. The gore seems a bit over the top too, but I think it’s acceptable in this case because it’s part of the story-telling.

Overall, the art is okay. The visuals really compliment the story. It’s a little inconsistent now and then and the colors clash sometimes but I like how they went for something a bit more colorful, because usually with horror anime the visuals are dark and gloomy.

As for the music, I think the soundtrack is very well done. From the subtle sound effects to the background music, it all really contributes to the feel of the story and makes each scene more special. The OPs and EDs are very good too. I really like the first OP, “Kuchikuze” by rock band Buck-Tick. I think it really goes well with the series. The vocals are really good, the lyrics relate to the story and it’s quite catchy and memorable.

I think the main reason why I like Shiki is because it’s not shallow like most vampire anime. It allows us viewers to think, instead of blinding us with how “cool” vampires are. Sure, vampires are amazing beings with many traits and abilities that normal humans don’t have, but they are still monsters, and to survive, they need to feed on humans. If you think of it that way, vampires aren’t really that cool, huh? It seems that in the latest vampire anime, as well as in general media, they fail to emphasize that in their representation. Thankfully, Shiki does well in that aspect and in many others. If you don't mind gore and you want to watch a horror anime that’s a little more deep than the usual, then surely Shiki is for you. read more

I was directed to Shiki by a fellow anime fan who, like me, enjoyed more horror based anime. He insisted that Shiki was superior to shows like Another or Higurashi, since it created "characters you cared about".

Having now watched it, I am wondering what he was smoking.

I'll go through each aspect individually. Tharrrrr be spoilers (at least in the plot section), so read at your own risk.

Art = 5
I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, the backgrounds are great. It looks like a small village. They are beautiful, though a bit colourful at times for an anime which is supposed to be "dark". Points also go to this one for mixing up the character designs and not having all the characters as beautiful supermodels. Though not excessively gory, the blood and gore aren't skimped on either, another important point.

On the other, there are big problems with the character designs. Some of the characters look utterly ridiculous. Seriously, what is with their hair? It detracts from the "horror experience". The best horror anime have characters who look vaguely like real people, not people who have had their hair styled by Ronald McDonald. Okay, enough about the hair.

Another nitpick I had about the art was how obvious it was when a character was turned, so to speak. Red eyes, glowing white skin, just unnatural looking. It might have been more interesting if it was hard to tell the two groups apart.

I am pretty forgiving when it comes to art so I can ignore a lot of ugly if the story is decent.

Sound = 7
Credit where credit is due here. The majority of the voice acting worked for me. Everyone had a distinct voice and most of them were fitting. I couldn't tell you what any of the minor characters voices sounded like (or if they were "off") but that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

The music is ... interesting. The openings are fine, for the most part. Ending songs aren't quite as good but still passable. Some of the in-show music works very well, in a creepy subtle way. By that token, there is also some that are too subtle and fail to evoke any mood. And then there's the weird pop-techno blend song that comes in once in a while. Each time I heard it, I spent the entire time trying to figure out what popular song it sounded like.

The sound is pretty good. It works. No real problems here.

Character = 3
We start off by sticking close to a pink haired girl named Megumi. She is a stuck-up bitch who hates the town she lives in (and many of the people, including some who go out of their way to be nice) and has an unhealthy obsession with a boy named Yuuki. Think she's the protagonist? Nope.

What about Yuuki? He's the outsider who's just moved to a new town and is slowly making friends. Again, not really the main character. We spend a good portion of time with him until about a third of the way in.

The people we spend most of the time with are the Doctor (Ozai) and the Junior Monk (Seishein). This is a mixed blessing, since Ozai is perhaps the most interesting and likeable character in Shiki. Megumi is, for the most part, annoying as all hell, though she gets better as the series goes on (and her role is downplayed). Yuuki is tolerable but never really breaks out as a character. He's the stoic (semi-)badass who says he doesn't want friends but has a good heart. Seishein is ... horrible. I know I'm supposed to agree with or sympathize with him since we spend a decent chunk of time with him, but he's a drag in every scene he's in. Ozai is perhaps the most logical and realistic of the characters. He realizes something is wrong and he ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT!

The problem with the characters is development. There is a large cast of characters, the majority of which aren't important anyway, which means we don't spend enough time with any character to get too attached to them. And very few of these characters change in any meaningful way. Most of the characters are the exact same whether alive or dead, though the dead do angst a bit.

The character I had the most sympathy for was the girl in the track suit. She's young, unprepared for this, forced to choose between doing unthinkable things and dealing with friends and family who have risen. Her increasing instability is one of the few interesting changes within the series. Too bad she's downplayed in the second half.

Plot = 3
There are spoilers now. You have been warned.

Shiki is about vampires. If you didn't know that going in, you would have figured it out by the second episode at the latest.

It takes the rest of the characters at least another three or four episodes to catch up. The plot is sloooooow. Most of the mystery, if there was any to begin with, is dispelled right away. Every once in a while, something interesting would happen and I felt like I wanted to see what was next. Then the plot would drag its feet a few episodes with no substantial progress being made.

To sum up the first 2/3rds of the plot, the vampires are killing people. A lot of people die. Only Doctor Ozai, Seishein and a few kids realize what's going on. Then the kids drop off the face of the earth for a while and barely factor in again (with one exception). Most episodes in this bit focus on Ozai trying to do something, the townsfolk doing nothing and Seishein being tormented. Should he do something? (YES!!!!)

To repeat, the vampires kill a good portion of the population and no one is all that disturbed about it.

In the last 1/3rd, the show does a 180 and tries to make us sympathize with the vampires. This might have worked if they hadn't been mercilessly slaughtering townsfolk for half of the series. There are some moments where you genuinely think the vampires have been dealt a shitty hand (not choosing to become one but being forced by whoever bit them), but they are few and far between. Suddenly, the humans are the bad guys for protecting themselves and their families against the immortal people who have been murdering them.

While many of the humans who are cleansing the vampires are obviously enjoying the experience waaaay too much, it's hard to argue that they're wrong in doing it. Should the vampires survive, the humans will just be mined for blood until there are none left. You can complain that the vampires want to live too and they've retained their memories, but the bottom line is that their existence is just to kill former neighbours and friends.

And then there's just moments of incredible stupidity.
-At one point, it's suggested that the Shiki want to convert all the humans they can so the village is entirely Shiki. This would make sense, if you forgot that they NEED the humans for sustenance. Without them, the vampires starve.
-A third to half the town is wiped out and everyone is content to believe it's an epidemic, yet make no effort to do anything about it.
-No one questions why there are now large populations of people who work only at night, why many families have just disappeared and where the death records have went.
-Ozai makes a tape of him dissecting his wife, proving the existence of Shiki .. then shows it to no one.
-If you can figure out Seishein, you deserve a cookie, his entire character and motivations make no sense.
-The technology problem prevalent in horror. Why does no one phone about this?

The final few episodes make an attempt to tie everything together but it only partly satisfies. Many of the characters motivations are still stupid and there are jumps that we're never shown.

This isn't to say that there isn't ANY depth in Shiki. There is. It just happens to be muddied by other aspects. In the second half of Shiki, we start being presented with questions about the value of life, whether it is ethical to kill (if your life is on the line), the propensity to deny rather than act. The questions are interesting. It's the way they're executed that doesn't do them justice.

Enjoyment = 4
I wanted to like this series. I really did. And there were some positives. I liked that they used some old-school vampire tropes (not being able to enter buildings without being invited ect). I liked the tracksuit girl. I liked Doctor Ozai, who has a couple of badass moments (though not enough!).

It's the pacing and the plotting that really let this series down. For every thought-provoking idea ("is it right to kill someone else so I can live?") or genuinely nice/interesting moment, there is much more padding. And stupidity. No one (besides a few characters) seem to ever catch onto what's happening before they kick the bucket. Everyone is so complacent that you wonder whether they're all too stupid to live. I was ready to scream at these characters sometimes. DO SOMETHING!

Overall = 5
See above, really.

Shiki has potential, but squanders it by dragging everything out and failing to make any compelling characters.

Look ma, no Twilight references! read more

Shiki, or Corpse Demon, is effectively the story of a village in the middle of nowhere being subjected to a mysterious string of unexplainable deaths. If you want to watch this anime and go into it 100% spoiler-free, even though this is not much of a spoiler at all, look away now.

The deaths are, of course, being caused by vampires. While they take their sweet time coming out and saying it, it's pretty obvious from a really early stage. But don't tell any of the characters that, because they don't half take their sweet time working it out. Over half the story is dedicated to watching the cast struggle to grasp something you worked out by the second episode, which is effectively this show's most crippling weakness.

Now stop. Do not hit the "Not Helpful" button just yet. Before you have a knee-jerk reaction to this, let me clarify my point quite firmly: No, I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, think that assuming the existence of vampires to be true is a logical conclusion. Not by a long shot. However, there are several very simple logical steps they should have gone through that would have lead them to it.

The most glaring of these is shown through Shiki's focus on the medical aspects of the show. One of the few things that sets the story apart from every other vampire story is that we see the doctors dealing with all the deaths trying to work out and explain what is going on. This would be a lot more compelling if they didn't miss an obvious sign. They promptly go through every aspect of the deaths, but leave one thing out: every victim shares a pair of bitemarks on their neck. Aside from the symptoms themselves, this is the only thing that every single victim has in common. But the medical staff don't even try to explain it. On top of that, every patient died of severe anaemia, but had no rational way of losing so much blood. Except the bitemarks, the only possible explanation and a plain and simple way of putting the only two loose ends together.

Now, once again, let me clear this up: I do not think that the bitemarks shoudl have instantly made them realise vampires were behind this. But so much about it makes it clear that vampires would have crossed their minds. Even if they initially brushed it off as implausible, they would have thought of it. Instead, this thought takes a long time to occur to anyone, and when it finally does, they are bizarrely accepting of it.

But even once they do realise it, they have to spend a long, long time convincing everyone else. In troper terms, this effectively leads to the villagers Dying Like Animals from sheer stupidity. Which leads to a highly drawn-out stretch of episodes consisting of Dr. Ozaki trying to stop the villagers from essentially jumping headfirst into their own graves.

On that note, the characters of Shiki are, to put it generously, less than likeable. There is only one personality in the entire series that is simultaneously interesting and does not make you want to punch them in the face, and that is Dr. Ozaki. The remaining cast are either boring, or sociopathic for no apparent reason. There are also a small handful inbetween who are mildly interesting but very stupid. Effectively, this is both the best and worst thing about Shiki. On the one hand, the cast is utterly insufferable. On the other, they die. A lot. And it manages to be gloriously, gloriously cathartic.

It is also what makes Ozaki such an empathetic character. Ozaki is the only sane man in the entire village. And he is just as frustrated as you are at their complete lack of survival instinct. Also, despite some earlier absences of common sense, Ozaki really manages to pull out some incredibly impressive tactics. And I mean REALLY impressive.

In spite of all the show's failings, in the final act it really gets it together and does a complete 180. This leads to an incredibly impressing finale, that is nothing short of a war. It leads to the point that anyone can (and probably will) die. Sadly this is only for the last 6 episodes, and at this point it is too little, too late. While these episodes were absolutely stellar, they don't quite justify watching the previous 16 episodes.

From a technical aspect, Shiki ranks to the latter on the scale of good vs OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!. The art style is about as awful as they come. The hair on the characters is the most stupid I've ever seen. Anime, as a medium, is known for its love of stupid hair, but even among them Shiki manages to be unbelievably appalling. The sound is quite a bit better, being a user of eerie ambient music. The first OP is also quite an excellent song, excellently merged with the animation. The remaining OP/ED themes are fine, but unremarkable.

I mentioned earlier that there were three ways that Shiki attempts to stick out from the vampire crowd, the first being the medical aspects. While none of these were very well-executed, they are still interesting: The other two being that the humans vs. vampires war is portrayed as simply being two opposing forces simply trying to survive, rather than good humans vs. evil monsters... and the third, being that they focus on the angst of those forcibly turned into vampires, having to kill people they once knew to survive.

Overall, Shiki has a lot of good ideas but in the end doesn't really execute them every well. It's a mixed bag, with enough upsides to keep it watchable earlier on, and with an excellent finale. Still, it really isn't worth watching in the long run.

Story/Plot: 5/10
Animation/Graphics: No seriously, what?/10
Music/Background: 7/10
Characters: 3/10

Overall: 6/10

For Fans Of: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, Dance in the Vampire Bund. read more

The horror genre rarely lends itself to be well done especially in anime. Shows like Higurashi, Elfen Lied, etc. - although good shows in their own right - were a sort of glass ceiling that served to bound the entire genre. Making a horror show more engaging, terrifying, entertaining, gruesome, and heartfelt than that was unheard of - neigh impossible.

Shiki, however, completely shattered my expectations. The opening theme of the anime beckons the viewer to partake of the terrifying yet somehow gruesomely beautiful world of Sotoma. To this day, those dark soulless eyes that pool themselves on the eyes of some of the female characters still haunt me in my sleep.

From the opening, the town of Sotoma is elegantly and painstakingly painted in its extravagant color, brightness, and its contrasting murderours darkness. The viewer is introduced to who we think would be our tale's main character and the love interest. But just as I was beginning to suspect I was stepping into just another cheesey lovestory, the artful series composers punched me in the face with one of Shiki's many dark surprises.

I could not help but feel like one of the many helpless bitten townfolk; Shiki had managed to sink its vampiric teeth into my neck and I was hooked. I was drawn by the enchanting town by day, the dark terror by night, and the many carefully crafted personalities wandering the town. The odd background music compounded the mystery and terror haunting the air, drawing me further and further in.

Without giving away anything regarding the plot, I restrain myself to simply say that truly Shiki worked its magic on me, changing my initial opinions and views.

To merely say Shiki was well-done is an understatement; it is an utter masterpeice in the horror genre; something to leave one scared, questioning, and haunted long after the last episode. read more

In all honesty, Shiki was a very good show for most of its run. In fact, for a while, I was going to give it a nine. So what happened? Well, a couple of things, really. I'll explain.

Story:
This started as the strong point of this anime. For the most part, Shiki is a mystery anime. It isn't that hard to figure out what's happening, but there are enough twists to keep it interesting. The pace is slow at first, but after a few episodes, the show became fairly good at holding my interest. It kept me uncertain of how things would be resolved until the last few episodes.

However, in the last episode, I pretty much guessed how one of the main issues would be resolved. This wasn't a bad thing really, but how it tied up side events was. The thing that really bothered me were a few key occurrences that had little to no explanation. A couple seemed like they were pulled out of a hat. I can't really talk about it without going into spoilers, but a few scenes might make you question how something happened, and then the anime never bothers to explain it to you.

Art:
For art, Shiki will either be a hit or a miss for you. The character design isn't at all conventional, and as someone pointed out in their review, some of the characters look as if they could use their chins as weapons. As you might have guessed, the designs have essentially no logic. The hair of almost every character merely laughs in the face of physics, and every character has these light rings around their pupils that seem to exist to make you wonder if they have some symbolic meaning or plot significance. They don't, but hey, they could've.

Oh, if you omit character design, the art's fairly nice. They did some fairly cool scenes throughout the show, and the show's design is artsy in a way that really adds to it's atmosphere.

Sound:
I don't have much to say about the sound but the acting in Shiki was good. Not the best I've ever heard, but it was convincing. As for the soundtrack, it never seemed out of place, and always added to the atmosphere.

Characters:
This was probably the worst part of the show. Many, many characters were interesting, but there was only one character in the entire show I felt the audience got to know really well. Many of the others would barely get a minute or two per episode if they were lucky. They would also usually be lumped in with a large group of other characters. It was actually depressing at times. Times when the less significant main characters were given a decent amount of time, I felt, were few and far between.

Overview:
All in all, I enjoyed Shiki. I found it a refreshing view on a worn topic, and one that can generate a discussion or two to boot. Anyways, While Shiki isn't the greatest anime ever made, it's worth a look. read more

Hello everyone. This is CrimsonDeath (Crimson for short) bringing you my first ever review on not only anime/manga, but basically anything I've ever done previously, so please don't be too harsh if my writing is executed poorly. Note that I will try my best to not give away spoilers or mention the storyline more than needed. Enough about me though, let's move on to the anime in review itself.

The anime in question this time is Shiki, an anime that left me with many tears in my eyes while and after watching due to its sad and dark nature. It involves mystery and supernatural elements although we're not allowed to say what these are because it is actually a spoiler. I am not as fond of this particular genre as some other people mind you, but this anime was just too good for me.


Story - 10

I congratulate this anime for the story it has brought all of us to enjoy! The basic idea behind the plot is to keep the identity of the real enemy hidden to the main characters but give the viewer a pretty accurate guess as to who/what the enemy is. Whether you realise who is threatening the village or not, this anime is going to keep you from not wanting more. There are many elements in this anime that excel in the particular setting like the ambitions of people and the fact that humans are fragile creatures and can break with a small push, and this is what I enjoyed most.


Art - 9

First I would like to give huge props to the animation studio that designed the main antagonists. The whole concept is expressed beautifully through the colours of the eyes and skin, whilst giving off a sad aura that touches the viewer. More in general, the rest of the characters are very well made, uniquely representing everyone's character in some way or another. The backgrounds and environment were really colourful and detailed at all times. I have no complaints from this, although some people might find the hairstyles of some of the charcacters weird or too much. I personally liked them.
The thing I am amazed with is what I always call "the death faces". It's basically a dead man's/woman's face right before/after they die. This always sent chills down my spine whenever I saw it and, since it happens a lot, you can guess I felt like I was in a refridgerator for more than half of the anime.

Sound - 9

The BGM was really fitting the mood in most cases, which enhances the feeling being given off from the anime even more.
The 2 Openings were very beautiful, namely "Kuchizuke" performed by Buck-Tick and "Calendula Requiem" performed by kanon*kanon, with the latter being my favorite of the two. The first Ending theme, "Walk no Yakusoku" by nangi was really not to my liking while the second one, "Gekka Reijin" by Buck-Tick was really good. These songs tried their best to fit the dark theme of the anime and I have to say that they succeeded in doing so.


Characters - 10

Now comes the good part. Every, single, freakin, character is unique and their purposes different. Seeing how there is so much death in this anime most characters don't go in too much depth, but there is a crapload of them and they all ahve unique characteristics which help you distinguish them. There are a few main characters which I will mention independently.

Ozaki Toshio - is what you call the main protagonist of this series, if you view the anime from a point that I don't. Watch the anime and you will understand what I'm talking about. He is the village's doctor and runs his own clinic. This guy is the generic badass of the series, always having a cigarette lit between his lips. He is the one suspecting and acting first before everyone else, trying to save everyone from their tragic fate. A very interesting character, maybe a little too strong for the anime's standards, but his weak side is exposed a hell of a lot.

Muroi Seishin - Toshio's best friend, the local priest of Sotoba whose hobby is writing books, mostly novels. Seishin is pretty much the opposite of Toshio, being the voice of reason many times and keeping a generally neutral stance in all this. He is also the one human who comes in contact with the other main character the most in the whole series.

Kirishiki Sunako - The main character of the series, if you view the anime from the point that I do. Whilst being the main character she is also the main antagonist of this series. She is a little girl whose past is shrouded in mystery and has been shutting herself in the European style mansion on top of the big hill of the village. Only she and God know her true purposes. She may look like a ten-year-old girl but the speeches she presents to basically Seishin placed me in deep thought.

Yuuki Natsuno - Another character that deserves mention in this segment since he does some pretty important stuff. Right. This is the boy who recently moved in Sotoba and hates the place. Literally loathes it. His one and only wish is to leave this place and return to the big city whence he came. At first he was holed up within himself, never opened up to anyone because he did not want anything to have with these "primitive" people. One day he met a fellow villager when he had a flat tyre on his bicycle, who helped him repair it. Thus he opened up to this one and only person who became his sole friend. What he noticed from the start though was a young girl's stares and later a tragic involvement with her that would change his life forever.


Enjoyment - 10

I have to say that the air the anime gave off was really heavy, certainly an anime not for everyone. This anime needs you to have a good stomach and a not-so-easy-to-break heart if you want to go through it in one piece. Since I am pretty open when it comes to anime and will watch pretty much anything, I really felt this was really my kind of anime, making me enjoy it a lot, so much that it deserves a 10/10 for this.


Overall - 10

This is my third favorite anime and for good reason. I would like to say right now that I didn't want to begin with such a difficult to review anime but I wanted to test my skills in this to see how far I can reach. I would also like to add another grading, being the rewatchability of the anime. I know plenty of people who like to watch the same anime over and over again when they have nothing better to do, so rewatchability of an anime is pretty important to some people.


Rewatchability - 7

Note that this score does not count to the overall since it is something that is not applied for all people and clearly comes down to personal preference.


Moving on, I hope you enjoyed reading through this tedious wall of text. Any constructive criticism and feedback is kindly appreciated. If you find any faults in my grammar or english in general, well, you won't. read more

Well, this is my first review, but I'll try to make it worth reading. What brought me to this anime is that I really enjoyed the anime Higurashi no naku koroni and Shiki was one of the recommended animes that was supposedly similar to Higurashi.

Story: (9/10)

So basically, the story is set in a small village called Sotoba. People start dying mysteriously and it's mainly told through the point of view of Yuuki Natsuno, Ozaki Satoshi, and Muroi Seishin, as well as a few other characters. The viewer knows what's going on, but the characters don't know of the existence of Shiki until a little bit later into the anime. I thought the story was pretty unique, except the whole small town setting seemed some what cliché to me, so that's why I give it a 9.

Art: (9/10)

The art is a bit strange, as in the hairstyles are a bit weird. When I watched the first episode, I was actually really put off by the hair, even to the point to where I considered dropping the first episode because it bugged me so much. But I decided against it. Once you get used to it, the art is actually very unique, which I really like. The hair isn't just the standard long, flowing girly hair you typically see, it has character to it. It almost gives characters their own individuality. So don't be too put off by the art, you'll come to appreciate it more as the series progresses. The backgrounds, too, were done nicely. They weren't sloppily done and actually looked really good. I give the art a 9 only because the art style wasn't something I was used to at the beginning of the series.

Sound: (10/10)

The sound was fantastic. I thought it went along very well with the theme of the anime. Some of the songs on the soundtrack had a creepy, gothic feel to it which I thought went along great with the vampire genre of this anime. The music was also played appropriately with certain scenes. During comedic scenes, there would be a more upbeat song to match the mood. I also enjoyed the opening and ending songs a lot.

Character: (9/10)

The characters were damn cool. For once, in an anime, there weren't any characters I hated. At first Megumi kind of pissed me off, but in the end I thought she was pretty cool. The main characters in this anime and even some of the reoccurring characters have nice background stories, nobody was really left out save for a few people. The characters also had awesome and different personalities. No two were the same. I give it a 9, though, because even though their back stories were explained, I still thought they could have gone into a bit more detail with them.

Enjoyment: (10/10)

I can guarantee you that if you enjoy vampire stories or the whole vampire concept in general, you'll like this anime. It's not too bloody, which was kind of disappointing for me, but it has just enough blood in it to satisfy you. I loved this anime and it is definitely an anime I will come back to in a few years and watch again. It is re-watchable.

Overall: (10/10)

The characters, story, art, and sound were all incredible. This was a damn good anime. If you like Higurashi or anything like it, you'll love this anime. It has mystery, vampire, and even religious themes to it. Even the few comedic moments it has you'll love. I found them to be hilarious. Also, this anime has a bit of a gothic feel to it, especially the way Sunako dresses. It's cute. So give this anime a try, and I'm sure you'll fall in love with it! read more