Shiki

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This is a pretty great manga series!! I've never been so addicted to a story. I finished this one in two days! I really loved it, the amount of clues this manga leaves out in the open is honestly breathtaking. Even though it was hard to keep up with all the characters, you still get motivated to read more? But man. Prepare for the ending, is all i'm sayin.
I stumbled upon this Manga just after re-watching Higurashi (Kai), and while I can't draw that many similarities between the two, they've both got this overarching sinister feel, as well as constantly bending your expectations. The ... art was one of the high points for me!! Some of the panels during the middle of the story had angular shots which I loved to see. I'm a massive fan of this 2008/2010 manga style. I really loved the relationship between Natsuno and Tooru! They really kept me reading for way longer than my tiny heart could handle. The story also doesn't take its gore lightly! Which is a plus in my book, but maybe not yours. Super enjoyable, would totally recommend!!

Shiki is a great manga because it keeps the stakes personal.

A series of deaths occur in a small traditional japanese village, Sotoba, and it all started after a certain family inhabited an abandoned mansion, it turns out they are vampires. It's a bit slow paced at the beginning, because of its focus on world building, but the mistery is ever present, and pays off in the end. The struggle of the village is all the more enjoyable because of its small scale, we get to know everyone and every nook and cranny (with details about the national road, the temples, houses) and we are more ... invested in the story because of that. Another great aspect it achieves, is the suspense in which it slowly builds upon, the bigger picture is never clear and as the story progresses, every character intertwines and the conflict tightens. It brings up numerous memorable and shocking scenes and leaves no plot points loose.

The diverse personalities of the characters responding to the terror in different ways makes it all interesting. We have two factions, the villagers who try to understand what is happening, trying to survive; and the Shiki, a group of undead who are responsible for the misery of the vilage, and we care about the fight that happens with both, who will survive and be the dominant species. Human nature is a constant theme, the fear of not being the dominant species and the struggle for survival, keeps us questioning who is truly achieving the right thing.

The art conveys the story in an unique and haunting way. I struggled to enjoy it and didn't find me staring at a page admiring the drawings, just finished reading and went to the next page. But it sets the atmosphere and suits the horror theme. The lack of detail is made up for with the shading and facial expressions (you truly feel their fear and discomfort). All the characters have exaggerated traits that keep them unique and memorable.

I was not expecting to be so engaged, and was quite surprised about how it told a classic concept such as vampires, the events are well thought out and are so intriguing, plus you are fully invested in the characters, their fate, and the fate of the village that you keep on reading.

The premise of the story is intriguing and rather refreshing. The story has a certain draw to it that kept me reading chapter after chapter. Unfortunately, the characters destroy any suspension of disbelief I had. It’s been a while since I’ve encountered such an entirely retarded cast of characters. I feel the story could have ended in 10 chapters if only the characters had a minimal IQ of 80. The characters are rather bland with limited development, but not completely uninteresting. For example, the bond between Natsuno and Tooru was fun to read about. It’s a tragedy that it wasn’t further explored though. So ... many characters were introduced, then killed off without elaboration that 95% o f the cast was forgettable. The main characters suffer an overabundance of tropes and lack depth. The art is passable, but won’t win any awards/ At times, the characters’ bodies are so elongated that you wonder if the artist drew this while laying down. Overall the manga felt shallow and predictable with a few redeeming qualities. 6/10