The story itself is pretty much what i described above without going into spoiler territory be warned from here on out this review will have spoilers and so a word of Caution is advised.
The story itself is more or less a vampire story and came out at a time where vampires where at a storm in fandom, however unlike other series this one takes on the more traditional approach to the myth and is more of a welcome place for a genre that has been so twisted and changed that is hard to keep with what anymore.
It focuses on 4 main characters: The doctor Toshio Ozaki who is probably the character that got most development in this story is the one trying to figure out what is going and how to stop this crisis that affects the town. ( he is he representation of the human side)
Sunako Kirishiki the Leader of the Shiki another name for what people would describe as vampires, she has her eyes set on the town and comes up with a plan to turn the whole populace into a Shiki village so as to finally have a place to belong and be accepted along with the rest of her family who moved with her.( She represents the Shiki side).
Than u have Natsuno Yuuki the city boy who is not fond of the town where he is staying and is very unsociable and distant but cares for the few people he cares with out most heart, he is turned later into a Shiki but still tries to stop there plans( he represent the turned Shiki still holding out to there humanity).
Finally we have Seishin Muroi the local monk who never felt like he truly belonged or like the position he was within the village and is also a writer of series of book which Sunako is a fan off and after spending some Time with here realizes what he truly wants and voluntarily to be turned into a shiki( he represents people turned into shiki who reject cast off there humanity).
The Art itself of this show is quite unique compared to the standard animation, for a series that focuses on a more horror genre it is surprisingly bright colored but don't let them turn you off..cause the art and animation is simply wonderful.
The design of the people are in reminiscent of those u see from the works of Clamp but not so exaggerated as the former. The thing they might the most of putting about would most likely be the crazy hairstyles and pointed chins that the majority of cast has...B
ut the background art is well done and the designs of the characters are all unique and original and u can easily identify each character without much difficulty and than the horror sequences combined with excellent music composition can leave creeped out and even scared at times...especially if u watch this in dark ...
The Soundtrack...Oh Wow the Soundtrack if there is anything that comes close to being 10/10 it would be the music composition of the show..usually when u have an anime series there might be one or two ost that u might like and ignore the rest but in this case all of the ost composition are the best of the best.
Each single track is never out of place and sinkcranizes so well with each other to the horrifying and creepy ost-Pendulumn to the sheer utter despair and sadness ost-Day and Night...even the intro and ending themes are something to behold both for teh first half and second half intro's and ending are great which is rare to find these days.
The Characters: Oh boy this is were the series seems to get a lot of divided opinions mostly due to huge cast arrangement there is within this show as well as how that affects there development.
Some i can agree with cause not all of them have enough screen time or others just disappear and reappear between various points within the story but the biggest of them all is probably has to do with there behaviors with dealing the mentioned crisis that is effecting the town and really puts you in a situation to understand the very foundation of morals and makes u wonder what u would do in that situation for both sides perspective and if u combine all of it together there is no right or wrong just shade of grey for both parties.
To give an idea about this here are some character details and how each one is affected and how there actions can be either wrong ..right or in between:
Truth Be told...i don't Think Either side was Wrong and Neither was Right. Huh if u look at the big picture both the Shiki and human were in the right and wrong on a lot of things.
The Shiki were a race of beings that were outside of there nature but nobody within their ranks ever truly wanted to be turned into shinki in the first place...
Some of them definitely deserved to be eliminated as they rather enjoyed the ability to kill and contempt and were even killing out of necessity rather for there enjoyment such as Megumi, Tatsumi, Atsushi Ookawa and Masao Murasako were all just rotten to the core.
While others such as Tooru Mutou, Nao Yasumori and Ritsuko Kunihiro were left with no real choice and had to kill not out of joy but out of survival.
Nao killed her family off in order to at least make them part of her new life as she did not want to be alone but ultimately failed,
Tooru was too overwhelmed with hunger and could never control it and
Ritsuko was probably the strongest will to choose death rather than become the monster she has become.
AS for Sunako's case she is both a villain and a Tragic character...Her Plan to turn an entire village for shiki spread from a desire to find a place to belong and find a new family to accept her after being left abandoned and than alone for over a century and more.
Yes she was bit merciless and a bit brutal but at the same time u can't but help with sympathizing with her after all that has happened u can understand at least to some extant as to why she did what she did even if it would never have worked.
As for Natsuno Koide he may seem like an ass because he is unsociable but that is more or less to do of being forced into situations and brought to this place out of other people chocies ( his parents) Also with the fact that people were judging him ( villiagers) and he wanted to get out..Tooru and a few of the others were his only real friends and he really did care for them,
it was Tooru's death and than turning him into a shiki against his will was the main reason he wanted vengeance..
.After he himself got turned, even tough he got the better option he still wanted to destroy them cause of what they did and he resented what he became cause it made him feel like he was also part of them. that is why he took his own life but took the others with them as he felt he never wanted to be part of the shiki but he could never return to being truly human.
Now on the Human's Side first of all u got the Toshio Ozaki he was a guy who cared for his patients and all the people around him and he so desperately wanted to save everyone he could, he saw the shiki were a threat to the humans and rightful so as they were compelling to kill everyone one out of there own interests.
he was pushed to the limit with the death of his own wife( before u say about her treatment after that let me explain) ...Yes his wife died and yes his methodology to find out about the shinki were morally questionable but in all honesty after all the deaths and all the suffering and with this one chance to find out your enemies weakness did he really have any other choice? if u were in the position and i mean truly in that position ask yourself what u would have done?
His leading the whole villagers and taking down the shiki was brilliant and necessary if u were a human population and faced a threat u had to do u can in order to survive and sometimes that might mean sacrificing your own humanity although to be fair he was not a villain to the shiki as he neighter enjoyed killing, it was just a matter of survival and anger( you lose your wife and friends u would be pushed to the limit too)
Some of the other villagers in there treatment of the Shiki was really harsh and some even relished and prolonged the kills which makes them yes a bit more villianry others were just scared and horrified and the same time anger filled them in there hearts and with all those factors can u really blame them for doing to what they did to the Shiki? it may have been wrong as to how some were treated but most of them were forced into that situation which was way out of control.
Than u have the priest Seishin Muroi while yes i can see how soem people might see him as a traitor and yes a bit hypocritical in his philosophy about killing and murder after what he did but if u take a step back and anaylize it a bit more, he was more or less just speaking about the morallity of what others tough of and compelled him to do what they wanted.
he never wanted to be a priest and he was so influenced by his family tradition that he must have thought he was trapped and continued to bear the judgment of others rather than himself when he talked with Sunako about his books and feelings i think at some point he must have realized what he truly wanted and took the opportunity to finally escape it all and he choose to be a Shiki as he always felt he was more dead than alive and being a Shiki was more close to what he truly was than how others forced him to be.
Bottom line though is that there is no real bad or good things in either cases, this whole thing was set to fall apart from the start, it just had to build up into a climax that in the end due to the conflict of both parties led to the ruin of most parties hence the symbolism of the village being destroyed and both the Shiki and human due the conflicts with each other destroyed themselves. but that is up to you to decide...
Final verdict: This series is an excellent Story that it's central focuses at least the way i see it the morality of a person and how or she reacts in a situation forced upon that is way beyond anyone's control and in the end there is no way out without at least sacrificing a part of your humanity to do so..but it asks you how much and how far are you willing to go before yourself become what u despise...
IS the monster born a monster simply because u have to live as a monster to stay alive? or is monster turned into a monster cause it u run into a situation with no option but to be a monster to survive?..
That is the very basis of this story...Also if u want a more traditional vampire story and in need of a good horror and mystery series i recommend shiki as one you should try out...you will not be disappointed.
Over all:8.75/10 show less
