Yami Shibai

[English isn't my first language so sorry for any mistakes]
When I came across this title, I was intrigued by the art style. This was the main reason why I decided to watch Yami Shibai.

At first the art may be discouraging, especially the way everything is animated. But I got used to it quite quickly and honestly appreciated it. It actually suits the concept of the series. It's as if you were watching a little theatre of horror stories, indeed. Actually, there appear creepy creatures and the way they are drawn can give chills by itself.

About the stories: I can't say every of them caught my ... full attention. Some are better, some a bit worse. However, a few of them give this disturbing feeling while watching. Are they scary? Well, not necessarily, although as I said they can leave uneasiness to an extent. It's all an individual experience.

As a whole, I found those 13 episodes entertaining. They also give a glimpse of those small japanese folklore stories so surely some people may find it interesting.
Every episode takes less than 5 minutes to watch so I'd say it's a good suggestion as a break. Also, I think the unique art style may be entertaining to some people looking for anime with different looks.

This is my first review, so please bare with me. Yami Shibai is a different kind of horror anime. It's not your usual 24 min per episode, but rather a 5 min per episode anime. Simply, it's a collection of short stories.

--STORY--
The story was't anything special. Considering each episode lasts only for 5 minutes and the stories being standalone, there wasn't any sort of story development or anything. Some of the stories had something deep, while some were just about a quick scare. So, don't expect much.

--ART--
I really liked the art style of this anime. It felt weird in the beginning, but it soon grew ... over me as I watched the show. It's very different compared to our usual anime out there. It reminded me of cardboard cut out characters with stop motion animation. It's simple but very effective. I would say, this really elevated the show.

--SOUND--
The sound was really good. It was perfect for this show. Some of the sounds really helped in creating the tension and suspense leading to good scares. The voice acting was really good and was spot on. The emotions of the characters felt realistic thanks to the voice acting .

--CHARACTER--
Like the story, there isn't anything special about the characters. They are there to complete the story. Since, it's a collection of short stories with new characters you can't really care for anyone of them, and there's no actual need too. Some were interesting and some were not. Also, some of the character designs were really weird and creepy. Which imao worked very well.

--ENJOYMENT--
I really had fun watching this anime. It was totally a different experience for me. Some episodes scared me and some didn't. But all the episodes were outright creepy. I like being creeped out or scared. So, yeah. It was fun.

--OVERALL--
This anime is for people who love horror and want something weird and creepy to watch in a short format. For others it's mostly gonna be a hit or a miss. Don't come here expecting a great story or characters. Because, it's not made for that.

We can all agree on the fact that horror anime often fail to actually be scary. Yet, it seems that Yami Shibai does a good job at it.

Story:

Each episode consists in a 4-minute short story, always following the same pattern and starting with the narration of a storyteller who briefly introduces us to the characters. We are then rapidly thrown into a seemingly ordinary situation, which progressively proves itself to not really be quite ordinary. The tension builds up until the climax is reached, signaling the end of the episode. Some people seem to consider short anime to be inherently bad, but I think ... this duration works well with the horror genre. The fact that the story ends really quickly prevents us from getting distracted, which would nullify all the tension-building.

The stories are very open to interpretation, as the reason why the events of the episode happened is never really explained. This can be unnerving, and even seem like a cheap way to write a story without having to think too much about it. It's probably true, but I think it also helps strenghtening the fear. The episodes start with an everyday situation that becomes abnormal because a supernatural being made its way into it, leaving the protagonist to wonder what exactly is happening and why. The fact that the threat's nature is unknown increases the sens of danger and the feeling of not knowing what to do. There are a few stories in which the side characters seem to understand the situation, but they never explain it to the protagonist, leaving them – and us – to face something we cannot comprehend.

Characters:

Each story has its own characters, the narrator being the only one who appears in every episode. As you can guess, we do not have much time to get to know them before the episode ends, but this is not really a problem because there simply is not much to learn about them. Those characters are not complex or remarkable in any way, acting like most people probably would if they were in their place. A lot of them are not even given a name and are simply introduced by the narrator as your average man, woman, little boy, ...

Is that a bad thing? Not really. Each story shows you how some people can suddenly find themselves in a terrible and horrifying situation, and the fact that those people are awfully normal only increases the feeling that those stories could be real. They are happening in our world, to people who are just like us, so how can we be sure that they really are just stories?

Visuals:

Let's directly get to the main point: the animation. It can be a major turn-on or turn-off depending on how you see it for the simple reason that... well, there is actually nothing that could really be called "animation" in Yami Shibai. The visuals are made to mimic the style of the kamishibai, which is a style of storytelling that uses paper characters moving in front of a background. The movements are therefore very limited – for example, when someone talks, their lips don't move – and illusory, as the characters simply jump from one pose to another. But when the time comes for real movement, you'll definitely feel uneasy.

The characters have a design that's quite realistic compared to most anime on the market which clearly helps setting a more serious mood. Most of the colours used are either dark and dull or reddish, contributing to the establishment of a eerie atmosphere.
However, the art style varies from one episode to another, some being much prettier than others.

Sound:

The voice-acting is quite good, but also different from what you're probably used to. You won't hear your typical anime voice that no real japanese person has, but something closer to reality in the way the characters speak.

The musics are fine, but rather discreet. The sinister atmosphere is mainly set using sound effects or a sudden silence.

The ending is sung by Hatsune Miku, which is... very surprising. But – and it is maybe even more surprising – it actually fits the mood of the anime quite well, the robotic vocaloid voice giving the song some kind of strange tone.

Enjoyment:

So, did Yami Shibai find the miracle recipe to make a scary anime? Not completely.
I found all the episodes – minus one – to be creepy, but the quality wasn't quite constant. While some stories were really nice and managed to frighten me, others were extremely weird, leaving me with a "What did I just watch?" feeling. Obviously, we are all very different when it comes to what we consider to be scary, and if some people will shiver in fear while watching this anime, others will just probably wait for the episode to end without batting an eye.

On a side note, I'd like to point out that most episodes contain a jumpscare. I admit that, well, I'm not a fan of those, as I don't consider that making me jump is making me afraid. However, jumpscares are something that's rarely used in anime and, for this reason, I think it is quite remarkable.

As a whole, I really liked Yami Shibai. It is different and, even though it isn't perfect, it is very interesting and entertaining. It will certainly not appeal to everyone, but I'd recommend it to anyone who likes horror stories.

Before I begin, I must clarify three things. One - this is my first review on this site, so I don't expect it to be a great review or anything. Secondly, I'll be reviewing this like you'd review Ani*Kuri 15, but only with the story. And finally, I don't get scared easily, so if I say an episode didn't scare me it shouldn't lower my ideas of rank.

Art//8
The art style in Yami Shibai is very unique and I absolutely adore it -- a different art style is something I really like in an anime. It fits well with this episodic anime, told as if ... it were one in a book of horrors -- and in a way it certainly is. I think the rt style really only fits with this anime. It wouldn't fit in other gorey or scary animes, really. And that's just one of the many things I love about the art, but since I don't want to be repetitive I'll move on to the sound.

Sound//7
Of course, the sound is amazing too. The voices fit the characters and they definitely don't sound like characters from a moe anime or anything. I also like basically every other sound, as this anime seems to pay attention to detail in not just art but also in sound.

Characters//7
Oh, I would've loved to rate this higher, but I would like to comment on some things after I get done with the things Yami Shibai does right with its characters. First of all, they feel like actual humans. Voices match up, art matches up, and the reactions they have are pretty appropriate for the situations. Granted, some characters are just.. quite stupid or get scared to easily. I guess since I wasn't scared through most episodes where the characters react in immense terror to their situations I am like this, but still, as mentioned at the top of this review I don't get scared easily. Aside from those minor flaws, the characters are great.

Enjoyment//10
I binge-watched all three seasons of this show and didn't stop for anything - To put it briefly, I love this show.

Now for the episode reviews -- and no, they won't all be getting a gold medal. I won't delve deep into the episodes to avoid spoilers, so they'll be very brief.
---
The Talisman Woman//7
It took me a while to realize what the woman's intentions were, and when it hit me later in the episode I still hadn't of thought that ending was coming. Nice episode, but with an alright jump-scare.

Zanbai//8
This episode was quite creepy, I must say. Especially with the chant at the end -- I don't know why, but it wasn't the voices that scared me and instead the movement. It was very, very ominous. The ending could've been scarier, but I liked Zanbai a lot.

The Family Rule//7
I would've rated this a six if the little boy didn't act like an actual little boy. He was very curious but I think his parents should have tried to help in the end, but they were probably paralyzed by fear. I'll leave that be and instead focus on how creepy those masks were -- aside from that, I wasn't even slightly frightened but I enjoyed the episode.

Hair//9
Very scary. I admit to not expecting that jump scare and it did get me, so I'll give it some points for that. Granted, I feel as if the protagonist was a little stupid or just way too brave for her own good - personally, I would've ran away screaming. That was just creepy.

The Next Floor//8
I didn't expect that whole twist with the woman in the near-end and the eye scene freaked me out. It gave an odd, captivating feel of loneliness and dread and I wanted to see what happened to the husband. Again, great episode.

The Overhead Rack//5
I didn't care for this episode. The visuals and sound affects were creepy, no doubt, but I couldn't get into it. I definitely don't hate it though.

Contradiction//10
Very, very frightening visuals. The twist at the end was something I expected, but it still got me. This is my favorite and possibly the most frightening episode in this season.

The Umbrella Goddess//7
I liked this one, and the "little boy" scared me. However, our protagonist is an idiot, even if he is a young boy.

Cursed//9
Cursed has this weird feeling of hopelessness and it's somewhat chilling. I liked the ending and I'd love an anime just based off of that one episode. I'd like to say this was the most intriguing one right after Contradiction.

The Moon//4
Didn't scare me. I don't have a thing for monsters. Yes, I know, this was targeted at a Japanese audience with different tastes, but still, I dislike it. Hate? No, I don't hate it. It still has its redeeming qualities.

Video//7
Eh. The person didn't scare me, but the reactions and the end definitely were good. Even if the person in the video didn't frighten me, I still liked it.

Tomonari//9
That. Ending. Very, very, very creepy. I didn't want to look up at my ceiling for a very, very long time.

The Tormentor//6
As a season finale of sorts, my expectations were raised -- and I was sightly disappointed. Yes, the mystery was alluring and the scene where the boy sees the dancing.. whatever, yes, that was scary. But the jumpscare -- if you can even call it that -- was bland and I am only now realizing it was meant to be a jumpscare. Also, the ending made me laugh -- I'm not sure why.

I've always been a fan of creepy urban legends, so when I heard about Yami Shibai, I simply had to watch it. Each episode is around 5 minutes long, but it works perfectly for the genre, as it leaves you wondering what the heck happened to the characters after the story.
It's not the best thing ever, but I'd still recommend watching it if you're looking for something quick.
Just a warning though, try to watch it when it's still light outside.

I love horror, but find it difficult to enjoy most horror anime as they are either too over the top, or the animation doesn't give that eerie vibe. Yami Shibai was a refreshing take from the blood splatters, with short but effective story telling, very much like camp ghost stories with paper puppets.

Each episode is a stand alone story, no more than 3 or 4 minutes long, focusing on a particular person who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The stories mostly deal with ghosts, spirits and unknown creatures, never really clarifying exactly what is ... happening, which only adds to the eerie confusion and fear of the unknown and unexplainable.

The art and animation are brilliant for this series and type of story telling, completely surprising the audience by not using the typical anime-style designs and going for more story book type illustrations that reminded me of Junji Ito in some ways. The characters move similar to stick puppets, bobbing and floating along according to the storytellers desire. It really makes you feel like you are actually witnessing the 5 o'clock puppet show in the beginning of each episode.

Everyone sounds like a normal person, no over hyped voice acting and the characters are portrayed well. Tension is done well, the darkness and quiet of the series further adds to the atmosphere. Episode 4 really had me holding my breath.

I don't easily scare so none of the episodes managed to make me jump like it did for some, but I still enjoyed the overall creepiness of this show. Because the episodes are around 4 minutes long I was able to enjoy it in one shot without putting off any daily responsibilities. It was fun watching it alone, but I think it'd be even more fun watching with kids or a friend who scares easily.

Watched for MyAnimeList's Anime Watching Challenge 2019 - Watch an anime with 10 or more episodes that are each 15 minutes or less

Yami Shibai is a series of five-minute episode ghost stories in a thirteen-part series. With each episode focusing on a different story, there is definitely an aspect of horror for everyone to be found in this short series.

This series has a lot of charm in its own way; it has its own animation style definitely different from a lot of anime styles that are found nowadays and it runs well. At first glance, it looks more like something for children, (almost reminiscent ... of shows like Gorey Tales for Gruesome Children in the United Kingdom) but its ability to make you tense and jumpy for their predictable jumpscares is something to be desired. There aren't many mediums in recent years that can set up something completely predictable but still manage to make the viewer jump and tense up. There were many times throughout this fifty-two-minute series that had me so tense that I got mild muscle cramps.

Each story is unique to its own style of horror with the likes of tropes similar to Ringu, some of Junji Itou's works, etc., but each story managed to continue to keep the horror factor up. There was only really one episode in this I didn't really like for the factor the tone of the horror changed compared to the rest of the series - however, it still unnerved me for different reasons and it kept the series up to par with its horror levels.

With six seasons so far of this absolute little horror gem, all I can say is that if you're a horror fan, you'll definitely get a kick out of this one. It's dark, unnerving, short and sweet, and still has enough of the "is this character literally dumb" moments to also keep you laughing. Yami Shibai is an amazing piece of horror medium and I cannot wait to binge the rest of this (so far) six season anime series.

A collection of horror tales, some better than others, but the kamishibai style makes it more interesting, perhaps because I saw it once.

The art in Kamishibai would say it's the strong point, maybe some don't like it, but I found it a perfect choice, precisely because it made me feel like I was really watching a Kamishibai, I don't know if it would work so well if it were in a more standard style.

The soundtrack helps a lot, makes you more immersed in the story, it fits very well when it is needed.

I would say that like any work in this style, there will be ... some stories that will be more interesting than others, some in particular I really liked.

If you like urban legends, you will probably like this anime

I really enjoyed watching the first season of this show. Japanese horror is really something like no other. I don't know what it is that makes it so much scarier than Western horror that truly sends a shiver up my spine. Perhaps it's because us no good Americans tend to meddle in things that shouldn't be meddled with in the first place. Going directly into haunted house or abandoned asylums, opening locked trunks and secret diaries that say "KEEP OUT, DO NOT OPEN!" I think a part of me when watching this thinks, "See whatever happens to you, you deserve ... it."
But with Japanese horror it's all about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rarely is the cruel punishment handed out due to meddlesome Scooby-Doo teenagers but a tired businessman who decided to stop at a ramen shop. Or a housewife who stopped to have polite conversation with a stranger. Japanese horror scares me because it reminds me of the premise of "Drag Me to Hell" where the protagonist was cursed to go to hell because she was doing her job and didn't provide her client with a loan to save her house. See? Wrong place, wrong time, and certainly the wrong person.
In my opinion the best episode in this season was "The Next Floor". Sooo eerie, sooooo creepy, where you really didn't know what was going to happen next. That's another thing that separates Eastern and Western horror. You always know that in Western horror that whatever is out to get you is going to kill you. But in Eastern horror, it's more about the 'Why?' rather than 'How?'. You and the main character are truly one when you're just as scared as to what comes around the corner or what is the strange image in the distance. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this first season. :)