Shigofumi

When I found out about Shigofumi, I was intrigued by the concept. It explores what would happen if you could send a letter after your death to the world of the living. The ones who deliver these letters are only supposed to observe as the strong feelings of the dead affect the people they knew. The contents of these letters, however, are not always uplifting.

Story: 8
I really enjoyed the originality of the story. By that, I mean how the letters considered "all" strong emotions, even those of intense hatred. Social issues in Shigofumi include bullying and joblessness (and something else I'd rather not spoil). The ... episodic nature of the series never bothered me, though I'll admit certain episodes were better than others.

Art: 8
The art was solid and well-done, though not astounding. Again, the art quality seemed to be a little different each episode, but never bad enough to be noticeable.

Sound: 8
I enjoyed the ending theme (Chain) more than the opening, but both were enjoyable and appropriate.

Character: 8
Development for the "character of the episode" was always well fleshed out, but again, how much you enjoy it depends on personal preference. I had a few characters I found amazing and a few that I didn't really care for as much. However, in each episode, we also find out a little more about Fumika, the main mail carrier in the series.

Enjoyment: 8
I really enjoyed the series, though some episodes had less of an impact than others. My only other criticism is that it might seem a little slow at times.

Overall: 8
The series has mysterious, sometimes overelaborate setups, and if you find yourself getting bored, don't give up on the series right away. Give it a few more episodes and you might find yourself liking it a little more.

Shigofumi’s atmosphere is very bleak and cynical; it reminded me of how I felt while watching Vampire Princess Miyu or Boogiepop Phantom with its retrograded aesthetic. This cult classic combines the aspect of cute girls with the morose subject of the dead and their wishes. Much like Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya, there are talking staffs and magical girls with thigh-high stockings, but imagine if Miyu from Prisma☆Illya had a revolver as a weapon and transported messages from the dead to the living as a Shinigami. That’s Shigofumi in a nutshell.

• Shigofumi was more than what I was expecting; conceptually it’s a bombshell that’s teeming with cool ideas. ... Many people compared it to Hell Girl, but Ai Enma and her gang of ghouls didn’t seem particularly interesting to me, while Fumika and Chiaki had more of a human element to them. While sometimes very dark, this series carried a relatable tangibility to it that many episodic, grotesque, morality-centered series have a hard time encapsulating.

• While the series, Vampire Princess Miyu, is one that I have droves of nostalgia for―the side characters felt more like props than people most of the time because they were lured into destruction after a demoniac entity tampers with their lives, discarded them, and the series left their legacy behind (rinse, recycle, repeat); the only characters you really watched the show for are Miyu and Larva. Shigofumi breaks the mold of not caring about nameless side characters and is able to make you care about those characters as human beings in the span of one to two episodes.

• The first arc with Asuna Ayase, a girl who seems like an ideal maniac pixie dream girl until her veneer of superficiality is peeled away, and a later arc with a character named Takehiko Hibiya, an unemployed video game developer, particularly got to me and made me tear up. The visual direction in majority of the episodes are inventive and visually stunning as well and I was shocked that a series with such a unique visual presentation didn’t cause more of a clamor among anime consumers in the US or Japan (unfortunately know that it wasn’t very well received because of the lack of figures made, moe or ecchi shows with memorable female designs usually, at the very least, have one or two; the one that was made of Fumika looks like a garage kit).

• I would say that the weakest episode, in my opinion, is one that discusses bullying and karmic retribution. I disliked that one because it fell into the easy trap of something like Hell Girl and Vampire Princess Miyu, where it had a more detached look on the folly of humanity and humans foolishly hurting one another rather than the more empathetic and thoughtful take of Shigofumi’s sister episodes.

• I would have rated Shigofumi higher if the reveal of Fumika’s alter ego didn’t make the last few episodes so confusing. I feel that the story could have easily been resolved in the episodes with her abusive father. This series is absolutely worth a venture, especially if you’re looking for an outside-of-the-box experience that is drowning in sublime melancholy and an uplifting narrative about love and compassion. I give Shigofumi a 7/10.

You won't really know what your last words will be, or to whom would you say them. Sometimes, we might not get the chance to say them anyway. That's where Shigofumi comes in.

Shigofumi (translated as "after death letter") are letters containing whatever a person who died, would have wanted to say, but never got the chance. The story revolves around Fumika, the one that delivers these letters.

STORY
The story shows how people might act if they received letter from someone close to them, or is somehow involved with them, who had already been dead. Although it has only thirteen episodes (including the epilogue episode), the story ... was very pulling, and very enjoyable.

ART
The art style is good. Although some scenes might be repeated, it does not mess with the watching experience.

SOUND
The OP theme matches the anime quite fairly, but after a few listens, the song gets very irritating to hear. That would be my only complaint with sound, as the ED theme, I liked very much. The voices are also very pleasing.

CHARACTER
The main cast isn't very vast, but that's a good thing, because it provides more character development within a short period of time. Fumika's character was very intriguing and at the same time mysterious.

ENJOYMENT
For a thirteen episode anime, it wasn't half-baked at all. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

OVERALL
Shigofumi is a fantastic anime. If you're into death-themed anime, this one's for you.

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

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

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

Shigofumi is an episodic series about a girl named Fumika and her talking rod assistant named Kanaka. Together they hand deliver letters from deceased individuals to persons whom they've left behind. The specific contents of these letters vary from case to case but the themes can usually be summarized into stories of love, hatred, despair and regret between the departed and the recipient.
The first half of Shigofumi is incredibly well executed. Most other series of this kind end up becoming saturated in melodrama to the point that they're completely unbelievable - boring even. However, the characters responses to receiving the last words of dead ... loved ones and friends are very human. Each case is handled so poignantly that it's easy to sympathize with each character and their situations.
Alongside the excellent writing is an equally exceptional soundtrack. It's a solemn tune that isn't overly moody but does a great job of creating a serious atmosphere and sets the tone for the entire show.
The artwork is a bit of a letdown as it's rather generic in appearance and the animation is a little sloppy even in comparison to other shows released around the same time. I will say that Fumika and her father’s appearances were attractive but, I wish the same level of creativity was used in the design of the side characters- all of whom look rather dull.
Unfortunately my problems with Shigofumi don't end with the art. The second half of the show isn't handled with the same smartness and drama as was with the first. All of the built up tension from the first 6 episodes is wasted on cheesy plot twists. The story could have gone in any number of different, better directions, but instead collapses into a jumbled and confused mess. It jumps around from case to case trying to regain the momentum it built up in its first few episodes. Unfortunately the effort is futile, much in part to the introduction of too many characters at the same time. Their progression was good, albeit could have been much better if they had been given more time to develop. The final conclusion was passable but in the shadow of the previous sentiment and drama it wasn't the most satisfying.
In spite of the inconclusive and rushed ending, Shigofumi was a heartwarming series with good re-watch value. It's handling was initially very well done but was ultimately robbed of its potential due to random inconsistencies and messy plot twists.

Shigofumi, a letter from a dead. It sure seems at least interesting, but sometime, good subject aren't use in a good way.
Let me assure you, by the end of second episode, I was close to give it a 10/10...
After that, it has become a little bit less interesting.

Story: 9/10
No really main plot before episode 7.
Yet it's not incoherent, because we follow Fumika in is job to deliver the letter of the soon dead.
The main plot is by itself something that I would give an 8 out of 10, it is very good indeed, but nothing really neither surprising nor exceptional. The fact that the other ... Fumika will come into play we will have a very shocking, yet surprising truth about how the two Fumika are related is what made it very good.
How this main plot has been include in the rest is something difficult to achieve when a series is defined by the secondary plots, but it has been implemented very well. The two element flow like it was destined to flow together without anything that seems forced. Even if I said it was a main plot, it hasn’t more time than the secondary plot in general. It’s just that it’s directly linked to Fumika.
Now, for the entire secondary plot, these are the letters.
We have letter that are addressed to a cat, to a kid from his depart mother, letters of vengeance, in fact, two kind of vengeance, and some others...
By the end of the show, I wasn't able to think of anything else the author can put into this story to complete more the subject, in fact, I think he was able maybe to do everything he could have done with it and if it's the case, that's why I have given the 9/10 for it. After all, I don't think we will find similar subject soon, and it was very interesting to watch.

Art: 8/10
Very good art and I can't say much more because it does a good job rendering the scenes, but not really more. Here we have some of the normal exaggeration of the animation in general. Like wind the hair, abnormal reflection of light. To compensate these little normalitys, the shadows of every form in the anime are greatly rendered. In fact, the light reflection is greatly rendered on others things than the hair.

Sound: 8/10
A funny opening song, gothic comedy that I think fit the show. (In fact, it is rare to see this kind of music in anime, the only other I can think of for now is in the beginning of Shiki) Good voice acting too. The song is fitting because the show isn’t all serious all the time; it is sometime a bit funny, while the general subject tells about the last words of a living. While Fumika doesn’t have much intonation in his voice, it’s probably something linked to her abnormal status of her been a postman of the dead while not be like other that do the same job. I must applause the secondary character that has strong voice acting that help a lot to be drive in the emotion transmitted by them.

Character: 8/10
Fumika and Chiaki are the least interesting character in there. (But they actually act close to very good) The most interesting character will come from the sides stories and will be more than compensate for the two little bit less interesting central character. The anime has some cliché moment but the two main characters. That’s exactly why I think that this series worse characters are the main ones. For the secondary characters, we have ones of many kinds, that go to a lone boy that is been intimidate seriously by other students, to the girl that hasn’t take the departure of her mother. There’s also another that has been use by her father for money.

Enjoyment: 9/10
I sure have liked to see it. Maybe one day, when I will have more time, or will want to see anime that I already know about, I will see it again. Just think before starting it that you’re going to see a variety show. It will go to the thriller to the drama to the bit funny and through some gore and philosophical thoughts.


In the end, the subject and how it has been implemented really help this show to be different and to be something that stands out from many others. For my final word, I don't know what kind of anime it is; maybe it's a style in his own kind, or maybe it’s more a melting pot of many styles.
(Not really a slice of life, not really a mystery, not really a thriller nor a drama.)

We are dealing with another episodic show with a main character glueing them together. But just because you push the characters who change every episode through one drama cliché at a time doesn't mean that that's a good way to waste someone's time who has watched more than at least 30 anime's with exavtly the same plot twists and moralities. Now have cliché personalities play their part and the boredom is complete. Of course one shall not forget the dull animation and the forgettable, at times obnoxiously boring music.

Maybe this was an acceptable standard in 2008 but after Violet Evergarden I feel like we've ended ... up too spoiled for such mediocracy.

Shigofumi presents a unique fusion of genres that ensnares its audience with a captivating narrative. Centered around a young woman tasked with delivering letters from the departed to the living, the series delves into dark and unsettling realms while also providing moments of emotional catharsis. Despite its episodic nature, Shigofumi maintains a cohesive storyline that unfolds gradually with each installment.

At its core, the show prioritizes character development, particularly focusing on the growth of its protagonist, Mika. The animation is skillfully executed, capturing the nuances of each character's personality through well-crafted designs. The soundtrack enhances the viewing experience, seamlessly blending into the background while also punctuating ... pivotal moments with memorable musical accompaniments.

Shigofumi strikes a delicate balance between character-driven storytelling and situational drama. Its meticulously crafted script explores weighty themes with finesse, avoiding excessive bleakness while delving into the complexities of mental struggles. Ultimately, Shigofumi leaves a profound impact on its audience, offering an intelligent exploration of human emotions within a compelling narrative framework.

I actually saw episode 3 of this on Time Warner Cable cutting edge on demand. It reminded me alot of Jigoku Shoujo, so I gave it a try.

Well, the 1st thing I noticed was that the opening song sounded alot like Pandora Hearts opening; I think because it was the same singer, Anyway, I watched all twelve episodes in one day. In each episode the mail deliverers take mail written by the dead to the living whom they are addressed to. The story moves rather quickly. I strongly recommend this to you if you liked Jigoku Shoujo.

The lives of the main characters are delved ... into like Jigoku Shoujo which really gives meat to the story. There is tragedy, comedy and touching moments too. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough, but maybe there will be a sequel.

Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed is a thought-provoking and emotionally powerful anime series that explores the themes of death, grief, and the human condition. The show's unique premise of delivering "shigofumi," or letters from the dead, to the living adds an interesting twist to the traditional ghost story and allows for a wide range of storytelling possibilities.

The animation and art style are beautifully done, with a muted color palette that perfectly captures the somber tone of the series. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the voice acting is top-notch.

Each episode features a different letter and story, which allows for a diverse range of emotions ... and experiences. Some episodes are heart-wrenching and tear-jerking, while others are more light-hearted and bittersweet. The show also touches on deep and complex issues such as regrets, forgiveness, and the importance of communication.

Overall, Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed is a thought-provoking and emotionally powerful anime series that is not to be missed. It offers a unique and captivating take on the ghost story genre, and the storytelling is both powerful and moving. It may not be a light-hearted series but it is definitely worth watching for anyone interested in exploring the intricacies of human emotions and relationships.