I'm really enjoying Shiki. The art style took a little getting used to, but by this stage I've taken a liking to it, I re-watched the first episode with a friend recently and couldn't help from wondering what I thought seemed odd about it ^^; I think the strongest points for Shiki are it's characters and the way it tells it's story.
Also, I may as well mention now, I wish I hadn't known it was vampires from the beginning, because from what I can remember, it doesn't become obvious for a few episodes, and I think Ozaki's attempts at figuring out what it is through medicine would have seemed so interesting if I hadn't already known (at least for me? ^^; )
But onto characters, I think the series has several very strong and developed characters, my two favourite being Sunako and Ozaki. I love how non-threatening Sunako is. In some respects she reminds me of Amae Koromo in Saki, she gives off a very childlike and pure innocence a lot of the series, especially in her conversations with Seishin, but the way the other characters talk about her you know there's something more to her. But she never once gives an impression of being 'an evil blood-sucking vampire' which the humans who know about the Shiki interpret them to be. She even
decides not to bite Seishin, when presented with the chance.
Ozaki I really like too. He's very intelligent and always seems to be thinking ahead, and trying to learn what he can about the situation. He seems very human when you watch him (I agree with others when they've said the characters in Shiki seem very real, I definitely think they do), and is admirably determined and strong-willed, doing what he feels is necessary to survive even if he doesn't want to.
As for the way the story is tackled, this I really like. As I already gave above I like how the first few episodes focus more on Ozaki's attempts to solve it through medicine than showing us the Shiki, but what I like most is that you get a detailed look into how the Shiki live, and their community. They have relationships and work as a community in the same way humans do (for obvious reasons). They're not inhuman, they're just doing what they must to survive, it's not their fault that this is the only way they can survive. So, is it right to kill them? In fact, by killing them, aren't we showing just how human they are, because we'd be killing them to survive, which is *exactly* what they're doing to the humans. The Shiki and humans are one in the same when introduced together to the same environment. You don't often get that in vampire~y things I've seen, usually it's just 'evil vampire, sucking blood, how do we kill it' or in the romance~y series like Twilight and Vampire Knight, I've never really seen the 'problems of human-vampire' coexistence addressed to their full and we don't really question it (that said, I've only read 3 volumes of Vampire Knight and no books of Twilight, so perhaps I just haven't been exposed to enough of either). Shiki, though, is the first one that's presented the vampires to me both as humans and legitimate threats to human society. This is shown very clearly when
Chizuru's killed, when she's running from all the humans throwing stones, shouting and yelling angrily at her, it's hard not to feel sorry for her. That's real hatred being shown towards her. She still has a human mind and consciousness, and I can't imagine the fear she must have been feeling, a horde of angry hatefilled people, ready to kill you as soon as they can, it must have been terrifying, and she must have felt so helpless under the pressure of the position she was in.
and it's this empathizing with the Shiki that I feels makes the story stand out.
Though that said
I love Ritsuko at the moment, she's sticking purely and solidly to what she feels is right, even if it means her death. I really respect her for staying true to what she believes. I don't begrudge the others for not doing that, as I'd probably do the same, though I don't like to think it.. but Ritsuko's, like, my hero atm
Edit: I read below someone mentions empathising with humans too, and I believe the anime gives a great deal of this as well. While we do see a lot of the Shikis' community, the story still primarily focuses on the humans, because that's who we instantly relate to as a group, and those are generally the characters we stay attached to and want to see live. The loss of a loved one: a family member or close friend is something many of us can relate to in some way, even if we haven't experienced it, you can feel the dread of 'what would I do if they weren't there?', and so we can definitely relate to the humans and understand their fear, hate and actions. [End Edit]
I also enjoy the simpler fact that the story is explored from many different points of view and sometimes out of chronological order as and when it suits the plot elements being introduced. I think the story itself is unique and very interesting, it definitely has a large amount of plot twists and keeps you guessing a lot of the time..
I mean it..
When Ozaki was bitten I can honestly say I had no idea where it was going to go from there, I was praying he had some trick up his sleeve, but I really wasn't sure what would happen.
While it probably does start quite slow towards the beginning, I've never felt it, and have been very interested throughout. Definitely my pick of the season and one of my favourites this year ^^ I doubt it'll recieve a 10/10 from me, but it'll get a 9 unless it really messes up its ending. And I pray it doesn't, because I really want to give it the 9 =)
Anyway, that's my take on it, sorry it's so long ^^;
Don't have time for a proof read, so sorry if there's mistakes >.<
I advise everyone who loves this anime to read the manga
its much more involved and well rounded (a lot of chapters have been cut out of these last few episodes including that toshio and a group actually went into the pipeline and how predator and prey changes in an instant)
also its shows sympathetic moments to both human and shiki while the anime focuses more on the shiki
Why would you lose interest because you read the manga? :/ That makes no sense...
shadowii said:
what the person above says i dont get that either
By series, I assume he means the anime series, not Shiki as a whole, and in that case if you read the manga, you know what'll happen and if you know what's going to happen, there's no thrill to the plot twists or events. Nothing will surprise you, and therefore it won't be as gripping or engaging and you may lose interest in it because of that.
I read the manga and still love the anime with same intensity, even knowing what was going to happen, i didnt loose my motivation.(but that was me). I recommend everyone to read the manga. Its much more detailed, well explained and with a lot of awesome scenes that they removed from the anime.
The anime is indeed awesome, but dont forget that is gonna end while the manga is still on going...
Whatever it is that people think or say about SHIKI, its just a really good series. No matter which episode it was, good or bad, the anime itself just is so good and entertaining.
WELL THATS YOUR OPINION(?) THINKING . IF THE CREATOR OF THIS ANIME / MANGA ADMIT ITS AMAZING , THEN IT IS , AND IF ITS BAD , THEN IT SUCKS.
IF ITS YOUR OPINION , THEN IT STILL BASED ON 1 PERSON THOUGHT.
AND YES , THE MANGAKA DID SAY THIS IS THEIR MASTERPIECE SO BE IT HATER.
That's like saying that if the creator of Mars of Destruction said it was amazing, then we should all believe that it's a masterpiece.
And you're contradicting yourself. You say that if something is based on one person, it's just their opinion. Wouldn't that apply to the mangaka too? You know, since he/she is also only one person?
I'm not disagreeing with you when you say Shiki is great, but you should work out your logic a little bit better before posting.
WELL THATS YOUR OPINION(?) THINKING . IF THE CREATOR OF THIS ANIME / MANGA ADMIT ITS AMAZING , THEN IT IS , AND IF ITS BAD , THEN IT SUCKS.
IF ITS YOUR OPINION , THEN IT STILL BASED ON 1 PERSON THOUGHT.
AND YES , THE MANGAKA DID SAY THIS IS THEIR MASTERPIECE SO BE IT HATER.
That's like saying that if the creator of Mars of Destruction said it was amazing, then we should all believe that it's a masterpiece.
And you're contradicting yourself. You say that if something is based on one person, it's just their opinion. Wouldn't that apply to the mangaka too? You know, since he/she is also only one person?
I'm not disagreeing with you when you say Shiki is great, but you should work out your logic a little bit better before posting.
Basically the exact thing I wanted to say.
Plenty of people say their work is a masterpiece. That does not make it true :/
a good measurement of is what the creators thinks.if someone comes up to says: "i found this to be extremely awesome." then i find that to be a true opinion and a good measurement of one's creations. However, that does NOT mean you can go around saying thats the best or something because again, its still only one person's opinion.
the best measurement is what you[or], as the creator, see as a ruler xD
so ,if the creator itself doesnt enjoy what he/she produced, then he/she dont think their creation are good compared to others.
so regardless of how many views comments ratings etc it get ,
if the creator says it an masterpiece , then it does.
Its like eating a food recipe of yours , I mean you should be the one who taste it before other! and if you find it gross ,then you know the customer will.
Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines.
The reverse also works man. You can totally love your recipe but every other person can think it's inedible. It's a very good thing when the creators are enthusiastic about their work. But that doesn't magically make it good.
Keep in mind that the measurements of the creators are very VERY biased. Of course you love your own work, but that does not mean other persons will.
"The creator's opinion is a viable way to measure the quality of one's creations, and if the creator thinks that his/her creation is a masterpiece, then it is. No matter how many negative reviews the creator receives, his/her piece will remain a masterpiece."
Sebastian333 said: a good measurement of is what the creators thinks.if someone comes up to says: "i found this to be extremely awesome." then i find that to be a true opinion and a good measurement of one's creations. However, that does NOT mean you can go around saying thats the best or something because again, its still only one person's opinion.
the best measurement is what you[or], as the creator, see as a ruler xD
so ,if the creator itself doesnt enjoy what he/she produced, then he/she dont think their creation are good compared to others.
so regardless of how many views comments ratings etc it get ,
if the creator says it an masterpiece , then it does.
Its like eating a food recipe of yours , I mean you should be the one who taste it before other! and if you find it gross ,then you know the customer will.
Excuse me, I have to finish laughing...
So let me get this straight, if the creator says it's good, then that means it must actually be good?
I've heard Stephanie Meyer talk countless times about how great her work is and how proud she is of her masterpiece. However, just because she says it's awesome, that does not mean The Twilight Saga is a work of art. Quite the opposite, really.
A creator can either be their harshest critic or their biggest fanboy, it really depends on who's writing it. The person who created it is probably the least reliable judge on their creation because it is impossible not to be extremely biased.
The recipe thing doesn't really work. I've made food that I personally dislike very much, but will make for someone else because they like that style of food/flavor. Just because I don't like the creation, does not mean other people will.
I just find that way of thinking to be extremely flawed and unrealistic.
ok guys ! listen up ! shiki has just ended . what do you think about the anime?
oh and by the way , there is a sequel to shiki so i don't worry too much xD
i saw the preview too!! so rest assured guys , there still have further story ..
and maybe [well i hope] there s a second season that is no longer "based on the novel" where the plot is happening in the city xD
well i still sad.... :[
Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines.
Sebastian333 said: ok guys ! listen up ! shiki has just ended . what do you think about the anime?
oh and by the way , there is a sequel to shiki so i don't worry too much xD
i saw the preview too!! so rest assured guys , there still have further story ..
and maybe [well i hope] there s a second season that is no longer "based on the novel" where the plot is happening in the city xD
well i still sad.... :[
Could you post a link to the preview and the news on a second season? Because I have heard nothing... And I find it hard to believe there would already be a preview out... Considering the series just ended.
Umm, Natsuno didn't rise in the novel, did he? Unless I heard wrong, but I heard in the novel, Natsuno never comes back and just dies. So they already strayed far from the novel...
Sebastian333 said: ok guys ! listen up ! shiki has just ended . what do you think about the anime?
oh and by the way , there is a sequel to shiki so i don't worry too much xD
i saw the preview too!! so rest assured guys , there still have further story ..
and maybe [well i hope] there s a second season that is no longer "based on the novel" where the plot is happening in the city xD
well i still sad.... :[
That's a load of crap, they can't announce a season 2 so soon. If there really was a season 2 then everyone would already know about it by now, and the preview you saw must have been a fan made preview or something...
Sebastian333 said: by the way , there is a news where shiki has 24 episodes.
That would be the 2 episode OVA which is episode 20.5 and 21.5
There's no proof that the scene during the ending scene was a preview for a second season. For all we know, that could just be a teaser for the specials. It could even just be a little epilogue and nothing more.
Quit assuming stuff that has no proof to back it up. "Hoping" for something doesn't make it true.
Durn said: There's no proof that the scene during the ending scene was a preview for a second season. For all we know, that could just be a teaser for the specials. It could even just be a little epilogue and nothing more.
Quit assuming stuff that has no proof to back it up. "Hoping" for something doesn't make it true.
I didnt said that as a SECOND SEASON . I said it was like episode 23 and 24 [un-aired episode]
and im HOPING for second season. LOL
Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines.
oh and by the way , there is a sequel to shiki so i don't worry too much xD
i saw the preview too!! so rest assured guys , there still have further story
oh and by the way , there is a sequel to shiki so i don't worry too much xD
i saw the preview too!! so rest assured guys , there still have further story
You said there were two seasons.
Tehee....I guess so...my bad , anyway shiki is awesome :D
(so yea it start from 0 , to 4 , then 6 , and 7 and now 8.37)
Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines.
ErikVsAku said: im pretty bored at episode 09 should I continue?
It's been a while since I've seen this, but I believe the pace does pick up later. I'm not exactly sure what happens before episode 9, but if you're still at the stage where individuals are slowly converted to the shiki, I would give it a chance. If you have absolutely no interest in the whole zombie-esque situation and theme of moral ambiguity, then you probably shouldn't continue.
Its good in the beginning and it starts to get bland in the middle, but it ended really well and I enjoyed it so yeah it was kinda awesome..
Behold of my awesomeness~
controversial and/or sensitive topics likely devolve into the same repetitive, derogatory, abusive, and harassing comments can no longer be posted.
But my feels.
Personally thought it started off slow. Sure it got a bit mysterious to begin with but then it suddenly became bland until we learnt more about the Shiki and things kicked off. Its a good show though, and they should just leave it as it is.
Now I just wish there were some Shiki-related figurines. A Sunako figure would be awesome. Or any sort of merchandise. Why does Shiki get so little love?
Orulyon said: i only started to like it when Tohru died in ep. 5 or 6. (because i had a feeling that he would become a shiki). The first eps were really boring. Its the type of anime that you have to keep watching with a great effort until it becomes interesting. But im glad i did. Now i read the manga, and know everything that is gonna happen for a long time, but i keep watching the anime with the same emotion. Awesome indeed. one of the best, or even, the best of 2010.
I see . Thats rather interesting ..Anyone else captivated by episode 1?
me
i saw the picture of Megumi in that pink dress somewhere and after seing the art i had to watch it, among other things - i really like Megumi so the 1st ep was totally great for me
i totally dig the art, and music - these both get 10/10 from me and i really like the rest too, so overall rating 10/10, it is among those few animes that gave me ultimate experience
---------------------------------------------
Lightyear8684 said: This is going to be a kindergarten soon enough, people have DIFFERENT TASTES so if someone says it's not awesome and you see it as offense than you're really narrow-minded person...It's same like "I don't like chocolate and to other person it would be an offense just because I don't like it"..Doesn't sound too logical?See...So go express your love for shiki somewhere else if you can't show some arguments why it is so awesome, just saying plainly oh yeah this one sooo awesome but I don't know how to express it bla bla and it doesn't matter that I don't understand subs at all, but this still rockzszs!!! This is what kind of opinion I got after reading some people comments..
About the score, some people say it deserves 10?Sorry, but I'm going to laugh for a while HAHAHAHAHA, okay I'm done, no really, giving 10 to this ridiculous of course, I can see some of you guys especially like it and I can't blame you, it is good, but not that good, there is few animes that are WAYYYYYYYYY better than this and even those get poor scores, in other words there are tons underrated animes same goes for overrated and reading your scoring I can guess this one is going to be overrrated...
Well this is my opinion, I don't feel any hostility towards anyone, so don't feel offended, just gave my opinion about shiki
people have DIFFERENT TASTES so if someone says it's not awesome and you see it as offense than you're really narrow-minded person...
- it is not like that actually, rating and the whole experience is very subjective so there is no such thing as this anime is or is not awesome, therefore everyone can indeed say whatever he wants and feels, but saying the anime IS or IS NOT this or that WILL be offensive, because you are stating it as a fact, which means you interpret your own opinion as a fact and force it to other people
- simply put: if you say you think its horrible ill be ok with it and ask you why, but if you say it IS horrible, then the one being narrow-minded is you
It's same like "I don't like chocolate and to other person it would be an offense just because I don't like it
so now you see it is not the same, the difference lies in whether you are talking about your opinion or the fact
About the score, some people say it deserves 10?Sorry, but I'm going to laugh for a while HAHAHAHAHA, okay I'm done, no really, giving 10 to this ridiculous of course, I can see some of you guys especially like it and I can't blame you, it is good, but not that good
- so you talk about how everybody has his own opinion and due to it being relative it shouldnt be taken as offense, only to push your own opinion as the one everyone should believe in
- for someone talking about what is and is not offensive, you are pretty disrespectful