-SPOILERS (kind of)
This anime is one about vampires. No, it's not a romance like anime that shows how the cute vampire cures his addiction and falls in love. I'm pretty sure you all have heard that over and over again from the other viewers but seriously, this anime is what any vampire anime should be about; the relationship between them and the humans they prey on. The plot very good, it kept me on my toes but some points were predictable. What really made this anime tick for me was its wide selection of characters.
" You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Sure this is a quote from TKAM, but it really defines what the anime is really about. Many of these people seem like dicks at first, but they have a reason and motive for being that way. The Shiki are feared because they are so misunderstood and of the abundance of fear on both sides. There is little to no difference between the Shiki and the humans on an emotional level.
Except for Masao- he's always going to be a coward and an idiot no matter what.
Who is right? Kill all vampires because they feed on humans. They're evil no matter what right? We have the right to kill them because they eat us.
Who is right? Shiki have to kill humans because we would die if we didn't. We need their blood otherwise we wouldn't do anything to harm regular people.
There is no right and wrong in this anime, that's what it's trying to exemplify throughout the entire series. Throughout the entire piece, it shows that both sides suffer and there isn't any way to sneak past the pain. There is no wildcard that can save both. I hate to say it, but this anime could also be extended not only to vampires. This has happened in the past in real life. And it is still happening now in our world today. Sure people don't go around staking other people, but they do talk about others, kill mothers and fathers, rape children, and tear families apart. And at least the Shiki grant a more peaceful passing then the violent ones that occur everyday.
Who are the real monsters in this world? Is it the ones hiding inside us? Or the ones that walk among us?
-End Spoilers
Art: I actually did not like the art at first. Seishin looked like a bug or some type of alien. Dr. Okazaki looked pretty similar to Natsuno so I kept mistaking them for father and son. But after a while, I didn't really care anymore because of the awesomely crafted individuals in the story.
Sound: From the very first episode, I knew that something was going to go wrong because of the music. Sure there was the obvious love dovey girl that was really annoying, but the music was the thing that tipped me off that something ominous was coming. I actually thought the first OP and ED were very well done, but the second OP didn't really fit. The 2nd ED was okay though. I can't really judge seiyuu because I'm not a speaker of Japanese but I could feel the emotion and pressure that weighed down every character. The screams were so horrifically real that I literally cringed in my chair.
Enjoyment: It was horrible. I watched the characters in this show grow, be happy, and it tore it all down within a few episodes. I got so freaked out at the end of the 4th episode I just got up and out of my room. It was horrible, but I loved every second of it. Sure I may have lost my faith in humanity a few dozen times, but seriously, this is an anime that everybody should watch.
Last of all, I want to thank Deknijff for recommending this anime to me. It's been a hell of a ride and I'm glad that I stuck with it. Thanks for the discussions you've given me and I hope that we'll have lots more in the future.
