Detailed, intriguing, and consistently spooky. Each episode has a proper horror creep that steadies from a standard uncomfortable base up towards a satisfying, yet open-ended climax. As horrors should be, there isn't a lot of detail, and it's all within an understood realm of disturbing. What works in Yami Shibai is the idea that no object, action, or location is safe from horror. And, when those things are scary, there's almost an inconvenience to them at first, rather than a straight up terror factor.
For instance, the Hair episode has the MC photocopy something and lines come out on the copy. That's not scary at first, that's annoying. It's only after she investigates a rather mundane thing that it becomes scary. Time and time again, these things take place. It's incredibly intelligent.
Art:
Spooky cardboard cutouts. Why does this work? Similar to Courage the Cowardly Dog, certain aspects of horror are expanded to other forms of animation. It's that unsettling idea of including something "out of this world" that creates another dimension of fear. How does this new animation function? The only way to find out is to keep your eyes peeled.
Sound:
A good balance of ambiance and climactic tones. It can be a little childish when it gets super quiet, then bursts loud for jump scares, but it's never to a painful degree.
Character:
No character is all that important, but the characters within each narrative are explained enough to do what they need to, and that can be a very difficult task when writing what are essentially flash-fiction compilations.
Enjoyment:
EXTREMELY enjoyable. I'm jumping right into Season 2.
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