With that out of the way I just want to say that my review is heavily biased by my personal taste and You, as the reader, may not enjoy this anime as much as I did. This anime is far from being perfect and if you aren't particularly fond of difficult psychological and existential topics as well as the moral compass behaving like a pendulum, swinging side to side, I am sure You would think of Shiki as your average score 6 to 7 anime about vampires.
Shiki manages to offer a rather interesting mix of a few ingredients which create an unique blend that won't satisfy every viewer. The select few, however, will crave a second serving. One thing I noticed while writing this review is that no particular elements of Shiki stand out. In fact, they don't stand out at all from its' competitors. Yet, despite of all that by combining an average setting with (at first glance) uninteresting, dull characters and a rather unique combination of visuals and sounds it somehow creates something peculiar. Something, which the forementioned select few will appreciate for what it does, despite others thinking low of it.
It is said that you won't know you needed something untill you try it. Shiki is a great example of such a thing. Despite a few shortcomings I would recommend it to a viewer looking for a slightly more mature setting.
