Review of Shiki

(What I've written here spoils some of the themes for this story, so I suggest you watch the anime for yourself before reading this. Furthermore, I tend to use the word "story" over "anime" or "manga" because I'd like to not be criticized by manga/anime fans who argue over "that". So I just call it "story".) Story - 10 It seems to be developed by the characters and not the plot itself. The characters' development throughout the story contribute to the plot. This story is all about the plot, which sounds weird but it's true. In this story, EVERYONE deserves to die, either for the blood thatthey have spilled or for standing idly by and letting the bloodletting continue. But, is that such the case? As is questioned in the end of the story.

I like how the author incorporates religion into the story. What is sin? Does it exist? Is it so horrible to commit a heinous crime such as the taking of a person's life? Is it murder if there was no intent? These questions are as to why I choose not to believe. But some people do because of their belief in the existence of God. Additionally, does it apply to human-like creatures?

Sound - 10
Both English voice actors and Japanese seiyū fit the settings, timings, and reactions of the characters really well, instead of like in SAO where the English voice actors lack all emotion and motivation which irritates me to hell. Also, the music really fits the overall story, if you've listened to the track "Shi-ki". The music is the best that I've known, though it doesn't always fit certain settings in the story, unlike Clannad. But most of the time, it really sends a chill down your spine sometimes, which I think is exciting (not in a happy way). It will either make you want to turn away and not look or look at what will happen next.

Character - 10
Reality. It's a strange yet sound description of the world we live in. A virus that can destroy our immune system, a single corrupt cell that can kill one whole human, weapons of mass destruction. Humans once believed none of this to be possible and were fantasies. Now that they are real, we accept all possibilities and delve into them with what we call fringe science. The American Sci-fi TV series Fringe greatly plays on the facts of such possibilities. All the characters seemed "real". Masao is one hell of an annoying baka, but there are people like him in real life. He's the first type of character I've "seen" out of all the characters I've known. His appearance in the story drastically changed my perception of it, as I thought that this would be a typical horror story when I began watching. I can relate to Natsuno as he is logical, but harbors strong feelings as well. When in fear, you will either always stay in fear or change it into hate. Kaori was always scared to take action, but eventually snapped. People have their limits, and this is ALWAYS shown in Shi-ki. ALL of the characters are realistic.

Art - 8
The art doesn't really throw me off but sometimes the realism of it is bent so as to fit the "supernatural"ness of the story. Probably reading too much into it now, but almost all of the art is representative, down to the opening animations of the anime. Don't pay attention to how weird the it is, and if you're one of those people who would rate this anime lowly JUST BECAUSE of that, THEN GROW UP. I'm serious, I once thought the anime was too weird and stupid just because of that, along with the blood involved. Just accept it.

Enjoyment - 10
As for "enjoying" this story, I can hardly explain it in such words. This moreover opened my foolish, childish mind; it was enlightening. Shi-ki is, what I consider, a polar opposite of Clannad. Shi-ki portrays the dark side of humanity; the inhumanity against humanity and the similarity between humans and beasts. Clannad however portrays the goodwill of mankind amongst itself; a town that nurtures its children and keeps it safe and parents shaping their dreams into their children's dreams. If you want to watch such touching stories, Shi-ki is a must. Clannad, Shi-ki, Air, Kanon, Death Note, Little Busters, and Psycho-Pass are the most emotionally touching stories I know.

Overall - 10
This is my perspective of the story, so shut up and accept it. If you're a shounen manga/anime type, don't try and watch this. If you're one of those who can handle this, then by all means see for yourself. I find this to be one of the few anime I could really re-watch, and once-in-a-while things are rare finds for me, like boba. When I read a story, I try to take in the author's perception of what he is writing. Sometimes a portion of what he writes is an accident and it came out pretty well so he stuck with it, as shown in the OVAs of the anime. They were unnecessary parts to his story, but I think he just thought "Why the hell not?" and put it as a part of the story. They best portrayed his other points about rationality and emotions. In summary, the author points out every contrasting point about humanity to what I think is the best of his ability.